CS5332
http://onsemi.com
15
module. If the module is powered apart from the intended
application, the feedback will be left open. On a
motherboard, the feedback path might be broken when the
processor socket is left open. Without the feedback
connection the output voltage is likely to exceed the
intended voltage. To protect the circuit from overvoltage
conditions, a resistor can be connected between the local
output voltage and the remote sense line as shown in Figure
16.
Figure 16. Remote Sense Connection
Remote
Sense
Line
100 Ω
CSREF Network
VFB Network
Local VOUT
Remote VOUT
Soft Start Enable, and Hiccup Mode
A capacitor between the Soft Start pin and GND controls
Soft Start and hiccup mode slopes. A 0.1 μF capacitor with
30 μA charge current will allow the output to ramp up at 0.3
V/ms or 1.5 V in 5.0 ms at startup.
When a fault is detected due to overcurrent or UVLO the
converter will enter a low duty cycle hiccup mode. During
hiccup mode the converter will not switch from the time a
fault is detected until the Soft Start capacitor has discharged
below the Soft Start Discharge Threshold and then charged
back up above the Channel Start Up Offset.
The Soft Start pin will disable the converter when pulled
below 0.3 V.
Layout Guidelines
With the fast rise, high output currents of microprocessor
applications, parasitic inductance and resistance should be
considered when laying out the power, filter and feedback
signal sections of the board. Typically, a multilayer board
with at least one ground plane is recommended. If the layout
is such that high currents can exist in the ground plane
underneath the controller or control circuitry, the ground
plane can be slotted to reroute the currents away from the
controller. The slots should typically not be placed between
the controller and the output voltage or in the return path of
the gate drive. Additional power and ground planes or
islands can be added as required for a particular layout.
Gate drives experience high di/dt during switching and the
inductance of gate drive traces should be minimized. Gate
drive traces should be kept as short and wide as practical and
should have a return path directly below the gate trace.
Output filter components should be placed on wide planes
connected directly to the load to minimize resistive drops
during heavy loads and inductive drops and ringing during
transients. If required, the planes for the output voltage and
return can be interleaved to minimize inductance between
the filter and load.
Voltage feedback should be taken from a point of the
output or the output filter that doesn’t favor any one phase.
If the feedback connection is closer to one inductor than the
others the ripple associated with that phase may appear
larger than the ripple associated with the other phases and
poor current sharing can result.
The current sense signal is typically tens of millivolts.
Noise pickup should be avoided wherever possible.
Current feedback traces should be routed away from noisy
areas such as switch nodes and gate drive signals. The paths
should be matched as well as possible. It is especially
important that all current sense signals be picked off at
similar points for accurate current sharing. If the current
signal is taken from a place other than directly at the inductor
any additional resistance between the pickoff point and the
inductor appears as part of the inherent inductor resistance
and should be considered in design calculations. Capacitors
for the current feedback networks should be placed as close
to the current sense pins as practical.