PICOR Corporation picorpower.com
QPO-1
Rev 3.6
Page 3 of 17
QPO-1
QUIETPOWER
Product Highlights
Picor’s QPO-1 output ripple attenuator System-in-a-Package
(SiP) provides the user with features that can optimize the
performance of the product to meet their system needs. The
QPO-1 uses active filtering to achieve greater than 30 dB
attenuation of periodic and random deviation (PARD) over
the frequency range of 1 kHz to 500 kHz. For converters
running off-line, with greater low frequency output ripple,
attenuation can be extended to be greater than 20 dB at 50
Hz by connecting a 25 μF capacitor between the VREF and
REFGND pins.
The QPO-1 operates over an output voltage range of 3 to 30
Vdc and is compatible with most switching power supplies
and DC-DC converters. Remote Sense or SC/Trim can be
selected to maintain output voltage regulation at the load.
The SC/Trim feature will adjust the converter output voltage
to compensate the headroom voltage drop of the filter if
remote sense is not available or not preferred. The SC
function works with converters that have a positive reference
type trim adjustment feature.
The QPO-1 can be used in an open loop configuration without
either remote sense or SC/trim. In this mode of operation the
QPO-1 will still provide greater than 30 dB of ripple and noise
attenuation, but DC errors will not be corrected once the
converter and headroom voltages are established, resulting in
reduced load regulation and transient performance.
Figure 4 - QPO-1 Active Filter Block Diagram
The QPO-1’s closed loop architecture greatly improves load
transient response of the converter while ensuring steady-
state precise point of load voltage regulation.
The headroom setting of the QPO-1 filter dramatically
reduces the capacitance needed at the converter output to
provide equivalent
transient
performance and
ripple
reduction.
Figure 2 demonstrates how the QPO-1 can be an
ideal solution for noise sensitive applications providing ripple
and noise reduction and improved output regulation with
high transient loads. More information about the QPO-1’s
transient abilities can be found on Picor’s website:
QPO-1 Functional Description
PARD Attenuation:
The QPO-1 uses a closed-loop, active filtering technique to
provide differential attenuation of PARD (Periodic and
Random Deviations), typically associated with a DC to DC
converter’s output voltage.
The active filter provides
attenuation from lower frequencies up to 500 KHz. The lower
frequency range can be extended by adding an external by-
pass cap across the RHR resistor, as shown in
Figure 4.Active attenuation is achieved by using a FET as a variable
resistor that can dynamically change its resistance depending
on the voltage difference between the input voltage and the
QPO-1’s internal reference voltage. When the difference is
lower, the FET’s resistance is reduced, lowering the overall
voltage drop across the QPO-1. When higher, the resistance
is increased, increasing the voltage drop across the QPO-1.
The QPO-1’s output voltage is the same as the voltage that is
on its VREF pin.
Figure 5 - Attenuation Headroom
There is a finite minimum resistance of about 10 mΩ between
QPO IN and QPO OUT that determines the minimum voltage
drop of the QPO-1. At a 10 A load, this would mean a
minimum 100 mV DC drop across QPO-1 without setting any
additional headroom for attenuating ripple. In
Figure 5 this
voltage is defined as “VOUT + (IIN * RQPO-1)”. Figure 5 illustrates that as the DC headroom voltage gets reduced, the difference
between VIN[DC] and VOUT, the input ripple eventually gets