16
LTC3716
INTV
CC
Regulator
An internal P-channel low dropout regulator produces 5V
at the INTV
CC
pin from the V
IN
supply pin. The INTV
CC
regulator powers the drivers and internal circuitry of the
LTC3716. The INTV
CC
pin regulator can supply up to 50mA
peak and must be bypassed to power ground with a
minimum of 4.7µF tantalum or electrolytic capacitor. An
additional 1µF ceramic capacitor placed very close to the
IC is recommended due to the extremely high instanta-
neous currents required by the MOSFET gate drivers.
High input voltage applications in which large MOSFETs
are being driven at high frequencies may cause the maxi-
mum junction temperature rating for the LTC3716 to be
exceeded. The supply current is dominated by the gate
charge supply current, in addition to the current drawn
from the differential amplifier output. The gate charge is
dependent on operating frequency as discussed in the
Efficiency Considerations section. The supply current can
either be supplied by the internal 5V regulator or via the
EXTV
CC
pin. When the voltage applied to the EXTV
CC
pin
is less than 4.7V, all of the INTV
CC
load current is supplied
by the internal 5V linear regulator. Power dissipation for
the IC is higher in this case by (I
IN
)(V
IN
– INTV
CC
) and
efficiency is lowered. The junction temperature can be
estimated by using the equations given in Note 1 of the
Electrical Characteristics. For example, the LTC3716 V
IN
current is limited to less than 24mA from a 24V supply:
T
J
= 70°C + (24mA)(24V)(85°C/W) = 119°C
Use of the EXTV
CC
pin reduces the junction temperature␣ to:
T
J
= 70°C + (24mA)(5V)(85°C/W) = 80.2°C
The input supply current should be measured while the
controller is operating in continuous mode at maximum
V
IN
and the power dissipation calculated in order to
prevent the maximum junction temperature from being
exceeded.
EXTV
CC
Connection
The LTC3716 contains an internal P-channel MOSFET
switch connected between the EXTV
CC
and INTV
CC
pins.
When the voltage applied to EXTV
CC
rises above
4.7V, the
internal regulator is turned off and an internal switch
closes, connecting the EXTV
CC
pin to the INTV
CC
pin
thereby supplying internal and MOSFET gate driving power
to the IC. The switch remains closed as long as the voltage
applied to EXTV
CC
remains above 4.5V. This allows the
MOSFET driver and control power to be derived from the
output during normal operation (4.7V < V
EXTVCC
< 7V) and
from the internal regulator when the output is out of
regulation (start-up, short-circuit). Do not apply greater
than 7V to the EXTV
CC
pin and ensure that EXTV
CC
< V
IN
+
0.3V when using the application circuits shown.
If an
external voltage source is applied to the EXTV
CC
pin when
the V
IN
supply is not present, a diode can be placed in
series with the LTC3716’s V
IN
pin and a Schottky diode
between the EXTV
CC
and the V
IN
pin, to prevent current
from backfeeding V
IN
.
Significant efficiency gains can be realized by powering
INTV
CC
from the output, since the V
IN
current resulting
from the driver and control currents will be scaled by the
ratio: (Duty Factor)/(Efficiency). For 5V regulators this
means connecting the EXTV
CC
pin directly to V
OUT
. How-
ever, for 3.3V and other lower voltage regulators, addi-
tional supply circuitry is required to derive INTV
CC
power
from the output.
The following list summarizes the four possible connec-
tions for EXTV
CC:
1. EXTV
CC
left open (or grounded). This will cause INTV
CC
to be powered from the internal 5V regulator resulting in
a significant efficiency penalty at high input voltages.
2. EXTV
CC
connected directly to V
OUT
. This is the normal
connection for a 5V regulator and provides the highest
efficiency.
3. EXTV
CC
connected to an external supply. If an external
supply is available in the 5V to 7V range, it may be used to
power EXTV
CC
providing it is compatible with the MOSFET
gate drive requirements.
4. EXTV
CC
connected to an output-derived boost network.
For 3.3V and other low voltage regulators, efficiency gains
can still be realized by connecting EXTV
CC
to an output-
derived voltage which has been boosted to greater than
4.7V but less than 7V. This can be done with either the
inductive boost winding as shown in Figure 5a or the
capacitive charge pump shown in Figure 5b. The charge
pump has the advantage of simple magnetics.
APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
WUU
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