The project presented here is a low quiescent current, synchronous buck converter featuring the LTC3807. This DC-DC converts a 16V to 38V input voltage to a 12V at 6A output. The main features of this board include an internal LDO for gate drive power from VIN or EXTVCC, RUN pins, a mode selector jumper CN1 that allows the converter to run in constant current mode (CCM), pulse-skipping or Burst Mode operation, and selectable current limit. Output is fixed and provides 12V DC but it supports an adjustable output voltage. Refer to the datasheet below to learn more about the adjustable output. The circuit has also soft-start and tracking. The wide input voltage range of 16V to 38V is suitable for automotive and distributed DC power systems where the low quiescent current is essential. The operating frequency is set to 120Khz using resistor R6. MOSFETs are mounted under the PCB for easy heatsink mounting, it is important to use a heatsink for a full current load.
The project presented here is a low quiescent current, synchronous buck converter featuring the LTC3807. This DC-DC converts a 16V to 38V input voltage to a 12V at 6A output. The main features of this board include an internal LDO for gate drive power from VIN or EXTVCC, RUN pins, a mode selector jumper CN1 that allows the converter to run in constant current mode (CCM), pulse-skipping or Burst Mode operation, and selectable current limit. Output is fixed and provides 12V DC but it supports an adjustable output voltage. Refer to the datasheet below to learn more about the adjustable output. The circuit has also soft-start and tracking. The wide input voltage range of 16V to 38V is suitable for automotive and distributed DC power systems where the low quiescent current is essential. The operating frequency is set to 120Khz using resistor R6. MOSFETs are mounted under the PCB for easy heatsink mounting, it is important to use a heatsink for a full current load.
The LTC3807 uses a constant frequency, current mode step-down architecture. During normal operation, the external top MOSFET is turned on when the clock for that channel sets the RS latch and is turned off when the main current comparator, ICMP, resets the RS latch. The peak inductor current at which ICMP trips and resets the latch is controlled by the voltage on the ITH pin, which is the output of the error amplifier, EA. The error amplifier compares the output voltage feedback signal at the VFB pin (which is generated with an external resistor divider connected across the output voltage, VOUT, to ground) to the internal 0.800V reference voltage. When the load current increases, it causes a slight decrease in VFB relative to the reference, which causes the EA to increase the ITH voltage until the average inductor current matches the new load current. After the top MOSFET is turned off each cycle, the bottom MOSFET is turned on until either the inductor current starts to reverse, as indicated by the current comparator IR, or the beginning of the next clock cycle.
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