19-0666; Rev 2; 3/09

KIT
ATION
EVALU BL E
AVAILA

1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver

with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
General Description Features

MAX16818
The MAX16818 pulse-width modulation (PWM) LED dri- o High-Current LED Driver Controller IC, Up to 30A
ver controller provides high-output-current capability in Output Current
a compact package with a minimum number of external o Average-Current-Mode Control
components. The MAX16818 is suitable for use in syn- o True-Differential Remote-Sense Input
chronous and nonsynchronous step-down (buck)
topologies, as well as in boost, buck-boost, SEPIC, and o 4.75V to 5.5V or 7V to 28V Input Voltage Range
Cuk LED drivers. The MAX16818 is the first LED driver o Programmable Switching Frequency or External
controller that enables Maxim’s patent-pending technol- Synchronization from 125kHz to 1.5MHz
ogy for fast LED current transients of up to 20A/µs and o Clock Output for 180° Out-of-Phase Operation
30kHz dimming frequency.
o Integrated 4A Gate Drivers
This device utilizes average-current-mode control that o Output Overvoltage and Hiccup Mode
enables optimal use of MOSFETs with optimal charge Overcurrent Protection
and on-resistance characteristics. This results in the
minimized need for external heatsinking even when o Thermal Shutdown
delivering up to 30A of LED current. True differential o Thermally Enhanced 28-Pin Thin QFN Package
sensing enables accurate control of the LED current. A o -40°C to +125°C Operating Temperature Range
wide dimming range is easily implemented to accom-
modate an external PWM signal. An internal regulator
enables operation over a wide input voltage range:
4.75V to 5.5V or 7V to 28V and above with a simple Ordering Information
external biasing device. The wide switching frequency
range, up to 1.5MHz, allows for the use of small induc- PART TEMP RANGE PIN-PACKAGE
tors and capacitors. MAX16818ATI+ -40°C to +125°C 28 TQFN-EP*
The MAX16818 features a clock output with 180° phase MAX16818ETI+ -40°C to +85°C 28 TQFN-EP*
delay to control a second out-of-phase LED driver to
+Denotes a lead(Pb)-free/RoHS-compliant package.
reduce input and output filter capacitors size or to mini-
mize ripple currents. The MAX16818 offers programma- *EP = Exposed pad.
ble hiccup, overvoltage, and overtemperature protection.
The MAX16818ETI+ is rated for the extended tempera-
ture range (-40°C to +85°C) and the MAX16818ATI+ is
rated for the automotive temperature range (-40°C to Simplified Diagram
+125°C). This LED driver controller is available in a
lead-free, 0.8mm high, 5mm x 5mm 28-pin TQFN pack- 7V TO 28V
age with exposed paddle.
C1
IN
Q1
Applications EN DH
VLED
Front Projectors/Rear Projection TVs ILIM L1
Portable and Pocket Projectors
MAX16818
Automotive, Bus/Truck Exterior Lighting Q2
DL
LCD TVs and Display Backlight C2
Q3
Automotive Emergency Lighting and Signage
OVI CSP
R1
CLP PGND

.
HIGH-FREQUENCY
PULSE TRAIN
Pin Configuration appears at end of data sheet. NOTE: MAXIM PATENT-PENDING TOPOLOGY

________________________________________________________________ Maxim Integrated Products 1

For pricing, delivery, and ordering information, please contact Maxim Direct at 1-888-629-4642,
or visit Maxim’s website at [Link].
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS
MAX16818

IN to SGND.............................................................-0.3V to +30V Continuous Power Dissipation (TA = +70°C)

BST to SGND..........................................................-0.3V to +35V 28-Pin TQFN (derate 34.5mW/°C above +70°C) .......2758mW
BST to LX..................................................................-0.3V to +6V Operating Temperature Range
DH to LX .......................................-0.3V to [(VBST - VLX_) + 0.3V] MAX16818ATI+..............................................-40°C to +125°C
DL to PGND................................................-0.3V to (VDD + 0.3V) MAX16818ETI+................................................-40°C to +85°C
VCC to SGND............................................................-0.3V to +6V Maximum Junction Temperature .....................................+150°C
VCC, VDD to PGND ...................................................-0.3V to +6V Storage Temperature Range .............................-60°C to +150°C
SGND to PGND .....................................................-0.3V to +0.3V Lead Temperature (soldering, 10s) .................................+300°C
All Other Pins to SGND...............................-0.3V to (VCC + 0.3V)

Stresses beyond those listed under “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional
operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated in the operational sections of the specifications is not implied. Exposure to
absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.

ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(VCC = 5V, VDD = VCC, TA = TJ = TMIN to TMAX, unless otherwise noted. Typical specifications are at TA = +25°C.) (Note 1)

PARAMETER SYMBOL CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS

SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
7 28
Input Voltage Range VIN Short IN and VCC together for 5V input V
4.75 5.50
operation
Quiescent Supply Current IQ EN = VCC or SGND, not switching 2.7 5.5 mA
LED CURRENT REGULATOR
SENSE+ to SENSE- Accuracy No load, VIN = 4.75V to 5.5V, fSW = 500kHz 0.594 0.6 0.606
V
(Note 2) No load, VIN = 7V to 28V, fSW = 500kHz 0.594 0.6 0.606
Clock
Soft-Start Time tSS 1024
Cycles
STARTUP/INTERNAL REGULATOR
VCC Undervoltage Lockout UVLO VCC rising 4.1 4.3 4.5 V
VCC Undervoltage Hysteresis 200 mV
VCC Output Voltage VIN = 7V to 28V, ISOURCE = 0 to 60mA 4.85 5.1 5.30 V
MOSFET DRIVERS
Output Driver Impedance RON Low or high output, ISOURCE/SINK = 20mA 1.1 3.0 Ω
Output Driver Source/Sink Current IDH,IDL 4 A
Nonoverlap Time tNO CDH/DL = 5nF 35 ns
OSCILLATOR
Switching Frequency Range 125 1500 kHz
Switching Frequency RT = 500kΩ 121 125 129
Switching Frequency fSW RT = 120kΩ 495 521 547 kHz
Switching Frequency RT = 39.9kΩ 1515 1620 1725
120kΩ ≤ RT ≤ 500kΩ -5 +5
Switching Frequency Accuracy %
40kΩ ≤ RT ≤ 120kΩ -8 +8

2 _______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)

MAX16818
(VCC = 5V, VDD = VCC, TA = TJ = TMIN to TMAX, unless otherwise noted. Typical specifications are at TA = +25°C.) (Note 1)

PARAMETER SYMBOL CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS

CLKOUT Phase Shift φ_CLKOUT With respect to DH, fSW = 125kHz 180 Degrees
CLKOUT Output Low Level VCLKOUTL ISINK = 2mA 0.4 V
CLKOUT Output High Level VCLKOUTH ISOURCE = 2mA 4.5 V
SYNC Input-High Pulse Width tSYNC 200 ns
SYNC Input Clock High Threshold VSYNCH 2.0 V
SYNC Input Clock Low Threshold VSYNCL 0.4 V
SYNC Pullup Current ISYNC_OUT VRT/SYNC = 0V 250 750 µA
SYNC Power-Off Level VSYNC_OFF 0.4 V
INDUCTOR CURRENT LIMIT
Average Current-Limit Threshold VCL CSP to CSN 24.0 26.9 28.2 mV
Reverse Current-Limit Threshold VCLR CSP to CSN -3.2 -2.3 -0.1 mV
Cycle-by-Cycle Current Limit CSP to CSN 60 mV
Cycle-by-Cycle Overload VCSP to VCSN = 75mV 260 ns
Hiccup Divider Ratio LIM to VCM, no switching 0.547 0.558 0.565 V/V
Hiccup Reset Delay 200 ms
LIM Input Impedance LIM to SGND 55.9 kΩ
CURRENT-SENSE AMPLIFIER
CSP or CSN Input Resistance RCS 4 kΩ
Common-Mode Range VCMR(CS) VIN = 7V to 28V 0 5.5 V
Input Offset Voltage VOS(CS) 0.1 mV
Amplifier Gain AV(CS) 34.5 V/V
3dB Bandwidth f3dB 4 MHz
CURRENT-ERROR AMPLIFIER (TRANSCONDUCTANCE AMPLIFIER)
Transconductance gm 550 µS
Open-Loop Gain AVOL(CE) No load 50 dB
DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE AMPLIFIER FOR LED CURRENT (DIFF)
Common-Mode Voltage Range VCMR(DIFF) 0 +1.0 V
DIFF Output Voltage VCM VSENSE+ = VSENSE- = 0V 0.6 V
Input Offset Voltage VOS(DIFF) -1 +1 mV
Amplifier Gain AV(DIFF) 0.994 1 1.006 V/V
3dB Bandwidth f3dB CDIFF = 20pF 3 MHz
Minimum Output-Current Drive IOUT(DIFF) 4 mA
SENSE+ to SENSE- Input RVS VSENSE- = 0V 50 100 kΩ
V_IOUT AMPLIFIER
Gain-Bandwidth Product VV_IOUT = 2.0V 4 MHz
3dB Bandwidth VV_IOUT = 2.0V 1 MHz
Output Sink Current 30 µA
Output Source Current 90 µA

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 3
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
MAX16818

(VCC = 5V, VDD = VCC, TA = TJ = TMIN to TMAX, unless otherwise noted. Typical specifications are at TA = +25°C.) (Note 1)

PARAMETER SYMBOL CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS

Maximum Load Capacitance 50 pF
V_IOUT Output to IOUT Transfer
RSENSE = 1mΩ, 100mV ≤ V_IOUT ≤ 5.5V 132.3 135 137.7 mV/A
Function
Offset Voltage 1 mV
VOLTAGE-ERROR AMPLIFIER (EAOUT)
Open-Loop Gain AVOLEA 70 dB
Unity-Gain Bandwidth fGBW 3 MHz
EAN Input Bias Current IB(EA) VEAN = 2.0V -0.2 +0.03 +0.2 µA
Error Amplifier Output Clamping
VCLAMP(EA) With respect to VCM 883 930 976 mV
Voltage
POWER-GOOD AND OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION
PGOOD goes low when VOUT is below this
PGOOD Trip Level VUV 87.5 90 92.5 %VOUT
threshold
PGOOD Output Low Level VPGLO ISINK = 4mA 0.4 V
PGOOD Output Leakage Current IPG PGOOD = VCC 1 µA
OVI Trip Threshold OVPTH With respect to SGND 1.244 1.276 1.308 V
OVI Input Bias Current IOVI 0.2 µA
ENABLE INPUT
EN Input High Voltage VEN EN rising 2.437 2.5 2.562 V
EN Input Hysteresis 0.28 V
EN Pullup Current IEN 13.5 15 16.5 µA
THERMAL SHUTDOWN
Thermal Shutdown Temperature rising 150 °C
Thermal Shutdown Hysteresis 30 °C
Note 1: Specifications at TA = +25°C are 100% tested. Specifications over the temperature range are guaranteed by design.
Note 2: Does not include an error due to finite error amplifier gain. See the Voltage-Error Amplifier (EAOUT) section.

4 _______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Typical Operating Characteristics

MAX16818
(TA = +25°C, using Figure 5, unless otherwise noted.)

CURRENT-SENSE THRESHOLD
SUPPLY CURRENT (IQ) vs. FREQUENCY SUPPLY CURRENT vs. TEMPERATURE vs. OUTPUT VOLTAGE
60 70 29.0

MAX16818 toc02

MAX16818 toc03
EXTERNAL CLOCK MAX16818 toc01

NO DRIVER LOAD
50 28.5
SUPPLY CURRENT (mA) 68
SUPPLY CURRENT (mA)

VIN = 24V

(VCSP - VCSN) (mV)

40 28.0
66
30 VIN = 12V 27.5
64
20 27.0
VIN = 5V
62 VIN = 12V
10 fSW = 250kHz 26.5
VIN = 12V
CDL/CDH = 22nF fSW = 250kHz
0 60 26.0
100 300 500 700 900 1100 1300 1500 -40 -15 10 35 60 85 0 1 2 3 4 5
FREQUENCY (kHz) TEMPERATURE (°C) VOUT (V)

VCC LOAD REGULATION DRIVER RISE TIME

HICCUP CURRENT LIMIT vs. REXT vs. INPUT VOLTAGE vs. DRIVER LOAD CAPACITANCE
26.0 5.25 100

MAX16818 toc06
MAX16818 toc04

MAX16818 toc05

VIN = 12V
fSW = 250kHz
25.5
5.15 80
VIN = 24V
CURRENT LIMIT (A)

25.0
5.05 VIN = 12V 60
VCC (V)

tR (ns)

24.5
DL
4.95 40
24.0 VIN = 5V DH
VIN = 12V
fSW = 250kHz 4.85 20
23.5
R1 = 1mΩ
VOUT = 1.5V
23.0 4.75 0
0 4 8 12 16 20 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 1 6 11 16 21
REXT (MΩ) VCC LOAD CURRENT (mA) CAPACITANCE (nF)

DRIVER FALL TIME HIGH-SIDE DRIVER (DH) SINK LOW-SIDE DRIVER (DL) SINK
vs. DRIVER LOAD CAPACITANCE AND SOURCE CURRENT AND SOURCE CURRENT
MAX16818 toc08 MAX16818 toc09
100
MAX16818 toc07

VIN = 12V CLOAD = 22nF CLOAD = 22nF

fSW = 250kHz VIN = 12V VIN = 12V
80

60
tF (ns)

DL 2A/div 3A/div
40
DH

20

0
1 6 11 16 21 100ns/div 100ns/div
CAPACITANCE (nF)

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 5
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
MAX16818

(TA = +25°C, using Figure 5, unless otherwise noted.)

HIGH-SIDE DRIVER (DH) RISE TIME HIGH-SIDE DRIVER (DH) FALL TIME LOW-SIDE DRIVER (DL) RISE TIME
MAX16818 toc10 MAX16818 toc11 MAX16818 toc12

CLOAD = 22nF CLOAD = 22nF CLOAD = 22nF

VIN = 12V VIN = 12V VIN = 12V

2V/div 2V/div 2V/div

40ns/div 40ns/div 40ns/div

LOW-SIDE DRIVER (DL) FALL TIME FREQUENCY vs. RT

MAX16818 toc13
10,000

MAX16818 toc14
CLOAD = 22nF VIN = 12V
VIN = 12V
fSW (kHz)

2V/div 1000

100
40ns/div 30 110 190 270 350 430 510
70 150 230 310 390 470
RT (kΩ)

FREQUENCY vs. TEMPERATURE SYNC, CLKOUT, AND LX WAVEFORM

MAX16818 toc16
260
MAX16818 toc15

VIN = 12V
258 SYNC
256 5V/div

254
252 CLKOUT
fSW (kHz)

5V/div
250
248 VIN = 12V
fSW = 250kHz
246
244 LX
10V/div
242
240
-40 -15 10 35 60 85 1µs/div
TEMPERATURE (°C)

6 _______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Pin Description

MAX16818
PIN NAME FUNCTION
1 PGND Power-Supply Ground
2, 7 N.C. No Connection. Not internally connected.
3 DL Low-Side Gate Driver Output
Boost Flying Capacitor Connection. Reservoir capacitor connection for the high-side MOSFET driver
4 BST
supply. Connect a ceramic capacitor between BST and LX.
5 LX Source connection for the high-side MOSFET.
6 DH High-Side Gate Driver Output. Drives the gate of the high-side MOSFET.
Signal Ground. Ground connection for the internal control circuitry. Connect SGND and PGND
8, 22, 25 SGND
together at one point near the IC.
9 CLKOUT Oscillator Output. Rising edge of CLKOUT is phase-shifted from the rising edge of DH by 180°.
10 PGOOD Power-Good Output
Output Enable. Drive high or leave unconnected for normal operation. Drive low to shut down the
11 EN power drivers. EN has an internal 15µA pullup current. Connect a capacitor from EN to SGND to
program the hiccup-mode duty cycle.

Switching Frequency Programming and Chip-Enable Input. Connect a resistor from RT/SYNC to
12 RT/SYNC SGND to set the internal oscillator frequency. Drive RT/SYNC to synchronize the switching frequency
with external clock.
13 V_IOUT Voltage Source Output Proportional to the Inductor Current. The voltage at V_IOUT = 135 x ILED x RS.
Current-Limit Setting Input. Connect a resistor from LIM to SGND to set the hiccup current-limit
14 LIM
threshold. Connect a capacitor from LIM to SGND to ignore short output overcurrent pulses.

Overvoltage Protection. Connect OVI to DIFF. When OVI exceeds 12.7% above the programmed
15 OVI output voltage, DH is latched low and DL is latched high. Toggle EN or recycle the input power to
reset the latch.
16 CLP Current-Error Amplifier Output. Compensate the current loop by connecting an RC network to ground.
17 EAOUT Voltage-Error Amplifier Output. Connect to the external compensation network.
18 EAN Voltage-Error Amplifier Inverting Input
Differential Remote-Sense Amplifier Output. DIFF is the output of a precision unity-gain amplifier
19 DIFF
whose inputs are SENSE+ and SENSE-.
Current-Sense Differential Amplifier Negative Input. The differential voltage between CSN and CSP is
20 CSN
amplified internally by the current-sense amplifier (gain = 34.5) to measure the inductor current.

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 7
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Pin Description (continued)
MAX16818

PIN NAME FUNCTION

Current-Sense Differential Amplifier Positive Input. The differential voltage between CSN and CSP is
21 CSP
amplified internally by the current-sense amplifier (gain = 34.5) to measure the inductor current.
Differential LED Current-Sensing Negative Input. SENSE- is used to sense the LED current. Connect
23 SENSE-
SENSE- to the negative side of the LED current-sense resistor.
Differential LED Current-Sensing Positive Input. SENSE+ is used to sense the LED current. Connect
24 SENSE+
SENSE+ to the positive side of the LED current-sense resistor.
26 IN Supply Voltage Connection. Connect IN to VCC for a +5V system.
Internal +5V Regulator Output. VCC is derived from the IN voltage. Bypass VCC to SGND with 4.7µF
27 VCC
and 0.1µF ceramic capacitors.

Supply Voltage for Low-Side and High-Side Drivers. Connect a parallel combination of 0.1µF and 1µF
28 VDD ceramic capacitors to PGND and a 1Ω resistor to VCC to filter out the high peak currents of the driver
from internal circuitry.

Exposed Paddle. Connect the exposed paddle to a copper pad (SGND) to improve power
— EP
dissipation.

8 _______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Typical Application Circuits

MAX16818
ON/OFF

C3 R6
VIN
VCC 7V TO 28V
R3 R4 R5
VLED

C2
L1
14 13 12 11 10 9 8
LIM V_IOUT RT/SYNC EN PGOOD CLKOUT SGND VLED
C10 D1
15 OVI N.C. 7

C9 R12 Q1
16 CLP DH 6

R11
17 EAOUT LX 5 LED
C1
C8 STRING
R7
C7 18 EAN BST 4
MAX16818
R10
19 DIFF DL 3 R2

20 CSN N.C. 2
R1

21 CSP PGND 1
SGND SENSE- SENSE+ SGND IN VCC VDD
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
VCC

VIN R8

C6 C5 C4

Figure 1. Typical Application Circuit for a Boost LED Driver (Nonsynchronous)

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 9
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Typical Application Circuits (continued)
MAX16818

ON/OFF

C3 R6
VIN
VCC 7V TO 28V LED
R3 R4 R5 R2
VLED STRING
1 TO 6
C2 LEDS
L1
14 13 12 11 10 9 8
LIM V_IOUT RT/SYNC EN PGOOD CLKOUT SGND VLED
C10 D1
15 OVI N.C. 7

C9 R12 Q1
16 CLP DH 6
VCC
R11
17 EAOUT LX 5 RS+ VCC
C8
R7 MAX4073T
C7 18 EAN BST 4 RS- OUT
MAX16818
C1
R10
19 DIFF DL 3

20 CSN N.C. 2
R1

21 CSP PGND 1
SGND SENSE- SENSE+ SGND IN VCC VDD
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
VCC

VIN R8

C6 C5 C4

Figure 2. Typical Application Circuit for an Input-Referred Buck-Boost LED Driver (Input: 7V to 28V, Output: 1 to 6 LEDs in Series)

10 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Typical Application Circuits (continued)

MAX16818
ON/OFF

C4 R6
VIN
VCC 7V TO 28V
R3 R4 R5
VLED

C3
L1
14 13 12 11 10 9 8
LIM V_IOUT RT/SYNC EN PGOOD CLKOUT SGND VLED
C11 C1 D1
15 OVI N.C. 7

C10 R12 Q1
16 CLP DH 6

R11
17 EAOUT LX 5 LED
L2 C2 STRING
C9

C8 18 EAN BST 4
MAX16818
R10
19 DIFF DL 3 R7 R2

20 CSN N.C. 2
R1

21 CSP PGND 1
SGND SENSE- SENSE+ SGND IN VCC VDD
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
VCC

VIN R8

C7 C6 C5

Figure 3. Typical Application Circuit for a SEPIC LED Driver

______________________________________________________________________________________ 11
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Typical Application Circuits (continued)
MAX16818

ON/OFF
C3 R6
VCC
R3 R4 R5 VIN
VLED 7V TO 18V

14 13 12 11 10 9 8
C2
C11 LIM V_IOUT RT/SYNC EN PGOOD CLKOUT SGND
15 OVI N.C. 7

Q1
C10 R12
16 CLP DH 6
VLED
R11 L1 D1
17 EAOUT LX 5
C9 C4
R7 Q3
C8 18 EAN BST 4
MAX16818 LED
Q2 STRING
R10 C1
19 DIFF DL 3

20 CSN N.C. 2 D2
R2
R1
21 CSP PGND 1
SGND SENSE- SENSE+ SGND IN VCC VDD
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
VCC

VIN R8

C7 C6 C5

Figure 4. Application Circuit for a Ground-Referred Buck-Boost LED Driver

12 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Typical Application Circuits (continued)

MAX16818
VCC

R4

C3 VIN
R3 ON/OFF 7V TO 28V

14 13 12 11 10 9 8
C2
C11 LIM V_IOUT RT/SYNC EN PGOOD CLKOUT SGND
15 OVI N.C. 7

C10 R10
16 CLP DH 6

R9 L1
17 EAOUT LX 5
C9 C4
R5
C8 18 EAN BST 4 Q1
MAX16818 LED
D1 C1 STRING
R8
19 DIFF DL 3

20 CSN N.C. 2
R2
R1
21 CSP PGND 1
SGND SENSE- SENSE+ SGND IN VCC VDD
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
VCC

VIN R6

C7 C6 C5

Figure 5. Application Circuit for a Buck LED Driver

______________________________________________________________________________________ 13
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Functional Diagram
MAX16818

VCC

IS

EN

0.5V x VCC

IN 5V UVLO
LDO POR
REGULATOR TEMP SENSOR
VCC
TO INTERNAL
CIRCUITS HICCUP MODE
LIM CURRENT LIMIT MAX16818
VCM
126.7kΩ

100kΩ

S Q

0.5 x VCLAMP RT
CLP R Q
Ct
AV = 34.5
CSP VCM
CA gm = 500µS VDD
CSN
PWM
AV = 4 CEA COMPARATOR BST
V_IOUT
VCLAMP VCLAMP CPWM
LOW HIGH RAMP S Q DH
SGND

2 x fS (V/s) LX
RT/SYNC CLK
OSCILLATOR R Q DL

CLKOUT
RAMP PGND
DIFF GENERATOR

SENSE- +0.6V PGOOD

N
DIFF
SENSE+ AMP 0.1 x VREF

EAOUT

ERROR AMP
EAN 0.12 x VREF
OVP LATCH
VEA

LATCH
OVP COMP
SOFT-
START VREF = 0.6V

CLEAR ON UVLO RESET OR

VCM (0.6V) ENABLE LOW

OVI

Figure 6. MAX16818 Functional Diagram

14 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Detailed Description PD = VIN x ICC

MAX16818
ICC = IQ + [fSW x (QG1 + QG2)]
The MAX16818 is a high-performance average-current-
mode PWM controller for high-power, high-brightness where QG1 and QG2 are the total gate charge of the
LEDs (HBLEDs). Average current-mode control is the low-side and high-side external MOSFETs at VGATE =
ideal method for driving HBLEDs. This technique offers 5V, IQ is 3.5mA (typ), and fSW is the switching frequen-
inherently stable operation, reduces component derat- cy of the converter.
ing and size by accurately controlling the inductor cur-
Undervoltage Lockout (UVLO)
rent. The device achieves high efficiency at high
The MAX16818 includes an undervoltage lockout with
current (up to 30A) with a minimum number of external
hysteresis and a power-on-reset circuit for converter
components. The high- and low-side drivers source
turn-on. The UVLO rising threshold is internally set at
and sink up to 4A for lower switching losses while dri-
4.35V with a 200mV hysteresis. Hysteresis at UVLO
ving high-gate-charge MOSFETs. The MAX16818’s
eliminates chattering during startup.
CLKOUT output is 180° out-of-phase with respect to the
high-side driver. CLKOUT drives a second MAX16818 Most of the internal circuitry, including the oscillator,
LED driver out of phase, reducing the input-capacitor turns on when the input voltage reaches 4V. The
ripple current. MAX16818 draws up to 3.5mA of current before the
input voltage reaches the UVLO threshold.
The MAX16818 consists of an inner average current loop
representing inductor current and an outer voltage loop Soft-Start
voltage-error amplifier (VEA) that directly controls LED The MAX16818 has an internal digital soft-start for a
current. The combined action of the two loops results in monotonic, glitch-free rise of the output current. Soft-
a tightly regulated LED current. The inductor current is start is achieved by the controlled rise of the error
sensed across a current-sense resistor. The differential amplifier dominant input in steps using a 5-bit counter
amplifier senses LED current through a sense resistor in and a 5-bit DAC. The soft-start DAC generates a linear
series with the LEDs and the resulting sensed voltage is ramp from 0 to 0.7V. This voltage is applied to the error
compared against an internal 0.6V reference at the error- amplifier at a third (noninverting) input. As long as the
amplifier input. The MAX16818 will adjust the LED cur- soft-start voltage is lower than the reference voltage,
rent to within 1% accuracy to maintain emitted spectrum the system converges to that lower reference value.
of the light in HBLEDs. Once the soft-start DAC output reaches 0.6V, the refer-
ence takes over and the DAC output continues to climb
IN, VCC, and VDD
to 0.7V, assuring that it does not interfere with the refer-
The MAX16818 accepts either a 4.75V to 5.5V or 7V to
ence voltage.
28V input voltage range. All internal control circuitry
operates from an internally regulated nominal voltage of Internal Oscillator
5V (VCC). For input voltages of 7V or greater, the inter- The internal oscillator generates a clock with the fre-
nal VCC regulator steps the voltage down to 5V. The quency proportional to the inverse of RT. The oscillator
VCC output voltage is a regulated 5V output capable of frequency is adjustable from 125kHz to 1.5MHz with
sourcing up to 60mA. Bypass the VCC to SGND with better than 8% accuracy using a single resistor con-
4.7µF and 0.1µF low-ESR ceramic capacitors for high- nected from RT/SYNC to SGND. The frequency accura-
frequency noise rejection and stable operation. cy avoids the over-design, size, and cost of passive
The MAX16818 uses VDD to power the low-side and filter components like inductors and capacitors. Use
high-side drivers. Isolate VDD from VCC with a 1Ω resis- the following equation to calculate the oscillator fre-
tor and put a 1µF capacitor in parallel with a 0.1µF quency:
capacitor to ground to prevent high-current noise spikes For 120kΩ ≤ RT ≤ 500kΩ:
created by the driver from disrupting internal circuitry.
The TQFN is a thermally enhanced package and can 6.25 x 1010
RT =
dissipate up to 2.7W. The high-power packages allow fSW
the high-frequency, high-current converter to operate
from a 12V or 24V bus. Calculate power dissipation in For 40kΩ ≤ RT ≤ 120kΩ:
the MAX16818 as a product of the input voltage and the
total VCC regulator output current (ICC). ICC includes qui- 6.40 x 1010
escent current (IQ) and gate-drive current (IDD): RT =
fSW

______________________________________________________________________________________ 15
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
The oscillator also generates a 2VP-P voltage-ramp sig- PWM comparator (CPWM) (Figure 7). The precision CA
MAX16818

nal for the PWM comparator and a 180° out-of-phase amplifies the sense voltage across RS by a factor of
clock signal for CLKOUT to drive a second LED regula- 34.5. The inverting input to the CEA senses the CA out-
tor out-of-phase. put. The CEA output is the difference between the volt-
age-error amplifier output (EAOUT) and the amplified
Synchronization voltage from the CA. The RC compensation network
The MAX16818 can be easily synchronized by connect- connected to CLP provides external frequency compen-
ing an external clock to RT/SYNC. If an external clock is sation for the CEA. The start of every clock cycle
present, then the internal oscillator is disabled and the enables the high-side drivers and initiates a PWM on-
external clock is used to run the device. If the external cycle. Comparator CPWM compares the output voltage
clock is removed, the absence of clock for 32µs is from the CEA with a 0V to 2V ramp from the oscillator.
detected and the circuit starts switching from the inter- The PWM on-cycle terminates when the ramp voltage
nal oscillator. Pulling RT/SYNC to ground for at least exceeds the error voltage. Compensation for the outer
50µs disables the converter. Use an open-collector LED current loop varies based upon the topology.
transistor to synchronize the MAX16818 with the exter-
nal system clock. The MAX16818 outer LED current control loop consists
of the differential amplifier (DIFF AMP), reference volt-
Control Loop age, and VEA. The unity-gain differential amplifier pro-
The MAX16818 uses an average-current-mode control vides true differential remote sensing of the voltage
scheme to regulate the output current (Figure 7). The across the LED current set resistor, RLS. The differential
main control loop consists of an inner current loop for amplifier output connects to the inverting input (EAN) of
controlling the inductor current and an outer current the VEA. The DIFF AMP is bypassed and the inverting
loop for regulating the LED current. The inner current input is available to the pin for direct feedback. The
loop absorbs the inductor pole reducing the order of the noninverting input of the VEA is internally connected to
outer current loop to that of a single-pole system. The an internal precision reference voltage, set to 0.6V. The
current loop consists of a current-sense resistor (RS), a VEA controls the inner current loop (Figure 6). A feed-
current-sense amplifier (CA), a current-error amplifier back network compensates the outer loop using the
(CEA), an oscillator providing the carrier ramp, and a EAOUT and EAIN pins.

CCF RCF

CCFF
CSN CSP CLP VIN

CA
EAOUT MAX16818
SENSE+ 600mV IL
DIFF CEA
Z COMP

AMP
VEA CPWM DRIVE LED
SENSE- STRING
EAN COUT
VREF + VCM = 1.2V
RLS
DIFF RS

Figure 7. MAX16818 Control Loop

16 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Inductor Current-Sense Amplifier Current-Error Amplifier

MAX16818
The differential current-sense amplifier (CA) provides a (For Inductor Currents)
DC gain of 34.5. The maximum input offset voltage of The MAX16818 has a transconductance current-error
the current-sense amplifier is 1mV and the common- amplifier (CEA) with a typical gm of 550µS and 320µA
mode voltage range is 0 to 5.5V (IN = 7V to 28V). The output sink- and source-current capability. The current-
current-sense amplifier senses the voltage across a error amplifier output CLP serves as the inverting input
current-sense resistor. The maximum common-mode to the PWM comparator. CLP is externally accessible to
voltage is 3.6V when VIN = 5V. provide frequency compensation for the inner current
loops (Figure 7). Compensate (CEA) so the inductor
Inductor Peak-Current Comparator current negative slope, which becomes the positive
The peak-current comparator provides a path for fast slope to the inverting input of the PWM comparator, is
cycle-by-cycle current limit during extreme fault condi- less than the slope of the internally generated voltage
tions, such as an inductor malfunction (Figure 8). Note ramp (see the Compensation section).
the average current-limit threshold of 26.9mV still limits
the output current during short-circuit conditions. To PWM Comparator and R-S Flip-Flop
prevent inductor saturation, select an inductor with a The PWM comparator (CPWM) sets the duty cycle for
saturation current specification greater than the average each cycle by comparing the output of the current-error
current limit. Proper inductor selection ensures that only amplifier to a 2VP-P ramp. At the start of each clock
the extreme conditions trip the peak-current comparator, cycle, an R-S flip-flop resets and the high-side driver
such as an inductor with a shorted turn. The 60mV (DH) goes high. The comparator sets the flip-flop as
threshold for triggering the peak-current limit is twice the soon as the ramp voltage exceeds the CLP voltage,
full-scale average current-limit voltage threshold. The thus terminating the on-cycle (Figure 8).
peak-current comparator has only a 260ns delay.

VDD

PEAK-CURRENT
COMPARATOR
60mV

CLP

AV = 34.5
CSP MAX16818
CA gm = 550µS
CSN
BST
CEA
SET
VEA S Q DH
EAN CPWM
RAMP
EAOUT 2 x fS (V/s) LX
CLK
R Q DL
CLR

SHDN PGND

Figure 8. MAX16818 Phase Circuit

______________________________________________________________________________________ 17
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Differential Amplifier BST
MAX16818

The DIFF AMP facilitates remote sensing at the load The MAX16818 uses VDD to power the low- and high-
(Figure 7). It provides true differential LED current side MOSFET drivers. The high-side driver derives its
(through the RLS sense resistor) sensing while rejecting power through a bootstrap capacitor and VDD supplies
the common-mode voltage errors due to high-current power internally to the low-side driver. Connect a
ground paths. The VEA provides the difference 0.47µF low-ESR ceramic capacitor between BST and
between the differential amplifier output (DIFF) and the LX. Connect a Schottky rectifier from BST to VDD. Keep
desired LED current-sense voltage. The differential the loop formed by the boost capacitor, rectifier, and IC
amplifier has a bandwidth of 3MHz. The difference small on the PCB.
between SENSE+ and SENSE- is regulated to 0.6V.
Connect SENSE+ to the positive side of the LED current- Protection
sense resistor and SENSE- to the negative side of the The MAX16818 includes output overvoltage protection
LED current-sense resistor (which is often PGND). (OVP). During fault conditions when the load goes to
high impedance (opens), the controller attempts to
MOSFET Gate Drivers (DH, DL) maintain LED current. The OVP protection disables the
The high-side (DH) and low-side (DL) drivers drive the MAX16818 whenever the voltage exceeds the thresh-
gates of external n-channel MOSFETs (Figures 1–5). old, protecting the external circuits from undesirable
The drivers’ 4A peak sink- and source-current capabili- voltages.
ty provides ample drive for the fast rise and fall times of
the switching MOSFETs. Faster rise and fall times result Current Limit
in reduced cross-conduction losses. Due to physical The VEA output is clamped to 930mV with respect to
realities, extremely low gate charges and R DS(ON) the common-mode voltage (V CM). Average-current-
resistance of MOSFETs are typically exclusive of each mode control has the ability to limit the average current
other. MOSFETs with very low RDS(ON) will have a high- sourced by the converter during a fault condition. When
er gate charge and vice versa. Choosing the high-side a fault condition occurs, the VEA output clamps to
MOSFET (Q1) becomes a trade-off between these two 930mV with respect to the common-mode voltage
attributes. Applications where the input voltage is much (0.6V) to limit the maximum current sourced by the con-
higher than the output voltage result in a low duty cycle verter to ILIMIT = 26.9mV / RS. The hiccup current limit
where conduction losses are less important than overrides the average current limit. The MAX16818
switching losses. In this case, choose a MOSFET with includes hiccup current-limit protection to reduce the
very low gate charge and a moderate R DS(ON). power dissipation during a fault condition. The hiccup
Conversely, for applications where the output voltage is current-limit circuit derives inductor current information
near the input voltage resulting in duty cycles much from the output of the current amplifier. This signal is
greater than 50%, the RDS(ON) losses become at least compared against one half of V CLAMP(EA) . With no
equal, or even more important than the switching losses. resistor connected from the LIM pin to ground, the hic-
In this case, choose a MOSFET with very low RDS(ON) cup current limit is set at 90% of the full-load average
and moderate gate charge. Finally, for the applications current limit. Use REXT to increase the hiccup current
where the duty cycle is near 50%, the two loss compo- limit from 90% to 100% of the full load average limit.
nents are nearly equal, and a balanced MOSFET with The hiccup current limit can be disabled by connecting
moderate gate charge and RDS(ON) work best. LIM to SGND. In this case, the circuit follows the aver-
age current-limit action during overload conditions.
In a buck topology, the low-side MOSFET (Q2) typically
operates in a zero voltage switching mode, thus it does Overvoltage Protection
not have switching losses. Choose a MOSFET with very The OVP comparator compares the OVI input to the
low RDS(ON) and moderate gate charge. overvoltage threshold. A detected overvoltage event
Size both the high-side and low-side MOSFETs to han- latches the comparator output forcing the power stage
dle the peak and RMS currents during overload condi- into the OVP state. In the OVP state, the high-side
tions. The driver block also includes a logic circuit that MOSFET turns off and the low-side MOSFET latches on.
provides an adaptive nonoverlap time to prevent shoot- Connect OVI to the center tap of a resistor-divider from
through currents during transition. The typical nonover- VLED to SGND. In this case, the center tap is compared
lap time between the high-side and low-side MOSFETs against 1.276V. Add an RC delay to reduce the sensitivity
is 35ns. of the overvoltage circuit and avoid nuisance tripping of
the converter. Disable the overvoltage function by con-
necting OVI to SGND.

18 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Applications Information span from the output to the input. This effectively

MAX16818
removes the boost-only restriction of the regulator in
Application Circuit Descriptions Figure 1, allowing the voltage across the LEDs to be
This section provides some detail regarding the appli- greater than or less than the input voltage. LED current
cation circuits in the Simplified Diagram and Figures sensing is not ground-referenced, so a high-side cur-
1–5. The discussion includes some description of the rent-sense amplifier is used to measure current.
topology as well as basic attributes.
SEPIC LED Driver
High-Frequency LED Current Pulser Figure 3 shows the MAX16818 configured as a SEPIC
The Simplified Diagram shows the MAX16818 providing LED driver. While buck topologies require the output to
high-frequency, high-current pulses to the LEDs. The be lesser than the input, and boost topologies require
basic topology must be a buck, since the inductor the output to be greater than the input, a SEPIC topolo-
always connects to the load in that configuration (in all gy allows the output voltage to be greater than, equal
other topologies, the inductor disconnects from the to, or less than the input. In a SEPIC topology, the volt-
load at one time or another). The design minimizes the age across C1 is the same as the input voltage, and L1
current ripple by oversizing the inductor, which allows and L2 are the same inductance. Therefore, when Q1
for a very small (0.01µF) output capacitor. When MOS- conducts (on-time), both inductors ramp up current at
FET Q3 turns on, it diverts the current around the LEDs the same rate. The output capacitor supports the output
at a very fast rate. Q3 also discharges the output voltage during this time. During the off-time, L1 current
capacitor, but since the capacitor is so small, it does recharges C1 and combines with L2 to provide current
not stress the MOSFET. Resistor R1 senses the LED/Q3 to recharge C2 and supply the load current. Since the
current and there is no reaction to the short that Q3 voltage waveform across L1 and L2 are exactly the
places across the LEDs. This design is superior in that same, it is possible to wind both inductors on the same
it does not attempt to actually change the inductor cur- core (a coupled inductor). Although voltages on L1 and
rent at high frequencies and yet the current in the LEDs L2 are the same, RMS currents can be quite different
varies from zero to full in very small periods of time. The so the windings may have a different gauge wire.
efficiency of this technique is very high. Q3 must be Because of the dual inductors and segmented energy
able to dissipate the LED current applied to its RDS(ON) transfer, the efficiency of a SEPIC converter is some-
at some maximum duty cycle. If the circuit needs to what lower than standard bucks or boosts. As in the
control extremely high currents, use paralleled boost driver, the current-sense resistor connects to
MOSFETs. PGOOD is low during LED pulsed-current ground, allowing the output voltage of the LED driver to
operation. exceed the rated maximum voltage of the MAX16818.
Boost LED Driver Ground-Referenced Buck/Boost LED Driver
In Figure 1, the external components configure the Figure 4 depicts a buck/boost topology. During the on-
MAX16818 as a boost converter. The circuit applies the time with this circuit, the current flows from the input
input voltage to the inductor during the on-time, and capacitor, through Q1, L1, and Q3 and back to the
then during the off-time the inductor, which is in series input capacitor. During the off-time, current flows up
with the input capacitor, charges the output capacitor. through Q2, L1, D1, and to the output capacitor C1.
Because of the series connection between the input This topology resembles a boost in that the inductor sits
voltage and the inductor, the output voltage can never between the input and ground during the on-time.
go lower than the input voltage. The design is nonsyn- However, during the off-time the inductor resides
chronous, and since the current-sense resistor con- between ground and the output capacitor (instead of
nects to ground, the power supply can go to any output between the input and output capacitors in boost
voltage (above the input) as long as the components are topologies), so the output voltage can be any voltage
rated appropriately. R2 again provides the sense voltage less than, equal to, or greater than the input voltage. As
the MAX16818 uses to regulate the LED current. compared to the SEPIC topology, the buck/boost does
not require two inductors or a series capacitor, but it
Input-Referenced LED Driver does require two additional MOSFETs.
The circuit in Figure 2 shows a step-up/step-down reg-
ulator. It is similar to the boost converter in Figure 1 in Buck Driver with Synchronous Rectification
that the inductor is connected to the input and the In Figure 5, the input voltage can go from 7V to 28V and,
MOSFET is essentially connected to ground. However, because of the ground-based current-sense resistor, the
rather than going from the output to ground, the LEDs output voltage can be as high as the input. The synchro-

______________________________________________________________________________________ 19
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
nous MOSFET keeps the power dissipation to a minimum, For example, for a buck regulator and 2 LEDs in series,
MAX16818

especially when the input voltage is large when com- calculate the minimum inductance at VIN(MAX) = 13.2V,
pared to the voltage on the LED string. It is important to VLED = 7.8V, ∆IL = 400mA, and fSW = 330kHz:
keep the current-sense resistor, R1, inside the LC loop, Buck regulators:
so that ripple current is available. To regulate the LED
current, R2 creates a voltage that the differential amplifier (13.2 − 7.8) x 7.8
compares to 0.6V. If power dissipation is a problem in R2, LMIN = = 24.2µH
add a noninverting amplifier and reduce the value of the 13.2 x 330k x 0.4
sense resistor accordingly.
For a boost regulator with four LEDs in series, calculate
Inductor Selection the minimum inductance at VIN(MAX) = 13.2V, VLED =
The switching frequencies, peak inductor current, and 15.6V, ∆IL =400mA, and fSW = 330kHz:
allowable ripple at the output determine the value and Boost regulators:
size of the inductor. Selecting higher switching frequen-
cies reduces the inductance requirement, but at the (15.6 − 13.2) x 13.2
cost of lower efficiency. The charge/discharge cycle of LMIN = = 15.3µH
15.6 x 330k x 0.4
the gate and drain capacitances in the switching
MOSFETs create switching losses. The situation wors-
ens at higher input voltages, since switching losses are The average-current-mode control feature of the
proportional to the square of the input voltage. The MAX16818 limits the maximum peak inductor current
MAX16818 can operate up to 1.5MHz, however for and prevents the inductor from saturating. Choose an
VIN > +12V, use lower switching frequencies to limit the inductor with a saturating current greater than the
switching losses. worst-case peak inductor current. Use the following
equation to determine the worst-case inductor current:
The following discussion is for buck or continuous
boost-mode topologies. Discontinuous boost, buck- VCL ∆IL
boost, and SEPIC topologies are quite different in ILPEAK = +
RS 2
regards to component selection.
Use the following equations to determine the minimum where R S is the inductor sense resistor and V CL =
inductance value: 0.0282V.
Buck regulators:
Switching MOSFETs
(VINMAX − VLED) x VLED When choosing a MOSFET for voltage regulators, con-
LMIN = sider the total gate charge, RDS(ON), power dissipation,
VINMAX x fSW x ∆IL
and package thermal impedance. The product of the
MOSFET gate charge and on-resistance is a figure of
Boost regulators: merit, with a lower number signifying better perfor-
mance. Choose MOSFETs optimized for high-frequency
(VLED − VINMAX) x VINMAX
LMIN = switching applications.
VLED x fSW x ∆IL
The average current from the MAX16818 gate-drive
output is proportional to the total capacitance it drives
where VLED is the total voltage across the LED string. at DH and DL. The power dissipated in the MAX16818
As a first approximation choose the ripple current, ∆IL, is proportional to the input voltage and the average
equal to approximately 40% of the output current. drive current. See the IN, V CC , and V DD section to
Higher ripple current allows for smaller inductors, but it determine the maximum total gate charge allowed from
also increases the output capacitance for a given volt- the combined driver outputs. The gate-charge and
age ripple requirement. Conversely, lower ripple cur- drain-capacitance (CV2) loss, the cross-conduction loss
rent increases the inductance value, but allows the in the upper MOSFET due to finite rise/fall times, and
output capacitor to reduce in size. This trade-off can be the I 2 R loss due to RMS current in the MOSFET
altered once standard inductance and capacitance val- RDS(ON) account for the total losses in the MOSFET.
ues are chosen. Choose inductors from the standard
surface-mount inductor series available from various
manufacturers.

20 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Buck Regulator Boost Regulator

MAX16818
Estimate the power loss (PDMOS_) caused by the high-side Estimate the power loss (PDMOS_) caused by the MOS-
and low-side MOSFETs using the following equations: FET using the following equations:

PDMOS − HI = (QG x VDD x fSW ) + PDFET = (QG x VDD x fSW ) +

⎛ VIN x IOUT x (tR + tF) x fSW ⎞
⎛ VIN x IOUT x (tR + tF) x fSW ⎞ ⎜ ⎟ + (RDS(ON) x IRMS − HI2)
⎝ 2 ⎠
⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠ D
IRMS − HI = (IVALLEY2 + IPK 2 + IVALLEY x IPK ) x
+ (RDS(ON) x IRMS − HI )
2 3

where QG, RDS(ON), tR, and tF are the upper-switching For a boost regulator in continuous mode, D = VLEDs /
MOSFET’s total gate charge, on-resistance at maximum (VIN + VLEDs), IVALLEY = (IOUT - ∆IL / 2) and IPK = (IOUT
operating temperature, rise time, and fall time, respectively. + ∆IL / 2).
The voltage across the MOSFET:
D
IRMS − HI = (IVALLEY2 + IPK 2 + IVALLEY x IPK ) x VMOSFET = VLED + VF
3
where VF is the maximum forward voltage of the diode.
For the buck regulator, D = V LEDs / V IN, I VALLEY = The output diode on a boost regulator must be rated to
(IOUT - ∆IL / 2) and IPK = (IOUT + ∆IL / 2). handle the LED series voltage, VLED. It should also
have fast reverse-recovery characteristics and should
PDMOS − LO = (QG x VDD x fSW ) + handle the average forward current that is equal to the
LED current.
(RDS(ON) x IRMS − LO2)
(1− D)
Input Capacitors
IRMS − LO = (IVALLEY2 + IPK2 + IVALLEY x IPK) x For buck regulator designs, the discontinuous input
3
current waveform of the buck converter causes large
For example, from the typical specifications in the ripple currents in the input capacitor. The switching fre-
Applications Information section with VOUT = 7.8V, the quency, peak inductor current, and the allowable peak-
high-side and low-side MOSFET RMS currents are to-peak voltage ripple reflected back to the source
0.77A and 0.63A, respectively, for a 1A buck regulator. dictate the capacitance requirement. Increasing switch-
Ensure that the thermal impedance of the MOSFET ing frequency or paralleling out-of-phase converters
package keeps the junction temperature at least +25°C lowers the peak-to-average current ratio, yielding a
below the absolute maximum rating. Use the following lower input capacitance requirement for the same LED
equation to calculate the maximum junction tempera- current. The input ripple is comprised of ∆VQ (caused
ture: TJ = (PDMOS x θJA) + TA, where θJA and TA are by the capacitor discharge) and ∆VESR (caused by the
the junction-to-ambient thermal impedance and ambi- ESR of the capacitor). Use low-ESR ceramic capacitors
ent temperature, respectively. with high-ripple-current capability at the input. Assume
To guarantee that there is no shoot-through from VIN to the contributions from the ESR and capacitor discharge
PGND, the MAX16818 produces a nonoverlap time of are equal to 30% and 70%, respectively. Calculate the
35ns. During this time, neither high- nor low-side MOS- input capacitance and ESR required for a specified ripple
FET is conducting, and since the output inductor must using the following equation:
maintain current flow, the intrinsic body diode of the
∆VESR
low-side MOSFET becomes the conduction path. Since ESRIN =
this diode has a fairly large forward voltage, a Schottky ⎛ ∆IL ⎞
⎜IOUT + ⎟
diode (in parallel to the low-side MOSFET) diverts current ⎝ 2 ⎠
flow from the MOSFET body diode because of its lower
forward voltage, which, in turn, increases efficiency.

______________________________________________________________________________________ 21
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Buck: Current Limit
MAX16818

I x D(1− D) In addition to the average current limit, the MAX16818

CIN = OUT also has hiccup current limit. The hiccup current limit is
∆VQ x fSW
set to 10% below the average current limit to ensure that
where IOUT is the output current of the converter. For the circuit goes in hiccup mode during continuous out-
example, at VIN = 13.2V, VLED = 7.8V, IOUT = 1A, ∆IL = put short circuit. Connecting a resistor from LIM to
0.4A, and fSW = 330kHz, the ESR and input capaci- ground increases the hiccup current limit, while shorting
tance are calculated for the input peak-to-peak ripple of LIM to ground disables the hiccup current-limit circuit.
100mV or less yielding an ESR and capacitance value
of 25mΩ and 10µF. Average Current Limit
The average-current-mode control technique of the
For boost regulator designs, the input-capacitor current MAX16818 accurately limits the maximum output current.
waveform is dominated by the inductor, a triangle wave The MAX16818 senses the voltage across the sense
a magnitude of ∆IL. For simplicity’s sake, the current resistor and limit the peak inductor current (I L-PK )
waveform can be approximated by a square wave with accordingly. The on-cycle terminates when the current-
a magnitude that is half that of the triangle wave. sense voltage reaches 25.5mV (min). Use the following
Calculate the input capacitance and ESR required for a equation to calculate the maximum current-sense resis-
specified ripple using the following equation: tor value:
∆VESR
ESRIN = 0.0255
∆IL RS =
IOUT
Boost: 0.75 x 10 − 3
PDR =
∆IL RS
x D
CIN = 2 where PDR is the dissipation in the series resistors.
∆VQ x fSW Select a 5% lower value of RS to compensate for any
Duty cycle, D, for a boost regulator is equal to (VOUT - parasitics associated with the PCB. Also, select a non-
VIN) / VOUT. As an example, at VIN = 13.2V, VLED = inductive resistor with the appropriate power rating.
15.6V, IOUT = 1A, ∆IL = 0.4A, and fSW = 330kHz, the
Hiccup Current Limit
ESR and input capacitance are calculated for the input
The hiccup current-limit value is always 10% lower than
peak-to-peak ripple of 100mV or less yielding an ESR
the average current-limit threshold, when LIM is left
and capacitance value of 250mΩ and 1µF, respectively.
unconnected. Connect a resistor from LIM to SGND to
Output Capacitor increase the hiccup current-limit value from 90% to
For buck converters, the inductor always connects to 100% of the average current-limit value. The average
the load, so the inductance controls the ripple current. current-limit architecture accurately limits the average
The output capacitance shunts a fraction of this ripple output current to its current-limit threshold. If the hiccup
current and the LED string absorbs the rest. The current limit is programmed to be equal or above the
capacitor reactance (which includes the capacitance average current-limit value, the output current does not
and ESR) and the dynamic impedance of the LED reach the point where the hiccup current limit can trig-
diode string form a conductance divider that splits the ger. Program the hiccup current limit at least 5% below
ripple current between the LEDs and the capacitor. In the average current limit to ensure that the hiccup cur-
many cases, the capacitor is very large as compared to rent-limit circuit triggers during overload. See the
the ESR, and this divider reduces to the ESR and the Hiccup Current Limit vs. R EXT graph in the Typical
LED resistance. Operating Characteristics.
Boost converters place a harsher requirement on the
output capacitors as they must sustain the full load dur-
ing the on-time of the MOSFET and are replenished
during the off-time. The ripple current in this case is the
full load current, and the holdup time is equal to the
duty cycle times the switching period.

22 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Compensation

MAX16818
The main control loop consists of an inner current loop
fC _ buck =
(9.488mS V ) × RS × VIN × RCF
(inductor current) and an outer LED current loop. The 2π × L
MAX16818 uses an average current-mode control
scheme to regulate the LED current (Figure 7). The VEA Boost:
output provides the controlling voltage for the current
source. The inner current loop absorbs the inductor pole
reducing the order of the LED current loop to that of a A V × gm × RS × VLED × RCF
fC _ boost =
single-pole system. The major consideration when VRAMP × 2π × L
designing the current control loop is making certain that
the inductor downslope (which becomes an upslope at which becomes:
the output of the CEA) does not exceed the internal
fC _ boost =
(9.488mS V ) × RS × VLED × RCF
ramp slope. This is a necessary condition to avoid sub- 2π × L
harmonic oscillations similar to those in peak current
mode with insufficient slope compensation. This requires
that the resistance, RCF, at the output of the CEA be lim- For adequate phase margin, place the zero formed by
ited, based on the following equation (Figure 6): RCF and CCZ not more than 1/3 to 1/5 of the crossover
frequency. The pole formed by RCF and CCP may not
Buck: be required in most applications but can be added to
minimize noise at a frequency at or above the switching
VRAMP × fSW × L frequency.
RCF ≤
A V × gm × RS × VLED Power Dissipation
The TQFN is a thermally enhanced package and can dis-
where VRAMP = 2V, gm = 550µS, and AV = 34.5. sipate about 2.7W. The high-power package makes the
high-frequency, high-current LED driver possible to oper-
fSW × L ate from a 12V or 24V bus. Calculate power dissipation in
RCF ≤ 105 × the MAX16818 as a product of the input voltage and the
RS × VLED
total VCC regulator output current (ICC). ICC includes qui-
Boost: escent current (IQ) and gate drive current (IDD):
PD = VIN x ICC
VRAMP × fSW × L
RCF ≤ ICC = IQ + [fSW x (QG1 + QG2)]
A V × gm × RS × ( VLED − VIN )
fSW × L where QG1 and QG2 are the total gate charge of the low-
RCF ≤ 10
05 ×
RS × ( VLED − VIN ) side and high-side external MOSFETs at VGATE = 5V, IQ
is estimated from the Supply Current (IQ) vs. Frequency
graph in the Typical Operating Characteristics, and fSW
The crossover frequency of the inner current loop is is the switching frequency of the LED driver. For boost
expressed as: drivers, only consider one gate charge, QG1.
Buck: Use the following equation to calculate the maximum
power dissipation (PDMAX) in the chip at a given ambi-
A V × gm × RS × VIN × RCF ent temperature (TA):
fC _ buck =
VRAMP × 2π × L PDMAX = 34.5 x (150 - TA) mW.

When AV = 34.5, gm = 550µS, and VRAMP = 2V, this

becomes:

______________________________________________________________________________________ 23
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
PCB Layout Guidelines Pin Configuration
MAX16818

Use the following guidelines to layout the switching volt-

age regulator:

EAOUT
TOP VIEW

DIFF
CSN
CSP

EAN

CLP

OVI
1) Place the IN, V CC , and V DD bypass capacitors
close to the MAX16818. 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
2) Minimize the area and length of the high current SGND 22 14 LIM
loops from the input capacitor, upper switching
SENSE- 23 13 V_IOUT
MOSFET, inductor, and output capacitor back to
the input capacitor negative terminal. SENSE+ 24 12 RT/SYNC

3) Keep short the current loop formed by the lower SGND 25 11 EN

MAX16818
switching MOSFET, inductor, and output capacitor. 10 PGOOD
IN 26
4) Place the Schottky diodes close to the lower VCC 9 CLKOUT
27
MOSFETs and on the same side of the PCB. * EXPOSED PAD
VDD 28 8 SGND
5) Keep the SGND and PGND isolated and connect +
them at one single point. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6) Run the current-sense lines CSP and CSN very

PGND

N.C.

DL

BST

LX

DH

N.C.
close to each other to minimize the loop area. TQFN
Similarly, run the remote voltage-sense lines
SENSE+ and SENSE- close to each other. Do not
cross these critical signal lines through power cir-
cuitry. Sense the current right at the pads of the
current-sense resistors.
Chip Information
7) Avoid long traces between the VDD bypass capaci-
TRANSISTOR COUNT: 5654
tors, the driver output of the MAX16818, the MOS-
FET gates, and PGND. Minimize the loop formed by PROCESS: BiCMOS
the VCC bypass capacitors, bootstrap diode, boot-
strap capacitor, the MAX16818, and the upper
MOSFET gate.
8) Distribute the power components evenly across the Package Information
board for proper heat dissipation. For the latest package outline information and land patterns, go
to [Link]/packages.
9) Provide enough copper area at and around the
switching MOSFETs, inductor, and sense resistors PACKAGE TYPE PACKAGE CODE DOCUMENT NO.
to aid in thermal dissipation.
28 TQFN T2855-3 21-0140
10) Use wide copper traces (2oz) to keep trace induc-
tance and resistance low to maximize efficiency.
Wide traces also cool heat-generating components.

24 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 1.5MHz, 30A High-Efficiency, LED Driver
with Rapid LED Current Pulsing
Revision History

MAX16818
REVISION REVISION PAGES
DESCRIPTION
NUMBER DATE CHANGED
0 10/06 Initial release —
1 6/08 Replaced Compensation section and corrected Figure 4. 12, 23
2 3/09 Updated formula in Inductor Selection section. 20

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