21
LM2596
www.ti.com
SNVS124E –NOVEMBER 1999–REVISED FEBRUARY 2020
Product Folder Links: LM2596
Submit Documentation FeedbackCopyright © 1999–2020, Texas Instruments Incorporated
Application Information (continued)
Table 1. Inductor Manufacturers Part Numbers (continued)
INDUCTANCE
(μH) CURRENT
(A) SCHOTT RENCO PULSE ENGINEERING COILCRAFT
THROUGH-
HOLE SURFACE-
MOUNT THROUGH-
HOLE SURFACE-
MOUNT THROUGH-
HOLE SURFACE-
MOUNT SURFACE-
MOUNT
L32 33 2.50 67144160 67144540 RL-5471-7 — PE-53932 PE-53932-S DO5022P-333
L33 22 3.10 67148390 67148500 RL-1283-22-
43 — PE-53933 PE-53933-S DO5022P-223
L34 15 3.40 67148400 67148790 RL-1283-15-
43 — PE-53934 PE-53934-S DO5022P-153
L35 220 1.70 67144170 — RL-5473-1 — PE-53935 PE-53935-S —
L36 150 2.10 67144180 — RL-5473-4 — PE-54036 PE-54036-S —
L37 100 2.50 67144190 — RL-5472-1 — PE-54037 PE-54037-S —
L38 68 3.10 67144200 — RL-5472-2 — PE-54038 PE-54038-S —
L39 47 3.50 67144210 — RL-5472-3 — PE-54039 PE-54039-S —
L40 33 3.50 67144220 67148290 RL-5472-4 — PE-54040 PE-54040-S —
L41 22 3.50 67144230 67148300 RL-5472-5 — PE-54041 PE-54041-S —
L42 150 2.70 67148410 — RL-5473-4 — PE-54042 PE-54042-S —
L43 100 3.40 67144240 — RL-5473-2 — PE-54043 —
L44 68 3.40 67144250 — RL-5473-3 — PE-54044 —
9.1.6 Output Voltage Ripple and Transients
The output voltage of a switching power supply operating in the continuous mode will contain a sawtooth ripple
voltage at the switcher frequency, and may also contain short voltage spikes at the peaks of the sawtooth
waveform.
The output ripple voltage is a function of the inductor sawtooth ripple current and the ESR of the output
capacitor. A typical output ripple voltage can range from approximately 0.5% to 3% of the output voltage. To
obtain low ripple voltage, the ESR of the output capacitor must be low; however, exercise caution when using
extremely low ESR capacitors because they can affect the loop stability, resulting in oscillation problems. TI
recommends a post ripple filter if very low output ripple voltage is required (less than 20 mV) (see Figure 32).
The inductance required is typically between 1 μH and 5 μH, with low DC resistance, to maintain good load
regulation. A low ESR output filter capacitor is also required to assure good dynamic load response and ripple
reduction. The ESR of this capacitor may be as low as desired, because it is out of the regulator feedback loop.
Figure 22 shows a typical output ripple voltage, with and without a post ripple filter.
When observing output ripple with a scope, it is essential that a short, low inductance scope probe ground
connection be used. Most scope probe manufacturers provide a special probe terminator which is soldered onto
the regulator board, preferably at the output capacitor. This provides a very short scope ground, thus eliminating
the problems associated with the 3-inch ground lead normally provided with the probe, and provides a much
cleaner and more accurate picture of the ripple voltage waveform.
The voltage spikes are caused by the fast switching action of the output switch and the diode, the parasitic
inductance of the output filter capacitor, and its associated wiring. To minimize these voltage spikes, the output
capacitor should be designed for switching regulator applications, and the lead lengths must be kept very short.
Wiring inductance, stray capacitance, as well as the scope probe used to evaluate these transients, all contribute
to the amplitude of these spikes.
When a switching regulator is operating in the continuous mode, the inductor current waveform ranges from a
triangular to a sawtooth type of waveform (depending on the input voltage). For a given input and output voltage,
the peak-to-peak amplitude of this inductor current waveform remains constant. As the load current increases or
decreases, the entire sawtooth current waveform also rises and falls. The average value (or the center) of this
current waveform is equal to the DC load current.
If the load current drops to a low enough level, the bottom of the sawtooth current waveform reaches zero, and
the switcher smoothly changes from a continuous to a discontinuous mode of operation. Most switcher designs
(regardless of how large the inductor value is) is forced to run discontinuous if the output is lightly loaded. This is
a perfectly acceptable mode of operation.