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The circuit described here is mostly aimed at development engineers who are looking for an economical step-down converter which offers a wide input volt- age range. As a rule this type of circuit employs a step-down converter with integrated switching element. However, by using a more discrete solution it is possible to reduce the total cost of the step- down converter, especially when manufacturing in quantity. The TL5001A is a low-cost PWM controller which is ideal for this project.

The input voltage range for the step-down converter described here is from 8 V to 30 V, with an output voltage of 5 V and a maximum output current of 1.5 A.

When the input voltage is applied the PWM output of IC1 is enabled, taking one end of the voltage divider formed by R1 and R2 to ground potential. The cur-rent through the voltage divider will then be at most 25 mA: this value is obtained by dividing the maximum input voltage (30 V) minus the saturation voltage of the output driver (2 V) by the total resistance of the voltage divider (1.1 kΩ ). T1 and T3 together form an NPN/PNP driver stage to charge the gate capacitance of P-channel MOSFET T2 as quickly as possible, and then, at the turn-off point, discharge it again.

The base-emitter junction of T3 goes into a conducting state when the PWM output is active and a voltage is dropped across R2. T3 will then also conduct from collector to emitter and the gate capacitance of T2 will be discharged down to about 800 mV. The P-channel MOSFET will then conduct from drain to source. If the open-collector output of the controller is deactivated, a negligibly small current flows through resistor R2 and the base of T1 will be raised to the input voltage level. The base-emitter junction of T1 will then conduct and the gate capacitance of T2 will be charged up to the input voltage level through the collector and emitter of T1. The P-channel MOSFET will then no longer conduct from drain to source. This driver circuit constructed from discrete components is very fast, giving very quick switch-over times.

Diodes D2 and D3 provide voltage limiting for the P-channel MOSFET, whose maximum gate-source voltage is 20 V. If the Zener voltage of diode D2 is exceeded it starts to conduct; when the forward voltage of diode D3 is also exceeded, the two diodes together clamp the gate-source voltage to approximately 19 V.

The switching frequency is set at approximately 100 kHz, which gives a good compromise between efficiency and component size.

Finally, a few notes on component selection. All resistors are 1/16 W, 1 %. Apart from electrolytic C1 all the capacitors are ceramic types. For the two larger values (C2 and C5) the following are used:

C2 is a Murata type GRM21BR71C105KA01 ceramic capacitor, 1 µF, 16 V, X7R, 10 %;

C5 is a Murata type GRM32ER60J476ME20 ceramic capacitor, 47 µF,  6.3 V, X5R, 10 %.

D1 (Fairchild type MBRS340T3) is a 40 V/3 A Schottky diode. Coil L1 is a Würth WE-PD power choke type 744771147, 47 µH, 2.21 A, 75 mΩ.

T1 (BC846) and T3 (BC856) are 60 V, 200 mA, 310 mW complementary bipolar transistors from Vishay.

The TL5001AID (IC1) is a low-cost PWM controller with an open-collector output from Texas Instruments.

Author : Dirk Gehrke Copyright : Elektor

New applications for DC voltage converters, such as the ‘workhorse’ LT1070, arise every day. These converters can be adapted to nearly every imaginable ratio of input and output voltages. However, all of these circuits and devices have the same shortcoming, which is that they lack an on/off switch. Especially when they are used as a source of 6-V / 12-V power for a car radio, this is highly impractical. The circuit described here adds automatic load detection to the converter. For use in a car, the additional circuitry must be small and fit into a compact enclosure together with the converter. Since the battery voltage and ambient temperature vary over wide ranges, a simple form of load detection must be used. Besides this, the voltage drop across the load sensing circuitry must naturally be as small as possible. This can be achieved by using ‘ultra-modern’ SiGe technology.

The 6 V from the battery and the 12 V from the converter are combined in the MB R2545 dual diode. Consequently, a voltage of at least 6 V is always applied to the radio (for memory retention). If the radio is switched on, it draws a current from the 6-V battery, which may be around 100 mA.This current produces a voltage across R1. If this voltage is 75 mV or greater, the AC128 germanium transistor starts conducting and charges electrolytic capacitor C1, which is connected to the gate of the BUZ10. The MOSFET energises RE1 and thus connects the supply voltage to the converter. As a result, 12-V power is connected to the radio. The resulting increased current causes the voltage drop across R1 to increase, which is undesirable, so a 10-A Schottky diode is connected in parallel. The total voltage drop is thus approximately 0.6 V. The RC network connected to the BUZ10 ensures that the transistor always remains switched on for at least several seconds, to prevent the circuit from ‘chattering’ with varying current consumption.

Circuit diagram :

Automatic Switch For Voltage Converters

If the load is switched off, the AC128 cuts off, the electrolytic capacitor discharges and the relay again disconnects the voltage converter. The residual current consumption is so small that the circuit can also be connected ahead of the ignition switch. The Schottky diodes need only be rated for the necessary voltages and currents, and above all, they should have the lowest possible saturation voltage. The exact type is not critical. Two separate diodes can also be used. A small heat sink for the MBR diode won’t hurt, but this is normally not essential. Practically any type of PNP germanium transistor that is still available or on hand can be used (AC125, AC126 and AC128 work perfectly).

It may be necessary to modify the value of R1. In combination with the germanium transistor, R1 determines which level of current will be ignored (for memory retention) and which level of current will cause the converter to be switched on. With the component values shown in Figure 1, this level is between 10 mA and 25 mA. It is recommended to measure the quiescent current (at 6 V) and switch-on current of the load and then simulate the switching process using dummy load resistors. When selecting the 6-V relay, ensure that its contacts have an adequate current rating. The actual value can be significantly greater than the nominal output current. With a load of 5 A at 12 V and a converter efficiency of 70 percent, the current through the relay contacts rises to 14.3 A.

Author: C. Wolff - Copyright: Elektor Electronics

Source : www.extremecircuits.net