System Board 6283
MAXREFDES116# ISOLATED 24V TO 5V 40W POWER SUPPLY
Overview
Maxim’s power supply experts have designed and built a series of isolated, industrial power-supply
reference designs. Each of these power supplies efficiently converts 24V into useful voltage rails at a
variety of power levels. Every power rail is isolated with a readily available transformer from multiple,
global vendors, providing quick, convenient transformer selection. Each design has been tested for
load and line regulation, as well as efficiency and transient performance. As with all Maxim reference
designs, the BOM, schematics, layout files, and Gerber files are all available for download in the
Design Resources tab. In addition, boards are available for purchase; most boards feature throughhole pins for immediate board placement and accelerated prototyping.
MAXREFDES116# is an efficient active-clamp topology design with 24V input, and a 5V output at
40W of power (8A). The design features the MAX17599, an active-clamp, current-mode PWM
controller optimized for industrial supplies. This entire circuit fits on a 20mm × 70mm board.
MAXREFDES116# System Board
MAXREFDES116# System Board
Features
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Functional insulation
Compact and flexible
Low power dissipation
Minimal external components
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Robust operation in adverse industrial environments
Applications
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PLCs
Industrial process control and sensors
Telecom and datacom power supplies
Details
Introduction
The MAXREFDES116# reference design (Figure 1) demonstrates the application of the MAX17599 low IQ,
wide-input range, active-clamp current-mode PWM controller. The MAX17599 contains all the control circuitry
required for the design of wide-input isolated forward-converter industrial power supplies. The reference design
operates over a 17V to 36V input-voltage range, and provides up to 8A at 5V output. The reference design
features the active-clamp transformer reset topology for forward converters. This reset topology has several
advantages including reduced voltage stress on the switches, transformer size reduction due to larger
allowable flux swing, and improved efficiency due to elimination of dissipative snubber circuitry. These features
result in a compact and cost-effective isolated power supply. The design is set to switch at 350kHz. For EMIsensitive applications, the user can program the frequency-dithering scheme, enabling low-EMI spreadspectrum operation. Pins are 15.24mm (0.6in) from power to ground, and 50.8mm (2in) from the input side to
the output side.
The input-undervoltage lockout (EN/UVLO) is provided for programming the input-supply start voltage (set to
16.5V in the design) and to ensure proper operation during brownout conditions. The EN/UVLO input is also
used to turn on/off the IC. The overvoltage-input (OVI) protection scheme is provided to make sure that the
controller shuts down when the input supply exceeds its maximum allowed value (set to 37.0V in the design).
To control inrush current, the device incorporates a soft-start (SS) pin to set the soft-start time for the
regulator. Power dissipation under fault conditions is minimized by hiccup overcurrent protection
(hiccup mode). The soft-stop feature provides safe discharging of the clamp capacitor when the
device is turned off, and allows the controller to restart in a well-controlled manner.
Additionally, the negative current limit is provided in the current-sense circuitry, helping limit clampswitch current under dynamic operating conditions. An overtemperature fault triggers thermal
shutdown for reliable protection of the device.
The reference design delivers a peak efficiency of 91.5% with the supplied components when the
input is 24V. This general-purpose power solution can be used in many different types of power
applications, such as programmable logic controllers (PLC), industrial process control, industrial
sensors, telecom/datacom power supplies, isolated battery chargers, servers, and embedded
computing.
Figure 1. The MAXREFDES116# reference design block diagram.
Detailed Circuit Description
Hardware Description
The MAX17599 low IQ active-clamp current-mode PWM controller contains all the control circuitry
required for designing wide-input isolated forward converter industrial power supplies.
The device includes an AUX driver that drives an auxiliary MOSFET (clamp switch) that helps
implement the active-clamp transformer reset topology for forward converters. This reset topology
has several advantages, including reduced voltage stress on the switches, transformer size reduction
due to larger allowable flux swing, and improved efficiency due to elimination of dissipative snubber
circuitry. Programmable dead-time between the AUX and main driver allows for zero-voltage
switching.
Primary Power Stage
The active-clamp transformer primary side is driven by an n-channel MOSFET (N1) and a p-channel
MOSFET (P1). While N1 is on, power is delivered to the secondary, and magnetizing energy is being
stored in the transformer. During this time, P1 is off, and the clamp capacitor (C12) is charged at a
constant voltage level.
When N1 turns off, the leakage and magnetizing currents charge up the drain-to-source capacitance
of N1. Once the drain-to-source voltage of N1 exceeds the voltage across the clamp capacitor, the
body diode of P1 begins to conduct. With the body diode of P1 conducting, the magnetizing current
begins to charge the clamp capacitor.
After the body diode of P1 conducts, P1 turns on. This provides zero-current switching for the pchannel MOSFET. The clamp capacitor continues to charge until the magnetizing current is reduced
to 0A. At this point, the magnetizing current reverses, and the clamp capacitor begins to discharge
until the p-channel MOSFET turns off.
After P1 turns off, the clamp capacitor remains at a fixed voltage. There is a fixed delay before N1
turns on. During this delay, the energy in the parasitic components discharges the VDS of N1 towards
VIN. This allows softer turn-on and lower switching losses for N1.
The MAX17599 NDRV pin drives the n-channel MOSFET while AUXDRV pin is level-shifted through
C8, R15, and D3, and then drives the p-channel MOSFET.
Secondary Power Stage
The secondary power stage consists of the synchronous rectifiers (N2, N3), and the output filters (L2,
C11, C19, C20, C23).
When N1 is on, N2 is on, while N3 is off. During this time, a voltage equal to the input voltage
multiplied by the NS:NP turns ratio of the transformer is applied across N3; the inductor and the load
capacitor are charged and being stored with energy.
When N1 is off, N2 is off, while N3 is on. During this time, the inductor current flows through N3 and
continues transferring energy to the load capacitor.
The voltage on the input end of the filter inductor is a typical buck-converter square wave. The
inductor and output capacitors filter the square wave to produce a DC voltage on the output.
Feedback Control Loop
The feedback network is typical of most isolated forward converters. It is constructed using a
TLV431B programmable shunt regulator, a 3000V isolation optocoupler, and other RC components.
Startup Voltage and Input Overvoltage Protection Setting (EN/UVLO, OVI)
The EN/UVLO pin in the MAX17599 serves as an enable/disable input, as well as an accurate
programmable undervoltage lockout (UVLO) pin. The MAX17599 does not begin startup opera-tions
unless the EN/UVLO pin voltage exceeds 1.21V (typ). The MAX17599 turns off if the EN/UVLO pin
voltage falls below 1.15V (typ). A resistor divider from the input DC bus to ground can be used to
divide down and apply a fraction of the input DC voltage to the EN/ UVLO pin. The values of the
resistor divider can be selected so that the EN/UVLO pin voltage exceeds the 1.21V (typ) turn on
threshold at the desired input DC-bus voltage. The same resistor divider can be modified with an
additional resistor, (ROVI), to implement overvoltage input protection in addition to the EN/UVLO
functionality. When the voltage at the OVI pin exceeds 1.21V (typ), the MAX17599 stops switching.
Switching resumes with soft-start operation, only if the voltage at the OVI pin falls below 1.15V (typ).
For the expected values of the startup DC-input voltage (VSTART) and input-overvoltage threshold (VOVI),
the resistor values for the divider can be calculated as follows:
VSTART = (R6 + R7 + R11)/(R6 + R7) × 1.21 (V)
VOVI = (R6 + R7 + R11)/R6 × 1.21 (V)
If R6 = 24kΩ, R7 = 30kΩ, and R11 = 680kΩ, then:
VSTART = 16.5V, VOVI = 37.0V.
These values give a safe margin for input-voltage range of 17V to 36V.
Quick Start Guide
Required Equipment:
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MAXREFDES114#
One adjustable DC power supply with voltage output up to 37V and current up to 3A
One electronic load
Two voltmeters
Two ammeters
Procedue
The MAXREFDES116# board is fully assembled and tested. Use the following steps to verify board
operation.
1. Turn off the power supply.
2. Connect the positive terminal of the power supply to the VIN connector of the MAXREFDES116#
board.
3. Connect the PGND connector of the MAXREFDES116# board to the positive terminal of one
ammeter. Connect the negative terminal of the ammeter to the negative terminal of the power
supply.
4. Connect one voltmeter across the VIN and the PGND connectors of the MAXREFDES116#
board.
5. Connect the VOUT connector of the MAXREFDES116# board to the positive terminal of the
electronic load.
6. Connect the negative terminal of the electronic load to the positive terminal of the second
ammeter. Connect the negative terminal of the ammeter to the GNDO connector of the
MAXREFDES116# board.
7. Connect the second voltmeter across the VOUT and the GNDO connectors of the
MAXREFDES116# board.
8. Turn on the power supply. Set the output to 24V.
9. Set the electronic load to a constant current between 0A to 8A.
10. Verify the second voltmeter reading is ±0.25V.
Lab Measurements
The MAXREFDES116# was verified and tested under full input range and different output load
conditions.
The power efficiency vs. load current is illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Power
efficiency vs. load current.
Figure 3 displays the output ripple at full load when the input is 24V
Figure 3. Output ripple at 8A load.
Figure 4 displays the load transient response when the load is stepped from 5mA to 3.2mA, and then
dropped back to 5mA again. The input is 24V.
Figure 4. Transient response when load
steps from 5mA to 3.2A.
Figure 5 shows the load transient response when the load is stepped from 4.8A to 8A, and then
dropped back to 4.8A again. The input is 24V.
Figure 5. Transient response when load
steps from 4.8A to 8A.