®
RT6239A/B
9A, 18V, 500kHz, ACOTTM Synchronous Step-Down Converter
General Description
Features
The RT6239A/B is a high-performance 500kHz, 9A stepdown regulator with internal power switches and
synchronous rectifiers. It features quick transient response
using its Advanced Constant On-Time (ACOTTM) control
architecture that provides stable operation with small
ceramic output capacitors and without complicated
external compensation, among other benefits. The input
voltage range is from 4.5V to 18V and the output is
adjustable from 0.7V to 8V. The proprietary ACOTTM control
improves upon other fast response constant on-time
architectures, achieving nearly constant switching
frequency over line, load, and output voltage ranges. Since
there is no internal clock, response to transients is nearly
instantaneous and inductor current can ramp quickly to
maintain output regulation without large bulk output
capacitance. The RT6239A/B is stable with and optimized
for ceramic output capacitors. With internal 30mΩ switches
and 12mΩ synchronous rectifiers, the RT6239A/B displays
excellent efficiency and good behavior across a range of
applications, especially for low output voltages and low
duty cycles. Cycle-by-cycle current limit provides
protection against shorted outputs, input under-voltage
lockout, externally-adjustable soft-start, output under- and
over-voltage protection, and thermal shutdown provide safe
and smooth operation in all operating conditions. The
RT6239A/B is available in the UQFN-14L 2x3 (FC)
package, with exposed thermal pad.
Fast Transient Response
Advanced Constant On-Time (ACOTTM) Control
4.5V to 18V Input Voltage Range
Adjustable Output Voltage from 0.7V to 8V
9A Output Current
30mΩ
Ω Internal High-Side N-MOSFET and 12mΩ
Ω
Internal Low-Side N-MOSFET
Steady 500kHz Switching Frequency
Up to 95% Efficiency
Optimized for All Ceramic Capacitors
Externally-Adjustable, Pre-Biased Compatible SoftStart
Cycle-by-Cycle Current Limit
Input Under-Voltage Lockout
Output Over- and Under-Voltage Protection
Power Good Output
Thermal Shutdown
Applications
Industrial and Commercial Low Power Systems
Computer Peripherals
LCD Monitors and TVs
Green Electronics/Appliances
Point of Load Regulation for High-Performance DSPs,
FPGAs, and ASICs
Simplified Application Circuit
VIN
EN Signal
Power Good
RT6239A/B
VIN
SW
EN
VOUT
BOOT
FB
PGOOD
PVCC
SS
GND
Copyright © 2015 Richtek Technology Corporation. All rights reserved.
DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
is a registered trademark of Richtek Technology Corporation.
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RT6239A/B
Ordering Information
Marking Information
RT6239A/B
RT6239ALGQUF
0N : Product Code
Package Type
QUF : UQFN-14L 2x3 (U-Type) (FC)
Lead Plating System
G : Green (Halogen Free and Pb Free)
UVP Option
H : Hiccup Mode UVP
L : Latched OVP & UVP
A : PSM
B : PWM
0NW
W : Date Code
RT6239BLGQUF
0C : Product Code
0CW
W : Date Code
Note :
Richtek products are :
RoHS compliant and compatible with the current requirements of IPC/JEDEC J-STD-020.
Suitable for use in SnPb or Pb-free soldering processes.
Pin Configurations
SS
EN
GND
13
12
10
GND
PVCC
3
9
GND
PGOOD
4
8
VIN
7
VIN
GND
2
SW
11
FB
BOOT
1
6
0EW
0DW
AGND
5
0E : Product Code
W : Date Code
RT6239BHGQUF
0D : Product Code
(TOP VIEW)
14
RT6239AHGQUF
W : Date Code
UQFN-14L 2x3 (FC)
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is a registered trademark of Richtek Technology Corporation.
DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
RT6239A/B
Functional Pin Description
Pin No.
Pin Name
Pin Function
1
AGND
Analog GND.
2
FB
Feedback Voltage Input. It is used to regulate the output of the converter to a set
value via an external resistive voltage divider. The feedback reference voltage is
0.7V typically.
3
PVCC
Internal Regulator Output. Connect a 1F capacitor to GND to stabilize output
voltage.
4
PGOOD
Power Good Indicator Open-Drain Output.
5
BOOT
Bootstrap Supply for High-Side Gate Driver. This capacitor is needed to drive the
power switch's gate above the supply voltage. It is connected between the SW and
BOOT pins to form a floating supply across the power switch driver. A 0.1F
capacitor is recommended for use.
6
SW
Switch Node. Connect this pin to an external L-C filter.
7, 8
VIN
Power Input. The input voltage range is from 4.5V to 18V. Must bypass with a
suitably large (10F x 2) ceramic capacitor.
9, 10, 11, 12
GND
Ground.
13
EN
Enable Control Input. A logic-high enables the converter; a logic-low forces the IC
into shutdown mode reducing the supply current to less than 10A. Attach this pin
to PVCC with a 100k pull-up resistor for automatic start-up.
14
SS
Soft-Start Time Setting. An external capacitor should be connected between this
pin and GND.
Function Block Diagram
BOOT
PVCC
VIN
PVCC
Reg
Min.
Off
VIBIAS
PVCC
VIN
VREF
UGATE
Control
OC
Driver
SW
LGATE
UV & OV
PVCC
SW
6µA
Ripple
Gen.
SS
FB
VIN
SW
GND
GND SW
+
Comparator
On-Time
Comparator
0.9 VREF
FB
PGOOD
+
-
EN
EN
Copyright © 2015 Richtek Technology Corporation. All rights reserved.
DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
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RT6239A/B
Detailed Description
The RT6239A/B is a high-performance 500kHz 9A stepdown regulators with internal power switches and
synchronous rectifiers. It features an Advanced Constant
On-Time (ACOTTM) control architecture that provides
stable operation with ceramic output capacitors without
complicated external compensation, among other benefits.
The ACOTTM control mode also provides fast transient
response, especially for low output voltages and low duty
cycles.
The input voltage range is from 4.5V to 18V and the output
is adjustable from 0.7V to 8V. The proprietary ACOTTM
control scheme improves upon other constant on-time
architectures, achieving nearly constant switching
frequency over line, load, and output voltage ranges. The
RT6239A/B are optimized for ceramic output capacitors.
Since there is no internal clock, response to transients is
nearly instantaneous and inductor current can ramp quickly
to maintain output regulation without large bulk output
capacitance.
Constant On-Time (COT) Control
The heart of any COT architecture is the on-time one shot.
Each on-time is a pre-determined “fixed” period that is
triggered by a feedback comparator. This robust
arrangement has high noise immunity and is ideal for low
duty cycle applications. After the on-time one-shot period,
there is a minimum off-time period before any further
regulation decisions can be considered. This arrangement
avoids the need to make any decisions during the noisy
time periods just after switching events, when the
switching node (SW) rises or falls. Because there is no
fixed clock, the high-side switch can turn on almost
immediately after load transients and further switching
pulses can ramp the inductor current higher to meet load
requirements with minimal delays.
Traditional current mode or voltage mode control schemes
typically must monitor the feedback voltage, current
signals (also for current limit), and internal ramps and
compensation signals, to determine when to turn off the
high-side switch and turn on the synchronous rectifier.
Weighing these small signals in a switching environment
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is difficult to do just after switching large currents, making
those architectures problematic at low duty cycles and in
less than ideal board layouts.
Because no switching decisions are made during noisy
time periods, COT architectures are preferable in low duty
cycle and noisy applications. However, traditional COT
control schemes suffer from some disadvantages that
preclude their use in many cases. Many applications require
a known switching frequency range to avoid interference
with other sensitive circuitry. True constant on-time control,
where the on-time is actually fixed, exhibits variable
switching frequency. In a step-down converter, the duty
factor is proportional to the output voltage and inversely
proportional to the input voltage. Therefore, if the on-time
is fixed, the off-time (and therefore the frequency) must
change in response to changes in input or output voltage.
Modern pseudo-fixed frequency COT architectures greatly
improve COT by making the one-shot on-time proportional
to VOUT and inversely proportional to VIN. In this way, an
on-time is chosen as approximately what it would be for
an ideal fixed-frequency PWM in similar input/output
voltage conditions. The result is a big improvement but
the switching frequency still varies considerably over line
and load due to losses in the switches and inductor and
other parasitic effects.
Another problem with many COT architectures is their
dependence on adequate ESR in the output capacitor,
making it difficult to use highly-desirable, small, low-cost,
but low-ESR ceramic capacitors. Most COT architectures
use AC current information from the output capacitor,
generated by the inductor current passing through the
ESR, to function in a way like a current mode control
system. With ceramic capacitors the inductor current
information is too small to keep the control loop stable,
like a current mode system with no current information.
ACOTTM Control Architecture
Making the on-time proportional to VOUT and inversely
proportional to VIN is not sufficient to achieve good
constant-frequency behavior for several reasons. First,
voltage drops across the MOSFET switches and inductor
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DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
RT6239A/B
cause the effective input voltage to be less than the
measured input voltage and the effective output voltage to
be greater than the measured output voltage. As the load
changes, the switch voltage drops change causing a
switching frequency variation with load current. Also, at
light loads if the inductor current goes negative, the switch
dead-time between the synchronous rectifier turn-off and
the high-side switch turn-on allows the switching node to
rise to the input voltage. This increases the effective on
time and causes the switching frequency to drop
noticeably.
times can raise the inductor current quickly when needed.
One way to reduce these effects is to measure the actual
switching frequency and compare it to the desired range.
This has the added benefit eliminating the need to sense
the actual output voltage, potentially saving one pin
connection. ACOTTM uses this method, measuring the
actual switching frequency and modifying the on-time with
a feedback loop to keep the average switching frequency
in the desired range.
The IC returns to continuous switching as soon as an ontime is generated before the inductor current reaches zero.
The on-time is reduced back to the length needed for
500kHz switching and encouraging the circuit to remain
in continuous conduction, preventing repetitive mode
transitions between continuous switching and
discontinuous switching.
To achieve good stability with low-ESR ceramic capacitors,
ACOTTM uses a virtual inductor current ramp generated
inside the IC. This internal ramp signal replaces the ESR
ramp normally provided by the output capacitor's ESR.
The ramp signal and other internal compensations are
optimized for low-ESR ceramic output capacitors.
ACOTTM One-Shot Operation
The RT6239A/B control algorithm is simple to understand.
The feedback voltage, with the virtual inductor current ramp
added, is compared to the reference voltage. When the
combined signal is less than the reference and the ontime one-shot is triggered, as long as the minimum offtime one-shot is clear and the measured inductor current
(through the synchronous rectifier) is below the current
limit. The on-time one-shot turns on the high-side switch
and the inductor current ramps up linearly. After the on
time, the high-side switch is turned off and the synchronous
rectifier is turned on and the inductor current ramps down
linearly. At the same time, the minimum off-time one-shot
is triggered to prevent another immediate on-time during
the noisy switching time and allow the feedback voltage
and current sense signals to settle. The minimum off-time
is kept short (230ns typical) so that rapidly-repeated onCopyright © 2015 Richtek Technology Corporation. All rights reserved.
DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
Discontinuous Operating Mode (RT6239A Only)
After soft-start, the RT6239A operates in fixed frequency
mode to minimize interference and noise problems. The
RT6239A uses variable-frequency discontinuous switching
at light loads to improve efficiency. During discontinuous
switching, the on-time is immediately increased to add
“hysteresis” to discourage the IC from switching back to
continuous switching unless the load increases
substantially.
Current Limit
The RT6239A/B current limit is a cycle-by-cycle “valley”
type, measuring the inductor current through the
synchronous rectifier during the off-time while the inductor
current ramps down. The current is determined by
measuring the voltage between Source and Drain of the
synchronous rectifier. If the inductor current exceeds the
current limit, the on-time one-shot is inhibited (Mask high
side signal) until the inductor current ramps down below
the current limit. Thus, only when the inductor current is
well below the current limit is another on time permitted.
This arrangement prevents the average output current from
greatly exceeding the guaranteed current limit value, as
typically occurs with other valley-type current limits. If
the output current exceeds the available inductor current
(controlled by the current limit mechanism), the output
voltage will drop. If it drops below the output under-voltage
protection level the IC will stop switching (see next section).
Output Over-Voltage Protection and Under-Voltage
Protection
If the output voltage VOUT rises above the regulation level
and lower 1.2 times regulation level, the high-side switch
naturally remains off and the synchronous rectifier turns
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RT6239A/B
on. For the RT6239B, if the output voltage remains high
the synchronous rectifier remains on until the inductor
current reaches the low-side current limit. If the output
voltage remains high, then IC's switches remain that the
synchronous rectifier turns on and high-side MOSFET
keeps off to operate at typical 500kHz switching protection.
If inductor current reaches low-side current limit, the
synchronous rectifier will turn off until next clock. If the
output voltage exceeds the OVP trip threshold (1.2 times
regulation level) for longer than 10μs (typical), then IC's
output Over-Voltage Protection (OVP) is triggered. For
the RT6239BH, the chip enters into hiccup mode; for the
RT6239BL, the chip enters into latch mode.
For the RT6239A, if the output voltage VOUT rises above
the regulation level or drops below 1.2 times the regulation
level, the high-side switch naturally remains off and the
synchronous rectifier turns on until the inductor current
reaches zero current. If the output voltage remains high,
then the IC's switches remain off. If the output voltage
exceeds the OVP trip threshold (1.2 times regulation level)
for longer than 10μs (typical), the IC's OVP is triggered.
For the RT6239AH, the chip enters into hiccup mode; for
the RT6239AL, the chip enters into latch mode.
The RT6239A/B includes output Under-Voltage Protection
(UVP). If the output voltage drops below the UVP trip
threshold for longer than 270μs (typical) then the IC's UVP
is triggered, and the chip enters into latch or hiccup mode.
(see next section).
Hiccup Mode
The RT6239AH/BH uses hiccup mode for UVP. When the
protection function is triggered, the IC will shut down for a
period of time and then attempt to recover automatically.
Hiccup mode allows the circuit to operate safely with low
input current and power dissipation, and then resume
normal operation as soon as UVP is removed. During
hiccup mode, the shutdown time is determined by the
capacitor at SS. A 2μA current source discharges VSS
from its starting voltage (normally VPVCC). The IC remains
shut down until VSS reaches 0.2V, about 10ms for a 3.9nF
capacitor. At that point the IC begins to charge the SS
capacitor at 6μA, and a normal start-up occurs. If the fault
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6
remains, UVP protection will be enabled when VSS reaches
2.2V (typical). The IC will then shut down and discharge
the SS capacitor from the 2.2V level, taking about 4ms for
a 3.9nF SS capacitor.
Latch-Off Mode
The RT6239AL/BL uses latch-off mode OVP and UVP.
When the protection function is triggered, the IC will shut
down in Latch-Off Mode. The IC stops switching, leaving
both switches open, and is latched off. To restart operation,
toggle EN or power the IC off and then on again.
Shut-Down, Start-Up and Enable (EN)
The enable input (EN) has a logic-low level of 0.4V. When
VEN is below this level the IC enters shutdown mode and
supply current drops to less than 10μA. When VEN exceeds
its logic-high level of 2V the IC is fully operational.
Between these 2 levels there are 2 thresholds (1.2V typical
and 1.4V typical). When VEN exceeds the lower threshold
the internal bias regulators begin to function and supply
current increases above the shutdown current level.
Switching operation begins when VEN exceeds the upper
threshold. Unlike many competing devices, EN is a high
voltage input that can be safely connected to VIN (up to
18V) for automatic start-up.
Input Under-Voltage Lockout
In addition to the enable function, the RT6239A/B feature
an Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO) function that monitors
the internal linear regulator output (VIN). To prevent
operation without fully-enhanced internal MOSFET
switches, this function inhibits switching when VIN drops
below the UVLO-falling threshold. The IC resumes
switching when VIN exceeds the UVLO-rising threshold
Soft-Start (SS)
The RT6239A/B soft-start uses an external pin (SS) to
clamp the output voltage and allow it to slowly rise. After
VEN is high and VIN exceeds its UVLO threshold, the IC
begins to source 6μA from the SS pin. An external capacitor
at SS is used to adjust the soft-start timing. Following
below equation to get the minimum capacitance range in
order to avoid UV occur.
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DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
RT6239A/B
T=
COUT VOUT 0.75 1.2
ILIM Load Current 0.8
CSS
T 6μA
VREF
Do not leave SS unconnected. During start-up, while the
SS capacitor charges, the RT6239A/B operates in
discontinuous switching mode with very small pulses. This
prevents negative inductor currents and keeps the circuit
from sinking current. Therefore, the output voltage may
be pre-biased to some positive level before start-up. Once
the VSS ramp charges enough to raise the internal
reference above the feedback voltage, switching will begin
and the output voltage will smoothly rise from the prebiased level to its regulated level. After VSS rises above
about 2.2V output over- and under-voltage protections are
enabled and the RT6239A/B begins continuous-switching
operation.
or BAT54. The external 5V can be a 5V fixed input from
system or a 5V output of the RT6239A/B. Note that the
external boot voltage must be lower than 5.5V
Over-Temperature Protection
The RT6239A/B includes an Over-Temperature Protection
(OTP) circuitry to prevent overheating due to excessive
power dissipation. The OTP will shut down switching
operation when the junction temperature exceeds 150°C.
Once the junction temperature cools down by
approximately 20°C the IC will resume normal operation
with a complete soft-start. For continuous operation,
provide adequate cooling so that the junction temperature
does not exceed 150°C.
Internal Regulator (PVCC)
An internal linear regulator (PVCC) produces a 5V supply
from VIN. The 5V power supplies the internal control
circuit, such as internal gate drivers, PWM logic, reference,
analog circuitry, and other blocks. 1μF ceramic capacitor
for decoupling and stability is required.
PGOOD Comparator
PGOOD is an open-drain output controlled by a comparator
connected to the feedback signal. If FB exceeds 90% of
the internal reference voltage, PGOOD will be high
impedance. Otherwise, the PGOOD output is connected
to GND.
External Bootstrap Capacitor (CBOOT)
Connect a 0.1μF low ESR ceramic capacitor between
BOOT and SW. This bootstrap capacitor provides the gate
driver supply voltage for the high-side N-channel MOSFET
switch.
Some of case, such like duty ratio is higher than 65%
application or input voltage is lower than 5.5V which are
recommended to add an external bootstrap diode between
an external 5V and BOOT pin for efficiency improvement
The bootstrap diode can be a low cost one such as IN4148
Copyright © 2015 Richtek Technology Corporation. All rights reserved.
DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
is a registered trademark of Richtek Technology Corporation.
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7
RT6239A/B
Absolute Maximum Ratings
(Note 1)
Supply Voltage, VIN -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Switch Voltage, SW -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Switch Voltage, 3.3V) transient response is improved by adding a
small “feed-forward” capacitor (Cff) across the upper FB
divider resistor (Figure 1), to increase the circuit's Q and
reduce damping to speed up the transient response without
affecting the steady-state stability of the circuit. Choose
a suitable capacitor value that following below step.
The RT6239A/B soft-start uses an external capacitor at
SS to adjust the soft-start timing according to the following
equation :
Get the BW the quickest method to do transient
response form no load to full load. Confirm the damping
frequency. The damping frequency is BW.
t ms
CSS nF 0.7
ISS μA
Following below equation to get the minimum capacitance
range in order to avoid UV occur.
COUT VOUT 0.6 1.2
(ILIM Load Current) 0.8
T 6μA
CSS
VREF
T
Do not leave SS unconnected.
Enable Operation (EN)
For automatic start-up the high-voltage EN pin can be
connected to VIN, either directly or through a 100kΩ
resistor. Its large hysteresis band makes EN useful for
simple delay and timing circuits. EN can be externally
pulled to VIN by adding a resistor-capacitor delay (REN
and CEN in Figure 2). Calculate the delay time using EN's
internal threshold where switching operation begins (1.4V,
typical).
BW
VOUT
R1
Cff
FB
RT6239A/B
R2
GND
Figure 1. Cff Capacitor Setting
An external MOSFET can be added to implement digital
control of EN when no system voltage above 2V is available
(Figure 3). In this case, a 100kΩ pull-up resistor, REN, is
connected between VIN and the EN pin. MOSFET Q1 will
be under logic control to pull down the EN pin. To prevent
enabling circuit when VIN is smaller than the VOUT target
value or some other desired voltage level, a resistive voltage
divider can be placed between the input voltage and ground
and connected to EN to create an additional input under
voltage lockout threshold (Figure 4).
EN
Cff can be calculated base on below equation :
Cff
1
2 3.1412 R1 BW 0.8
VIN
REN
CEN
EN
RT6239A/B
GND
Figure 2. External Timing Control
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DS6239A/B-00 April 2015
RT6239A/B
VIN
External BOOT Bootstrap Diode
REN
100k
EN
Q1
Enable
RT6239A/B
GND
Figure 3. Digital Enable Control Circuit
VIN
REN1
External BOOT Capacitor Series Resistance
EN
REN2
RT6239A/B
GND
Figure 4. Resistor Divider for Lockout Threshold Setting
Output Voltage Setting
Set the desired output voltage using a resistive divider
from the output to ground with the midpoint connected to
FB. The output voltage is set according to the following
equation :
VOUT = 0.7 x (1 + R1 / R2)
VOUT
R1
FB
RT6239A/B
When the input voltage is lower than 5.5V it is
recommended to add an external bootstrap diode between
VIN (or VINR) and the BOOT pin to improve enhancement
of the internal MOSFET switch and improve efficiency.
The bootstrap diode can be a low cost one such as 1N4148
or BAT54.
R2
GND
The internal power MOSFET switch gate driver is
optimized to turn the switch on fast enough for low power
loss and good efficiency, but also slow enough to reduce
EMI. Switch turn-on is when most EMI occurs since VSW
rises rapidly. During switch turn-off, SW is discharged
relatively slowly by the inductor current during the dead
time between high-side and low-side switch on-times. In
some cases it is desirable to reduce EMI further, at the
expense of some additional power dissipation. The switch
turn-on can be slowed by placing a small (