POWER designer

Expert tips, tricks, and techniques for powerful designs

No. 112

Synchronous Rectification in High–

Feature Article................1-7
Performance Power Converter Design
SIMPLE SWITCHER® — By Robert Selders, Jr., Applications Engineer
Synchronous Regulator....2
L OUT
I Q1
2.5A Buck Regulator ........4
+ +
Synchronous Buck Q1
Controller..............................6 C OUT
1a VIN D1 ID1 VOUT
Power Design Tools..........8 Controller
_ _

L OUT
I Q1

+ +
Q1
1b VIN I Q2 C OUT VOUT
Q2
Controller
_ _

Figure 1. (a) Non-synchronous and (b) Synchronous Buck Converters

P
ower converters are becoming increasingly commonplace in the
electrical industry. Product manufacturers and suppliers of electrical
equipment are demanding ever-increasing functionality (i.e., lower
input and output voltages, higher currents, faster transient response) from
their power supply systems.
To meet these demands, switching power supply designers in the late 1990s
began adopting Synchronous Rectification (SR)—the use of MOSFETs to
achieve the rectification function typically performed by diodes. SR improves
efficiency, thermal performance, power density, manufacturability, and
reliability, and decreases the overall system cost of power supply systems.
This article will examine the advantages of SR and discuss the challenges
encountered in its implementation.

NEXT ISSUE:
LED Backlighting Applications
1.5A, 36V SIMPLE SWITCHER® Synchronous Step-Down
Regulator

Constant-On-Time (COT) LM3100 Regulator Needs No External Compensation and

Provides Stability with Ceramic Capacitors

Simplified Application Schematic

VIN = 4.5V to 36V

ON
Enable

OFF

Soft-start VOUT down to

0.8V at 1.5A

LM3100
VCC PGND

AGND FB

LM3100 Features
• Synchronous conversion for efficient operation Efficiency vs Load Current
(VOUT = 3.3V)
below 3.3 VOUT 100
VIN = 8V
• COT architecture provides lightning-fast tran-
90
sient response
Efficiency (%)

80
• Stable with ceramic capacitors VIN = 18V
VIN = 36V
• Near-constant frequency operation from 70

unregulated supplies 60
• No external compensation reduces external
50
component count
40
• Frequency adjustable up to 1 MHz 0 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5
• Available in TSSOP-20 packaging
Load Current (A)

Ideal for use in embedded systems, industrial controls, automotive telematics and body
electronics, point-of-load regulators, storage systems, and broadband infrastructure

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2
POWER designer
Synchronous Rectification in High-Performance Power Converter Design

Drawbacks of Diode Rectification manner with a small dead time between their
Nonsynchronous and synchronous buck converters conduction intervals to avoid shoot–through. The
are shown in Figure 1. A nonsynchronous buck synchronous FET operates in the third quadrant,
converter uses a FET and Schottky diode as its because the current flows from the source to the
switches (Figure 1a). When the FET turns on, drain. In contrast to its nonsynchronous counter-
energy is delivered to the output inductor and the part converter, the synchronous buck converter
load. When the FET turns off, the current in the always operates in continuous conduction, even
inductor commutates to the Schottky diode. down to no load.
Provided the load current is higher than half the During the dead time periods, the inductor current
ripple current of the output inductor, the converter flows through the lower FET’s body diode. This
operates in the continuous conduction mode. body diode usually has a very slow reverse recovery
The Schottky diode is selected by its forward characteristic that can adversely affect the convert-
voltage drop and reverse leakage current character- er’s efficiency. An external Schottky diode can be
istics. But as output voltages drop, the diode’s placed in parallel with the low-side FET to shunt
forward voltage is more significant which reduces the body diode and prevent it from affecting the
the converter’s efficiency. Physical limitations converter’s performance. The added Schottky can
prevent the forward voltage drop of diodes from have a much lower current rating than the diode in
being reduced below approximately 0.3V. a nonsynchronous buck converter because it only
conducts during the small dead time (which is
In contrast, the on resistance, RDSON, of MOSFETs
typically less than a few percent of the switching
can be lowered, either by increasing the size of the
cycle) when both FETs are off.
die or by paralleling discrete devices. Consequently,
a MOSFET used in place of a diode can have a Benefits of Synchronous Rectification
significantly smaller voltage drop at a given current The advantages of using SR in high-performance,
than the diode. high-power converters include better efficiency,
This makes SR attractive, especially in applications lower power dissipation, better thermal perform-
sensitive to efficiency, converter size, and thermal ance, lower profile, increased quality, improved
performance, such as portable or handheld devices. manufacturing yields though automated assembly
MOSFET manufacturers are constantly introducing processes (higher reliability), and inherently
new MOSFET technologies that have lower RDSON optimal current sharing when synchronous FETs
and total gate charge, (QG), which makes it easier are paralleled.
to implement SR in power converter design. As mentioned above, a number of MOSFETs can
be paralleled to handle higher output currents.
What is Synchronous Rectification?
Because the effective RDSON in this case is inversely
In the synchronous buck converter, for example,
proportional to the number of paralleled devices,
the efficiency is increased by replacing the Schottky
conduction losses are reduced. Also, the RDSON has
diode with a low side MOSFET (Figure 1b). The
a positive temperature coefficient so the FETs will
two MOSFETs must be driven in a complimentary
automatically tend to share current equally,

power.national.com
3
High-Performance, Half-Bridge Controller-Driver for
Compact, Efficient Converters

Highly Integrated LM5035 Half-Bridge Controller-Driver Maximizes Efficiency

and Power Density

LM5035 Typical Application Circuit

VIN

LM5035
VIN HO VOUT

UVLO Current
LO Sense
OVP

RAMP CS

RT/SYNC
SR2
DLY LM5035
SR1 Evaluation
COMP
Board

Error Amp
and Isolation

LM5035 Features
• 105V / 2A Half-bridge gate drivers Ideal for use in telecommunications and data
• Synchronous rectifier control outputs with communications systems, industrial power
supplies, distributed power systems, and
programmable delays
consumer electronics
• Oscillator synchronization (patent pending)
• Programmable line under-voltage lockout
• Line over-voltage protection
• Versatile dual mode over-current protection
with hiccup delay timer
• Direct opto-coupler interface

For FREE samples, datasheets, and more information, visit

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4
POWER designer
Synchronous Rectification in High Performance Power Converter Design

facilitating optimal thermal distribution among the device than conduction losses. Conversely, the low-
SR devices. This improves the ability to remove side FET carries more RMS current so its RDSON
heat from the components and the PCB, directly should be as low possible.
improving the thermal performance of the design.
Selecting controllers with stronger gate drivers in
Other potential benefits from SR include smaller
synchronous converters reduces switching losses by
form factors, open frame configurations, lower
minimizing the time the FETs take to switch.
profiles, higher ambient operating temperatures,
However, faster rise and fall times generate high
and higher power densities.
frequency noise that can lead to system noise and
Design Trade-Offs in Synchronous Rectified EMI compliance issues.
Converters
Driving Synchronous Rectifiers in Isolated
In an effort to minimize the size of the converter Topologies
and decrease output ripple voltage for low-voltage
Power converters utilizing isolated topologies are
applications, designers often increase the switching
used in systems requiring galvanic isolation among
frequency to reduce the size of the output inductor
system grounds. Such systems include distributed
and capacitor. If multiple FETs are paralleled, this
bus architectures, Power-over-Ethernet systems,
increase in frequency can also increase gate drive
and wireless basestations. (Figure 2).
and switching losses.
Using SR in isolated converters can improve their
Design trade-offs must be made on a per-applica-
performance significantly. All isolated topologies:
tion basis. For example, in a high input voltage,
forward, flyback, push-pull, half and full bridge
low output voltage synchronous buck converter,
(current and voltage fed), can be synchronously
since the operating conditions are such that the
rectified. However, providing adequate and
high-side FET has a significantly lower RMS cur-
well-timed gate drive signals to the SRs in each
rent than the low-side FET, the high-side FET
topology presents its own set of challenges.
should be chosen with less QG and higher RDSON.
It is more critical to lower switching losses for this There are basically two types of drive schemes for
FETs on the secondary stage of isolated topologies:
LOUT
D1
self-driven gate signals taken directly from the sec-
VIN +
ondary transformer windings, and control-driven
NP NS D2 COUT VOUT gate signals derived from the PWM controller or
_ some other primary referenced signal. For a given
Q1 application several different implementations of
Controller
these drives are possible. The designer should
choose the simplest solution that also meets the
Gate Drive
Isolation
Secondary
Feedback performance requirements.
The self-driven scheme is the simplest, most
Figure 2. Isolated power converter with
output synchronous rectification straight forward SR drive scheme (Figure 3) and
works well in topologies where the transformer

power.national.com
5
Synchronous Buck Controller with 1% Voltage Feedback
Accuracy Across -40 to +125ºC

National’s LM2747 Controller Provides Down Conversion to Output Voltages as

Low as 0.6V

LM2747 Typical Application Circuit LM2747

VOUT Accuracy
VIN = 12V, VO = 1.2V
VCC=3.3V D1 CBOOT VIN=3.3V 2.5
Suppo
RPULL-UP 20A+ lorts
a
VCC BOOT
+
CIN
1.5 curren d
t

Output Voltage (∆%)*

Q1
SD HG
LM2747 0.5
PWGD Rcs VOUT
L1 1.2V@16A
Clk FREQ/SYNC ISEN
CClk +
SS/TRACK LG Q2 -0.5
RFADJ CO
CSS
SGND PGND RFB2
-1.5 25°C
EAO FB 125°C -40°C
CC1
-2.5
CC2 RC1
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
RFB1
Output Current (A)

*Includes effects of external components at temperature

LM2747 Features Ideal for use in cable modems, DSL and ADSL,
• Switching frequency from 50 kHz to 1 MHz laser and ink jet printers, low voltage power
modules, DSP, ASIC, core, and portable computing
• Switching frequency synchronize range 250
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• Startup with a pre-biased output load
• Power stage input voltage from 1V to 14V
• Control stage input voltage from 3V to 6V
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6
POWER designer
Synchronous Rectification in High Performance Power Converter Design

Q1
techniques both reduce losses associated with the
VIN dead time intervals and produce nearly constant-
NS1
L OUT
amplitude gate drive pulses so efficiency is not
NP +
adversely impacted by varying line voltages.
NS2 COUT VOUT
Control-driven schemes tend to solve the limita-
Q1 Q2
Controller
_
tions of self-driven methods. However, they are
typically more complex and expensive (Figure 4).
Depending on how parts-intensive the self-driven
Figure 3. Self-driven synchronous rectification output stage scheme is, a control-driven scheme may actually be
the better alternative. The control signals used to
drive the SR FETs can be derived from a primary
voltage is not zero for any significant period of
or secondary side referenced controller.
time. Two SR FETs replace the output rectifier
diodes, and voltage generated across the secondary
windings drives the gates of the SRs. In most cases, Q1

VIN
higher or lower output voltages can be achieved NS1
L OUT
with same topology by utilizing a different NP +
transformer turns ratio (NP:NS1:NS2) and by
NS2 COUT VOUT
appropriately selecting the SR FETs. Q1 Q2
_

The main problem with self-driven SRs in topolo-

gies where the transformer voltage periodically goes
to and stays at zero is that there is no signal to drive Controller
Gate Drive
Isolation
Secondary
Side
Controller

the gates of the SR FETs during these intervals.

During these times, body diodes of the SRs con- Figure 4. Control-driven synchronous rectification
duct the load current, thus increasing power losses. output stage
Lower output voltages may require additional
windings to increase the normal operating voltage
applied to the SR FET gates to an adequate level.
Conclusion
Because the secondary winding voltage varies with
Synchronous switching power converters give bet-
input line voltage, the voltage on the SR gates will
ter performance than nonsynchronous converters
vary. The efficiency is impacted because RDSON
in low output voltage, high output current systems
depends on the gate-source voltage (VGS). In wide
applications. Ensuring the proper timing of the
input voltage range converters this RDSON variation
gate drive signals for the SRs is an important task
can be as high as 2:1.
that designers must address to maximize converter
There are alternate gate drive techniques that can performance. I
be employed for transformer-based topologies. In Acknowledgement: The author would like to thank Dr.
low-voltage, high-current applications, these drive Haachitaba Mweene for his feedback on the article.

power.national.com
7
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