L DESIGN IDEAS

Primary-Side Sensing Takes

Complexity out of Isolated
Flyback Converter Design by Tiger Zhou
Introduction VIN
T1
1:1
D1
VOUT+
Flyback converters are widely used 5V TO 15V 5V, 0.2A

in isolated DC/DC applications, but 4.7µF 200k VIN 0.22µF 2k T1

47µF
they are not necessarily a designer’s SHDN/UVLO
VOUT–
first choice. Power supply design- 90.9k D2
ers grudgingly choose a flyback out LT3573 RFB
27.4k
of necessity for electronic isolation; RREF
certainly not because they are an 6.04k
TC
easy to design. A flyback converter RILIM
requires that significant design time SS SW
VC GND BIAS
be devoted to transformer design, a
20k 10k 24.9k
task further complicated by limited 0.01µF VIN
T1: BH ELECTRONICS, L10-1022
D1: B240A
off-the-shelf transformer selection and 2.2nF D2: 1N4148W

the necessity for customized magnet-

ics. Moreover, the flyback converter
has stability issues due to the well- Figure 1. Amazingly simple flyback converter takes advantage of the primary side sensing
scheme of the LT3573. Note the absence of an optocoupler. Also note the tiny coupling inductor
known right-half-plane (RHP) zero available from many magnetics vendors.
in the control loop, which is further
complicated by the propagation delay ated with flyback converters by using off when the switch current reaches
of an optocoupler. a primary-side sensing scheme that is the pre-defined current limit. Thus it
The LT3573 isolated monolithic capable of detecting the output voltage always operates at the transition of
flyback converter solves many of the through the flyback switching node continuous conduction mode (CCM)
design difficulties commonly associ- waveform. During the switch off-pe- and discontinuous conduction mode
riod, the diode delivers the current to (DCM), which is called boundary mode.
DESIGN IDEAS the output, and the output voltage is Boundary mode operation also offers
Primary-Side Sensing Takes thus reflected to the primary-side of a superior load regulation.
Complexity out of Isolated the flyback transformer (or the switch Other features, such as soft-start,
Flyback Converter Design...................30 node). The magnitude of the switch adjustable current limit, undervoltage
Tiger Zhou
node voltage is the summation of the lockout and temperature compensa-
Easy Automotive Power Supplies: input voltage and reflected output tion further facilitate the flyback
Compact Regulator Produces voltage. The flyback converter is able converter design. Figure 1 shows
Dual Outputs as Low as 0.8V from
3.6V–36V and is Unfazed by to reconstruct the output voltage from a simple flyback converter using
60V Transients..................................32 the measurement of the switching LT3573.
Peter J. Andrews node voltage during the off period.
This scheme has previously proven Primary-Side Sensing
High Power 2-Phase Synchronous
Boost Replaces Hot Diodes with itself in Linear Technology’s family Needs No Optocoupler
Cool FETs—No Heat Sinks Required of photoflash capacitor charger ICs. An optocoupler is essential for a tra-
..........................................................35 Design is simplified by getting rid of ditional flyback converter. It transmits
Narayan Raja, Tuan Nguyen
and Theo Phillips the optocoupler while maintaining the output voltage feedback signal
the galvanic isolation between the through an optical link while main-
100V Controller in 3mm × 3mm primary-side and secondary-side of taining an isolation barrier. However,
QFN or MSE Drives High Power
LED Strings from Just About the transformer. the optocoupler current transfer ratio
Any Input...........................................37 The LT3573’s utilization of bound- (CTR) often changes with temperature,
Keith Szolusha ary mode operation further reduces degrading accuracy. Also, the opto-
converter size and simplifies system coupler causes a propagation delay,
Parallel Buck-Boost µModule
Regulators to Produce High Current design. The flyback converter turns which impacts the dynamic response
in Sub-2.8mm Height Applications on the 1.25A, 60V internal switch of the control loop.
..........................................................40 right after the secondary diode cur- The LT3573 eliminates the need for
Judy Sun, Sam Young and Henry Zhang
rent reduces to zero, while it turns an optocoupler by sensing the output

30 Linear Technology Magazine • January 2009

 DESIGN IDEAS L
The simplified control loop network
SW VOLTAGE
The LT3573 simplifies the also eases transformer design. The
control-to-output transfer function
design of flyback converters has no inductance component, which
SW CURRENT by using a primary-side means the flyback converter easily
sensing scheme that detects tolerates transformer variations. The
DIODE CURRENT
the output voltage through transformer inductance only affects
the converter switching frequency; it
Figure 2. LT3573 flyback
converter in boundary mode.
the flyback switching node does not affect the converter output
waveform. capability and stability. The data sheet
voltage on the primary-side. The out- includes a detailed design example,
put voltage is accurately measured at which outlines converter design
the primary-side switching node wave- Figure 2 shows the LT3573 flyback guidelines.
form during the off period. In addition converter voltage and current wave-
to the obvious simplification and cost form in boundary mode. Assuming a Boundary Mode Operation for
savings of this design, this scheme 1:1 transformer is used; the control- Superior Load Regulation
improves dynamic performance during to-output transfer function is: Since the diode voltage drop is included
load transients, which further simpli- in the reflected output voltage, it can
fies the control loop design.  1  affect load regulation in primary-side
R  RC +
1− D  s • C  sensing flyback converters that oper-
Boundary Mode Operation G VC = •
2 1 ate in CCM. The reason is the diode
Reduces Converter Size and R + RC + has nonlinear I-V characteristics.
s•C
Simplifies System Design Other methods such as load regula-
Since the flyback converter operates in Where R is the load resistor, C is tion compensation must be used if
boundary mode, the switch is always the output capacitor, RC is the ESR of a tight load regulation is required.
turned on at zero current and the diode the output capacitor and D is the duty However, the load regulation is much
has no reverse recovery loss. Reducing cycle. From this, a load pole at improved in boundary mode operation
power losses allows the flyback con- 1 because the reflected output volt-
verter to operate at a relatively high sp = age is always sampled at the diode
RC
switching frequency, which in turn current zero-crossing. The LT3573
reduces the transformer size when and ESR zero at flyback converter has a typical 1%
compared to lower frequency opera- 1 load regulation.
tion. Figure 1 shows an isolated flyback sz = Figure 3 shows a 5V, 1A flyback
RCC
using a small coupling inductor with converter that accepts a 9V to 30V
19µH primary inductance. are observed. This reduced-order input. The BIAS winding is used to
Another benefit of boundary mode transfer function can be easily com- improve the system efficiency. The
operation is a simplified control loop. pensated by an external VC network. TC resistor compensates the output
voltage at all temperatures, the UVLO
T1 resistors set the intended input range,
D1
VIN
9V TO 30V
3:1:1 VOUT and the current limit resistor programs
5V, 1A
the output current.
4.7µF VIN 0.22µF 2k 47µF
357k

SHDN/UVLO COM Conclusion

D2
51.1k
The LT3573 simplifies the design of
LT3573 84.5k isolated flyback converters with a
RFB
RREF
primary-side sensing scheme and
TC
6.04k
boundary mode operation. Its wide
RILIM 3V to 40V input range, and its abil-
SS SW ity to deliver 7W output power make
VC GND TEST BIAS it suitable for industrial, automotive
D3 and medical applications. It also
24.9k
20k 10k
0.01µF includes undervoltage lockout, soft-
D1: B340A
2.2nF 1µF
D2: 1N4148W start, temperature compensation,
D3: CMDSH-3
T1: PULSE PA2454NL
adjustable current limit and external
compensation. L
Figure 3. A 9V–30V input, 5V/1A flyback converter with
a BIAS winding to maximize the system efficiency.

Linear Technology Magazine • January 2009 31