LTpowerCAD Design Tool 101

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Power Supply Loop Design/Optimization in the Lab

R-C Circuit Box

VOUT

DC-to-DC Supply Board

(DUT)
VSW

► Manually adjust R and C values. Check loop or load transient.

► Accurate, but time-consuming.
► How to support remote customers?

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Complete Power Design Flow with LT Tools …

LTpowerPlanner System Level Power Tree

Search/Selection a Solution

Circuit Parameter Design

LTpowerCAD

Simulation

LTspice

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Paper Design Is Difficult and Time Consuming …

► Define supply specifications

► Decide topology
► Search for an IC (time↑↑)
► Calculate power components (time↑↑, suboptimal)
► Select components: L, C, FET (time↑↑, suboptimal)
► Estimate efficiency/loss (difficult, inaccurate)
► Guess/simulate loop compensation (difficult, inaccurate)
► Draft schematics

 Time consuming, difficult, suboptimal ...

 Requires good power supply knowledge and skills

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LTpowerCAD Design in 5 Simple Steps! Fast and Easy

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5

Find Solutions Power Stage Efficiency and Loop and Summary,
Design Loss Transient BOM, Size

LTspiceTM
► Free download at analog.com/LTpowerCAD
► Runs on Windows PC
(OPT.)

Note for ADI users only: Install the program by RUN Elevated on an ADI PC.
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LTpowerCAD Main Window

Start a New
Supply Design

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Design Step 1: Enter Spec, Search a Part

2. Search

1. Enter spec

3. Select IC and open a Tool

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Step 2: Power Stage Design (fs, L, C, etc.)

Recommended / Calculated
User Entered

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Step 2: Power Stage Smart Warnings

Strong warning
(Hard)

Soft warning

► Warning levels are set

by apps engineers for
different products.

Automatic warnings guide to proper values

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Step 3: Efficiency Optimization

Efficiency
and Power Loss
PLOSS Breakdown

Real-Time Estimations for Optimum η%

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Step 4: Loop and Transient Design

Loop Gain Load Transient

* Loop models are bench

verified for each part

Real-Time Loop and Transient Optimization

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Step 5: Design Summary, BOM, Size

Summary Report

Performance
Summary

BOM

Solution Size

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(Optional) Step 6: Export to LTspice Simulation

(on Schematic Page) Start-Up

Load Step

* Key LTpowerCAD design tool values are exported to LTspice

LTspice Simulation for Detailed Waveforms

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Design Shortcut: Leveraging Existing Solutions

Solution Library

► Solution library demo boards, data sheet circuits,

reference designs …
► Users can add/build their solutions, too.
► Quick start point of a new design!

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Accurate, Bench Verified Models

LTpowerCAD Bench Verification Report (on a Standard Demo Board)

Duty ~ 35%
VOUT: 12 V at 10 A resistive load
Vin = 36 V COUT bulk: 4× 150 μF, 12 mΩ VFB: 499 kΩ||22 pF +35.7 kΩ
fsw = 120 kHz COUT ceramic: 4× 35 V 10 μF 1206 Comp: (1.5 kΩ +10 nF)||610 pF

Bench vs. Model

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Other Tools in LTpowerCAD

LTpowerPlanner
Power Tree Tool

Get
Updates
More Tools

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 Webpage: analog.com/LTpowerCAD

►Free download
►Quick-start guide

►Articles and videos

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 Advanced Features …

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Design Curves (for Wide VIN Range)

► Check the
design in the
full VIN range.
► Check the
worst case.

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Power Stage Design: Component Libraries

Component Library

Show Suggested Parts eases component selections

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Component Library (Power MOSFET Example)

Show Suggested Parts—quick efficiency optimization

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Ceramic Capacitor Derating vs. DC Bias

22 μF/6.3 V Capacitor

22 μF @ 0 V

► MLCC: significant
capacitance loss at VBIAS
► How to design it in LTpowerCAD?
7.5 μF @ 5 V
(–65%)

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MLCC Auto Derating vs. DC Bias

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Input EMI Filter Design (Only for Differential Mode, Conducted EMI)

Released for buck and boost converters

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Input EMI Filter Design Curves

EMI Noise vs. Filter Insertion Gain Filter/Supply Impedance

Standard (with Damping) (with Damping)

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Auto Loop Compensation

One click

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LTpowerPlanner® Design Tool
Brief Introduction
BY HENRY ZHANG AND TIM KOZONO
APPLICATIONS ENGINEERING
POWER PRODUCTS

©2018 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.

A System Board Example

► A modern electronic
system usually has
many power
supplies and loads.
► A power tree
drawing is needed.

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A Power Management System Example

► A system designer needs to plan and development the entire

power management system.
► System optimization: total efficiency, loss, size, cost, etc.

12 V to 5 V 1 5V
Input Rail
Supply A Load

PIN=? 5
5 V to 2 V 2V
PLOSS=? Supply A Load
Eff%=?
Size=?
12V-to-1V 8 1V
Supply A Load

A system-level design and optimization tool is needed

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LTpowerPlanner® Design Tool

A System-Level Power Planning Tool:

► Create a system power tree diagram.
► Estimate total system power, efficiency, and size.
► Optional links to LTpowerCAD and LTspice Designs.

► Available in the LTpowerCAD package.

► LTpowerCAD free download: analog.com/LTpowerCAD.
► Windows PC based.

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Why Use the LTpowerPlanner® Tool?

► Draw system power tree diagram

► Calculate total system power, efficiency, and solution size
► Document system architecture and design solutions
► Compare different system solutions for optimum solution
► Present intuitive system solutions

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LTpowerPlanner® Tool: Getting Started

Start a New
Power Tree

“System Design” in the LTpowerCAD package.

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Step 1: Drawing a System Power Tree

► Place input source, converter, and load components.

► Draw power wire connections (from left to right)
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Step 2: Updating Parameters (For Input Source,
Converters, and Loads)

► Enter key
parameters in
the Properties
window for each
generic part.

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Step 3: Run Calculation

►Calculate total input power, output power, loss, efficiency, and size
(based on user’s entries of generic component parameters).

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Comparing Different Architectures

Option A

Option B

A quick power tree comparison for optimum design

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A Communications System Power Tree Example

LTpowerPlanner Example
► Multichannel converters.
► Resistive component:
R, L, FET, etc.
► Colored nets/loads to
represent power-up/-down
sequence.

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LTpowerPlanner® Component Visual Options

LTpowerPlanner Example

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FPGA Reference Designs on analog.com

Many existing
FPGA/processor
reference power trees.

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Solution Power Tree Example Library

Some existing
FPGA/processor
reference power trees.

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(Optional) Links to LTpowerCAD and LTspice

Click “Properties” to Link

Existing Design Files

Leverage LTpowerCAD and LTspice tools to design each supply.

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Summary

LTpowerPlanner tool helps you design a system with:

► Easy steps
► Intuitive GUI interface
► Short time
► Optimum system power solution

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 LTPOWERCAD MAKES DESIGN
QUICK AND EASY

Questions and Suggestions?

Email : [email protected]
(formerly [email protected])

Free Download at analog.com/LTpowerCAD

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