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LP5907

SNVS798D – APRIL 2012 – REVISED NOVEMBER 2012

www.ti.com

APPLICATION INFORMATION

POWER DISSIPATION AND DEVICE OPERATION

The permissible power dissipation for any package is a measure of the capability of the device to pass heat from

the power source, the junctions of the IC, to the ultimate heat sink, the ambient environment. Thus the power

dissipation is dependent on the ambient temperature and the thermal resistance across the various interfaces

between the die and ambient air. As stated in Note (3) of the electrical characteristics, the allowable power

dissipation for the device in a given package can be calculated using the equation:

(1)

The actual power dissipation across the device can be represented by the following equation:

(2)

This establishes the relationship between the power dissipation allowed due to thermal consideration, the voltage

drop across the device, and the continuous current capability of the device. These two equations should be used

to determine the optimum operating conditions for the device in the application.

EXTERNAL CAPACITORS

Like any low-dropout regulator, the LP5907 requires external capacitors for regulator stability. The LP5907 is

specifically designed for portable applications requiring minimum board space and smallest components. These

capacitors must be correctly selected for good performance.

INPUT CAPACITOR

An input capacitor is required for stability. The input capacitor should be at least equal to, or greater than, the

output capacitor for good load transient performance. At least a 1-µF capacitor has to be connected between the

LP5907 input pin and ground for stable operation over full load current range. Basically, it is ok to have more

output capacitance than input, as long as the input is at least 1-µF.

This capacitor must be located a distance of not more than 1cm from the input pin and returned to a clean

analog ground. Any good quality ceramic, tantalum, or film capacitor may be used at the input.

Important: To ensure stable operation it is essential that good PCB practices are employed to minimize ground

impedance and keep input inductance low. If these conditions cannot be met, or if long leads are to be used to

connect the battery or other power source to the LP5907, then it is recommended to increase the input capacitor

to at least 10 µF. Also, tantalum capacitors can suffer catastrophic failures due to surge current when connected

to a low-impedance source of power (like a battery or a very large capacitor). If a tantalum capacitor is used at

the input, it must be guaranteed by the manufacturer to have a surge current rating sufficient for the application.

There are no requirements for the ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) on the input capacitor, but tolerance and

temperature coefficient must be considered when selecting the capacitor to ensure the capacitance will remain

1 µF ±30% over the entire operating temperature range.

OUTPUT CAPACITOR

The LP5907 is designed specifically to work with a very small ceramic output capacitor, typically 1 µF. A ceramic

capacitor (dielectric types X5R or X7R) in the 1 µF to 10 µF range, and with ESR between 5 m

Ω to 500 mΩ, is

suitable in the LP5907 application circuit. For this device the output capacitor should be connected between the

attractive for reasons of size and cost (see CAPACITOR CHARACTERISTICS below).

The output capacitor must meet the requirement for the minimum value of capacitance and have an ESR value

that is within the range 5 m

Ω to 500 mΩ for stability.

10

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