Industrial systems demand semiconductors that are precise, flexibleand reliable. Linear Technology offers a broad line of high performanceanalog ICs that simplify system design with rugged devices featuringparameters fully guaranteed over the -40°C to 85°C temperature range.We back this up with knowledgeable applications support, long productlife cycles and superior on-time delivery.
Abstract: This tutorial discusses proper printed-circuit board (PCB) grounding for mixed-signal designs. Formost applications a simple method without cuts in the ground plane allows for successful PCB layouts withthis kind of IC. We begin this document with the basICs: where the current flows. Later, we describe how toplace components and route signal traces to minimize problems with crosstalk. Finally, we move on toconsider power supply-currents and end by discussing how to extend what we have learned to circuits withmultiple mixed-signal ICs.
Portable, battery-powered operation of electronic apparatushas become increasingly desirable. Medical, remotedata acquisition, power monitoring and other applicationsare good candidates for battery operation. In some circumstances,due to space, power or reliability considerations,it is preferable to operate the circuitry from a single 1.5Vcell. Unfortunately, a 1.5V supply eliminates almost alllinear ICs as design candidates. In fact, the LM10 opamp-reference and the LT®1017/LT1018 comparators arethe only IC gain blocks fully specifi ed for 1.5V operation.Further complications are presented by the 600mV dropof silicon transistors and diodes. This limitation consumesa substantial portion of available supply range, makingcircuit design diffi cult. Additionally, any circuit designedfor 1.5V operation must function at end-of-life batteryvoltage, typically 1.3V. (See Box Section, “Componentsfor 1.5V Operation.”)
This reference design (RD) features a fullyassembled and tested surface-mount printed circuitboard (PCB). The RD board utilizes the MAX48851:2 or 2:1 multiplexer and other ICs to implement acomplete video graphICs array (VGA) 8:1multiplexer.VGA input/output connections are provided to easilyinterface the MAX4885 RD board with VGAcompatibledevices. The RD board gives the optionto use a single 5V DC power supply (V+), or this RDboard can be powered from any one of the eight VGA sources.
Many complex systems—such as telecom equipment,memory modules, optical systems, networking equipment,servers and base stations—use FPGAs and otherdigital ICs that require multiple voltage rails that muststart up and shut down in a specific order, otherwise theICs can be damaged. The LTC®2924 is a simple andcompact solution to power supply sequencing in a 16-pinSSOP package (see Figures 1 and 2).
In a recent discussion with a system designer, the requirementfor his power supply was to regulate 1.5Vand deliver up to 40A of current to a load that consistedof four FPGAs. This is up to 60W of power that must bedelivered in a small area with the lowest height profi lepossible to allow a steady fl ow of air for cooling. Thepower supply had to be surface mountable and operateat high enough effi ciency to minimize heat dissipation.He also demanded the simplest possible solution so histime could be dedicated to the more complex tasks. Asidefrom precise electrical performance, this solution had toremovethe heat generated during DC to DC conversionquickly so that the circuit and the ICs in the vicinity do notoverheat. Such a solution requires an innovative designto meet these criteria:
For a variety of reasons, it is desirable to charge batteriesas rapidly as possible. At the same time, overchargingmust be limited to prolong battery life. Such limitation ofovercharging depends on factors such as the choice ofcharge termination technique and the use of multi-rate/multi-stage charging schemes. The majority of batterycharger ICs available today lock the user into one fixedcharging regimen, with at best a limited number ofcustomization options to suit a variety of application needsor battery types. The LTC®1325 addresses these shortcomingsby providing the user with all the functionalblocks needed to implement a simple but highly flexiblebattery charger (see Figure 1) which not only addressesthe issue of charging batteries but also those of batteryconditioning and capacity monitoring.
The design of battery-powered equipment can often bequite challenging. Since few ICs can operate directly fromthe end-of-life voltage from a 2-cell battery (about 1.8V),most systems require a DC/DCconverter. The systemdesigner often has a limited area in which to place the DC/DC converter; associated inductors and capacitors must be
Portable, battery-powered operation of electronic apparatushas become increasingly desirable. Medical, remotedata acquisition, power monitoring and other applicationsare good candidates for batteryoperation. In some circumstances,due to space, power or reliability considerations,it is preferable to operate the circuitry from a single 1.5Vcell. Unfortunately, a 1.5V supply eliminates almost alllinear ICs as design candidates. In fact, the LM10 opamp-reference and the LT®1017/LT1018 comparators arethe only IC gain blocks fully specifi ed for 1.5V operation.Further complications are presented by the 600mV dropof silicon transistors and diodes. This limitation consumesa substantial portion of available supply range, makingcircuit design diffi cult. Additionally, any circuit designedfor 1.5V operation mustfunction at end-of-life batteryvoltage, typically 1.3V. (See Box Section, “Componentsfor 1.5V Operation.”)
