Electronics > Beginners
+-12V and 5V rails out of single 15V supply
newbie666:
Hello,
This is my first ever attempt at building switched mode power supply and I'm a complete noob so please be patient ;)
Requirements:
Input:
single supply of 15-20V
Outputs:
+12V / 1A
-12V / 1A
5V / 2A
50mV ripple on all of the rails is acceptable.
I was thinking about using TI's LM2596 for +5 rail as it seems to be quite popular IC.
For split rails, should I be looking at split rail converters? The ones I found have rather small output current, even this application note shows examples of rather small output currents:
https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/application-notes/AN-1106.pdf
Would it be easier to use another step down converter and then an inverting one after it to generate negative rail?
Again, I have zero experience with this stuff so I'm looking for tips on "best engineering practice" for those requirements.
Bonus questions: what are your favourite converter ICs that could suit this application?
Thanks for help!
Calvin:
Hi,
the LT8582 of Analog (formerly known as LinearTec) might do the job of generating the +-12V.
The Datasheet features several design samples and all the formuals that help to create Your design.
The 5V require only a stepdown converter/regulator or a linear voltage reg.
The easier way should be to look for complete dc-dc converter modules which may require only a few external parts for filtering.
regards
Calvin
MarkL:
Unless you're rolling your own SMPS to learn about them, I would also use modules.
The Recom R-78B-2.0 series meets your requirements for Vin and all Vout and Iout. The -12V is provided by using the negative output wiring option. The ripple is a little higher @ 75mV, but you could provide some additional filtering.
https://recom-power.com/pdf/Innoline/R-78B-2.0.pdf
There are other manufactures that make similar products.
Beware of dual output modules if you're expecting good regulation on both outputs at the same time (e.g., +12V and -12V). Most modules do not regulate both outputs separately, so loading one output will affect the other.
T3sl4co1l:
What I'd probably do:
- 12V synchronous buck regulator. This produces +12V and is rated for about 3A alone.
- The buck inductor is dual winding, and the secondary is rectified with the correct phase to get -12V. This works for any combination of load currents, as long as the buck converter is always active (synchronous). (If a non-synchronous regulator is used, the load on +12 must always be greater than the load on -12, otherwise the -12 catch diode takes over and regulation is lost.)
- 5V from a separate regulator, which may be the same type, or a different type; cascaded (powered from +12V) or not. Cascading has the advantage of automatic supply sequencing: 12V comes up first, then 5V shortly (or jointly) thereafter. (Sequencing can also be done through the soft-start pin on suitable regulators.) If not cascaded, then the +12V regulator only needs to be rated 2A.
- Maybe a single LC at the input and outputs, and laying out the supply section so the inputs and outputs are all to one side. This avoids crossing ground loops, and facilitates good filtering.
- If 15V is a little too tight for any regulator, or the input minimum really is lower than this still (say it needs to continue operating, even for momentary or sustained dips to 10V or less), I would choose a SEPIC configuration instead; this can (almost trivially) use secondaries to generate as many voltages as you like, so +/-12V is easy, and +5V is harder (you need a custom 5/12 turns ratio), but that can either be solved by following it up with an LDO to make nice clean 5V, or tweaking the tolerances on everything so both supplies are marginal but it works out (i.e., 5.5V is 10% high, while 11V is 8% low, but this may be acceptable after all -- supplies are largely arbitrary, and rarely need to be well regulated).
That's an overview of the production-grade solution, but that may not be all that helpful for a newbie; for that, I would suggest:
- Individual buck modules or regulators, as you or others have noted. If board-level, follow the application information and recommended values. 12V 1A should be pretty close to a standard example, or use a design tool.
It'll probably work, and not need weird tweaking like compensation done.
Or for modules, plop it in, use whatever capacitors are recommended (if any), and there you go. If it's freaking out and you can't figure out why (and maybe you'd need a scope to figure it out?), can always try another module. (Alas, the pinouts may not be compatible. The three-terminal modules are usually the same, so that's nice!)
- For -12V, you may try a bootstrap mode regulator. This is shown in the application section, maybe not on LM2596, but a bunch of the SimpleSwitchers show how it's done. Basically the output gets tied to GND, and what used to be GND, gets pushed down and becomes your -12V rail. The input sees the sum, or (15-20V) - (-12V), so you need a reg with a relatively high input voltage rating (>= 40V). It also sees the difference of currents, so you need a 2A regulator for a 1A output.
Alternately, use a 12V 1A DC-DC isolator module. Over the top, definitely more cost; but you can put that output wherever the hell you want, and it'll always have 12V (at up to 1A..) across its pins!
- Would still recommend input and output filtering. Connect to the inside bulk cap, an inductor of maybe 1uH or less. Put a ceramic cap maybe 1uF on the other side (the external facing side) to ground, and again, arrange the input and outputs at the edge of the area so switching ground loops are avoided. (There's always an internal bulk cap, so overall, this gets you a CLC filter on each terminal.)
Easy, this way, to get lots of attenuation at switching frequencies (~100kHz) and modest harmonics (into the 10s MHz); good layout (or even shielding) is required for good attenuation into the 100s MHz.
Tim
newbie666:
Thank you all for replies, especially T3sl4co1l for detailed writeup. I spent some time going through a couple of application notes to learn about buck inductors using dual winding inductors to generate bipolar supplies. This one was especially helpful (for posterity):
http://www.ti.com/lit/an/slva369a/slva369a.pdf
I have a couple of follow up questions. Another application note from Maxim (https://pdfserv.maximintegrated.com/en/an/AN3740.pdf) shows a SEPIC converter in a following configuration
Application note lists following advantages of this circuit:
1. Quasiregulated output
2. 'Clean' inductor current waveform; less noise generation
3. Ripple reduction due to coupled inductors
4. Single magnetic component (off-the-shelf 1:1 transformer)
- Will ripple be better behaved in SEPIC converter with split supplies than buck configuration?
- I can't figure out how this circuit will behave without any load. Does it require minimum load as it is the case for buck configuration with split supplies?
Thanks for help!
Michal
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