DN-48

Design Note

Versatile Low Power SEPIC Converter

Accepts Wide Input Voltage Range

by Jack Palczynski

Much attention has been given to the Single Ended rent in the FET is limited by the pulse by pulse cur-
Primary Inductor Converter (SEPIC) topology re- rent limiting of the UCC3803. Switching frequency is
cently because output voltage may be either higher 500kHz, allowing low output current handling and
or lower than input voltage. The output is also not low output ripple with small inductors and capaci-
inverted as is the case in a flyback or Cuk topology. tors while remaining in the continuous inductor cur-
Voltage conversion is accomplished without trans- rent mode (CCM). Once started, the low voltage
formers, instead using low cost inductors to transfer operation of the UCC3803 is extended by boot-
energy. The input and output voltages are DC iso- strapping from the output through a UC3612 Schot-
lated by a coupling capacitor. This design note illus- tky diode. By including slope compensation (Q2,
trates an application for a 5V, 100mA output con- R3), the duty cycle may exceed 50% without experi-
verter for battery powered and Automotive encing subharmonic oscillations.
applications. It makes use of a UCC3803 BiCMOS This topology places higher stresses on both the
current mode controller to provide a 5V output at full switch and the diode than with other PWM topolo-
load of 100mA from an input of 2.5V to 13.5V after gies. Peak switch and diode stresses are both
an initial start-up at 5 volts.
VIN+VOUT and IIN + IOUT. Peak to peak ripple cur-
This SEPIC converter uses current mode control to rent in the coupling capacitor is IIN + IOUT.
simplify stabilization of the control loop. Peak cur-

Figure 1. UCC3803 Controlled SEPIC Converter

9/93A
Design Note DN-48

Specifications : 6. Find RMS current ripple and choose an appropri-

ate Ccc:
VIN (initial start-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5V
VIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5V to 13.5V √
IO (max)2 • D (max) + IIN (max)2 • (1 − D (max))
IOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45mA to 100mA
Switching Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500kHz 
√  ) = 141mA
0.12 • 0.67 + 0.22 • (1 − 0.67
Output Regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ±3%
Output Ripple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150mV (max) Select a capacitor to handle this ripple current.
7. Choose an output capacitor for ripple voltage:
SEPIC Converter Design Guide:
VIN (max) • D (max)
dIO (max) = IIN (max) +
1. Choose a switching frequency, fs. 2Lfs
2.5V • 0.67
fs = 500kHz dIO (max) = 202mA + = 209mA
2 • 220µH • 500kHz
2. Calculate minimum duty cycle (DMIN):
then, ripple voltage
VO
DMIN =  1 
VO + VIN (max) dV > dIO (max) + ESR
5V  2πfs • C 
DMIN = = 0.27
(5V + 13.5V)
 1 
3. Calculate maximum duty cycle (DMAX): 150mV > 209mA + 0.7 = 148mV
 2π • 500kHz • 33µF 
VO
DMAX =
VO + VIN (min) Some iterations with different capacitors will yield
5V an acceptable voltage ripple.
DMAX = = 0.67
(5V + 2.5V)
It may become necessary to run the converter in
4. Find an appropriate inductor so that IDIODE is not discontinuous inductor current mode (DCM) when
less than zero (note that this value should be used minimum load is a very small percentage of the
for both inductors): maximum load. D will become dependent on output
load and output voltage regulation will vary more
VIN (max) • DMIN
L> than in CCM. The CCM system double pole occurs
 VO 
fs • IO (min) + 1 at
 VIN (max)  1
fdp =
13.5V • 0.27 
√2 • π (L1 + L2)Ccc
L1 = L2 > = 118µH
 5 
500kHz • 45mA + 1 and the ESR zero occurs at
 13.5 
1
fz = .
Note that the COILCRAFT inductor selected is 2 • π • ESR • CO
specified at twice this value of inductance at light A plot of efficiency is shown below for the range of
load, and decreases at high loads. input voltage. Efficiency may be increased by using
5. Calculate IIN(max) at maximum output current: lower switching frequencies at a cost of larger com-
ponents. This might be desirable in equipment with
IO (max) • D(max)
IIN (max) = small batteries that demand lower power consump-
1 − D (max)
tion for extended life.
0.1 • 0.67
IIN (max) = = 202mA The SEPIC converter may be used for a wide range
1 − 0.67
of output voltages over a range of input voltages.

2
Design Note DN-48

Other outputs tested were 3V and 12V with circuits R8,R9 50 ohm 1/8W
similar to that of this design note. As output current U1 Unitrode UCC3803D BiCMOS PWM IC
increases, conduction losses in the switch and out-
put diode begin to degrade efficiency and ripple cur- REFERENCES:
rent in the coupling capacitor may be excessive. In
[1] W. Andreycak U-133 "UCC3800/1/2/3/4/5
high power applications, a transformer isolated con-
BiCMOS Current Mode Control ICs" Unitrode Appli-
cation Note
Efficiency vs Input Voltage
[2] L. Dixon "High Power Factor Preregulator Using
80 the SEPIC Converter" Unitrode Seminar SEM-900
70 pp. 6.1-6.12
60 [3] L. Dixon "Control Loop Design SEPIC Preregu-
EFFICIENCY (%)

50 lator Example" Unitrode Seminar SEM-900 pp. 7.1-

40 7-6
30 [4] U-97 "Modeling, Analysis and Compensation
20 of the Current-Mode Converter" Unitrode Applica-
10
tions Handbook A-100 pp. 260-266
0 [5] U-100 "UC3842 Provides Low-Cost Current-
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Mode Control" Unitrode Applications Handbook A-
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
100 pp.278-291

verter or cascaded stages may be more practical.

Parts List:
D1, D2 Unitrode UC3612D Dual Schottky
phone # (603) 429-8610
C1-3, C9 33µF 25V Sprague 293D336X0025E2T
phone # (207) 324-4140
C4,C5,C6 0.1µF Ceramic
C8 150pF Ceramic
L1, L2 220µH COILCRAFT DT3316-102-224
phone # (708) 639-1469
Q1 Siliconix Si9410DY
phone # (800) 554-5565
Q2 2N2222S
Q3 2N2907AS
R1 1 ohm 1/4W
R2 1k 1/8W
R3, R6 10k 1/8W
R4 30k 1/8W
R5, R7 6.2k 1/8W

UNITRODE CORPORATION
7 CONTINENTAL BLVD. • MERRIMACK, NH 03054
TEL. (603) 424-2410 • FAX (603) 424-3460

3
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