Application Report

SNOAA00A – August 2018 – Revised June 2019

Designing with the Improved TL431LI

Marcoo Zamora, Xiaodong Cai

ABSTRACT
The TL431LI is TI’s latest addition to its adjustable shunt regulator family. This device is a pin-to-pin
alternative to the industry standard TL431 but the TL431LI offers improvements in better temperature drift
and lower reference input current that allow for a more accurate system. The higher performance of the
TL431LI is critical in flyback power supplies with an optocoupler which is commonly seen in AC/DC
adapters such as the common laptop battery charger adapter. Figure 1 shows the TL431LI in the
secondary side feedback loop as it is commonly used to drive the optocoupler for isolation. This
application note will cover how designing with the TL431LI can improve the voltage output accuracy of the
secondary side of a flyback power supply.

VIN AC VOUT

VDD

VPC VSC
VDD HV
UCC28740 UCC24636
PWM Controller SR Controller
VS
DRV

DRV TBLK
FB CS
GND TL431LI

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Figure 1. Typical AC/DC Isolated Optocoupler with A/TL431LI

Contents
1 Advancements ............................................................................................................... 2
2 TL431LI Improved System Accuracy ...................................................................................... 2
3 TL431LI vs Industry Standard TL431 Error in Flyback Converters ................................................... 4
4 TL431LI Power Savings..................................................................................................... 5
5 TL431LI Stability ............................................................................................................. 6

List of Figures
1 Typical AC/DC Isolated Optocoupler with A/TL431LI ................................................................... 1
2 Flyback secondary side with TL431LI..................................................................................... 2
3 Dynamic Impedance......................................................................................................... 3
4 Continuous Power Loss from R1 and R2 in a 5V system .............................................................. 6
5 TL431LI R1 vs Accuracy .................................................................................................... 6
6 Stability Boundary Conditions of TL431 .................................................................................. 6
7 Stability Boundary Conditions for TL431LI ............................................................................... 6

List of Tables

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1 TL431LI Temperature Drift, VI(dev), Error Calculation Comparison Estimate .......................................... 4

2 TL431LI IREF Error Calculation Comparison Estimate ................................................................... 4
3 TL431LI II(dev) Error Calculation Comparison Estimate .................................................................. 5
4 TL431LI Total Error Comparison Estimate ............................................................................... 5
Trademarks

1 Advancements
• Improved system accuracy due to a low maximum temperature drift
– VI(dev) = 10 mV (C Temp)
– VI(dev) = 17 mV (I Temp)
– VI(dev) = 27 mV (Q Temp)
• Improved system accuracy due to low reference current
– Iref = 0.4 μA (max)
– II(dev)= 0.3 μA (max)
• Improved stability region for load capacitors

2 TL431LI Improved System Accuracy

The TL431LI allows for improved system accuracy over the industry standard TL431 due to its decrease in
VI(dev), Iref, and II(dev). The primary advantage is from the lower temperature drift, VI(dev), that allows for less
output voltage deviation due to temperature excursions while in operation. The VI(dev) can be as low as 17
mV in the common industrial temperature range of -40°C to 85°C which is advantageous in critical in
AC/DC adapters as they operate at high temperatures. Figure 1 shows a typical example of an AC/DC
isolated optocoupler application. In flyback converters, the accuracy of the output is dependent on the
error of the feedback loop which includes the errors from the TL431LI, optocoupler, and external resistors.
Managing this error can often be a challenge to designers when the shunt regulator can contribute a high
error of 1% or greater over temperature. The TL431LI with feedback and loop error can be seen in
Figure 2.

VOUT

Rs

Iref|P/Π(
R1 = 10 lQ
IREF

TL431LIBI
Vref|PsΠ(
R2 = 10 lQ

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Figure 2. Flyback secondary side with TL431LI

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2.1 Shunt Voltage Reference Error

The error of VOUT is dependent on environmental and system factors and it is important to take these
considerations into account to maximize the accuracy of the system. The simplified output voltage of a
flyback converter is Equation 1. This equation is typically used to estimate the output of the device but it
does not take into account temperature deviation or other voltage scaling factors. This is because real
world shunt regulators have limited gain and suffer from cathode voltage modulation.
R1
Simplified VOUT Vref u (1 ) R1u Iref
R2 (1)
Equation 2 shows a more accurate error of VOUT as both Vref and Iref modulations are taken into
consideration which will be explained in later equations.
R1
Expanded VOUT Vref ('Vref | total ) u (1 ) R1u (Iref ('Iref | total ))
R2 (2)
The Vref(ΔVref|total) in Equation 2 refers to the internal reference voltage of the shunt regulator. Equation 3
shows the addition of all voltage deviations for Vref to yield Vref(ΔVref|total).
Vref ('Vref | total ) Vnom u (1 r Initial Accuracy) r VI(dev) ((IKA Itest ) u ZKA ) 'Vref | 'VKA (3)
ΔVref|Initial Accuracy refers to the error from the initial accuracy deviation of the Vref. Initial accuracy is typically
defined on TL431LI as 1% (A grade) or 0.5% (B grade) at 25°C. The only way to minimize initial accuracy
error is to design with the highest grade of TL431LI. The initial accuracy is shown in Equation 4 as this
deviation affects the nominal voltage reference..
'Vref | Initial Accuracy 1 r Initial Accuracy (4)
ΔVref|Temperature Drift is the ΔVref due to temperature deviations from 25°C and is shown in Equation 5. This
voltage deviation can be minimized by choosing the highest grade of TL431LI. Both ΔVref|Initial Accuracy and
ΔVref|Temperature Drift affect the Vref of all TL431LI regardless of the VKA voltage.
'Vref | Temperature Drift r VI(dev) (5)
Unlike the other ΔVref errors described previously, the ΔVref|Dynamic Impedance and ΔVref|ΔVKA are conditional.
ΔVref|Dynamic Impedance is an error that is dependent on the IKA of the TL431LI. This error stems from the
deviation of IKA. Having IKA fluctuate from Itest to IKA as shown in Figure 3, can produce a deviation in Vref
which is also shown in Figure 3. The closer the TL431LI IKA is biased to Itest, the less the ΔVref|Dynamic Impedance
deviation affects the output. The ΔVref|Dynamic Impedance deviation can be calculated. inEquation 6.
'Vref | Dynamic Impedance (IKA Itest ) u ZKA (6)
IKA (mA)

IKA
P/

Itest

IKA(min)

0 Vref (V)
Psref|Dynamic Impedance

Figure 3. Dynamic Impedance

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The ΔVref|ΔVKA is conditional based on the VKA of the system. The greater the VKA is over Vref the larger the
devation will be. While these two voltage deviation do not affect the TL431LI in all conditions, it is
important to know when they do apply because they are frequently ignored and their effect can be
significant.
'Vref
'Vref | 'VKA (VKA Vnom ) u | V d10 V , Valid when VKA d 10V
'VKA KA (7)
'Vref 'Vref
'Vref | 'VKA ((VKA 10V) u | V !10 V ) ((10V Vref ) u | V d10 V ),Valid when VKA ! 10V
'VKA KA 'VKA KA (8)
The Iref of the TL431LI also has a temperature drift, II(dev), that is often ignored. The value of II(dev) can be
larger than the nominal Iref which can be seen in Equation 10. The reason the Iref(ΔIref|total) is important is
because the input Iref causes an inequality in the feedback resistors which changes the effective DC
feedback ratio. The Iref deviation is shown in Equation 9. This error is largely based on the value of R1 as
R1 will turn the Iref deviation to a VOUT deviation. One design challenge is to balance the size of the R1
resistor to between limiting the leakage current and lowering the error. This balance is easier when the Iref
is a low value such as the 0.4 µA on the TL431LI.
Iref ( 'Iref | total ) Iref r II(dev) (9)
'Iref | Temperature Drift rII(dev) (10)
TL431LI and TL431 error is calculated by the difference between the maximum values and the nominal
values using Equation 2. Further details of this error calculation will be demonstrated in Section 3. The
typical VKA will include the effects of initial accuracy, dynamic impedance, and ΔVKA. The typical VKA does
not include the effects of temperature because the temperature drift can drift high or low and thus the
typical can be 0.

3 TL431LI vs Industry Standard TL431 Error in Flyback Converters

The TL431LI has several improvements over the industrial standard TL431 in VI(dev), Iref, and II(dev). How
these individual differences compare in regards to error will be discussed in this section. The biggest
improvement in the TL431LI is the temperature drift on all available temperature options. In the C grade
(0°C to 70°C) and I grade (-40°C to 85°C), the TL431LI has half the temperature drift of the TL431.
Table 1 shows an example of how much percent error the 5V output will have. The TL431LI I grade is
close to 0.7% more accurate over its TL431 counterpart. This error on Vref will stay constant as the output
voltage increases so even with a VKA of 5V, the percent error is the same as a VKA of 2.945V.

Table 1. TL431LI Temperature Drift, VI(dev), Error Calculation Comparison Estimate

VI(dev) (Max) for I grade (-40°C to
Percent Error of a 2.495 V Output Percent Error of a 5 V Output
85°C)
Industry
34 mV 1.36 % 1.36 %
Standard TL431
TL431LI 17 mV 0.68 % 0.68 %

Table 2 shows a comparison of the accuracy of an industry standard TL431 and the TL431LI in terms of
Iref. When performing error budgeting, due to the part to part variation, the deviation from the maximum Iref
vs typical Iref will be the error because the TL431LI device will always consume Iref. In the case of a 5V
VOUT, the error of the system can be reduced by using a TL431LI.

Table 2. TL431LI IREF Error Calculation Comparison Estimate

mV Error of a 5 Percent Error of a 5
IREF (Max) IREF (Typ) ΔIref R1
V Output V Output
Industry
Standard 4.0 μA 2.5 μA 1.5 μA 10 kΩ 15 mV 0.30 %
TL431
TL431LI 0.4 μA 0.2 μA 0.2 μA 10 kΩ 2 mV 0.04 %

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The lowered Iref accuracy advantage is also reflected in the Iref tolerance over temperature, II(dev). The
TL431LI has a lower maximum deviation which can result in a lower error. A comparison showing the
benefit of TL431LI's II(dev) is shown in Table 3. The accuracy advantage of the TL431LI comes from a direct
reduction of ΔIref from 1.5 μA (max from 431 competition) to 0.2 μA (max) which is a 7.5x reduction. By
looking at the Iref and II(dev) errors combined it is possible to have a more precise and accurate output by
using the TL431LI.

Table 3. TL431LI II(dev) Error Calculation Comparison Estimate

II(dev) R1 mV Error of a 5 V Output Percent Error of a 5 V Output
Industry
Standard 2.5 μA 10 kΩ 25 mV 0.50 %
TL431
TL431LI 0.4 μA 10 kΩ 4 mV 0.08 %

When looking at error, it is important to calculate the full error using Equation 2. The previous tables
showed an estimate assuming all errors are isolated, but that is not the case in the real world. For
example, the II(dev) error is dependent on R1 so the error on R1 will increase the overall total deviation of
II(dev). When looking at the overall system deviation for maximum worst case error, it is important to look at
both the minimum and maximum worst case and compare them to the typical. Table 4 takes Equation 2
equation into consideration and assumes the schematic will be Figure 2. Assume that R1 and R2 have
0.5% error and the IKA is 1 mA. Looking at the worst case error, the TL431LI has over 1% accuracy
savings.

Table 4. TL431LI Total Error Comparison Estimate

Worst Case Lower VOUT (V) Typical VOUT (V) Worst Case Upper VOUT (V) Worst Case Error
TL431BI 4.848 V 5.015 V 5.148 V 3.340 %
TL431LIBI 4.891 V 4.992 V 5.069 V 2.021 %

One of the drawbacks of a shunt regulator is the overall high error due to the high initial accuracy and
temperature coefficient. With the TL431LI it is possible to lower the BOM cost and/or increase the system
accuracy and efficiency compared to an industry standard TL431. Typically the main selection of a shunt
regulator depends on the accuracy and temperature grade. The most common industry initial accuracy
grades are 1% and 0.5%. If the total error of a shunt regulator can be improved by at least 1 % by using
the TL431LI due to its improved specification, then it is possible to realize multiple system cost benefits.
For example, a 0.5% TL431BI with 0.5% resistors can be replaced by a 1% TL431LIAI with 1% resistors
and achieve a similar or improved system accuracy and BOM savings.

4 TL431LI Power Savings

In a typical optocoupler application such as Figure 2, there is a continuous power loss due to IKA and Ires.
In this example, Ires refers to the current through the gain resistors R1 & R2. In this application, the IKA is
commonly set as low as possible to save power but it is limited by the IKA(min) of TL431LI. This causes there
to be a continuous power loss of at least 1 mA due to the TL431LI biasing. The Ires causes additional
power loss that adds on to the IKA. Unlike the IKA, a the Ires can be lowered by increasing the value of R1
but increase an increase in R1 will error of the system. In Figure 4 and Figure 5 it is possible to see how
using the TL431LI allows you to use larger gain resistors while maintaining a low system error due to a
lower Iref compared to a TL431. To save even more power, it is recommended to use a ATL431LI or
ATL431 as the IKA(min) is lower than 80 μA.

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10000
Resistor R1

1000

Power Loss due to R1 (mW)

100

10

0.1

0.01
0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000
Resistor R1 (:) Powe

Figure 4. Continuous Power Loss from R1 and R2 in a 5V system

100
Percent Error from R1 on a 5V System (%)

50 TL431LI
TL431
20
10
5
2
1
0.5
0.2
0.1
0.05
0.02
0.01
0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000
Resistor R1 (:) erro

Figure 5. TL431LI R1 vs Accuracy

5 TL431LI Stability
In the Industry standard TL431, stability is one of the most common design challenges. Due to the low
system BOM cost nature of these devices, there are boundaries of instability that are dependent on the
CLoad on the VKA pin. One problem with stability is that the industry is not consistent on the areas of stability
due to each company having their own variation. Typical TL431 stability charts have a large boundary of
instability at low currents and low Vka as shown in Figure 6. The result of this is that very large CLOAD
values must be used to ensure stability and decoupling or a very small capacitor with reduced decoupling
effects. Also the area of instability varies from lot to lot and temperature so it is always important to add a
margin of error from the instability line to ensure that there is significant margin.

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100
A VKA = Vref
15
B V KA =5V A VKA = Vref
90
C VKA = 10 V B VKA = 5 V
80 D VKA = 15 Vf 12 C VKA = 10 V

IKA - Cathode Current - mA

B
I KA − Cathode Current − mA

70
TA = 25°C Stable Region
60 9
Stable C
Stable
50
A
40 6
A
30
D
20 3
B
10

0 0
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10
CL − Load Capacitance − µF CL - Load Capacitance - µF Copy
TL43
Figure 6. Stability Boundary Conditions of TL431
Figure 7. Stability Boundary Conditions for TL431LI

In the TL431LI, an approvment in stability is depicted in Figure 7. This improvement allows for designers
to be able to use a 2.2μF CLoad at voltage outputs while still maintaining stability. Due to this, the TL431LI
is more design friendly than industry standard TL431s that cannot tolerate a 2.2μF CLoad.

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Revision History
NOTE: Page numbers for previous revisions may differ from page numbers in the current version.

Changes from Original (August 2018) to A Revision ..................................................................................................... Page

• Changed document throughout ......................................................................................................... 2

8 Revision History SNOAA00A – August 2018 – Revised June 2019

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