CA3903

36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter

Features
• Wide 4.5V to 36V Operating Input Range • 120/80mΩ Low RDS(ON) Internal MOSFETs
• 3.0A Continuous Output Current • Output Adjustable from 0.925V
• 500KHz Switching Frequency • Low EMI Signature
• Short Protection with Hiccup-Mode • 100% Duty cycle
• Built-in Over Current Limit • Integrated internal compensation
• Programmable Output Over-Voltage Protection • Thermal Shutdown
• DCM Mode for High Efficiency in Light Load • Available in ESOP8 Package
• Integrated internal Soft-Start • Constant on time Mode

Applications
• Automotive Entertainment • Computer Entertainment
• Wireless and DSL Modems • Power Supply for Car Chargers

General Description
The CA3903 is a low EMI signature, asynchronous, step-down, switch-mode converter with internal power MOSFETs.
It offers a very compact solution to provide a 3A continuous current over a wide input supply range, with excellent load
and line regulation. CA3903 achieves low EMI signature with well controlled switching edges. Fault condition
protection includes programmable-output over-voltage protection, Constant on time Mode, and thermal shutdown.
CA3903 requires a minimal number of readily available standard external components. It is available in ESOP8
package.

Typical Application Circuit

C1

R3
Opt.

VIN BS L1 VOUT
IN SW
CIN CFF
R1 COUT
ON/ Opt.
EN
OFF

FB
GND/EP R2

Basic Application Circuit

Page 1 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter

Pin Description

8 7 6 5

3903A1
YY WW LL

1 2 3 4

Top Marking: 3903XX (device code: , YY=year code, WW=week code, LL= lot number code)

Pin Description
Pin Name Function
Bootstrap. A capacitor connected between SW and BS pins is required to form a
1 BST
floating supply across the high-side switch driver.
2 VIN Power Supply Pin
3 SW Switching Pin
4 GND Ground Pin
Adjustable Version Feedback input. Connect FB to the center point of the external
5 FB
resistor divider
6 NC Non function Pin
Drive this pin to a logic-high to enable the IC. Drive to a logic-low to disable the IC
7 EN
and enter micro-power shutdown mode.
8 NC Non function Pin
9 EPAD Ground Pin

Order Information(1)
Model Description Package T/R Qty
CA3903 CA3903 Buck, 4.5-36V, 3A, 500KHz, VFB 0.925V, DCM, ESOP8 ESOP8 3000PCS

Note (1): All CHIPNET parts are Pb-Free and adhere to the RoHS directive.

Page 2 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter

Specifications

Absolute Maximum Ratings (1) (2)

Item Min Max Unit
VIN voltage -0.3 50 V
EN voltage -0.3 6.5V V
SW voltage -0.3 VIN+0.5V V
FB voltage –0.3 VIN+0.5V V
(3)
Power dissipation Internally Limited
Operating junction temperature, TJ -40 150 °C
Storage temperature, Tstg –65 150 °C
Lead Temperature (Soldering, 10sec.) 260 °C
Note (1): Exceeding these ratings may damage the device.
Note (2): The device is not guaranteed to function outside of its operating conditions.
Note (3): The maximum allowable power dissipation is a function of the maximum junction temperature, TJ(MAX),
the junction-to-ambient thermal resistance, RθJA, and the ambient temperature, TA. The maximum allowable power
dissipation at any ambient temperature is calculated using: PD (MAX) = (TJ(MAX) − TA)/RθJA. Exceeding the maximum
allowable power dissipation causes excessive die temperature, and the regulator goes into thermal shutdown.
Internal thermal shutdown circuitry protects the device from permanent damage. Thermal shutdown engages at
TJ=160°C (typical) and disengages at TJ= 130°C (typical).

ESD Ratings
Item Description Value Unit
Human Body Model (HBM)
V(ESD-HBM) ANSI/ESDA/JEDEC JS-001-2014 ±2000 V
Classification, Class: 2
Charged Device Mode (CDM)
V(ESD-CDM) ANSI/ESDA/JEDEC JS-002-2014 ±200 V
Classification, Class: C0b
JEDEC STANDARD NO.78E APRIL 2016
ILATCH-UP Temperature Classification, ±150 mA
Class: I

Recommended Operating Conditions

Item Min Max Unit
(1)
Operating junction temperature –40 125 °C
Operating temperature range -40 85 °C
Input voltage VIN 4.5 36 V
Output current 0 3.0 A
Note (1): All limits specified at room temperature (TA = 25°C) unless otherwise specified. All room temperature
limits are 100% production tested. All limits at temperature extremes are ensured through correlation using standard
Statistical Quality Control (SQC) methods. All limits are used to calculate Average Outgoing Quality Level (AOQL).

Page 3 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter
Thermal Information
Item Description Value Unit
(1)(2)
RθJA Junction-to-ambient thermal resistance 48.7 °C/W
RθJC(top) Junction-to-case (top) thermal resistance 52.4 °C/W
RθJB Junction-to-board thermal resistance 25.5 °C/W
ψJT Junction-to-top characterization parameter 8.4 °C/W
ψJB Junction-to-board characterization parameter 25.2 °C/W
Note (1): The package thermal impedance is calculated in accordance to JESD 51-7.
Note (2): Thermal Resistances were simulated on a 4-layer, JEDEC board

Electrical Characteristics (1) (2)

VIN=24V, TA=25°C, unless otherwise specified.
Parameter Test Conditions Min Typ. Max Unit
Input Voltage Range 4.0 36 V
Supply Current (Quiescent) VEN =3.0V 230 300 uA
Supply Current (Shutdown) VEN =0 or EN = GND 1 uA
Feedback Voltage 0.910 0.925 0.940 V
High-Side Switch On-Resistance ISW=100mA 120 140 mΩ
Low-Side Switch On-Resistance 80 100 mΩ
Upper Switch Current Limit 4.5 A
Over Voltage Protection Threshold 36 V
Switching Frequency 400 500 650 KHz
Maximum Duty Cycle VFB=90% 100 %
Minimum On-Time 90 nS
EN Rising Threshold 1.2 V
EN Falling Threshold 0.3 V
Wake up VIN Voltage 3.9 4.0 V
Under-Voltage Lockout Threshold Shutdown VIN Voltage 3.7 3.9 V
Hysteresis VIN voltage 400 mV
Soft Start CFF =27pF 1.0 1.5 2.0 mS
Thermal Shutdown 160 ℃
Thermal Hysteresis 30 ℃
Note (1): MOSFET on-resistance specifications are guaranteed by correlation to wafer level measurements.
Note (2): Thermal shutdown specifications are guaranteed by correlation to the design and characteristics analysis.

Page 4 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter

Functional Block Diagram

Block Diagram

Functions Description

Internal Regulator
The CA3903 is a constant on time mode step down DC/DC converter that provides excellent transient response with
no extra external compensation components. This device contains an internal, low resistance, high voltage power
MOSFET, and operates at a high 500KHz operating frequency to ensure a compact, high efficiency design with
excellent AC and DC performance.

Error Amplifier
The error amplifier compares the FB pin voltage with the internal FB reference (VFB) and outputs a current
proportional to the difference between the two. This output current is then used to charge or discharge the internal
compensation network, which is used to control the power MOSFET current. The optimized internal compensation
network minimizes the external component counts and simplifies the control loop design.

Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO)

Under-voltage lockout (UVLO) protects the chip from operating at an insufficient supply voltage. UVLO protection
monitors the internal regulator voltage. When the voltage is lower than UVLO threshold voltage, the device is shut
off. When the voltage is higher than UVLO threshold voltage, the device is enabled again.

Thermal Shutdown
Thermal shutdown prevents the chip from operating at exceedingly high temperatures. When the silicon die
temperature exceeds 160°C, it shuts down the whole chip. When the temperature falls below its lower threshold
(Typ. 130°C) the chip is enabled again.

Page 5 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter
SS (Power Start)
The soft-start is implemented to prevent the converter output voltage from overshooting during startup. When the
chip starts, the internal circuitry generates a soft-start voltage (SS) ramping up from 0V to 0.925V. When it is lower
than the internal reference (REF), SS overrides REF so the error amplifier uses SS as the reference. When SS is
higher than REF, REF regains control. The SS time is internally fixed to 1.5ms.

Over Current Protection and Hiccup

The CA3903 has cycle-by-cycle over current limit when the inductor current peak value exceeds the set current
limit threshold. Meanwhile, output voltage starts to drop until FB is below the Under-Voltage (UV) threshold. Once
a UV is triggered, the CA3903 enters hiccup mode to periodically restart the part. This protection mode is especially
useful when the output is dead-short to ground. The average short circuit current is greatly reduced to alleviate the
thermal issue and to protect the regulator. The CA3903 exits the hiccup mode once the over current condition is
removed.

Startup and Shutdown

If both VIN and EN are higher than their appropriate thresholds, the chip starts. The reference block starts first,
generating stable reference voltage and currents, and then the internal regulator is enabled. The regulator provides
stable supply for the remaining circuitries. Three events can shut down the chip: EN low, VIN low and thermal
shutdown. In the shutdown procedure, the signaling path is first blocked to avoid any fault triggering. The comp
voltage and the internal supply rail are then pulled down. The floating driver is not subject to this shutdown
command.

Page 6 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter

Applications Information

Setting the Output Voltage

CA3903 external resistor divider is used to set the output voltage (see Typical Application on page 1). The feedback
resistor R1 also sets the feedback loop bandwidth with the internal compensation capacitor. Choose R1 to be around
10kΩ-150kΩ for optimal transient response. R2 is then given by:

𝑅1 + 𝑅2
𝑉"#$ = 𝑉&' ×
𝑅2

VOUT R1 R2 R3 L1 C1 CIN(µF) COUT(µF) CFF Opt.

1.1V 51KΩ 136KΩ 0Ω 1.5µH 22-100nF 10+0.1 10+22+0.1 CFF Chapter
1.5V 51KΩ 58.3KΩ 0Ω 2.2µH 22-100nF 10+0.1 10+22+0.1 CFF Chapter
3.3V 51KΩ 16.3 KΩ 0Ω 4.7µH 22-100nF 10+0.1 10+22+0.1 CFF Chapter
5.0V 51KΩ 9.7KΩ 0Ω 6.8-15µH 22-100nF 10+0.1 10+22+0.1 CFF Chapter
All the external components are the suggested values, the final values are based on the application testing results.

Selecting the Inductor

The recommended inductor values are shown in the Application Diagram. It is important to guarantee the inductor
core does not saturate during any foreseeable operational situation. The inductor should be rated to handle the
maximum inductor peak current: Care should be taken when reviewing the different saturation current ratings that
are specified by different manufacturers. Saturation current ratings are typically specified at 25°C, so ratings at
maximum ambient temperature of the application should be requested from the manufacturer. The inductor value
can be calculated with:

𝑉"#$ × 𝑉./ − 𝑉"#$

𝐿=
𝑉./ ×∆𝐼3 ×𝐹"56

Where ΔIL is the inductor ripple current. Choose inductor ripple current to be approximately 30% to 40% of the
maximum load current. The maximum inductor peak current can be estimated as:

∆𝐼3
𝐼3(89:) = 𝐼3"9< +
2

Under light load conditions below 100mA, larger inductance is recommended for improved efficiency. Larger
inductances lead to smaller ripple currents and voltages, but they also have larger physical dimensions, lower
saturation currents and higher linear impedance. Therefore, the choice of inductance should be compromised
according to the specific application.

Selecting the Input Capacitor

The input current to the step-down converter is discontinuous and therefore requires a capacitor to supply AC current
to the step-down converter while maintaining the DC input voltage. For a better performance, use ceramic capacitors
placed as close to VIN as possible and a 0.1µF input capacitor to filter out high frequency interference is

Page 7 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter
recommended. Capacitors with X5R and X7R ceramic dielectrics are recommended because they are stable with
temperature fluctuations.
The capacitors must also have a ripple current rating greater than the maximum input ripple current of the converter.
The input ripple current can be estimated with Equation:

𝑉"#$ 𝑉"#$
𝐼6./ = 𝐼"#$ × × 1−
𝑉./ 𝑉./

From the above equation, it can be concluded that the input ripple current reaches its maximum at VIN=2VOUT where
.
I6./ = >?@ . For simplification, choose an input capacitor with an RMS current rating greater than half of the
A
maximum load current.
The input capacitance value determines the input voltage ripple of the converter. If there is an input voltage ripple
requirement in the system, choose the input capacitor that meets the specification. The input voltage ripple can be
estimate with Equation:

𝐼"#$ 𝑉"#$ 𝑉"#$

∆𝑉./ = × × 1−
𝐹"56 ×𝐶./ 𝑉./ 𝑉./

C .>?@
Similarly, when VIN=2VOUT, input voltage ripple reaches its maximum of ∆𝑉./ = × .
D &>EF ×6GH

Selecting the Output Capacitor

An output capacitor is required to maintain the DC output voltage. The output voltage ripple can be estimated with
Equation:

𝑉"#$ 𝑉"#$ 1
∆𝑉"#$ = × 1− × 𝑅I5J +
𝐹"56 ×𝐿 𝑉./ 8×𝐹"56 ×𝐶"#$

There are some differences between different types of capacitors. In the case of ceramic capacitors, the impedance
at the switching frequency is dominated by the capacitance. The output voltage ripple is mainly caused by the
capacitance. For simplification, the output voltage ripple can be estimated with Equation:

𝑉"#$ 𝑉"#$
∆𝑉"#$ = A × 1−
8×𝐹"56 ×𝐿×𝐶"#$ 𝑉./

A larger output capacitor can achieve a better load transient response, but the maximum output capacitor limitation
should also be considered in the design application. If the output capacitor value is too high, the output voltage will
not be able to reach the design value during the soft-start time and will fail to regulate. The maximum output
capacitor value (COUT_MAX) can be limited approximately with Equation:

𝐶"#$_89: = 𝐼3.8_9MN − 𝐼"#$ ×𝑇55 /𝑉"#$

Where LLIM_AVG is the average start-up current during the soft-start period, and TSS is the soft- start time.
On the other hand, special attention should be paid when selecting these components. The DC bias of these
capacitors can result in a capacitance value that falls below the minimum value given in the recommended capacitor
specifications table.

Page 8 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter
The ceramic capacitor’s actual capacitance can vary with temperature. The capacitor type X7R, which operates over
a temperature range of −55°C to +125°C, will only vary the capacitance to within ±15%. The capacitor type X5R
has a similar tolerance over a reduced temperature range of −55°C to +85°C. Many large value ceramic capacitors,
larger than 1uF are manufactured with Z5U or Y5V temperature characteristics. Their capacitance can drop by more
than 50% as the temperature varies from 25°C to 85°C. Therefore, X5R or X7R is recommended over Z5U and
Y5V in applications where the ambient temperature will change significantly above or below 25°C.

Feed-Forward Capacitor (CFF)

CA3903 has internal loop compensation, so adding CFF is optional. Specifically, for specific applications, if
necessary, consider whether to add feed-forward capacitors according to the situation.
The use of a feed-forward capacitor (CFF) in the feedback network is to improve the transient response or higher
phase margin. For optimizing the feed-forward capacitor, knowing the cross frequency is the first thing. The cross
frequency (or the converter bandwidth) can be determined by using a network analyzer. When getting the cross
frequency with no feed-forward capacitor identified, the value of feed-forward capacitor (CFF) can be calculated
with the following Equation:

1 1 1 1
𝐶&& = × × +
2𝜋×𝐹6J"55 𝑅1 𝑅1 𝑅2

Where FCROSS is the cross frequency.

To reduce transient ripple, the feed-forward capacitor value can be increased to push the cross frequency to higher
region. Although this can improve transient response, it also decreases phase margin and cause more ringing. In the
other hand, if more phase margin is desired, the feed-forward capacitor value can be decreased to push the cross
frequency to lower region.

PC Board Layout Consideration

PCB layout is very important to achieve stable operation. It is highly recommended to duplicate EVB layout for
optimum performance. If change is necessary, please follow these guidelines for reference.
1. Keep the path of switching current short and minimize the loop area formed by Input capacitor, high-side
MOSFET and low-side MOSFET.
2. Bypass ceramic capacitors are suggested to be put close to the VIN Pin.
3. Ensure all feedback connections are short and direct. Place the feedback resistors and compensation
components as close to the chip as possible.
4. VOUT, SW away from sensitive analog areas such as FB.
5. Connect VIN, SW, and especially GND respectively to a large copper area to cool the chip to improve thermal
performance and long-term reliability.

Page 9 / 10
 CA3903
36V/3A 500KHz Synchronous Step-Down Converter

Package Description

ESOP8

Notes: All dimensions are in millimeters.

All dimensions don't include mold flash & metal burr.

Page 10 / 10