MIC5338-MGYMT-TR

MIC5338-MGYMT-TR application field and working principle

The MIC5338-MGYMT-TR is a 3A ultra-low noise, ultralow-dropout linear regulator from Micrel Semiconductor. It is usually used as a main regulator for low-noise and ultra-low-power applications. It can also be used as a secondary voltage regulator in system-level power applications. It works by controlling the voltage drop between its input and output terminals. It is able to provide clean and accurate output with low noise and ultra-low-dropout voltages.

Applications

• Low-power systems
• Precision circuit applications
• High-precision voltage references
• High precision temperature-sensitive circuits
• voltage regulators for DC-DC converters
• Linear voltage regulators in critical broadcast audio systems

Features:

• High PSRR of -60 dB (@ 10 kHz)
• Ultra-low-noise operation (3 microV longitudinal RMS noise @ 10 mV input-to-output voltage drop)
• Ultra-low dropout voltage (typical 250 mV @ 3A)
• Wide input voltage range (up to 30V)
• High peak-current capability (up to 6A)
• Thermal shutdown protection
• Short-circuit protection
• Extended temperature range

Working principle

The MIC5338-MGYMT-TR is a linear regulator that works by controlling the voltage drop between its input and output terminals. It ensures that the output voltage remains accurately regulated, even as the input voltage changes or the load current varies.

The MIC5338-MGYMT-TR comprises an internal PNP transistor, which acts as a pass element. When power is applied, the internal PNP transistor is turned on, allowing current to flow from the input side to the output side. The internal voltage reference within the IC is then compared with a voltage divider present at the output side. If the voltage at the output side is higher than the reference voltage, the transistor is turned off to reduce the flow of current, which causes the voltage drop on the output side to decrease. Conversely, if the voltage is lower, the transistor is turned on to increase the current flow, thus raising the output voltage.

The operation of the regulator is dependent on the voltage drop across its terminals. This drop is referred to as the Drop-Out Voltage or the Drop Out Voltage(DOV). In order for the regulator to work efficiently, the input voltage must be higher than the output voltage by atleast the DOV. The MIC5338-MGYMT-TR typically has an ultra-low DOV of 250 mV @ 3A, enabling it to maintain a high level of accuracy and efficiency even at very low input voltages.

In addition to its inherent stability, the MIC5338-MGYMT-TR also has a number of built-in protection circuits. These include thermal protection, which stops current flow when the internal temperature becomes too high, and short-circuit protection, which shuts off the PNP transistor if the output voltage falls too low.

The MIC5338-MGYMT-TR is an ideal solution for power management applications requiring low noise and ultra-low-dropout voltages. It is widely used in low-power and precision circuits, high-precision voltage references, high precision temperature-sensitive circuits, voltage regulators for DC-DC converters and as linear voltage regulators in critical broadcast audio systems.