Problems with NCP3065 (Led Driver IC)

Jun 08, 2014 7 Replies

Hi all



I was planning on using NCP3065 to drive some leds

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and a design tool

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I have 2 LEDs on it, hence 0,35mA / 6,6-7V



I have pretty much the same as their buck circuit Cin - 470uF Rs - 2x0.33 ohm in parallel = 0.165 ohm CT - 2.2nF Rsense 0.68 ohm L - 470 uH D - 1N4001 Cout - 22uF (the default value in the design tool is 220uF)



I have now created 2 independent circuits with this NCP3065. One is fried. My first circuit was on a test board. The other (present) is on a PCB made for this using design software.



My main problem is that the 3065 heats up and the LEDs starts flashing. My total current is just under mt Led current. My LED current is 320-360mA, my battery current it 310-360mA. Sometimes it simply starts off with a LED current of 30, 70 or 960mA. These 3 cases are somewhat stable, meaning the numbers are the same. It is sure that it does not switch as lot, it rather just burns off the heat until the temperature control shuts it off.


In the design tool I set Rsense to 0,68ohm / 0,35A, default there is 293mOhm / 0,8A My Rs is a bit higher, but that should not be that much a problem. And using 0,33ohm does not change anything.



Cout is 22uF in the datasheet, the desing tool says 220uF. I tried 100 and 470 but the result remains - except that when using 470uF it gives off a high tone. The coil(s) - is from Elfa, and can handle the current. I have a few but they all act the same. The diode is a 1N4001, not a swicth diode, I wonder if that can be it?



Still it does not explain why it sometimes find a stable current at 30, 70 or 960mA? And I bought 4 of this 3065's and 2 setups act the same? I am out of ideas -



The odd thing is that the K8071 kit from velleman seems to a better option - it actually works...



type=tools&rpn=NCP3065

What is your Vin on the NCP3065?

joe

Yes, you need to use a Schottky diode. The diode you are using now will not recover fast enough and some of the HV is going back into the chip.

You can also use UF (Ultra fast) type power diodes.

Jamie

Jamie

Sir, How are your LEDs connected -- parallel, series ? If as you say, you have just 2 LEDs, why bother with a driver, and design a simple LED power supply yourself. For bright, shiny light, please connect the LEDs in parallel, with a simple LDO voltage regulator and some dropping resistors. Hope that helps.

In series, but I get your point - a small switch mode providing app 3.3V

As of now I found a BAS28 in our stock and used that for testing. And I got access to a scope. Roughly, what I would have expected to see what a cycle time of app 50% given that my LEDs require 6.6V and I supply app 13.2 from the power supply here.

However, the duty cycle on the driver's emitter is 70-80%, and the current of power is the same as for the LEDs - 360mA. On pin 3 I have a sawtooth at 246KHz, which is correct.

But even more funny, sometimes it decides to become stable at 80mA (LED 120mA). By turning up power I can turn up the current and when it reaches ~200 I can turn voltage down and it will remain at 360mA (both LED and power)

It does switch, but not that well as it should.

Don't expect to see PWM at the collect or emitter pins. The Ipk input is going to limit the current in the L so the ramp up time is a factor along with the load demand which governs your response to demand changes.

I would imagined that you would need to be sure you don't exceed the chips current handling. Then you have the Rsense for the load current, which I am sure you know how to set that.

Basically, you will see some strange looking ramp wave forms on the L while it is getting the output voltage up to give you the current demand you need while also working with the (Ipk) limit for the chip.

Over sized caps on the output may cause the chip to oscillate a bit on the output (wobble) while it stabilizes.

Jamie

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