# 12v to 5v DC high efficiency SMPS buck converter using 34063 IC.

#### THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
This project converts 12v DC to a regulated 5v DC at up to 1.8 amps, suitable for driving a tablet computer from a 12v car battery in a power blackout etc.

The circuit for this buck converter is nothing original, basically it is the circuit from the 34063 IC datasheet, and all I did was to use an external PFET instead of the external PNP transistor shown in the datasheet. The external PFET allows currents up to a few amps at good efficiency, however I have used hard current limiting at 1.8A for safety and good performance in this prototype.

Energy conversion efficiency is very high due mainly to the choice of external components used with the cheap 34063 SMPS IC.

PCB layout.
The prototype was tested in hardware, please excuse the messiness. The layout is far from ideal, I did it this way to allow easy swapping of parts and just to be lazy, to save the effort of making a PCB. However it still works pretty good, and a proper PCB would improve performance a little bit.

PFET choice.
I did not have a lot of PFETs in my parts box so I used a 100v 8A rated part. This was an SMD PFET so I just tacked it on the bottom of the PCB. It is efficient enough to not need a heatsink even at 5v 1.5A continuous output. The PFET I used was not ideal, it's "Rds on" value is about 0.3v at 1.5A (0.2 ohms) which is too high and costs efficiency. Going to a 50v >20A PFET with an RDS <0.1 ohms or <0.05 ohms would give a noticable increase in efficiency.

Schottky diode choice.
I used a TO-220 60v dual 10A schottky diode pack (total 20A). This is a no-brainer, although this is overkill these diodes are only $1-$2 and can also be pulled for free from any old PC PSU and most commercial SMPS supplies. Besides the safety of being very large and over-rated, the main benefit is these diodes have a very low forward voltage drop of <0.3v at 1.5A or 2A and this equates to reduced losses (more efficiency).

Inductor choice.
This is just a commercial "3 amp" 24mm total diameter inductor/choke available from hobby suppliers like Altronics Australia. I think it is a 220uH or 330uH value, but sorry I lost the paperwork. A few other powdered-iron toroid inductors were tried and it is not that critical. It has 51 turns of 1.0mm diameter wire if that helps. The inductor measured 0.32mV at exactly 1A DC, so DC resitance was measured at 32 milliohms.

Schematic and operation.
Sorry for the hand-drawn schematic! As you can see the circuit is minimum parts. It uses just two resitors to drive the PFET from the IC (same as the datasheet), this is not ideal but was done to test the concept and see if a PFET can be driven as easily as the PNP transistor normally is. PFET turnon is good at 0.07uS, but turnoff is not great taking 0.8uS. This costs about 1-2% efficiency. The 560 ohm resistor could be reduced to speed up the turnoff, but this would increase losses in that resistor so it is a tradeoff.

34063 SMPS IC.
The 34063 IC does all the clever stuff, mainly it regulates voltage at 1.25v on VFB pin5. Because of the 6k8:2k2 voltage divider on the output, this gives very close to 5v, I actually saw about 5.01v-4.99v Vout in testing, very nice.

Max current limit resistor.
The resistor between Vin and pin7 sets the max inductor current limiting, this was set by me to roughly 0.18 ohms to give 1.8A current limiting. (Imax = 0.32v / R = 0.32v/0.18 = 1.78A). The current limit is best at slightly above the max required current. This gives better safety and also helps stabilise oscillation.

Caps etc.
CT used the datasheet value of 1nF. That gave oscillator value of 26.2kHz measured on pin3 (with no load), however the whole circuit usually operated at 29-33kHz because of the way the regulation works in the IC. The filter caps; 680uF on the input and 1000uF on the output were chosen to be "good enough". Output ripple was approx 25-30mV which is fine.

Measured efficiency!
Rich (BB code):
Vin    Iin	  Pin        Vout  Iout   Pout      Eff %
12.5v  670mA  8.375W     4.99  1.53A  7.63W     91.1%
12.5v  430mA  5.375W     5.00  1.00A  5.00W     93.0%
12.5v  210mA  2.625W     5.00  0.50A  2.50W     95.2%
Note! Readings were taken from meters with only 2 decimal point resolution and were not lab grade accuracy, so there may be a couple of percent error in readings.

Calculating efficiency (at 1.5A output).
The static power losses were seen on the 'scope and can be calculated;

PFET Rds on period loss = 0.3v / 12.5v = 2.4% loss

DIODE Vf off period loss = 0.28v * 1.53A * 0.56 offduty = 240mW = 2.8% loss

Inductor resistance loss = 1.53A squared * 0.032 ohms = 75mW = 0.9% loss

560 ohm resistor loss = 10.5v squared / 560 * 44% onduty = 87mW = 1.0% loss

Total static losses at 1.53A output = 7.1%
Calculated other (switching) losses = 100% - 91.1% - 7.1% = 1.8%

Scope current L1 inductor (on period) at 5v 1.5 amps.
Above is the on period current through the PFET and L1 inductor. As it is a PFET this is inverted so the pointy bit at the bottom is the max current, the top is zero current. At 1.5A and 32kHz the SMPS is very stable, as switching period is reduced becuase the peaks just hit the 0.32v max current limit set by my choice of 0.18 ohm resistor. (However voltage regulation is still the main regulation).

Duty cycle is about 44%, and current ripple in the inductor is nice and low with inductor current averaging 1.5A (ripple of 0.56A, between 1.22A and 1.78A). The noise spikes I suspect are from from my messy PCB with power and load wires everywhere and 'scope leads laying around next to the PCB and wiring.

...

#### THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438

Scope current L1 inductor at 5v 1.0 amps.
Same thing but at 1A. Frequency dropped a bit, closer to the 34063 oscillator freq of 26.2kHz, but still (just) triggering on the max current peaks. Current ripple now larger from approx 0.5A to 1.6A (average output 1A). Timing is still 20uS/hdiv but says 40uS on the screen as I had zoomed my h-axis (sorry).

Scope current L1 inductor at 5v 0.5 amps.
Here the L1 current has gone "discontinuous" meaning the L1 current is reduced to zero during the end of the off period, and has to start from 0 amps again during every on period. Typical of the regulation system used in a 34063 IC, the timing will "stutter" as needed to maintain Vout regulation at a steady 5.0v. This does not matter and the 34063 can be quite energy efficiency when "stuttering" in discontinuous mode like this. At less than 0.5 amps the stuttering can become very erratic looking, but this is all normal.

PFET drain/source voltage (main switching waveform).
(The PFET on period is the top of the waveform). Above you can see the PFET turnon (through a 10 ohm resistor) is nice and fast, It was about 0.07uS turnon time. However the turnoff is poor, because the turnoff is from a 560 ohm resistor and is slow at 0.8uS. This costs significant efficiency.

Using an external digital driver (like a 12v CMOS digital buffer/inverter chip?) to drive the PFET would improve turnoff time a lot and increase efficiency, but this was a test of using the simple datasheet example circuit with an external PFET (instead of the suggested external PNP) and as proof of concept it still works well enough.

5v DC output showing voltage ripple.
Because it is a switching regulator there will always be some ripple on the DC output voltage. This is shown when running at 5v 1.5A and the ripple is typical and acceptable enough at 30-35mV.

Improving efficiency.
This circuit was thrown together very quickly to show how to use a cheap common 34063 IC to get a high efficiency supply from 12v->5v DC at 0-1.5A or so. If you want to invest some effort it can be improved further;

1. My PFET is not a good choice, using a better PFET will give an easy 1% more efficiency, and would be the first choice.

2. The inductor is just an ordinary "off the shelf" type. A properly selected inductor or a good core hand wound for best performance could allow lower operating frequency and less current ripple, and maybe less DC ohms, and maybe pick up another 0.5% efficiency or so. (For lower operating freq CT should also be increased to 1.2nF or 1.5nF etc).

3. The PFET turnoff is too slow. Adding a cheap digital buffer IC could pick up 0.8-1.2% efficiency there from reduced switching losses and reduced loss from the 560 ohm resistor.

4. My PCB has very thin long tracks. Using a well designed PCB with thick short tracks for the main current paths might save 30 milliohms and give maybe 0.5% or more efficiency.

Bill of materials.
* 34063 SMPS 8pin IC (Fairchild/ON Semi/AIS etc, ie MC34063A or NCV34063A).
* 8pin IC socket (optional).
* PFET, rated more than double the input voltage and a few times the desired output current, preferably well under 0.1 ohm Rds on.
* Inductor L1 is a powdered iron toroid of 20-30 mm diameter, with thick wire >1.0mm preferred, 3A rated for a 1.5A capable supply. Value in the 150-470uH range, you may need to try a couple of different types. Ideally current ripple will be <50% at full output current.
* Schottky TO-220 dual 10A or dual 16A diode pack. Choose for low forward voltage, most brands are very good, parts can be found in any old PC PSU.
* 470-1000uF 35v electro cap.
* 1000uF 16-25v electro cap (25v will be larger and generally have a longer life).
* CT 1nF 25-50v ceramic or greencap.
* some 1/4W resistors; 560 ohm, 10 ohm, 6k8, 2k2.
* If you need a test load then a large 10W 4.7 ohm resistor will do.

Modifying the circuit for 12v car operation.
This circuit was designed for a car battery, generally 13.8v to 12.0v when running. If used in a car the circuit needs more protection as the Vin might be >15v at times. I would use a 100 ohm resistor instead of the 10 ohm resistor. Also a 13v zener diode across the 560 ohm resistor will add safety for the PFET. A 12v line filter might also be advised, they can be bought from auto stores.

Modifying the circuit for 24v operation.
Use 560 ohms instead of 10 ohms, so it now has two 560 ohm resistors. And again a 13v zener from PFET gate to source pin. With a 24v Vin you should use a higher inductor value and larger inductor core, 470uH and up are recommended.

Modifying the circuit for high output currents.
The circuit is meant for 5v out, 0-1.8A. It will do ok up to 2.5A just by changing the current limit resistor (at 2.5A the resitor should be 0.12 ohms or so).
Currents up to 5 amps or more should be ok, but use a larger inductor core size rated for more than the max amps you need, and again a larger inductor value helps >470uH is good. The diode pack will be fine, but the PFET should be rated for a few times more current than your max current. If needing 5A output I would use a 40-50v 60A TO-220 PFET which are a common size.

Changing output voltage.
Just change the 6k8 resistor, to change the output voltage to something other than 5.0v. Like most SMPS circuits it works best with roughly 2:1 Vin:Vout ratio, if using different ratios then again increasing the inductor value >470uH will help.

(end.)

#### SPQR

Joined Nov 4, 2011
379
This is fantastic, thank you for posting it.
There is a ton of stuff for me to pour over.

What would be the difference between your circuit and a regulator combination like a 7805 and an emitter follower?
Would it be efficiency?

#### Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
22,842
Yes, much more efficient, therefor much less heat. It is why SMPS (switching mode power supplies) are so popular. The downside is they are a bit noisier than linear regulators.

#### thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Great performance for the price. Thanks!

#### SPQR

Joined Nov 4, 2011
379
Ok...gotcha...this deserves more study on my part.
Thanks!

So the 12V DC is converted to "AC" by pulsing the PFET, the voltage is dropped by the divider in front of the PFT, and the coil, cap and diodes act like a typical power supply filter.
That's very slick...

PS - I just bought some of that strip PC board based on your picture. Do you use that in place of breadboards?

#### MMcLaren

Joined Feb 14, 2010
856
Great data. Thanks Roman.

Have you looked at any of the newer SMPS chips with integrated switch? There must be hundreds of them. I had good results a few years ago with samples of the 200-kHz MIC4575 (1A) and MIC4576 (3A) chips from Micrel. Here are example circuits from the datasheet;

There were also a couple SMPS regulators with built-in inductor, like the LMZ14203. They were incredibly expensive but sometimes you could get samples.

Now days, you can hardly go wrong with some of the Chinese bargains on ebay. For example, here's a 2 amp LM2596 SMPS buck regulator for $1.47, including shipping. Last edited: Thread Starter #### THE_RB Joined Feb 11, 2008 5,438 Ok...gotcha...this deserves more study on my part. Thanks! ... Have a google or Wiki for "Buck regulator", the operation should be explained very well with diagrams etc. ... PS - I just bought some of that strip PC board based on your picture. Do you use that in place of breadboards? Often. I find I can assemble something finished on stripboard about as fast as plugging stuff into breadboard. And of course a breadboard is not capable of 2 amps and is not good for high frequency circuits. Stripboard allows you to work neatly ona finished project or can just throw stuff in messy for speed (like this project). MMcLaren said: ... Have you looked at any of the newer SMPS chips with integrated switch? There must be hundreds of them. I had good results a few years ago with samples of the 200-kHz MIC4575 (1A) and MIC4576 (3A) chips from Micrel. ... Yes, I've seen a lot of the new chips and have some conversion modules too. This project was for a friend who had some 34063 ICs in stock, and as a thought experiment to see if a PFET could just be slotted straight in instead of the external PNP in the datasheet, and if >90% efficiency could be easily obtained from this cheap old IC. The 34063 is not the worlds greatest SMPS IC but it is old enough to be seen on the surplus market now very cheap, and is making its way into hobby circles. At <=1A it does not need the external drivers and makes a very simple circuit. Also the 34063 can be used for buck/boost/buckboost/inverting etc so it's a good IC to keep in stock to quickly make different types of SMPS supplies. It might help to think of it a bit like a "555 timer" that makes easy SMPS circuits. Here is an example of a simple step down buck converter for 500mA or so, as you can see there are very few parts needed; #### SPQR Joined Nov 4, 2011 379 Beautiful! Thank you. I googled and found that a "buck regulator" and a "buck converter" are the same, and WIKI has a nice page on it. Time to study... #### bountyhunter Joined Sep 7, 2009 2,512 Yes, much more efficient, therefor much less heat. It is why SMPS (switching mode power supplies) are so popular. The downside is they are a bit noisier than linear regulators. I remember buying the 12V-5V "cigarette lighter" plug in units for running a CD player in the car, and the cheap ones (under$10) were the linears that were heavier and ran hot. The switchers were about $15 and were very light and cool in operation. #### bountyhunter Joined Sep 7, 2009 2,512 Now days, you can hardly go wrong with some of the Chinese bargains on ebay. For example, here's a 2 amp LM2596 SMPS buck regulator for$1.47, including shipping.

When I worked at National Semi. the 2596 alone sold for more than that.

#### takao21203

Joined Apr 28, 2012
3,702
but when you feed it with 60V, it explodes. Or at best, it switches off.

My 500 Watts toroid gives nearly 60V without load, and still 49.5V with nearly 1A load. 36V AC rating.

I have ordered some lm2576HV.

#### RRITESH KAKKAR

Joined Jun 29, 2010
2,829
Can't we do this with 7805

#### takao21203

Joined Apr 28, 2012
3,702
500 Watts at 12V = 41 Ampere.

If 72 volts: 7 Amps only.

High voltage is not just used only for the fun to deal with higher voltages.

If you have a large transformer, a 7805 is highly impractical.

For what it is worth, the 78l05 still makes a good and cheap voltage reference, but the 7805 does not have much use nowadays.

Sure, buy a heatsink + screws + assemble it each time.

#### SPQR

Joined Nov 4, 2011
379
For what it is worth, the 78l05 still makes a good and cheap voltage reference, but the 7805 does not have much use nowadays.

What do you typically use in place of the 7805?

#### takao21203

Joined Apr 28, 2012
3,702
What do you typically use in place of the 7805?
I use the LM2576, easy to work with, and I can get them for about 25 cents each. Sometimes I even used them with small RF inductors, small caps, and 2x 1n4148.

Or I use the MC34063, which takes less space, and the diode + coil can be mounted on top of the IC.

If you do not have to max out these ICs, they are very easy to work with.

Believe it or not, I have never calculated anything.

#### SPQR

Joined Nov 4, 2011
379
I use the LM2576, easy to work with, and I can get them for about 25 cents each. Sometimes I even used them with small RF inductors, small caps, and 2x 1n4148.
Or I use the MC34063, which takes less space, and the diode + coil can be mounted on top of the IC.
If you do not have to max out these ICs, they are very easy to work with.
Believe it or not, I have never calculated anything.
Excellent! Excellent!
I'll order some today!!

#### bountyhunter

Joined Sep 7, 2009
2,512
What do you typically use in place of the 7805?
The 78XX and the clone with a different part number LM340, was probably the highest volume selling part in the industry a few years back. They sell by the hundreds of millions. At Nat Semi, they called them "the dogs" because they were so old and made by so many companies that the price had bottomed out to about 8 cents in big volume. But they sell by the truckload. Simple, cheap, and it works.

#### bountyhunter

Joined Sep 7, 2009
2,512
I use the LM2576, easy to work with, and I can get them for about 25 cents each.
That surprises me considering the fact the manufactured cost was higher than that. Must be shipping money with the part.

#### takao21203

Joined Apr 28, 2012
3,702
That surprises me considering the fact the manufactured cost was higher than that. Must be shipping money with the part.
Clones with thinner bonding wire, smaller chips.

Most people never fully max them out so they never really notice.

And this is bulk price not for single IC.

Believe it or not, I have seen IRF MOSFETs with very brittle wires. you would bend them 60 degree, and they'd break off. Something original parts won't do.

The world is full of cloned semiconductors!