Can the TrimMargin component be used in a live circuit?

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Anonymous
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I am trying to use TrimMargin component to change the voltage of a power regulator.  The code example disables the rails when it is disabled, which turns off the regulator.  I want to use Trim Margin in a live system, and be able to turn on/off the TrimMargin device without impacting the voltage rails.  But I can't find a way to turn it on or off without disrupting the regulator feedback, as the ramp of the PWM signals takes a long time and wrecks my regulator feedback voltage during that time.

I also have a problem getting some voltage ranges to settle.  Some voltage ranges work, but some continually jump around with a step function of 100mV, even though the calculator within the tool indicates the 10mV ripple will be achievable.

Disappointed that there is only one example I can find anywhere. 

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1 Reply
RodolfoGL
Employee
Employee
250 solutions authored 250 sign-ins 5 comments on KBA

Hi David,

Because you have a circuit in place to trim your power regulator, you should not disable the Trim/Margin component (or kill the PWM signal) if the rail is ON, otherwise we will see a change in the power regulator voltage output.

That means it is recommended to only disable the Trim/Margin component when the power regulator is off. Even in this scenario, you might want to enable the PWM signal for a short time before enabling the power regulator, only with the purpose to charge the RC circuit, so you will not see any spike when you power the regulator. Because the RC circuit is in there, you might observe a current leakage going through the capacitor, which might cause an overshoot when you enable the power regulator. By charging the circuit before enabling the power regulator, you avoid this overshoot (if the regulator you are using has negative feedback).

For the 100 mV ripple, can you share the parameters inputted in the component and the part number of the power regulator?

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