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The Engineer’s Guide To EMI In DC-DC Converters (Part 6): Mitigation Techniques Using Discrete FET Designs

by Timothy Hegarty, Texas Instruments, Phoenix, Ariz, How2Power Today, Sep 14 2018

Focus:
This part 6 explores EMI abatement in dc-dc regulator circuits that employ a controller driving a discrete pair of high- and low-side power MOSFETs. This article provides guidelines for laying out a multilayer PCB of a half-bridge design with MOSFETs and controller to achieve excellent EMI performance. The imperative is to minimize critical loop parasitic inductances by careful power-stage component selection and PCB layout. A layout example demonstrates that it’s possible to reduce the generation of conducted EMI without sacrificing efficiency or thermal performance. Article begins by briefly describing the sources of EMI in these converters, followed by a very detailed list of guidelines for PCB layout design for low EMI. Next is a short case study of a synchronous buck converter based on the LM5146 controller including two lateral-loop layout designs. The last section presents an improved layout that reduces EMI. Concepts described here for the buck can be extended to any dc-dc regulator topology.

What you’ll learn:

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