Qorvo ACT41000EVK1-104 User manual

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ACT41000EVK1-104 User’s Guide
Description
This document describes the characteristics and operation of the Qorvo ACT41000EVK1-104 evaluation kit (EVK). It provides setup
and operation instructions, schematic, layout, BOM, and test data. This EVK demonstrates the ACT41000-104T power management IC.
Other ACT41000QIxxx options can be evaluated on this EVK by replacing the IC and any other necessary components.
Features
The EVK can be used as a standalone board if desired. However, to access the internal registers and to take full advantage of the IC’s
capability, the user must connect the EVK to a PC with Qorvo’s USB-TO-I2C interface dongle and use the GUI software. The EVK
provides full access to each converter’s input and output voltage, as well as all the digital control signals. This gives the user the
flexibility to configure the EVK to match their real-world system
Figure 1. EVK Picture
EVK Contents
The ACT41000EVK1-104 evaluation kit comes with the following items:
•EVK assembly
•USB-TO-I2C dongle
•Dongle
•Custom 4-pin connector that connects the USB-TO-I2C dongle to the EVK assembly

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Required Equipment
•ACT41000EVK1-104
•USB-TO-I2C Dongle
•Power supply - 24~40V @ 5A for full power operation
•Oscilloscope - 100MHz, 4 channels
•Digital Multi-meters (DMM)
•Windows compatible PC with spare USB port.
Hardware Setup
Figure 2. EVK Setup

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Quick Start
Hardware Connections
Refer to Figure 2 for hardware connections.
1. Connect a DC power supply to J8. J8 is connector for input voltage (VIN). Please ensure the correct power supply
polarity.
2. Connect an E-Load to J9. J9 is connector for output voltage (VOUT).
3. Connect Digital Multi-Meters to VIN and VOUT to monitor the input voltage and output voltages.
4. Add a digital Multi-Meter in series with VIN and VOUT if you want to observe input and output current.
5. Be careful to keep the input voltage within the specifications.
6. Optional – Connect the EVK to the PC with the USB dongle.
GUI Setup (optional)
1. Refer to the end of this document for detailed instructions to install the ACT41000 GUI.
2. Connect the USB-TO-I2C dongle to the computer via a USB cable.
3. Connect the USB-TO-I2C dongle to the EVK J17 connector. Refer to Figure 3 to ensure the correct polarity of the
connection.As a guide, use the “Active-Semi” (or Qorvo) logo on the top of the dongle so the black wire is connected
to the Dongle GND pin.
Figure 3. USB-TO-I2C Dongle Connection

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Recommended Operating Conditions
The ACT41000EVK1-104 is designed for a 24V-40V input voltage. The maximum operating voltage is determined by the
IC’s maximum input voltage rating. The minimum operating voltage is determined by the IC’s output voltage setting. The
ACT41000-104T output voltage is 22V, so the EVK should be operated with Vin greater than 22V. The maximum output
current is configured by the CMI and external components. The switching frequency is set to 450kHz to optimize efficiency.
The customer can easily reconfigure the EVK for different switching frequencies and output voltages after referring to the
datasheet for the required component changes. The output voltage can be changed via I2C either before or after the output
voltage is enabled.
Table 1. Recommended Operating Conditions
Parameter
Description
Min
Typ
Max
Unit
VIN
Input voltage
24
-
40
V
VOUT
Main-buck output voltage
3
-
22
V
V5V
Mini-buck output voltage
5
V
I
V5V_max
Mini-buck maximum output current
300
mA
I
out_max
Main-buck maximum output current
4
A
EVK Operation
Turn On the Evaluation Board
After the power source and E-Load are connected to the evaluation board per the required connections, the EVK can be
powered for operation. Perform the following steps to turn on the board.
1. Ensure that the power supply connected to VIN (J8) is >24V and <40V.
2. Turn on power supply.
3. Apply the load.
4. Remove the shorting jumper from J12 to enable output. Replace the jumper to disable the output.
Output Current Limit – The ACT41000EVK1-104 output current limit is set to 4A. This is a function of the 20mΩ current
sense resister (R5), the 16kΩ ILIM resistor (R9), and the I2C Output Current Limit bits, which are set to 100uA by default.
The ACT41000 integrates a digital-to-analog converter (ILIM DAC) for the purpose of generating the reference signal used
by the Current Limit block. The ILIM DAC generates an output current at the ILIM pin. The output current limit is easily
changed by modifying any of these three parameters. The easiest way to change the output current limit is with the ILIM
DAC field in the GUI.

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Output Voltage Setting
The default output voltage can be changed by I2C using the VOUT SETTING field in the GUI. Refer to the ACT41000
datasheet before changing the output voltage. Large output voltage changes from the default setting may require changes
in external components to ensure optimized performance.
Additional Programmable Functionality
The ACT41000 contains many additional programmable parameters. Refer to the ACT41000 datasheet for additional
functionality and default I2C register values.

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Test Results

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Schematic
Figure 4. Schematic