8.2.1.2.2 Flyback Regulator Input Capacitors

A flyback regulator draws discontinuous pulses of current from the input supply. Therefore, there are two input capacitors needed in a flyback regulator—one for energy storage and one for filtering (see Figure 24). Both are required due to the inherent operation of a flyback regulator. To keep a stable or constant voltage supply to the LM2588, a storage capacitor (≥ 100 μF) is required. If the input source is a rectified DC supply and/or the application has a wide temperature range, the required rms current rating of the capacitor might be very large. This means a larger value of capacitance or a higher voltage rating will be needed for the input capacitor. The storage capacitor will also attenuate noise which may interfere with other circuits connected to the same input supply voltage.

In addition, a small bypass capacitor is required due to the noise generated by the input current pulses. To eliminate the noise, insert a 1-μF ceramic capacitor between V_IN and ground as close as possible to the device.