To prevent a transformer from saturation its V-t product must be greater than the maximum V-t product applied by the SN6501. The maximum voltage delivered by the SN6501 is the nominal converter input plus 10%. The maximum time this voltage is applied to the primary is half the period of the lowest frequency at the specified input voltage. Therefore, the transformer’s minimum V-t product is determined through:

Equation 3.

Inserting the numeric values from the data sheet into the equation above yields the minimum V-t products of

Equation 4.

Common V-t values for low-power center-tapped transformers range from 22 Vμs to 150 Vμs with typical footprints of 10 mm x 12 mm. However, transformers specifically designed for PCMCIA applications provide as little as 11 Vμs and come with a significantly reduced footprint of 6 mm x 6 mm only.

While Vt-wise all of these transformers can be driven by the SN6501, other important factors such as isolation voltage, transformer wattage, and turns ratio must be considered before making the final decision.