11.1.1 General Guidelines for Audio Amplifiers

Audio amplifiers which incorporate switching output stages must have special attention paid to their layout and the layout of the supporting components used around them. The system level performance metrics, including thermal performance, electromagnetic compliance (EMC), device reliability, and audio performance are all affected by the device and supporting component layout. Ideally, the guidance provided in the applications section with regard to device and component selection can be followed by precise adherence to the layout guidance shown in Layout Example. These examples represent exemplary baseline balance of the engineering trade-offs involved with laying out the device. These designs can be modified slightly as needed to meet the needs of a given application. In some applications, for instance, solution size can be compromised in order to improve thermal performance through the use of additional contiguous copper near the device. Conversely, EMI performance can be prioritized over thermal performance by routing on internal traces and incorporating a via picket-fence and additional filtering components. In all cases, it is recommended to start from the guidance shown in the Layout Example section and the TAS5760xx EVM, and work with TI field application engineers or through the E2E community in order to modify it based upon the application specific goals.