11.1 Layout Guidelines

For all switching power supplies, the layout is an important step in the design, especially at high peak currents and high switching frequencies. If the layout is not carefully done, the regulator could show stability problems as well as EMI problems. Therefore, use wide and short traces for the main current path and for the power ground tracks. The input capacitor, output capacitor, and the inductor should be placed as close as possible to the IC. Use a common ground node for power ground and a different one for control ground to minimize the effects of ground noise. Connect these ground nodes at any place close to the ground pins of the IC.