10.1 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 can 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. Place the input capacitor, output capacitor, and the inductor 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 one of the ground pins of the IC.

The feedback divider must be placed as close as possible to the control ground pin of the IC. To lay out the control ground, short traces are recommended as well, separation from the power ground traces. This avoids ground shift problems, which can occur due to superimposition of power ground current and control ground current.