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INSTRUM ENTS
OPA549
SBOS093E 11
www.ti.com
Use worst-case load and signal conditions. For good reliabil-
ity, thermal protection should trigger more than 35°C above
the maximum expected ambient condition of your applica-
tion. This produces a junction temperature of 125°C at the
maximum expected ambient condition.
The internal protection circuitry of the OPA549 was designed
to protect against overload conditions. It was not intended to
replace proper heat sinking. Continuously running the OPA549
into thermal shutdown will degrade reliability.
AMPLIFIER MOUNTING AND HEAT SINKING
Most applications require a heat sink to assure that the
maximum operating junction temperature (125°C) is not
exceeded. In addition, the junction temperature should be
kept as low as possible for increased reliability. Junction
temperature can be determined according to the Equations:
TJ = TA + PD
θ
JA (4)
where
θ
JA =
θ
JC +
θ
CH +
θ
HA (5)
TJ= Junction Temperature (°C)
TA= Ambient Temperature (°C)
PD= Power Dissipated (W)
θ
JC = Junction-to-Case Thermal Resistance (°C/W)
θ
CH = Case-to-Heat Sink Thermal Resistance (°C/W)
θ
HA = Heat Sink-to-Ambient Thermal Resistance (°C/W)
θ
JA = Junction-to-Air Thermal Resistance (°C/W)
Figure 7 shows maximum power dissipation versus ambient
temperature with and without the use of a heat sink. Using a
heat sink significantly increases the maximum power dissipa-
tion at a given ambient temperature, as shown in Figure 7.
The challenge in selecting the heat sink required lies in
determining the power dissipated by the OPA549. For dc
output, power dissipation is simply the load current times the
voltage developed across the conducting output transistor,
PD = IL (VS – VO). Other loads are not as simple. Consult the
SBOA022 Application Report for further insight on calculat-
ing power dissipation. Once power dissipation for an applica-
tion is known, the proper heat sink can be selected.
Heat Sink Selection Example—An 11-lead power ZIP pack-
age is dissipating 10 Watts. The maximum expected ambient
temperature is 40°C. Find the proper heat sink to keep the
junction temperature below 125°C (150°C minus 25°C safety
margin).
Combining Equations (4) and (5) gives:
TJ = TA + PD (
θ
JC +
θ
CH +
θ
HA ) (6)
TJ, TA, and PD are given.
θ
JC is provided in the Specifications
Table, 1.4°C/W (dc).
θ
CH can be obtained from the heat sink
manufacturer. Its value depends on heat sink size, area, and
material used. Semiconductor package type, mounting screw
torque, insulating material used (if any), and thermal joint
compound used (if any) also affect
θ
CH. A typical
θ
CH for a
mounted 11-lead power ZIP package is 0.5°C/W. Now we
can solve for
θ
HA:
θ
HA = [(TJ – TA)/PD] –
θ
JC –
θ
CH
θ
HA = [(125°C – 40°C)/10W] – 1.4°C/W – 0.5°C/W
θ
HA = 6.6°C/W
To maintain junction temperature below 125°C, the heat sink
selected must have a
θ
HA
less than 6.6°C/W. In other words,
the heat sink temperature rise above ambient must be less
than 66°C (6.6°C/W • 10W). For example, at 10W Thermalloy
model number 6396B has a heat sink temperature rise of 56°C
(
θ
HA
= 56°C/10W = 5.6°C/W), which is below the required 66°C
required in this example. Thermalloy model number 6399B has
a sink temperature rise of 33°C (
θ
HA
= 33°C/10W = 3.3°C/W),
which is also below the required 66°C required in this example.
Figure 7 shows power dissipation versus ambient temperature
for a 11-lead power ZIP package with the Thermalloy 6396B
and 6399B heat sinks.
FIGURE 7. Maximum Power Dissipation vs Ambient Temperature.
Another variable to consider is natural convection versus
forced convection air flow. Forced-air cooling by a small fan
can lower
θ
CA (
θ
CH +
θ
HA) dramatically. Some heat sink
manufacturers provide thermal data for both of these cases.
Heat sink performance is generally specified under idealized
conditions that may be difficult to achieve in an actual
application. For additional information on determining heat
sink requirements, consult Application Report SBOA021.
0 25 50 75 100 125
30
20
10
0
Power Dissipation (W)
Ambient Temperature (°C)
Thermalloy 6399B HA = 5.6°C/W
assume CH = 0.5°C/W
OPA549 JC = 1.4°C/W
JA = 7.5°C/W
Thermalloy 6396B HA = 3.3°C/W
assume
CH = 0.5°C/W
OPA549 JC = 1.4°C/W
JA = 5.2°C/W
θθθθ
θθθθ
with Thermalloy 6396B
Heat Sink, JA = 7.5°C/W
θ
with Thermalloy 6399B
Heat Sink, JA = 5.2°C/W
θ
PD = (TJ (max) – TA)/ JA
(TJ (max) – 150°C)
θ
with No Heat Sink,
JA = 30°C/W
θ