I've been trying the LT8304-1 for a high-voltage power supply for a prototype. I've laid out a test board based on the 1000V flyback application note at
www.analog.com/.../1000-v-output-no-opto-isolated-flyback-converter.html
I used the recommended transformer as well as the recommended snubber, and kept the critical loop nice and tight. (The pin-out of the IC is ideal for this.)
For the most part, it works really nicely, reaching full voltage quickly both when lightly loaded and with a heavier 5mA draw, and seems very stable as the load varies. Probing the switch node, the transients never exceed 90V, well below the 150V internal NMOS limit, so I guess the loop area can't be too bad and the snubber is doing its job well.
The only question I have is about the soft start, which often seems to re-trigger once or twice part way through start-up. I've attached some scope traces of output voltage (divided down) and switch node (pin 5) to show what I mean.
The yellow trace in each case is the pulse going into EN (pin 1). The behaviour is the same whether running off 8V or 18V, and whether running lightly or more heavily loaded. Once the voltage is over about half-way, the soft restarts don't seem to happen, and there are never drop outs or problems when running at full voltage, even when loaded up. I've zoomed right in at the time of the soft restart on the switch node to demonstrate there isn't anything obvious catastrophic going on around that time.
I checked both Vin and INTVcc are stable - I'd wondered if they might be dipping but they're fine - no evidence of any dip.
I also probed Rref (pin 7), which looks sensible, without lots of high-frequency noise. I tried increasing the 10p capacitor to 33p in case this was insufficiently damped, without any obvious effect, but it didn't look bad in any case, and the failure is happening when it's pretty low rather than when it's higher later on:
Assuming this double soft-start behaviour isn't normal, any suggestions of other things I should check? I'm wondering if these symptoms are an obvious smoking gun to someone who knows this IC better!
Correct typo
[edited by: Chris81 at 6:40 AM (GMT -4) on 12 May 2025]