The MT3608 IC was manufactured by a specialized production company like XI’AN Aerosemi Tech in February 2011. This company manufactures different electronic components and high-quality chips, which have been used widely in various fields in China to contribute to the development of the semiconductor industry. This company can also focus on serialized power management chip products development like IoT chips, smart homes, power battery management systems and LED green lighting driver chips for battery charging management chips, new energy vehicles, low and high voltage AC/DC and DC/DC converters, power motor management system chips, etc. This article provides an overview of the MT3608 IC, pinout, specifications, and its applications.
What is MT3608 IC?
The MT3608 is a six-pin constant frequency current mode step-up converter IC in the SOT23 package. This is intended for use in small and low-power applications. This IC switches at 1.2MHz by allowing small and low-cost components like capacitors & inductors. This IC can adjust up to 28V output voltage and deliver a maximum 2A output current. So the main function of MT3608 IC is to increase the voltage from voltage to high which is suitable for different parts of electronic devices that need high voltage like LED lights, battery charging, electronic clocks, etc. MT3608 has the function of automatically switching to pulse frequency modulation mode under light load.
The MT3608 IC has current limiting, thermal overload protection, and under-voltage lockout to avoid damage in the occurrence of an output overload. This IC has an Internal soft-start which results in a little inrush current and also expands battery life. Thus, this IC can be utilized to power electronic devices that need different voltages like set-top boxes, battery-powered equipment, networking cards, LCD bias supplies, cable modems, DSL, routers, etc.
MT3608 IC Pin Configuration:
The pin configuration of MT3608 IC includes the following. This IC includes 6 pins which are discussed below.
MT3608 IC Pin Configuration
- Pin-1 (SW): This is a power switch output pin where the power inductor as well as the output rectifier is connected to this pin. This pin can swing in between both the GND & 28V.
- Pin-2 (GND): This is the ground pin of the IC.
- Pin-3 (FB): This is the feedback input where the FB voltage is approximately 0.6V. So the resistor divider can be connected to this pin.
- Pin-4 (EN): This is the enabled pin that controls the IC. Whenever the high input at this pin is enabled then the converter will be activated and the low input at this pin is enabled then the converter will be turned off. When this pin is not used then it can be connected to the input power supply to start it automatically.
- Pin-5 (IN): This is the input power pin of the IC which should be locally bypassed.
- Pin-6 (NC): This is a non-connected pin of the IC.
Working Principle
The MT3608 IC works by using a fixed frequency and also peak current mode boost regulator architecture to control the voltage at the FB pin which is shown in the following internal diagram. The MOSFET at the start of every oscillator cycle of the circuit is turned on through the control circuit.
To avoid subharmonic oscillations with > 50 percent duty cycles, we include a stabilizing ramp to the current sense amplifier’s output & feed the outcome to the PWM comparator’s negative input. Whenever this voltage equivalents the error amplifier’s output voltage, then power MOSFET can be disabled. So the voltage at the output of the error amplifier can be amplified versions of the variations between the the feedback voltage and 0.6V bandgap reference voltage.
In this way, the peak level current maintains the output within regulation. So if the feedback voltage starts to reduce, then the error amplifier output will be increased, thus this causes more current to supply throughout the power MOSFET, thus increasing the delivered power to the output. This IC has a soft-start internally which limits the sum of input current at startup & restricts the overshoot amount on the output.
Features & Specifications:
The features and specifications of MT3608 IC include the following.
- MT3608 IC is manufactured by XI’AN Aerosemi Tech production company.
- It belongs to the IC category.
- This IC at light loads has automatic shifting to pulse FM mode.
- It has an under-voltage lockout, thermal overload protection to stop harm in the incident of an output overload, and current limiting.
- This IC is available in SOT-23 and TR (Tape & Reel) packages.
- This IC includes six pins.
- MT3608 IC includes a single output channel.
- Its input voltage ranges from 2V to 24V.
- Its output voltage is up to 28 volts.
- Its fixed switching frequency is 1.2MHz.
- Maximum o/p current is 2Amps.
- Its switching frequency is 1.2 MHz.
- Output ripple is below 100mV.
- It is 93% efficient.
- This ICs operating temperature ranges from -40°C to +85°C whereas junction temperature is 160°C.
Equivalents & Alternatives
The equivalent MT3608 ICs are; XL6009 IC, LM2596, and XL6009E1 IC. So alternative MT3608 ICs are; XY-016 IC, SX1308 IC, and POLOLU 2563 IC.
5Volts to 12Volts Boost Converter Circuit with MT3608 IC
In modern electronics, meeting power requirements is quite a challenge to supply enough voltage for our electronic circuits. So in that situation, a DC-to-DC boost converter circuit is required to increase the incoming voltage to a certain level in lighting systems, solar-powered projects, battery-powered projects, etc.
The required components to make this circuit mainly include an MT3608 IC, 22uH inductor, SS34 Schottky diode, 22uF capacitors, and resistors like 10K, 62K & 3.3K. Connect this circuit as per the diagram shown below.
5Volts to 12Volts Boost Converter Circuit with MT3608 IC
Working
The above boost converter circuit uses an MT3608 DC to DC step-up converter IC to boost the input voltage supply. In addition, this IC can also switch the load at about 1.2 MHz to operate. This IC uses input voltage from 2V to 24V & outputs voltage up to 28Volts with 4A maximum current.
The MT3608 IC has a power MOSFET internally where its drain pin is connected to the inductor through the SW pin & Inductor’s source pin is connected to the GND. Once we power up the circuit the internal oscillator of the IC starts to turn ON and OFF the MOSFET at 1.2MHZ a frequency. So, whenever the MOSFET is in its ON condition, then incoming current throughout the Inductor supplies through MOSFET to GND. So when current is supplied through an Inductor then a magnetic field is produced within it.
Output Voltage
The internal MOSFET will be switched off after a particular point. This point is determined by the feedback pin voltage given by the R1 & R2 voltage divider. The formula below governs the output voltage.
Vout = Vref * (1+R1/R2) where Vref is 0.6Volts.
Once the MOSFET is switched off, the inductor’s magnetic field turns into a voltage spike and supplies throughout the SS34 Schottky diode. Thus this voltage spike can be produced as output within the circuit. The capacitor in the output section charges in each oscillation cycle & maintains the voltage stable. So the components in this voltage booster circuit are utilized to boost 5volts to 12volts. Especially for MT3608 IC to start functioning, the EN pin must be fixed too high. This pin is used if you want to turn ON & OFF the output through an external circuit. Therefore this simple circuit delivers 2Amps of current to the connected load.
The output voltage in the above circuit can be adjusted by replacing the R1 resistor with the PR1 potentiometer. The output voltage can be set by the voltage given into the FB pin of the IC. When the potentiometer resistance changes then the voltage into the FB pin of the IC will be changed thus the output voltage can be changed accordingly.
Advantages & Disadvantages
The advantages of MT3608 IC include the following.
- MT3608 IC adopts superior production technology and strict quality control to improve its performance.
- These are small, low cost and high reliable ICs.
- Its conversion efficiency is 96%, which reduces energy loss greatly and improves the efficiency of energy utilization.
- This IC has various protection functions like over-temperature protection and over-voltage protection which provides comprehensive security protection mainly for electronic equipment.
- MT3608 IC is a high-efficiency DC-DC converter that boosts voltage from low to higher to provide high-voltage power supply mainly for a variety of electronic products.
- This IC uses tiny components & switches at a 1.2MHz frequency that allows for a solid size.
- This IC has an in-built feature to shut down the device if it drives too hard.
- The internal soft-start circuit of this IC results in a little inrush current & expands battery life.
- This IC moves to pulse FM mode automatically at light loads.
- Its output voltage is flexible.
The disadvantages of MT3608 IC include the following.
- This IC uses external components to ensure stability and best performance.
- If the input voltage greatly changes, it may affect the strength of the output voltage.
- This IC needs to work in well-ventilated and dry environments to avoid the moisture & high-temperature impact on chip performance.
- When this chip has maximum technical requirements, then it may be hard for users with partial technical abilities.
Applications
The applications of MT3608 IC include the following.
- MT3608 IC is used in portable medical equipment to ensure constant power supply mainly to the equipment.
- It can be utilized to provide the necessary power to the RF module within wireless communication equipment.
- This IC is a significant component in a power module that provides a steady power supply to different electronic systems & embedded applications.
- This IC can be as an LED driver to supply the necessary voltage and current to drive LED lighting systems throughout boost conversion.
- It can convert the voltage from low to the necessary voltage,
- This IC can also used within solar chargers to manage the low output voltage effectively from solar panels.
- These ICs are used in power amplifiers, consumer electronics, battery power systems, set-top boxes, LCD supply, DC motor drivers, networking cards which are powered from PCI express slots cable modems, DSL, routers, etc.
Please refer to this link to learn more about MT3608 IC Datasheet.
Thus, this is an overview of MT3608 IC, pinout, features, specifications, circuit, working, pros, cons, and its applications. This is a 6-pin current mode step converter IC with constant frequency, available in the SOT23 package. So this IC utilized an internal power switch as well as an efficient PWM control circuit to attain up to 96 percent conversion efficiency. This IC can also have a variety of protection functions like over-temperature protection and overvoltage protection, making it suitable for use within electronic equipment. Here is a question for you, what is LM2596 IC?