Stancor recommends a 4-layer PCB with a dedicated ground plane and thermal vias to dissipate heat. A minimum of 1 oz copper thickness is recommended for the power traces. Additionally, a heat sink with a thermal interface material (TIM) should be used to keep the junction temperature below 125°C.
To ensure reliable start-up and shutdown, Stancor recommends a soft-start circuit to limit the inrush current and a shutdown circuit to prevent voltage spikes. Additionally, a minimum of 10 ms delay should be implemented between the enable signal and the input voltage to prevent false triggering.
The maximum allowed output capacitance for the P-8551 is 100 μF. Exceeding this value may cause instability and affect the overall performance of the converter.
Stancor recommends using an oscilloscope to monitor the input and output voltages, as well as the current sense signal. Additionally, checking the enable and fault signals can help identify the source of the fault. A detailed troubleshooting guide is available in the Stancor application note AN-101.
Stancor recommends a π-filter configuration with a 10 μH inductor, 10 nF capacitor, and a 1 kΩ resistor to reduce EMI and input ripple. The filter should be placed as close to the input pins as possible to minimize noise coupling.