SNVSCS6A March 2026 – August 2026 TPS7H1301-SP
PRODMIX
CFLY is the charge pump capacitor that transfers charge from the input to the charge pump output (CPOUT pin).
For typical high-current applications, TI recommends at a minimum a nominally rated 1μF ceramic output capacitor for stable operation. Polarized capacitors (tantalum, aluminum, electrolytic, and so forth) must not be used for the flying capacitor, as polarized capacitors can become reverse-biased during operation.
If CFLY is sized too small, the charge pump is unable to support high current applications; conversely if CFLY is too large, the charge pump current becomes excessive for the charge pump switches and causes increased input and output voltage ripple.
Sizing CFLY
Size CFLY to a nominal ratio of 1:10 to 1:2 of the charge pump output capacitance CCPOUT.
Use Equation 9 to size CFLY, fSW is 500kHz (typ.) and ΔVCFLY takes into account voltage overshoot at the CFLY capacitor nodes. For applications with nominal VIN conditions 5V or lower and output currents below 250mA, using a factor of 0.2 in Equation 10 is sufficient; as VIN and IOUT increase above 5V or 250mA the ΔVCFLY needs to be adjusted lower (apply a factor of 0.1), which aids in preventing excessive overshoot on pin C+ and C-.
Applying Equation 9 yields the following:
The result of Equation 11 is 2.5μF which satisfies the CFLY to CCPOUT ratio, for this Detailed Design Procedure example, 1μF is selected to align with characterization data in the Section 7.5 table which is a more onerous configuration as a 1μF lowers LDO headroom vs. a 2.5μf at CFLY.
Effects of CFLY
Dropout Current and charge pump operational efficiency are reliant on the charge pump resistance and voltage droop, which is directly affected by the choice of CFLY; selecting a capacitor that is too small or too high ESR increases charge pump output resistance, such that the resulting voltage droop lowers the available headroom for the integrated LDO and reduces overall charge pump efficiency; refer to Figure 7-8 through Figure 7-12 to see how CFLY selection changes the charge pump efficiency.
Consideration of CFLY capacitor characteristics, such as DC bias, temperature coefficient are essential in assessing the contribution of the capacitor to charge pump resistance; Equation 12 calculates the fly capacitors contribution to the overall charge pump output resistance and VDROOP. Note, that the min switching frequency (fSW) from the Electrical Characteristics table is the more conservative estimation parameter; as min fSW results in a higher charge pump resistance.
As Equation 12 shows, a typical reduction in output capacitance due to DC Bias and temperature typically reduces overall CFLY capacitance by 15% to 25% and thus increases charge pump output resistance.
To calculate CFLY(min) consult the capacitor manufacturer data and apply the overall tolerance, DC Bias, and temperature derating: For example, a 25V 1μF X7R capacitor with the following parameters:
Table 10-2 is an example tradeoff for selecting either a solitary 1μF (nom.) capacitor or a 2.2μF (nom) capacitors; the overall contribution of CFLY to the resistance of the charge pump is compared against overall charge pump efficiency.
| Attribute | 1μF | 2.2μF |
|---|---|---|
| Part Number | KGM21AR71C105JL | KGM21AR71C225KL |
| QTY | 1 | 1 |
| Case Size | 0805 | 0805 |
| Voltage Rating | 16V | 16V |
| Dielectric | X7R | X7R |
| Derating Parameters | ||
| Tolerance | -5% | -10% |
| DC Bias @ 5V | -4.56% | -10.3% |
| Tempco. @ 125ºC | -14.56% | -15% |
| Results | ||
| Effective Capacitance | 0.775μF | 1.51μF |
| ESR | 10mΩ | 10mΩ (effective res.) |
| RCFLY | 3.45Ω | 1.69Ω |
| Peak charge pump efficiency, VIN = 5V | 79% | 83.5% |
To calculate the minimum capacitance for CFLY use :
Applying Equation 13 for the 1μF (nom.) capacitor:
The worst case contribution of CFLY is calculated by applying Equation 12 (1μF (nom.) example)
Table 10-2 shows that the additional component count of the two 0.68μF capacitors offers a significant reduction in the contribution of CFLY to overall charge pump output resistance. Applications at higher operating temperatures, operating currents, or lower VIN benefit from more from overall lower charge pump output resistance. This design examples uses a VIN of 5V and a ILOAD of 250mA is sufficiently served by the 1μF CFLY capacitor.
Overall the selected value for CFLY, affects charge pump resistance and charge pump efficiency; refer to figures Figure 7-8 to Figure 7-11 to see how CFLY selection affects overall charge pump efficiency.