I am working with the EPC90146 demo board and have encountered an issue related to the LC filter setup. According to the Quick Start Guide, specifically Table 2 on page 9, it appears that the designated inductor (IHTH1125KZEB2R2M5A) is to be mounted on Filter Card 1.
However, this inductor does not seem to fit the pad on the demo board. To resolve this, I am considering implementing the LC filter on a separate board, ideally one that can be directly interfaced with the multi-header pin connector for VIN and GND.
Filter Card 1, as mentioned in Table 2, seems to be the candidate for this purpose.
Could anyone provide detailed information on how the inductor and input/output capacitors are connected in the EPC90146 test setup?
The inductor and output capacitors are notably absent from the thermal image in Fig. 16 of the guide, and I’m wondering how they were exactly connected to the board during the testing.
Yes, that is true, the pads on the EPC90146 board are not specifically designed for that inductor. The inductor pads are for any generic inductor.
The Vishay-Dale inductor is just one of many possible inductors that may be used. Depending on the desired frequency, current, height, board mounting, and many other factors.
EPC chose the inductor mentioned just to do some tests. It isn’t recommended or not recommended, just one example.
Mounting should be no big problem, you shouldn’t need to use another board. You can just add some wires to the inductor and solder it to the pads. Yes, the extra wire will add inductance, but because it is an inductor anyway, that is OK. One advantage of adding wires is you may be able to more easily use a current probe on an oscilloscope, to see the waveform of the current.
Potential issues with adding an additional board: additional resistance which will impact overall efficiency, a connector to deal with, and 2 different boards’ ground planes.
Hope this helps, and best of luck with your testing!
regards,
Brian Miller, EPC
Field Applications Engineer
