I’ve been investigating a bit more and have a couple of questions you might be able to help me with.
I ended up choosing this buck-boost converter:
TI TPS63070.
I’ve already finished the schematics and I’m about to start the PCB layout, but I’m not entirely sure about a couple of things from the layout example in the datasheet:
First, the inductor L1 appears to be routed on the bottom layer, right? I assume that’s why it’s shown in that pinkish color and has multiple vias on the pads. Just wanted to confirm.
Second, the vias I circled in red — I’m not entirely sure what’s going on there. Are they suggesting that I should also have VIN and VOUT polygon pours on the bottom layer and connect them through those vias?
And finally, a quick question about the inductor. The datasheet recommends the XFL4020-152ME from Coilcraft, which looks solid, but it’s a bit pricey (around $1.30 per piece). I found a couple of alternatives with similar specs, like this one or this one.
Would either of those be reasonable substitutes, or is it really worth sticking to the Coilcraft one for performance/reliability?
Thanks again!
I ended up choosing this buck-boost converter:
TI TPS63070.
I’ve already finished the schematics and I’m about to start the PCB layout, but I’m not entirely sure about a couple of things from the layout example in the datasheet:
Second, the vias I circled in red — I’m not entirely sure what’s going on there. Are they suggesting that I should also have VIN and VOUT polygon pours on the bottom layer and connect them through those vias?
And finally, a quick question about the inductor. The datasheet recommends the XFL4020-152ME from Coilcraft, which looks solid, but it’s a bit pricey (around $1.30 per piece). I found a couple of alternatives with similar specs, like this one or this one.
Would either of those be reasonable substitutes, or is it really worth sticking to the Coilcraft one for performance/reliability?
Thanks again!
Statistics: Posted by lobo14 — Sat Jun 28, 2025 10:27 pm