Application Information: continued

8

Hysteresis of 300mV (typ) is provided for noise immunity.

The Error Amp Capacitor connected to the COMP pin is

charged by a 30µA current source. This capacitor must be

charged to 1.1V (typ) so that it exceeds the PWM compara-

switching to occur.

1.1V, the upper Gate driver (GATE(H)) is activated, turn-

ing on the upper FET. This causes current to flow through

the output inductor and into the output capacitors and

load according to the following equation:

GATE(H) and the upper NFET remain on and inductor cur-

rent ramps up until the initial pulse is terminated by either

the PWM control loop or the overcurrent protection. This

initial surge of in-rush current minimizes startup time, but

avoids overstressing of the regulator’s power components.

The PWM comparator will terminate the initial pulse if the

regulator output exceeds the voltage on the COMP pin

plus the 1.1V PWM comparator offset prior to the drop

across the current sense resistor exceeding the current limit

threshold. In this case, the PWM control loop has achieved

regulation and the initial pulse is then followed by a con-

COMP capacitor will continue to slowly charge and the

regulator output voltage will follow it, less the 1.1V PWM

offset, until it achieves the voltage programmed by the

DAC’s VID input. The Error Amp will then source or sink

current to the COMP cap as required to maintain the cor-

rect regulator DC output voltage. Since the rate of increase

of the COMP pin voltage is typically set much slower than

the regulator’s slew capability, inrush current, output volt-

age, and duty cycle all gradually increase from zero. (See

Figures 8 and 9).

Figure 8: Normal Startup (5ms/div).

Channel 2 – COMP (2V/div)

Channel 4 - Regulator Output Voltage (1V/div)

Figure 9: Normal Startup showing initial pulse followed by Soft Start

(5µs/div).

Channel 2 – GATE(H) (10V/div)

Channel 3 - Inductor Switching Node (10V/div)

Channel 4 - Regulator Output Voltage (2V/div)

If the voltage across the Current Sense resistor generates a

exceeds the OVC Comparator Offset Voltage (86mV typi-

cal), the Fault latch is set. This causes the COMP pin to be

quickly discharged, turning off GATE(H) and the upper

NFET since the voltage on the COMP pin is now less than

the 1.1V PWM comparator offset. The Fault latch is reset

when the voltage on the COMP decreases below the

Discharge threshold voltage (0.25V typical). The COMP

capacitor will again begin to charge, and when it exceeds

the 1.1V PWM comparator offset, the regulator output will

Soft Start normally (see Figure 10).

Figure 10: Startup with COMP pre-charged to 2V (2ms/div).

Channel 1 - Regulator Output Voltage (1V/div)

Channel 2 - COMP Pin (1V/div)

T

L