The device is designed to have very low input supply current when regulating light loads. This is achieved by powering much of the internal circuitry from the output. The BIAS pin is the input to the LDO that powers the majority of the control circuits. By connecting the BIAS input pin to the output of the regulator, a small amount of current drawn from the output. This current is reduced at the input by the ratio of VOUT / VIN.
Equation 4. where
- IQ_VIN is the current consumed by the
operating (switching) buck converter while unloaded
- IQ is the current drawn from the
VIN terminal. See IQ in Section 8.5
- IEN is current drawn by the EN
terminal. Include this current if EN is connected to VIN. See IEN in Section 8.5. Note that this current
drops to a very low value if connected to a voltage less than 5 V
- IBIAS is bias current drawn by the
BIAS input. See IBIAS in Section 8.5
- Idiv is the current drawn by the
feedback voltage divider used to set output voltage
- ηeff is the light load efficiency of
the buck converter with IQ_VIN removed from the input current of the buck
converter. ηeff = 0.8 is a conservative value that can be used under normal
operating conditions