The main control loop of the TPS5683x is adaptive on-time pulse width modulation (PWM) controller that supports a proprietary D-CAP3 control mode. The D-CAP3 control mode combines adaptive on-time control with an internal compensation circuit for quasi-fixed frequency and low external component count configuration with both low-ESR and ceramic output capacitors. The D-CAP3 control mode is stable even with virtually no ripple at the output. The TPS5683x also includes an error amplifier that makes the output voltage very accurate. No external current sense network or loop compensation is required for D-CAP3 control mode topology.

At the beginning of each cycle, the high-side MOSFET is turned on. This MOSFET is turned off after an internal one-shot timer expires. This one-shot duration is set proportional to the output voltage V_OUT, and is inversely proportional to the converter input voltage V_IN, to maintain a pseudo-fixed frequency over the input voltage range, hence it is called adaptive on-time control. When the feedback voltage falls below the reference voltage, the one-shot timer is reset and the high-side MOSFET is turned on again. An internal ripple generation circuit is added to reference voltage for emulating the output ripple, and this enables the use of very low-ESR output capacitors such as multi-layered ceramic caps (MLCC).