SLUSEA4D June 2021 – August 2022 TPS62932 , TPS62933 , TPS62933F , TPS62933O , TPS62933P
PRODUCTION DATA
The TPS62932, TPS62933, and TPS62933P are designed to operate in pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode at light load currents to boost light load efficiency.
When the load current is lower than half of the peak-to-peak inductor current in CCM, the device operates in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), also known as diode emulation mode (DEM). In DCM operation, the LS switch is turned off when the inductor current drops to ILS_ZC to improve efficiency. Both switching losses and conduction losses are reduced in DCM, compared to forced CCM operation at light load.
At even lighter current load, pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode is activated to maintain high efficiency operation. When either the minimum on time, tON_MIN, or the minimum peak inductor current, IPEAK_MIN (750 mA typical), is reached, the switching frequency decreases to maintain regulation. In PFM mode, switching frequency is decreased by the control loop to maintain output voltage regulation when load current reduces. Switching loss is further reduced in PFM operation due to less frequent switching actions. The output current for mode change depends on the input voltage, inductor value, and the programmed switching frequency. For applications where the switching frequency must be known for a given condition, the transition between PFM and CCM must be carefully tested before the design is finalized.