8.3.7 PWM Control

Signals from the error amplifier output, oscillator, and current limit circuit are processed by the PWM control logic. Referring to the internal block diagram, the control logic includes the PWM comparator, OR gate, PWM latch, and portions of the adaptive dead-time and control logic block. During steady-state operation below the current limit threshold, the PWM comparator output and oscillator pulse train alternately reset and set the PWM latch. Once the PWM latch is set, the low-side FET remains on for a minimum duration set by the oscillator pulse duration. During this period, the PWM ramp discharges rapidly to its valley voltage. When the ramp begins to charge back up, the low-side FET turns off and high-side FET turns on. As the PWM ramp voltage exceeds the error amplifier output voltage, the PWM comparator resets the latch, thus turning off the high-side FET and turning on the low-side FET. The low-side FET remains on until the next oscillator pulse discharges the PWM ramp.

During transient conditions, the error amplifier output could be below the PWM ramp valley voltage or above the PWM peak voltage. If the error amplifier is high, the PWM latch is never reset and the high-side FET remains on until the oscillator pulse signals the control logic to turn the high-side FET off and the low-side FET on. The device operates at its maximum duty cycle until the output voltage rises to the regulation set-point, setting VSENSE to approximately the same voltage as V_ref. If the error amplifier output is low, the PWM latch is continually reset and the high-side FET does not turn on. The low-side FET remains on until the VSENSE voltage decreases to a range that allows the PWM comparator to change states. The TPS54310 is capable of sinking current continuously until the output reaches the regulation set-point.

If the current limit comparator trips for longer than 100 ns, the PWM latch resets before the PWM ramp exceeds the error amplifier output. The high-side FET turns off and low-side FET turns on to decrease the energy in the output inductor and consequently the output current. This process is repeated each cycle in which the current limit comparator is tripped.