SLUS714E January 2007 – June 2019 TPS40077
PRODUCTION DATA.
TPS40077 uses a closed-loop approach to ensure a controlled ramp on the output during start-up. Soft start is programmed by connecting an external capacitor (CSS) from the SS pin to GND. This capacitor is charged by a fixed current, generating a ramp signal. The voltage on SS is level-shifted down approximately 1 V and fed into a separate noninverting input to the error amplifier. The loop is closed on the lower of the level-shifted SS voltage or the 700-mV internal reference voltage. Once the level-shifted SS voltage rises above the internal reference voltage, output-voltage regulation is based on the internal reference. To ensure a controlled ramp-up of the output voltage, the soft-start time should be greater than the L-COUT time constant or Equation 11.
Note that there is a direct correlation between tSTART and the input current required during start-up. The lower tSTART is, the higher the input current required during start-up, because the output capacitance must be charged faster. For a desired soft-start time, the soft-start capacitance, CSS, can be found from Equation 12.