
SLVSAL3B
– MARCH 2011 – REVISED MAY 2011
INRUSH OPERATION
When the TPS2470/1 activates MOSFET M1, a current flows into the downstream bulk storage capacitors. When
this current exceeds the limit threshold set by
Equation 1, the gate of the MOSFET is regulated by a feedback
loop to make the MOSFET current stay at a current level no more than the current limit threshold. This limits the
inrush current charging capacitance. The TIMER pin begins to charge the timing capacitor CT with a current of
approximately 10
μA. The TIMER pin continues to charge CT until V(GATE–VCC) reaches the timer activation
voltage (6 V for VVCC = 12 V). The TIMER then begins to discharge CT with a current of approximately 10 μA.
This indicates that the inrush mode is finished. If the TIMER exceeds its upper threshold of 1.35 V before
V(GATE–VCC) reaches the timer activation voltage, the GATE pin is pulled to GND and the hot-swap circuit enters
either latch mode (TPS24700) or auto-retry mode (TPS24701).
The current limit feature is disabled once the inrush operation is finished and the hot-swap circuit becomes a
circuit breaker. The TPS24700/1 turns off the MOSFET, M1, after a fault timer period once the load exceeds the
current limit threshold.
CIRCUIT BREAKER AND FAST TRIP
The TPS24700/1 monitors load current by sensing the voltage across RSENSE. The TPS24700/1 incorporates two
distinct thresholds: a current-limit threshold and a fast-trip threshold.
Figure 24 shows the behavior of the TPS24700/1 when a fault in the output load causes the current passing
through RSENSE to increase to a value above the current limit but less than the fast-trip threshold. When the
current exceeds the current-limit threshold, a current of approximately 10
μA begins to charge timing capacitor
CT. If the voltage on CT reaches 1.35 V, then the external MOSFET is turned off. The TPS24700 latches off and
the TPS24701 commences a restart cycle. Overload between the current limit and the fast-trip threshold is
permitted for this period. This shutdown scheme is sometimes called an electronic circuit breaker.
The fast-trip threshold protects the system against a severe overload or a dead short circuit. When the voltage
across the sense resistor RSENSE exceeds the 60-mV fast-trip threshold, the GATE pin immediately pulls the
external MOSFET gate to ground with approximately 1 A of current. This extremely rapid shutdown may
generate disruptive transients in the system, in which case a low-value resistor inserted between the GATE pin
and the MOSFET gate can be used to moderate the turnoff current. The fast-trip circuit holds the MOSFET off for
only a few microseconds, after which the TPS24700/1 turns back on slowly, allowing the current-limit feedback
loop to take over the gate control of M1. Then the hot-swap circuit goes into either latch mode (TPS24700) or
auto-retry mode (TPS24701).
Figure 26 and
Figure 27 illustrate the behavior of the system when the current
exceeds the fast-trip threshold.
The functions of circuit breaker and fast-trip turnoff are shown in
Figure 24 through
Figure 27.
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Copyright
2011, Texas Instruments Incorporated