
www.ti.com
Selecting the Short Circuit Current Limit Threshold
Synchronous Rectification and Gate Drive
Gate Drive Resistors
SLUS777 – NOVEMBER 2007
preventing further current ramp-up, and sets the fault counter to count up one count on the next clock cycle.
Similarly, if no OC pulse is detected, the fault counter decrements by one count. If seven OC pulses are
summed, a fault condition is declared and the upper switch of the PWM output of the chip is immediately
disabled (turned OFF) and remains that way until the fault time-out period has elapsed. Both HDRV and LDRV
drivers are kept OFF during the fault time-out.
The fault time-out period is determined by cycling through seven internal soft-start time periods. At the end of the
fault time-out period, startup is attempted again.
The main purpose is for hard fault protection of the power switches. The internal SCC voltage has a positive
temperature coefficient designed to improve the short circuit threshold tolerance variation with temperature.
However, given the tolerance of the voltage thresholds and the RDS(on) range for a MOSFET, it is possible to
apply a load that thermally damages the external MOSFETs.
The TPS40042 uses one of three user selectable voltage thresholds. During the calibration interval at power on
or enable (
Figure 15), the TPS40042 monitors the current out of the COMP pin and selects a threshold based on
the sensed value. If the current is zero; that is, no resistor is connected between COMP and GND, then the
threshold voltage level is 180 mV. If a 2.4-k
resistor is connected between COMP and GND, then the threshold
voltage level is 105 mV. If a 12-k
resistor is connected between COMP and GND, then the threshold voltage is
310 mV.
Once calibration is complete, the selected SCP threshold level is latched into place and remains constant. In
addition, the sensing circuits on COMP pin during calibration are disconnected from the COMP pin, and soft start
is allowed to begin.
In a buck converter, when the upper switch MOSFET turns off, current is flowing in the inductor to the load. This
current cannot be stopped immediately without using infinite voltage. To give this current a path to flow and
maintain voltage levels at a safe level, a rectifier or catch device is used. This device can be either a diode, or it
can be a controlled active device. The TPS40042 provides a signal to drive an N-channel MOSFET as a
synchronous rectifier (SR). This control signal is carefully coordinated with the drive signal for the main switch so
that there is minimum dead time from the time that the SR turns OFF and the upper switch MOSFET turns ON,
and minimum delay from when the upper switch MOSFET turns OFF and the SR turns ON.
NOTE:
The longer the time spent in diode conduction during the rectifier conduction period,
the lower the converter efficiency.
The drivers for the external HDRV and LDRV MOSFETs are capable of driving a gate to source voltage of
approximately 5 V. At VDD = 5 V, the drivers are capable of driving MOSFETs appropriate for a 15-A converter.
The LDRV driver switches between VDD and ground, while HDRV driver is referenced to SW and switches
between BOOT and SW. The drivers have non-overlapping timing that is governed by an adaptive delay circuit
that minimizes body diode conduction in the synchronous rectifier.
The TPS40042’s adaptive gate delay circuitry monitors the HDRV-to-SW and LDRV-to-GND voltages to
determine the state of the external MOSFET switches. Any voltage drop across an external series gate drive
resistor is sensed as reduced gate voltage during turn-off and may interfere with the MOSFET timing.
DESIGN
A resistor should never be placed in series with the synchronous rectifiers gate
HINT:
and the gate trace should be kept as short as practical in the layout.
Copyright 2007, Texas Instruments Incorporated
13