LTC3868-1
13
38681fd
OPERATION
(Refer to the Functional Diagram)
current comparator, IR, turns off the bottom external
MOSFET just before the inductor current reaches zero,
preventing it from reversing and going negative. Thus,
the controller is in discontinuous operation.
In forced continuous operation or when clocked by an
external clock source to use the phase-locked loop (see
Frequency Selection and Phase-Locked Loop section),
the inductor current is allowed to reverse at light loads
or under large transient conditions. The peak inductor
current is determined by the voltage on the I
TH
pin, just
as in normal operation. In this mode, the effi ciency at light
loads is lower than in Burst Mode operation. However,
continuous operation has the advantages of lower output
voltage ripple and less interference to audio circuitry. In
forced continuous mode, the output ripple is independent
of load current.
When the PLLIN/MODE pin is connected for pulse-skipping
mode, the LTC3868-1 operates in PWM pulse-skipping
mode at light loads. In this mode, constant frequency
operation is maintained down to approximately 1% of
designed maximum output current. At very light loads, the
current comparator, ICMP, may remain tripped for several
cycles and force the external top MOSFET to stay off for
the same number of cycles (i.e., skipping pulses). The
inductor current is not allowed to reverse (discontinuous
operation). This mode, like forced continuous operation,
exhibits low output ripple as well as low audio noise and
reduced RF interference when compared to Burst Mode
operation. It provides higher light load effi ciency than
forced continuous mode, but not nearly as high as Burst
Mode operation.
Frequency Selection and Phase-Locked Loop
(FREQ and PLLIN/MODE Pins)
The selection of switching frequency is a trade off between
effi ciency and component size. Low frequency opera-
tion increases effi ciency by reducing MOSFET switching
losses, but requires larger inductance and/or capacitance
to maintain low output ripple voltage.
The switching frequency of the LTC3868-1’s controllers
can be selected using the FREQ pin.
If the PLLIN/MODE pin is not being driven by an external
clock source, the FREQ pin can be tied to SGND, tied to
INTV
CC
or programmed through an external resistor. Tying
FREQ to SGND selects 350kHz while tying FREQ to INTV
CC
selects 535kHz. Placing a resistor between FREQ and
SGND allows the frequency to be programmed between
50kHz and 900kHz.
A phase-locked loop (PLL) is available on the LTC3868-1
to synchronize the internal oscillator to an external clock
source that is connected to the PLLIN/MODE pin. The
phase detector adjusts the voltage (through an internal
lowpass fi lter) of the VCO input to align the turn-on of
controller 1’s external top MOSFET to the rising edge of
the synchronizing signal. Thus, the turn-on of controller
2’s external top MOSFET is 180 degrees out of phase to
the rising edge of the external clock source.
The VCO input voltage is prebiased to the operating fre-
quency set by the FREQ pin before the external clock is
applied. If prebiased near the external clock frequency,
the PLL loop only needs to make slight changes to the
VCO input in order to synchronize the rising edge of the
external clock’s to the rising edge of TG1. The ability to
prebias the loop fi lter allows the PLL to lock-in rapidly
without deviating far from the desired frequency.
The typical capture range of the phase-locked loop is from
approximately 55kHz to 1MHz, with a guarantee over all
manufacturing variations to be between 75kHz and 850kHz.
In other words, the LTC3868-1’s PLL is guaranteed to lock
to an external clock source whose frequency is between
75kHz and 850kHz.
The typical input clock thresholds on the PLLIN/MODE
pin are 1.6V (rising) and 1.1V (falling).
Output Overvoltage Protection
An overvoltage comparator guards against transient over-
shoots as well as other more serious conditions that may
overvoltage the output. When the V
FB
pin rises by more
than 10% above its regulation point of 0.800V, the top
MOSFET is turned off and the bottom MOSFET is turned
on until the overvoltage condition is cleared.
