MPQ4432 - 36V, 2.2A, LOW IQ, SYNCHRONOUS STEP-DOWN CONVERTER

MPQ4432 Rev. 1.0

www.MonolithicPower.com

19

9/19/2016

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OPERATION

The

MPQ4432

is

a

high-frequency,

synchronous, rectified, step-down, switch-mode

converter with integrated, internal, high-side

and low-side power MOSFETs. The MPQ4432

offers a very compact solution that achieves

2.2A of continuous output current with excellent

load and line regulation over a wide 3.3V to 36V

input supply range. The MPQ4432 features

switching

frequency

programmable

from

350kHz to 2.5MHz, external soft start, power

good indication, and precision current limit. Its

very low operational quiescent current makes it

suitable for battery-powered applications.

Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Control

At

moderate-to-high

output

current,

the

MPQ4432 operates in a fixed-frequency, peak-

current-control mode to regulate the output

voltage. An internal clock initiates a PWM cycle.

At the rising edge of the clock, the high-side

power MOSFET (HS-FET) is turned on, and the

inductor current rises linearly to provide energy

to the load. The HS-FET remains on until its

current reaches the value set by the COMP

internal error amplifier. If the current in the HS-

the HS-FET remains on, saving a turn-off

operation. When the HS-FET is off, it remains

off until the next clock cycle begins. The low-

side MOSFET (LS-FET) turns on immediately

while the inductor current flows through it. To

avoid a shoot-through, dead time is inserted to

prevent the HS-FET and LS-FET from turning

on at the same time. For each turn on and turn

off in a switching cycle, the HS-FET remains on

and off with a minimum on and off time limit.

Forced CCM and AAM

The

MPQ4432

has

selectable

forced

continuous

conduction

mode

(CCM)

and

advanced asynchronous mode (AAM) (see

Figure 3). Drive SYNC above its specified

threshold before the chip starts up to force the

device into CCM with a fixed frequency,

regardless of the output load current. Once the

device is in CCM, SYNC can be pulled low

again or driven with an external clock if needed.

The advantage of CCM is a controllable

frequency and smaller output ripple, but it also

has low efficiency at light load.

Drive SYNC below its specified threshold or

leave SYNC floating before the chip starts up to

enable AAM power-save mode. The MPQ4432

first enters non-synchronous operation for as

long as the inductor current approaches zero at

light load. If the load is further decreased or is

sleep mode, consuming very low quiescent

current to further improve light-load efficiency.

In sleep mode, the internal clock is blocked first,

and the MPQ4432 skips some pulses. Since

reset, and the crossover time is taken as the

benchmark of the next clock. This control

scheme helps achieve high efficiency by scaling

down the frequency to reduce switching and

gate driver losses during light-load or no-load

conditions.

When the output current increases from light

switching frequency increases. If the DC value

resumes discontinuous conduction mode (DCM)

or CCM, which have a constant switching

frequency.

Forced CCM

Inductor

Current

t

t

t

Load

Decreased

AAM

Inductor

Current

t

t

t

Load

Decreased

Figure 3: Forced CCM and AAM

Error Amplifier (EA)

outputs a current proportional to the difference

between the two. This output current then

charges

or

discharges

the

internal

controls the power MOSFET current. The

optimized

internal

compensation

network

minimizes the external component count and

simplifies the control loop design.