A Low-Dropout Regulator With Smooth Peak Current Control Topology for Overcurrent Protection

Author

Hsieh, Chun-Yu ; Yang, Chih-Yu ; Chen, Ke-Horng

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Control Eng., Nat. Chiao Tung Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan

Volume

25

Issue

6

fYear

2010

fDate

6/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1386

Lastpage

1394

Abstract

The proposed low-dropout (LDO) regulator with a smooth peak current control (SPCC) circuit can be simultaneously controlled by using an error amplifier to regulate output voltage and a peak current controller as a means to limit its current level. The SPCC circuit can be switched smoothly between these two control mechanisms by detecting the information of load current and the dropout voltage. Measured results show that overcurrent protection can make the pass device operate as a current source while the load current exceed the peak current level. Moreover, the control mechanism can return to error amplifier control when load current becomes smaller than the limiting current, thus ensuring output voltage to be close to the rated value. Output voltage is stable and varies smaller than 15 mV when a 160 mA load current step or a 2 V supply voltage step is placed on this LDO regulator.

Keywords

CMOS analogue integrated circuits; amplifiers; electric current control; overcurrent protection; power integrated circuits; voltage control; voltage regulators; CMOS analog IC; SPCC circuit; current 160 mA; dropout voltage; error amplifier control; load current; low-dropout regulator; overcurrent protection; smooth peak current control topology circuit; voltage 2 V; CMOS analog ICs; MOSFET ICs; low-dropout (LDO) regulator; overcurrent protection (OCP);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0885-8993

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TPEL.2010.2040197

Filename

5378640