© 2011 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation www.fairchildsemi.com
FAN2365 • Rev. 1.11 12
FAN2365 — 15 A Synchronous Buck Regulator
Startup on Pre-Bias
FAN2365 allows the regulator to start on a pre-bias
output, VOUT, and ensures VOUT is not discharged during
the soft-start operation.
To guarantee no glitches on VOUT at the beginning of the
soft-start ramp, the LS is disabled until the first positive-
going edge of the PWM signal. The regulator is also
forced into PFM Mode during soft-start to ensure the
inductor current remains positive, reducing the
possibility of discharging the output voltage.
PVCC
The FAN2365 requires an external source connected to
the PVCC to supply power to the internal gate drivers.
The PVCC pin should be bypassed with a 2.2 µF
ceramic capacitor.
VCC Bias Supply and UVLO
The VCC rail supplies power to the controller. It is
generally connected to the PVCC rail through a low-
pass filter of a 10 resistor and 0.1 µF capacitor to
minimize any noise sources from the driver supply.
An Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO) circuit monitors the
VCC voltage to ensure proper operation. Once the VCC
voltage is above the UVLO threshold, the part begins
operation after an initialization routine of 50 µs. There is
no UVLO circuitry on either the PVCC or VIN rails.
Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM)
One of the key benefits of using a constant on-time
modulation scheme is the seamless transitions in and
out of Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM) Mode. The
PWM signal is not slave to a fixed oscillator and,
therefore, can operate at any frequency below the target
steady-state frequency. By reducing the frequency
during light-load conditions, the efficiency can be
significantly improved.
The FAN2365 provides a Zero-Crossing Detector (ZCD)
circuit to identify when the current in the inductor
reverses direction. To improve efficiency at light load,
the LS MOSFET is turned off around the zero crossing
to eliminate negative current in the inductor. For
predictable operation entering PFM mode the controller
waits for nine consecutive zero crossings before
allowing the LS MOSFET to turn off.
In PFM Mode, fSW varies or modulates proportionally to
the load; as load decreases, fSW also decreases. The
switching frequency, while the regulator is operating in
PFM, can be expressed as:
where L is inductance and IOUT is output load current.
Minimum Frequency Clamp
To maintain a switching frequency above the audible
range, the FAN2365 clamps the switching frequency to a
minimum value of 18 kHz. The LS MOSFET is turned on
to discharge the output and trigger a new PWM cycle.
Protection Features
The converter output is monitored and protected against
over-current, over-voltage, under-voltage, and high-
temperature conditions.
Over-Current Protection (OCP)
The FAN2365 uses current information through the LS
to implement valley-current limiting. While an OC event
is detected, the HS is prevented from turning on and the
LS is kept on until the current falls below the user-
defined set point. Once the current is below the set
point, the HS is allowed to turn on.
During an OC event, the output voltage may droop if the
load current is greater than the current the converter is
providing. If the output voltage drops below the UV
threshold, an overload condition is triggered. During an
overload condition, the SS clamp voltage is reduced to
40 mV and the on-time is fixed at the steady-state
duration. By nature of the control method; as VOUT drops,
the switching frequency is lower due to the reduced rate
of inductor current decay during the off-time.
The ILIM pin has an open-detection circuit to provide
protection against operation without a current limit.
Under-Voltage Protection (UVP)
If VFB is below the under-voltage threshold of -11% VREF
(534 mV), the part enters UVP and PGOOD pulls LOW.
Over-Voltage Protection (OVP)
There are two levels of OV protection: +11% and +22%.
During an over-voltage event, PGOOD pulls LOW.
When VFB is > +11% of VREF (666 mV), both HS and LS
turn off. By turning off the LS during an OV event, VOUT
overshoot can be reduced when there is positive
inductor current by increasing the rate of discharge.
Once the VFB voltage falls below VREF, the latched OV
signal is cleared and operation returns to normal.
A second over-voltage detection is implemented to
protect the load from more serious failure. When VFB
rises +22% above the VREF (732 mV), the HS turns off,
but the LS is forced on until a power cycle on VCC.
Over-Temperature Protection (OTP)
The FAN2365 incorporates an over-temperature
protection circuit that disables the converter when the
die temperature reaches 155°C. The IC restarts when
the die temperature falls below 140°C.
Power Good (PGOOD)
The PGOOD pin serves as an indication to the system
that the output voltage of the regulator is stable and
within regulation. Whenever VOUT is outside the
regulation window or the regulator is at over-
temperature (UV, OV, and OT), the PGOOD pin is
pulled LOW.
PGOOD is an open-drain output that asserts LOW when
VOUT is out of regulation or when OT is detected.