NCP5314
http://onsemi.com
13
THEORY OF OPERATION
Overview
The NCP5314 DC/DC controller from ON Semiconductor
was developed using the Enhanced V
2
topology. Enhanced
V
2
combines the original V
2
topology with peak
currentmode control for fast transient response and current
sensing capability. The addition of an internal PWM ramp
and implementation of fastfeedback directly from Vcore
has improved transient response and simplified design. This
controller can be adjusted to operate as a two, three or
fourphase controller. Differential current sensing provides
improved current sharing and easier layout. The NCP5314
includes Power Good (PWRGD), providing a highly
integrated solution to simplify design, minimize circuit
board area, and reduce overall system cost.
Two advantages of a multiphase converter over a
singlephase converter are current sharing and increased
effective output frequency. Current sharing allows the designer
to use less inductance in each phase than would be required in
a singlephase converter. The smaller inductor will produce
larger ripple currents but the total perphase power dissipation
is reduced because the RMS current is lower. Transient
response is improved because the control loop will measure
and adjust the current faster with a smaller output inductor.
Increased effective output frequency is desirable because
the offtime and the ripple voltage of the multiphase
converter will be less than that of a singlephase converter.
Fixed Frequency MultiPhase Control
In a multiphase converter, multiple converters are
connected in parallel and are switched on at different times.
This reduces output current from the individual converters
and increases the ripple frequency. Because several
converters are connected in parallel, output current can ramp
up or down faster than a single converter (with the same
value output inductor) and heat is spread among multiple
components.
The NCP5314 controller uses fourphase, fixedfrequency,
Enhanced V
2
architecture to measure and control currents in
individual phases. In four phase mode, each phase is
delayed 90
°
from the previous phase (120
°
in threephase
mode). Normally, GATEx transitions to a high voltage at
the beginning of each oscillator cycle. Inductor current
ramps up until the combination of the amplified current
sense signal, the internal ramp and the output voltage ripple
trip the PWM comparator and bring GATEx low. Once
GATEx goes low, it will remain low until the beginning of
the next oscillator cycle. While GATEx is high, the
Enhanced V
2
loop will respond to line and load variations.
On the other hand, once GATEx is low, the loop cannot
respond until the beginning of the next PWM cycle.
Therefore, constant frequency Enhanced V
2
will typically
respond to disturbances within the offtime of the
converter.
Figure 17. Enhanced V
2
Control Employing Resistive Current Sensing and Internal Ramp
+
CSA
SWNODE
Lx
RLx
RSx
CSxP
COx
CSxN
+
V
OUT
(V
CORE
)
“FastFeedback”
Connection
+
PWM
COMP
To F/F
Reset
Channel
Startup
Offset
+
E.A.
DAC
Out
V
FB
COMP
Internal Ramp
+
x = 1, 2, 3 or 4
V
FFB
+
The Enhanced V
2
architecture measures and adjusts the
output current in each phase. An additional differential input
(CSxN and CSxP) for inductor current information has been
added to the V
2
loop for each phase as shown in Figure 17.
The triangular inductor current is measured differentially
across RS, amplified by CSA and summed with the channel
startup offset, the internal ramp and the output voltage at the
noninverting input of the PWM comparator. The purpose
of the internal ramp is to compensate for propagation delays
in the NCP5314. This provides greater design flexibility by
allowing smaller external ramps, lower minimum pulse
widths, higher frequency operation and PWM duty cycles
above 50% without external slope compensation. As the
sum of the inductor current and the internal ramp increase,
the voltage on the positive pin of the PWM comparator rises
and terminates the PWM cycle. If the inductor starts a cycle
with higher current, the PWM cycle will terminate earlier
providing negative feedback. The NCP5314 provides a
differential current sense input (CSxN and CSxP) for each
phase. Current sharing is accomplished by referencing all
phases to the same COMP pin, so that a phase with a larger