
R1234D 
OPERATION of step-down DC/DC converter and Output Current 
12 
The step-down DC/DC converter charges energy in the inductor when L
X
 transistor is ON, and discharges the 
energy from the inductor when L
X
 transistor is OFF and controls with less energy loss, so that a lower output 
voltage than the input voltage is obtained. The operation will be explained with reference to the following 
diagrams: 
 
Step 1: P-channel Tr. turns on and current IL (
=
i1) flows, and energy is charged into CL. At this moment, IL 
increases from Ilmin (
=
0) to reach ILmax in proportion to the on-time period (ton) of P-channel Tr. 
 
Step 2: When P-channel Tr. turns off, Synchronous rectifier N-channel Tr. turns on in order that L maintains IL 
at ILmax, and current IL (
=
i2) flows. 
 
Step 3: IL (
=
i2) decreases gradually and reaches IL
=
ILmin
=
0 after a time period of topen, and N-channel Tr. 
Turns off. Provided that in the continuous mode, next cycle starts before IL becomes to 0 because toff 
time is not enough. In this case, IL value increases from this Ilmin (>0). 
In the case of PWM control system, the output voltage is maintained by controlling the on-time period (ton), 
with the oscillator frequency (fosc) being maintained constant. 
 
Discontinuous Conduction Mode and Continuous Conduction Mode 
Pch Tr 
L 
Nch Tr 
V
IN
i1 
V
OUT
CL 
i2 
GND
T
=
1/fosc 
ton
toff 
topen 
ILmin
ILmax 
IL
The maximum value (ILmax) and the minimum value (ILmin) of the current flowing through the inductor are the 
same as those when P-channel Tr. turns on and off. 
The difference between ILmax and ILmin, which is represented by 
I; 
I
=
ILmax
ILmin
=
V
OUT
×
topen/L
=
(V
IN
V
OUT
)
×
ton/L ........................................................Equation 1 
Where, t
=
1/fosc
=
ton
+
toff 
duty (%)
=
ton/t
×
100
=
ton
×
fosc
×
100 
topen
< 
=
 toff 
In Equation 1, V
OUT
×
topen/L and (V
IN
V
OUT
) 
×
ton/L are respectively shown the change of the current at ON, 
and the change of the current at OFF. 
When the output current (I
OUT
) is relatively small, topen < toff as illustrated in the above diagram. In this case, 
the energy is charged in the inductor during the time period of ton and is discharged in its entirely during the time 
period of toff, therefore ILmin becomes to zero (ILmin
=
0). When I
OUT
 is gradually increased, eventually, topen 
becomes to toff (topen
=
toff), and when I
OUT
 is further increased, ILmin becomes larger than zero (ILmin>0). The 
former mode is referred to as the discontinuous mode and the latter mode is referred to as continuous mode.