An All-Digital Low-Noise Switching DC–DC Buck Converter Based on a Multi-sampling Frequency Delta-Sigma Modulation with Enhanced Light-Load Efficiency

Abstract

This paper presents an all-digital technique to control DC–DC switching buck converters for noise-sensitive low-power applications. The controller is designed based on a multi-sampling frequency digital delta-sigma modulator, whose sampling frequency is adjusted according to the load current. The proposed controller demonstrates the efficiency performance of the digital pulse-width modulation controller counterpart at heavy load while reducing output spikes by 37 dB without any additional processing. At light load, the controller scales down the switching frequency by scaling down delta-sigma modulator sampling frequency. Consequently, light-load efficiency is improved by more than 40% compared to its fixed frequency counterpart. In particular, the proposed solution adopts a unity-gain signal-transfer function delta-sigma modulator that avoids excess phase in the control loop. The proposed technique is compact, scalable and compatible with the standard digital CMOS implementation. Experimental and simulation results characterizing the proposed solution are provided.