Load adaptive start-up scheme for synchronous boost DC-DC converter

Abstract

This paper presents a load adaptive soft-start scheme through which the inductor current of the synchronous boost DC-DC converter can trace the load current at the start-up stage. This scheme effectively eliminates the inrush-current and over-shoot voltage and improves the load capability of the converter. According to the output voltage, the start-up process is divided into three phases and at each phase the inductor current is limited to match the load. In the pre-charge phase, a step-increasing constant current gives a smooth rise of the output voltage which avoids inrush current and ensures the converter successfully starts up at different load situations. An additional ring oscillator operation phase enables the converter to start up as low as 1.4 V. When the converter enters into the system loop soft-start phase, an output voltage and inductor current detection methods make the transition of the phases smooth and the inductor current and output voltage rise steadily. Effective protection circuits such as short-circuit protection, current limit circuit and over-temperature protection circuit are designed to guarantee the safety and reliability of the chip during the start-up process. The proposed start-up circuit is implemented in a synchronous boost DC-DC converter based on TSMC 0.35 μm CMOS process with an input voltage range 1.4-4.2 V, and a steady output voltage 5 V, and the switching frequency is 1 MHz. Simulation results show that inrush current and overshoot voltage are suppressed with a load range from 0-2.1 A, and inductor current is as low as 259 mA when the output shorts to the ground.