A High-Efficiency, Auto Mode-Hop, Variable-Voltage, Ripple Control Buck Converter

In this paper, a simple yet efficient auto mode-hop ripple control structure for buck converters with light load operation enhancement is proposed. The converter, which operates under a wide range of input and output voltages, makes use of a state-dependent hysteretic comparator. Depending on the output current, the converter automatically changes the operating mode. This improves efficiency and reduces the output voltage ripple for a wide range of output currents for given input and output voltages. The sensitivity of the output voltage to the circuit elements is less than 14%, which is seven times lower than that for conventional converters. To assess the efficiency of the proposed converter, it is designed and implemented with commercially available components. The converter provides an output voltage in the range of 0.9V to 31V for load currents of up to 3A when the input voltage is in the range of 5V to 32V. Analytical design expressions which model the operation of the converter are also presented. This circuit can be implemented easily in a single chip with an external inductor and capacitor for both fixed and variable output voltage applications.