11

Current Sensing and Balancing

Overview

The HIP6311 samples the on-state voltage drop across each

synchronous rectifier FET, Q2, as an indication of the

inductor current in that phase, see Figure 7. Neglecting AC

effects (to be discussed later), the voltage drop across Q2 is

inductor current, is either 1/2, 1/3, or 1/4 of the total current

The voltage at Q2’s drain, the PHASE node, is applied to the

ISEN pin. This pin is held at virtual ground, so the current

following functions:

1. Detection of an over-current condition

2. Reduce the regulator output voltage with increasing load

current (droop)

with the current(s) detected in the other 1, 2, or 3 channels.

The averaged current is compared with a trimmed, internally

generated current, and used to detect an over-current

condition.

50

µA at full output load current, and the nominal trip point for

over-current detection is 165% of that value, or 82.5

µA.

4m

The over-current trip point would be 165% of 25A, or ~ 41A

over-current trip point, but it is suggested to stay within

±25%

of nominal.

resistors is also steered to the FB pin. There is no DC return

FIGURE 7. SIMPLIFIED FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM SHOWING CURRENT AND VOLTAGE SAMPLING

CURRENT

SENSING

COMPARATOR

PWM

CIRCUIT

AVERAGING

CURRENT

FROM

OTHER

CHANNELS

SAWTOOTH

GENERATOR

+

DIFFERENCE

+

CORRECTION

ERROR

AMPLIFIER

FB

COMP

REFERENCE

TO OTHER

CHANNELS

Q1

Q2

COMPARATOR

REFERENCE

TO OVER

CURRENT

TRIP

PHASE

INDUCTOR

CURRENT(S)

FROM

OTHER

CHANNELS

PWM

DAC

HIP6311

ONLY ONE OUTPUT

HIP6601

-

-

STAGE SHOWN

-

+

SENSING

-

+

-

+

HIP6311

HIP6311