High frequency and low power semi-synchronous PFM state machine

The finite state machine (FSM) needed for the low power system pulse frequency modulated (PFM) mode in a buck converter is usually asynchronous because the fast clock needed for a synchronous FSM consumes too much power, or is maybe even not available. However, the implementation, verification and testing of a asynchronous FSM is complicated compared to an synchronous one. This paper presents a concept of a semi-synchronous FSM that combines the benefits of both synchronous and asynchronous state machines. The result is a FSM which runs at high clock frequency, consumes very little power and can be implemented, verified and tested as a synchronous FSM. This concept has been used to design a PFM FSM in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and in a 65 nm CMOS technology.