Predictable Auxiliary Switching Strategy to Improve Unloading Transient Response Performance for DC–DC Buck Converter

In this paper, a novel control strategy is presented, which is capable of controlling a 12-V-1.5-V main buck converter and an auxiliary circuit to achieve significantly improved unloading response performance. While the charge balance controller minimizes the settling time of the main buck converter, the auxiliary circuit is controlled in boundary conduction mode (BCM) for a predictable pattern of auxiliary switching to reduce the output overshoot. Therefore, the reliability and dynamic performance of the entire system is significantly enhanced. Compared with existing technologies, the proposed BCM auxiliary switching strategy achieves improved output voltage overshoot and reduced auxiliary power losses at the same time. Furthermore, numerical analysis of the improved output voltage overshoot and reduced auxiliary power losses has been conducted for a design guideline. Finally, simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the proposed scheme on a 12-V-1.5-V 10-A buck converter prototype.