7.3.12 Output Overvoltage Protection (OVP)

The device incorporates an output OVP circuit to minimize output voltage overshoot. For example, when the power supply output is overloaded, the error amplifier compares the actual output voltage to the internal reference voltage. If the VSENSE pin voltage is lower than the internal reference voltage for a considerable time, the output of the error amplifier demands maximum output current. After the condition is removed, the regulator output rises and the error amplifier output transitions to the steady-state voltage. In some applications with small output capacitance, the power supply output voltage can respond faster than the error amplifier. This leads to the possibility of an output overshoot. The OVP feature minimizes the overshoot by comparing the VSENSE pin voltage to the OVP threshold. If the VSENSE pin voltage is greater than the OVP threshold, the high-side MOSFET is turned off, preventing current from flowing to the output and minimizing output overshoot. When the VSENSE voltage drops lower than the OVP threshold, the high-side MOSFET is allowed to turn on at the next clock cycle.