7.3.3 Pulse Skip Eco-mode

The TPS54360 operates in a pulse skipping Eco-mode at light load currents to improve efficiency by reducing switching and gate drive losses. If the output voltage is within regulation and the peak switch current at the end of any switching cycle is below the pulse skipping current threshold, the device enters Eco-mode. The pulse skipping current threshold is the peak switch current level corresponding to a nominal COMP voltage of 600 mV.

When in Eco-mode, the COMP terminal voltage is clamped at 600 mV and the high side MOSFET is inhibited. Since the device is not switching, the output voltage begins to decay. The voltage control loop responds to the falling output voltage by increasing the COMP terminal voltage. The high side MOSFET is enabled and switching resumes when the error amplifier lifts COMP above the pulse skipping threshold. The output voltage recovers to the regulated value, and COMP eventually falls below the Eco-mode pulse skipping threshold at which time the device again enters Eco-mode. The internal PLL remains operational when in Eco-mode. When operating at light load currents in Eco-mode, the switching transitions occur synchronously with the external clock signal.

During Eco-mode operation, the TPS54360 senses and controls peak switch current, not the average load current. Therefore the load current at which the device enters Eco-mode is dependent on the output inductor value. The circuit in Figure 34 enters Eco-mode at about 24 mA output current. As the load current approaches zero, the device enters a pulse skip mode during which it draws only 146 μA input quiescent current.