The switch current limit prevents the device from high inductor current and from drawing excessive current from the battery or input voltage rail. Excessive current might occur with a shorted or saturated inductor or a heavy load or shorted output circuit condition. If the inductor current reaches the threshold I_LIM, cycle by cycle, the high-side MOSFET is turned off and the low-side MOSFET is turned on, while the inductor current ramps down to the low-side MOSFET current limit.

When the high-side MOSFET current limit is triggered 32 times, the device stops switching. The device then automatically re-starts with an internal soft start-up after a typical delay time of 128 µs has passed. This is named HICCUP short-circuit protection. The device repeats this mode until the high load condition disappears.