Description

The TPS40180 is a single synchronous buck controller that can be stacked for a multiphase output. The controller has an input voltage rating of 4.5 to 15 V for the chip VCC and 2 to 40 V for the power stage. It will work in many applications with 5: 12 and 24 V inputs. The controller can be used to make single output systems up to 8 phases. Current mode control uses the inductor DCR to minimize impacts on the efficiency. A current sense resistor could be used for improved accuracy. Additionally: the chip features a 700 mV-reference with better than 1% accuracy over temperature. This circuit uses three TPS40180s to create a three-phase synchronous buck. A buck is typically used when the output voltage is always lower than the input voltage. Key considerations for this design are high output current and synchronized switching. The TPS40180 provides a CLKIO pin that can be connected between devices to create up to 8 phases that are optimally shifted. The converter in this case is 12 V to 1.8 V @ 60 A.