Controller having comp node voltage shift cancellation for improved discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) regulator performance and related methods

1. A modulation controller for a switching regulator having an output voltage (V OUT ) and providing a load current, comprising:

an error amplifier which receives a reference voltage and a feedback voltage proportional with the output voltage (V OUT ) at its inputs and provides a V COMP signal at its output;

at least one comparator, a first input of the comparator coupled to an output of the error amplifier and a second input coupled to receive a ramp signal;

a V COMP shift cancellation circuit generating a V COMPADJ signal based on the V COMP signal and on a difference in duty cycle (ΔD) between a duty cycle while the switching regulator being controlled is in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) and the duty cycle while the switching regulator being controlled is in continuous-conduction-mode (CCM); and

wherein the V COMP shift cancellation circuit reduces a variation in average V COMP due to load current changes.

2. The controller of claim 1 , further comprising a pulse timing circuit, wherein an output of the comparator is coupled to a first input of the pulse timing circuit, a second input of the pulse timing circuit coupled to receive a timing signal, an output of the pulse timing circuit providing a modulation signal.

3. The controller of claim 2 , wherein the pulse timing circuit comprises a Set-Reset (SR) flip-flop.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the V COMPADJ signal is generated by multiplying a peak-to-peak (pk-pk) voltage of said ramp signal with said ΔD.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the ΔD is generated from a time duration of the zero inductor current state during DCM operation.

6. The controller of claim 5 , wherein the ΔD is obtained by ratioing the duration having zero inductor current by a total inductor conduction duration.

7. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the V COMP shift cancellation circuit is interposed between the ramp signal and the second input of the comparator.

8. The controller of claim 7 , wherein the ramp signal is an up-ramp signal, the V COMP shift cancellation circuit providing a current source which implements ramp slew rate adjustment for said up-ramp signal.

9. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the V COMP shift cancellation circuit comprises a voltage divider, a divider ratio of the voltage divider being adjusted based on a conduction duration of inductor current provided by the switching regulator.

10. A switching regulator, comprising:

a modulation controller, comprising:

an error amplifier which receives a reference voltage and a feedback voltage proportional with an output voltage of the regulator (V OUT ) controlled by the modulation controller at its inputs and provides a V COMP signal at its output;

at least one comparator, a first input of the comparator coupled to an output of the error amplifier and a second input coupled to receive a ramp signal, wherein a V COMP shift cancellation circuit is coupled to at least one of the first or the second input of the comparator, the V COMP shift cancellation circuit comprising:

a summing node, the summing node receiving the V COMP signal and an adaptive V COMP offset voltage signal and outputting an adjusted V COMP signal (V COMPADJ );

wherein the V COMP shift cancellation circuit reduces a variation in average V COMP ; and

a pulse timing circuit, wherein an output of the comparator is coupled to a first input of the pulse timing circuit, a second input of the pulse timing circuit coupled to receive a timing signal, an output of the pulse timing circuit providing a modulation signal;

at least one driver having an input coupled to receive the modulation signal and an input to receive a mode select signal, the mode select signal causing the driver to determine whether the regulator is in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) or continuous-conduction-mode (CCM), and

an output stage comprising at least one output transistor having an input coupled to an output of the driver, the output transistor adapted for driving an inductor in series with a grounded capacitor, wherein V OUT signal is at a node between the inductor and the capacitor, the V OUT signal generating a load current across a load when connected across the capacitor.

11. The regulator of claim 10 , wherein the adaptive V COMP offset voltage signal is based on a difference in duty cycle (ΔD) between a duty cycle while the regulator is in the DCM and the duty cycle while the regulator is in the CCM.

12. A method of controlling a voltage regulator to improve discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) performance, comprising the steps of:

providing a modulation controller having an error amplifier which receives a reference voltage and an output voltage (V OUT ) from a regulator being controlled by the controller at its inputs and provides a V COMP signal at its output, and at least one comparator, a first input of the comparator coupled to an output of the error amplifier and a second input coupled to receive a ramp signal, and

during operation of the regulator, wherein the regulator switches between DCM and continuous-conduction-mode (CCM), performing V COMP shift cancellation while in the DCM by generating an offset voltage based on a duty cycle difference between the CCM and the DCM and adding the offset voltage to the V COMP signal, wherein the V COMP shift cancellation reduces a variation in average V COMP during said DCM.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein performing V COMP shift cancellation further comprises adjusting a slew rate of the ramp signal.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein performing V COMP shift cancellation further comprises:

obtaining a ratio of a duty cycle in the DCM and a duty cycle in the CCM; and

generating a divider ratio adjustment for the V COMP signal using the ratio.

15. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the V COMP shift cancellation circuit comprises a summing node, the summing node receiving the V COMP signal and an adaptive V COMP offset voltage signal.

16. A method of controlling a voltage regulator to improve discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) performance, comprising the steps of:

providing a modulation controller having an error amplifier which receives a reference voltage and an output voltage (V OUT ) from a regulator being controlled by the controller at its inputs and provides a V COMP signal at its output, and at least one comparator, a first input of the comparator coupled to an output of the error amplifier and a second input coupled to receive a ramp signal; and

performing V COMP shift cancellation while in the DCM, when the regulator switches between DCM and continuous-conduction-mode (CCM) during operation of the regulator, wherein the V COMP shift cancellation reduces a variation in average V COMP during said DCM, comprising:

obtaining a ratio of a duty cycle in the DCM and a duty cycle in the CCM; and

generating a divider ratio adjustment for the V COMP signal using the ratio.