Switching control circuit
View Patent ↗A switching control circuit comprises: an error amplifying circuit configured to output an error voltage obtained by amplifying an error between a feedback voltage corresponding to an output voltage and a lower voltage selected out of a first reference voltage increasing with time passage and a second reference voltage used as a reference for a target level; a comparison circuit configured to output a comparison signal obtained by comparing the feedback voltage with the error voltage output from the error amplifying circuit; and a drive circuit configured to output first and second control signals for controlling first and second transistors, respectively, in order to turn the output voltage to the target level by complementarily turning on and off the first and second transistors, after the error voltage exceeds the feedback voltage, based on the comparison signal output from the comparison circuit.
1. A switching control circuit controlling turning on and off of first and second transistors of a DC-DC converter that generates an output voltage at a target level from an input voltage input to the first transistor by complementarily turning on and off the first and second transistors connected in series, the switching control circuit comprising:
an error amplifying circuit configured to output an error voltage obtained by amplifying an error between a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage and a lower voltage selected out of a first reference voltage increasing with time passage and a second reference voltage used as a reference for the target level;
a comparison circuit configured to output a comparison signal obtained by comparing the feedback voltage with the error voltage output from the error amplifying circuit; and
a drive circuit configured to output first and second control signals for controlling the first and second transistors, respectively, in order to turn the output voltage to the target level by complementarily turning on and off the first and second transistors, after the error voltage exceeds the feedback voltage, based on the comparison signal output from the comparison circuit.
2. The switching control circuit of claim 1 , wherein
the drive circuit starts outputting the first and second control signals so as to turn on the first transistor before turning on the second transistor.
3. The switching control circuit of claim 2 , wherein
the drive circuit includes:
a start signal output circuit configured to output a switching start signal for starting output of the first and second control signals when the error voltage exceeds the feedback voltage, based on the comparison signal output from the comparison circuit;
a control signal output circuit configured to output the first and second control signals for turning off the first transistor and turning on the second transistor when the feedback voltage is higher than the error voltage, and to output the first and second control signals for turning on the first transistor and turning off the second transistor when the feedback voltage is lower than the error voltage, based on the comparison signal output from the comparison circuit; and
a drive control circuit configured to output the second control signal output from the drive circuit for turning on the second transistor to the second transistor when receiving input of the switching start signal from the start signal output circuit.
4. The switching control circuit of claim 1 , wherein
the drive circuit starts outputting the first and second control signals regardless of the comparison signal output from the comparison circuit when the first reference voltage exceeds a given voltage equal to or higher than the second reference voltage.
5. The switching control circuit of claim 3 , further comprising a reference voltage comparison circuit configured to output a comparison signal obtained by comparing the first reference voltage with a given voltage equal to or higher than the second reference voltage, wherein
the start signal output circuit outputs the switching start signal when the error voltage exceeds the feedback voltage or the first reference voltage exceeds the given voltage, based on the comparison signal output from the comparison circuit and on the comparison signal output from the reference voltage comparison circuit.
6. The switching control circuit of claim 4 , further comprising an error voltage control circuit configured to render the error voltage output from the error amplifying circuit as being a lower voltage selected out of the first and second reference voltages, up until the drive circuit starts outputting the first and second control signals.
7. The switching control circuit of claim 6 , wherein
the error voltage control circuit includes a switch circuit configured to apply the error voltage in replacement of the feedback voltage to an input terminal of the error amplifying circuit to which the feedback voltage is to be applied, up until the drive circuit starts outputting the first and second control signals.
8. The switching control circuit of claim 5 , further comprising a switch circuit configured to apply either the feedback voltage or the error voltage to the input terminal of the error amplifying circuit to which the feedback voltage is to be applied, wherein
the start signal output circuit raises the error voltage to a voltage corresponding to a lower voltage selected out of the first and second reference voltages by applying the error voltage to the input terminal via the switch circuit when the error voltage is lower than the feedback voltage, and applies the feedback voltage to the input terminal via the switch circuit when the error voltage is higher than the feedback voltage, based on the comparison signal output from the comparison circuit.