Sandoval Galiana David Guillermo EDIS

MULTIPHASE BUCK REGULATOR DESIGN

1. INTRODUCTION

A multiphase buck regulator is a parallel set of buck power stages as shown in the Fig 1, each with its own
inductor and set of power MOSFETs. Collectively, these components are called a phase. These phases are
connected in parallel and share both input and output capacitors. During steady-state operation individual
phases are active at spaced intervals equal to 360°/n throughout the switching period where n is the total
number of phases.

Fig 1. Multiphase regulator

Compared to single-phase buck regulators, multiphase converters offer several key performance
advantages that make them the default choice for high power, high-performance applications:

a) Reduced input capacitance

Adding additional phases to a design decreases the RMS input current flowing through the decoupling
capacitors thereby reducing the ripple on the input voltage, 𝑉𝐼𝑁 . Fewer capacitors are then needed to
keep 𝑉𝐼𝑁 ripple within specifications.

b) Reduced output capacitance

Because all phases of a multiphase design are tied together at the output node, the inductor currents of
each phase are concurrently charging and discharging the output capacitors. This charging and discharging
produce one overall current, 𝐼𝑆𝑈𝑀 . Compared to the current of an individual phase 𝐼𝑆𝑈𝑀 has a lower peak-
to-peak value in steady-state.

c) Improved thermal performance and efficiency at high load currents

Multiphase regulators spread power loss evenly across all phases. Since each phase is dealing with only a
portion of the total output current selecting FETs and inductors becomes easier as less thermal strain is
placed on these components.

d) Improved transient over- and undershoot during load transients

During a transient, a multiphase controller will overlap phases during a load step or turn all phases off
during a load release, effectively putting the inductors in parallel with one another. This reduces
equivalent inductance, seen at the output node by a factor of n, where n is the total number of phases.
Sandoval Galiana David Guillermo EDIS

With a smaller equivalent inductance charge can quickly be supplied from the supply to the output
capacitors reducing undershoot. Overshoot is reduced as less excess charge stored in the inductors is
transferred to the output capacitors when the phases are all shut off.

2. DESIGN

We will use the next parameters to do our design, that is to have an output current of 80A.

𝑉𝐼𝑁 12𝑉
𝑉𝑂𝑈𝑇 1.2𝑉
𝐼𝑇 80𝐴
# 𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠 4
𝐼𝑃𝐻 20𝐴
𝐷 0.1
𝑓𝑠 480𝐾𝐻𝑧

To calculate the inductance used for each phase, we use the next formula:
𝑉𝑂𝑈𝑇 (1 − 𝐷) 1.2𝑉(1 − 0.1)
𝐿= = = 28.125𝑛𝐻
𝑓𝑠 ∙ 𝐼𝑇 (480𝐾𝐻𝑧)(80𝐴)

For the output capacitance, we use the next formula:

𝐼𝑃𝑃 80𝐴 ∙ 0.1
𝐶= = = 173.611𝜇𝐹
8 ∙ 𝑓𝑠 ∙ ∆𝑉𝑂𝑈𝑇 8 ∙ 480𝐾𝐻𝑧 ∙ 1.2𝑉 ∙ 0.01
Having the output current and output voltage specified, the required output resistance is:
𝑉𝑂𝑈𝑇 1.2𝑉
𝑅𝐿 = = = 15𝑚Ω
𝐼𝑇 80𝐴
For the phase control, we will use a multiphase buck converter controller. With the specifications of the
design, the best controller that we can use is a TPS40090 from Texas Instruments.

For the switching, we will use MOSFET drivers because they provide high speed, high current drive
capability for efficient switching conversion in AC-DC or DC-DC converters.
Sandoval Galiana David Guillermo EDIS

2.1 SCHEMATIC

2.2 PWM OUTPUTS

2.3 PHASE CURRENT

Sandoval Galiana David Guillermo EDIS

3. RESULTS

As we can see in Fig. 2, we obtain the desired values for output current and output voltage, but we have
a lot of ripple.

Fig 2. Output current and output voltage

To fix this ripple, we have to increase the value of the inductors, because reduces instability. We decided
to use 0.47µH.

Fig 3. Output current and output voltage with new inductors

As we can see, the ripple has been reduced significantly. Even though the output voltage is a little bit
higher of the expected (1.237V), the output current is the desired one.