Interpreting small signal behavior of the synchronous buck converter at light load

Abstract

The pulse-width-modulation (PWM) buck converter with synchronous rectifiers operating at light load is usually modeled by its continuous conduction mode (CCM) model. However, the actual power-stage small-signal control-to-output response shows a different behavior from what the traditional CCM model predicts, specifically, more damping around the double-pole frequency, instead of more resonance. This paper presents a modified small-signal light-load model for a synchronous buck converter. The developed model accurately predicts the actual small-signal behavior of a PWM converter at light load. The derived averaged switch model for light load can also be used for the small-signal models of the other basic PWM converters operating in CCM at light load.