Author Topic: Am I correct in assuming this boost regulator has reverse voltage protection?  (Read 1209 times)

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Offline StarlordTopic starter

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http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps61253.pdf

The datasheet for this regulator mentions "reverse current protection" in regards to the shutdown mode, but it does not mention reverse voltage protection in general.

For example on page 16 it states:

Quote
Pulling the EN and BP pins low forces the device in shutdown, with a shutdown current of typically 1 ?A. In this
mode, true load disconnect between the battery and load prevents current flow from VIN to VOUT, as well as
reverse flow from VOUT to VIN.

And on page 17 it says:

Quote
9.3.3 Load Disconnect and Reverse Current Protection

Regular boost converters do not disconnect the load from the input supply and therefore a connected battery will
be discharged during shutdown. The advantage of TPS6125x is that this converter disconnects the output from
the input of the power supply when it is disabled (so called true shutdown mode). In case of a connected battery
it prevents it from being discharged during shutdown of the converter.

However if you look at the block diagram on page 15, there is a PFET between VOUT and SW, and no direct connection between VIN and VOUT aside from the inductor between VIN and SW. And the PFET is oriented such that the body diode, which is not pictured for whatever reason, should have the negative side pointed towards VOUT. So in theory, if I have 5V on VOUT from a USB port, it should not be able to flow back into my battery even if the battery is too dead for the regulator to output 5V, right?



 

Offline Wimberleytech

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However if you look at the block diagram on page 15, there is a PFET between VOUT and SW, and no direct connection between VIN and VOUT aside from the inductor between VIN and SW. And the PFET is oriented such that the body diode, which is not pictured for whatever reason, should have the negative side pointed towards VOUT. So in theory, if I have 5V on VOUT from a USB port, it should not be able to flow back into my battery even if the battery is too dead for the regulator to output 5V, right?

Shutdown operation depends on driving the gate of the PFET high during shutdown, to turn it off.  My guess is that the supply sourcing the control of that gate comes from Vin.  Therefore, if Vin were a dead battery, you may well have current flowing into the chip from Vout. 

I dont see enough detail in the datasheet to be absolutely confident in the analysis above
 

Offline StarlordTopic starter

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What about this one?

http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps61235p.pdf

The interesting thing about this one is that while in the first one the PFET is backwards, as one would use it in a reverse-polarity protection circuit, in this one it is forwards, but the body diode(s) are shown, and they're weird. Instead of one diode pointing towards the source, there are two facing each other, which would seem to indicate that no current can flow in either direction through the body diode.

But even so, I still can't tell if the PFET on VOUT will conduct to VIN under any circumstances.
 


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