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The efficiency and performance of power supplies under light load conditions can be greatly reduced. As the average current requirement reduces, the amount of the current drawn from the power supply reduces but the peak-to-peak inductor ripple current remains the same. Under the acute light load condition, there is the potential for the inductor current to go negative. How the converter behaves under light road conditions is determined by the performance parameters of efficiency, peak to peak ripple and EMI.
Converters can be customized to operate in different modes depending upon these design parameters. These three modes differentiate how converters operate under light load conditions. They are:
- PWM mode (Pulse Width Modulation)
- DCM mode (Discontinuous Condition Mode)
- PCM Mode (Pulse-Frequency Modulation)
>Maxim buck converters can operate in each of these modes depending on the light load condition. >In the following video, you will learn how to use MAX17503 Eval Kit to optimize power supply performance in applications encountering light load conditions.
Time to watch - 5m 55s
Maxim Integrated related parts - MAX17503
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Maxim Integrated Step-Down Switching Regulators On-Line Selector Tool