Application Report

SLUA834 – August 2017

Improving Transient Response in LLC Converters Using

Hybrid Hysteretic Control

ABSTRACT
Transient response is a key performance metric in power converter design which describes how a
converter responds to a sudden change in load current. This metric is important to satisfy voltage
regulation requirements for dynamic loading conditions and typically requires bulk output capacitance to
limit output voltage deviation. Transient response is dependent on the loop response of a converter where
the bandwidth and phase margin impacts how quickly the converter responds to a transient event as well
as the settling time behavior of the output voltage. The traditional frequency control method used in LLC
converter is difficult to compensate and offers limited bandwidth. An innovative control method, hybrid
hysteretic control (HHC), offers superior transient performance by simplifying the LLC power stage into a
single pole system which is easier to compensate and achieves a higher bandwidth. This control strategy
offers system benefits by minimizing the amount of necessary bulk output capacitance needed to meet a
given voltage regulation requirement, allowing for reduced BOM count and smaller solution size.

Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2
2 Importance of Transient Response ........................................................................................ 2
3 Direct Frequency Control vs Hybrid Hysteretic Control ................................................................. 3
4 Transient Response Comparison ......................................................................................... 5
5 References ................................................................................................................... 6

List of Figures
1 Transient Response Example .............................................................................................. 2
2 DFC Block Diagram ......................................................................................................... 3
3 HHC Block Diagram ......................................................................................................... 4
4 HHC Gate Control Principle ................................................................................................ 4
5 DFC Loop Response ........................................................................................................ 5
6 DFC Transient Response ................................................................................................... 5
7 HHC Loop Response........................................................................................................ 6
8 HHC Transient Response .................................................................................................. 6
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1 Introduction
Transient response is a performance metric in power design which characterizes how a power supply will
respond to a rapid change in output load current. Ideally, the output of a power converter has little to no
change during a load step. In practice however, some variation in the output voltage is encountered. A
number of important factors must be considered when analyzing the transient response of a power
converter such as the maximum deviation of the output voltage, the amount of time it takes the output
voltage to return to its regulated set point, and the settling behavior of the output voltage. Figure 1 shows
a transient response example

Output voltage
(AC coupled)

Load current

Figure 1. Transient Response Example

As shown in Figure 1, when a sudden increase in load current occurs, the output voltage droops because
the converter control loop is unable to respond to the increased load demand instantaneously. As a result,
the output capacitance supplies the extra charge to the load and the output voltage decreases. The
control loop eventually responds to this behavior and brings the output voltage back to its regulated set
point. A similar behavior is observed when a sharp decrease occurs in load current. As the converter
control loop is unable to respond to the decreased load instantaneously, excess charge accumulates on
the output capacitance and the output voltage increases. The time it takes for the output voltage to return
to its regulated set point is known as the settling time. In addition, returning the output voltage to
regulation in a smooth manner with minimal ringing is desirable.

2 Importance of Transient Response

Good transient response is a key component of power design and will impact design choices in a number
of ways. Designing the power converter to maintain the output voltage within the required regulation range
when subjected to the expected worst case transient load condition is important. Severe output voltage
deviation can cause subsequent equipment malfunction or even shut down.
Transient response is directly correlated to the loop response of a power converter. The bandwidth of the
control loop determines how quickly the converter responds to a transient event. Higher bandwidth results
in a faster response time. In addition, the settling time behavior is impacted by the control-loop phase
margin. Insufficient phase margin results in an underdamped response and ringing will occur in the output
voltage. A minimum of 45° of phase margin is strongly recommended to minimize the possibility of
unstable operation because of a transient condition. Bulk output capacitance is also important to limit
deviation in the output voltage. More output capacitance can help reduce the output voltage deviation,
however, limiting the amount of bulk capacitance required to minimize cost and solution size is desirable.

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3 Direct Frequency Control vs Hybrid Hysteretic Control

The conventional control method for LLC resonant converters is direct frequency control (DFC) where the
switching frequency is determined by the voltage loop output directly. Figure 2 shows a simplified block
diagram of DFC.

Q1

VIN
T1
Lr D1 VOUT
n:1:1

Lm
Q2

Cr
D2

C1
R1
VS R2
Frequency
Modulator
R4 R3
Gate ± RT
±
Drive fSW
Control +
Vref RX
RS
CTR

Gm(s) Gc(s)

Modulator Block Compensation Block

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Figure 2. DFC Block Diagram

With DFC, feedback from the compensation block is used to determine an appropriate frequency of the
gate drive signals. Adjustment of the switching frequency modifies the gain of the modulator block with the
goal being to adjust the gain to achieve the desired output voltage. This method has a proven history but
can be difficult to compensate because of complexity of the modulator transfer function and its
dependency on the LLC operating point. Optimal compensation can require complex computational
modeling and iterative experimentation.
An innovative control method known as hybrid hysteretic control (HHC) is implemented in UCC25630x.
HHC uses a combination of frequency control and charge control. Figure 3 shows a simplified block
diagram of HHC. The resonant capacitor voltage is sampled through a capacitive divider formed by C1
and C2. This sampled resonant capacitor voltage, VCR, is connected to two current sources which are
controlled by the gate drive signals. By sourcing or sinking current at the VCR node, a triangular
compensation ramp is added to the sampled resonant capacitor voltage.

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HO

LO Cr
Vref

C1 +
HO

±
VCOMP
VCR Control Loop

+
C1 LO
±

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Figure 3. HHC Block Diagram

Switching logic is derived from VCR and loop compensator output, VCOMP. The common mode voltage on
the VCR pin is VCM. The VCM voltage and the amplitude of the VCOMPoutput are used to generate two logic
thresholds, VTHH and VTHL. Use Equation 1 to calculate VTHH and Equation 2 to calculate VTHL.

(1)

(2)
The VCR pin voltage is compared to these logic thresholds. When the VCR voltage is greater than the VTHH
threshold, the high-side switch is turned off. When the VCR voltage is less than the VTHL threshold, the low-
side switch is turned off. The HO and LO turn-on edges are controlled by the adaptive dead-time circuit.

HS

LS

ûV&5¶
VTH(H)
VCR ûVCR
VTH(L)

t2 t3
t1 t4

Figure 4. HHC Gate Control Principle

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www.ti.com Transient Response Comparison

Comparing HHC with traditional frequency control, this control method simplifies the power stage into a
first-order system which not only greatly simplifies compensation, but also makes high bandwidth
achievable. In addition, the control effort is directly related to input current charged to the resonant tank, it
has inherent input feedforward, resulting in excellent input line transient response.

4 Transient Response Comparison

Figure 5shows the loop response of a LLC converter using DFC. The bandwidth of this converter is 1.75
kHz with a phase margin of 60°.
50 150
Gain
40 Phase 120
30 90

20 60

Phase (° )
Gain (dB)

10 30
0 0
±10 ±30
±20 ±60
±30 ±90
±40 ±120
±50 ±150
0.10 1 10
Frequency (kHz)

Figure 5. DFC Loop Response

While this converter has good phase margin, it has poor bandwidth, indicating the LLC requires a
significant amount time to react to a transient event. Figure 6 shows the transient response for this
converter where the output current is stepped from no load to full load. As expected, a substantial dip in
the output voltage occurs during the transient event. The worst-case output-voltage deviation is more than
20% and requires more than 2 ms for the converter to bring the output voltage back within regulation.

Output voltage

Output current

Figure 6. DFC Transient Response

For comparison, Figure 7 shows the loop response of an LLC converter using HHC. A bandwidth of 6 kHz
and phase margin of 50° is achieved.

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60 125

Phase (Degrees)
Gain (dB)

-60 -180
100 100 000
Frequency (Hz)

Figure 7. HHC Loop Response

The transient response is shown in Figure 8 where the output current is stepped from no load to full load.
The greater bandwidth allows the converter to respond significantly faster, limiting the maximum deviation
in the output voltage to 1.25%. The output voltage is brought back to regulation within 200 µs.

Output voltage

Output current

Figure 8. HHC Transient Response

The improved transient performance of hybrid hysteretic control enables (HHC) further optimization of LLC
design. When the LLC uses HHC, it require less output capacitance to meet a given requirement for
output voltage regulation. As such, HHC enables reduction in bill of materials (BOM) count and smaller
solution size for applications requiring LLC topology.

5 References
For additional reference, refer to:
• Feedback Loop Design of an LLC Resonant Power Converter application report
• UCC256301 Enhanced LLC Resonant Controller with High Voltage Gate Driver data sheet

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