SBVS458A January 2025 – April 2025 TPS7B4261-Q1
PRODUCTION DATA
If the input voltage is lower than the nominal output voltage plus the specified dropout voltage, the device operates in dropout mode. In this mode, the output voltage tracks the input voltage. In this mode, the transient performance of the device becomes significantly degraded. During this mode, the pass transistor is driven fully on. Line or load transients in dropout potentially result in large output voltage deviations.
In the dropout state, the pass transistor of the tracker is driven into the ohmic or triode region. In this state, the input and output voltages are related as VIN < VOUT(NOM) + VDO. If the tracker device enters dropout directly from normal regulation, the pass transistor transitions from saturation to the triode region. From such a scenario, if the input voltage returns to a value VIN > VOUT(NOM) + VDO, the device exits dropout. The tracker takes a short period of time to pull the pass transistor back into saturation from the triode region. During this short time period when the device is exiting dropout, the output voltage potentially has a significant overshoot.