Electronic – Designing PSU: PSU Curent Limit Latching issue

circuit-designoperational-amplifierpower supply

The circuit below shows a part of a circuit that I am designing for a PSU. This is the first time I do anything even remotely this complex. Video playlist for context. Direct Link to the Testing discussed below

The problem I have with the circuit below is that as soon as the circuit goes into Current Limit mode, it pushes V-Out up to about 8V, and I cannot recover from this, even if I set the current limit much higher than where it initially latched. The only way to recover from this is to un-plug the circuit and then reset.

Current Limit and Voltage Set Circuit

(Note: Original Schematic improved for better readability as requested by Rohat Kılıç and replete)

What I think is happening is that when we go into Current Limit mode, and Q1 turns on, OpAmp (IC3A) tries to compensate for its output being pulled to ground, and somehow drives 8V across… Actually no… If Q1 is on, surely the maximum voltage that it could show would be 0.7V, no? How is that OpAmp able to sustain more than 8V with its output shorted to ground?

Some context

  • I-Sense senses the Current over a shunt resistor and can be 0-3V.
  • I-Set comes from a DAC with an upper reference voltage of 3.0V
  • V-Set comes from a similar DAC with the same 3.0V reference voltage
  • V-Out is the input to an LT3080 Linear Voltage Regulator and could range between 0 and 30 Volts
  • CLIM is purely a digital input to a micro controller to let it know when we are in Current Limit mode.

Before we go into Current Limit mode, everything seems to be working as expected.

Note that I am testing this with no load but there is a 10mA current source connected to the output of the LT3080 as stated by its spec sheet to allow varying the voltage down to 0V.

Update

@user55924: The Image below is what I see of Pin 1 of IC3A when the output is at about 1.7V. Is that expected? I would not have expected the pulse. Does this mean the V-Set signal is not smooth enough? Testing with a standard Arduino Mega PWM smoothed (somewhat) with a crude single stage RC filter. IC3B is off until it latches and then goes to VCC (34V in this case) as expected.

enter image description here

Best Answer

What is happening is you are triggering the LT-3080 foldback current limit. Foldback current limiting means the the regulator latches itself into a low current state.

LT-3080 has foldback current limiting

The only way to leave the foldback state is to cycle power. The reason this happens with no load is because the LT-3080 current limit drops to 0 according to note 9 in the data sheet.

differential greater than 25V

Once this happens, there is not enough current through the sense resistors to keep IC3B in the current limit state and your vout is free to rise.

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