Patent ID: 8294436

Claim:
A DC/DC converter, comprising: an input connection to receive an input voltage; an output connection to provide an output voltage; a reference potential connection; an inductive element having a first terminal connected to the input connection; a first switching element coupling a second terminal of the inductive element to the reference potential connection; a second switching element coupling the second terminal of the inductive element to the output connection, the second switching element being a p-channel field effect transistor, P-FET; and a control unit comprising a detection unit which is configured to detect a first mode of operation in which the input voltage is higher than a desired value of the output voltage; wherein the control unit is configured, upon detection of the first mode of operation, during a first phase, to control the first switching element to a closed state and the second switching element to an open state, during a second phase which comprises a first sub-phase and a second sub-phase, to control the first switching element to an open state, during the first sub-phase, to control the second switching element to a closed state, and, during the second sub-phase, to provide a control voltage to a gate terminal of the second switching element which is higher than a difference between the output voltage and a threshold voltage of the second switching element.