Texas Instruments Corporation

Avadhut Junnarkar

Mustapha El-markhi

Taisuke Kazama

Vikram Joseph Mani

Mustapha El-Markhi

Neeraj Keskar

Sigfredo Gonzalez Diaz

A dual loop clamp circuit includes a clamp circuit and a low-side driver circuit. The clamp circuit includes a clamp enable output and a low-side clamp output. The low-side driver circuit includes a low-side control signal input and an output stage. The output stage includes a low-side drive output and an input. The low-side drive output is coupled to the low-side clamp output. The input of the output stage is coupled to the clamp enable output and the low-side control signal input.

Dual loop voltage clamp

The techniques and circuits, described herein, include solutions for latch-up prevention in multi-phase direct current (DC) to DC converters by ensuring safe pulse width modulation (PWM) control sequencing. In some aspects a latch-up pre-detection circuit has first and second detection inputs configured to receive high-side and low-side PWM signals respectively. The latch-up pre-detection circuit is configured to monitor for a transition from a first state to a second state based on the first and second detection inputs. The transition from the first state to the second state may be associated with condition(s) favorable for latch-up. Upon detecting the transition from the first state to the second state, the latch-up pre-detection circuit can output a pulse signal to temporarily override the unsafe PWM control sequence and reduce the possibility of latch-up.

Power stage safety and latch-up prevention in multi-phase DC-DC converter by ensuring safe pwm sequencing

A gate driver circuit includes a pull-up circuit, a pull-down circuit, a level shifter circuit, and a drive strength control circuit. The pull-up circuit includes a pull-up output, a first signal input, and a first enable input. The pull-up output is coupled to a gate drive output. The first signal input is coupled to a drive signal input. The pull-down circuit includes a pull-down output, a second signal input, and a second enable input. The pull-down output is coupled to the gate drive output. The second signal input is coupled to the drive signal input. The level shifter circuit includes a shifter output and a drive strength input. The shifter output is coupled to the first enable input and the second enable input. The drive strength control circuit includes a drive strength output coupled to the drive strength input.

Gate driver circuit

An adaptive clamp circuit includes a clamp circuit and a clamp control circuit. The clamp circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a variable resistor. The first transistor includes a first current terminal, a second current terminal, and a control terminal. The first current terminal is coupled to a switching terminal. The second current terminal is coupled to a ground terminal. The second transistor includes a first current terminal, a second current terminal, and a control terminal. The first current terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor. The second current terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the switching terminal. The variable resistor is coupled between the control terminal of the second transistor and the ground terminal. The clamp control circuit is coupled between the switching terminal and the variable resistor.

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McKinney, TX, United States of America

Avadhut Junnarkar