Intel Corporation

Eos Gmbh

James S Dinh

Robert D Wickersham

Edward L Payton

Daniel Kingsley

Tae Hong Kim

Hung-Piao Ma

Michael T Zhang

Gerald A Budelman

Peter T Li

Sergio Clavijo

Benson D Inkley

Michael P Archer

William G Rider

Donghwi Kim

An apparatus and methods for reducing overshoot and undershoot using a reconfigurable inductor in a switching voltage regulator. Specifically, the switching voltage regulator includes a reconfigurable inductor, the reconfigurable inductor has a conductive control ring, and the conductive control ring has an adjustable enclosed area controlled by at least a first switch, wherein the reconfigurable inductor has a varying inductance based on a state of at least the first switch and the adjustable enclosed area of the conductive control ring is shown.

Method and apparatus for reducing overshoot and undershoot using a reconfigurable inductor for switching mode voltage

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a primary voltage regulator to couple a regulated voltage to a processor via a supply line. This regulator includes a multi-phase controller to provide the regulated voltage in multiple phases and to provide a maximum current output sufficient to meet a thermal design power (TDP) of the processor. In addition, an auxiliary voltage regulator may be configured to provide an excess current to the processor via the supply line for a time limited duration, e.g., based on the supply line state. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Providing additional current capacity to a processor for a turbo mode

In some embodiments, a voltage regulator device may include a variable frequency voltage regulator, a sense circuit coupled to an output of the variable frequency voltage regulator, the sense circuit to sense a signal corresponding to an output condition of the variable frequency voltage regulator, and a frequency adjust circuit coupled between the sense circuit and the variable frequency voltage regulator, the frequency adjust circuit to dynamically adjust an operating frequency of the variable frequency voltage regulator based on the signal sensed by the sense circuit during operation of the variable frequency voltage regulator. For example, the frequency adjust circuit may be configured to adjust the operating frequency of the variable frequency voltage regulator over a range of frequencies for a corresponding range of sensed output conditions. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Voltage regulator controller frequency varied by load current

A number of output phases of a switching power supply are controlled, to regulate its output. An under-voltage condition is responded to, by overriding the control of the output phases, forcing some or all of the phases on, depending on a detected magnitude of a change in the power supply load. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Switching power supply transient suppression

A voltage converter includes a transformer circuit, a filter, and a controller. The transformer circuit is coupled to the filter, and the controller is coupled to the transformer circuit and the filter. The transformer circuit includes an input port and an autotransformer coupled to the input port. The voltage converter receives an input signal at the input port and generates a transformer output signal from a transformer output port. The filter receives the transformer output signal on a filter input port and the filter generates an output signal at an output port. The controller receives the output signal from the filter and provides one or more control signals to the transformer circuit to control the output signal. A method includes receiving a first input signal on an input port at a transformer circuit including a first coil and a second coil, activating a first switch to serially connect the first coil to the second coil, activating a second switch to connect the second coil to a second input port, deactivating the first switch and the second switch, and activating a third switch to connect the first input signal to the second input port.

Voltage converter

A system and method for automatically adjusting microprocessor activity following thermal stress of a voltage regulator is disclosed. A thermal monitoring circuit determines whether the voltage regulator has exceeded a predetermined temperature. The thermal monitoring circuit may employ a temperature-sensing component such as a thermistor to determine the temperature or may derive the temperature indirectly, based on the average input (or output) current. When the over-temperature condition occurs, a signal activates the PROCHOT#, or similar, pin on a microprocessor, throttling the microprocessor clock. Where the microprocessor includes no internal power-reducing feature, the signal throttles an external clock coupled to the microprocessor. In either case, execution of the microprocessor is slowed down. At all times, the voltage regulator maintains the ability to supply continuous current to the microprocessor.

Control of voltage regulator thermal condition

A buck converter is disclosed which prevents a voltage drop below a desired voltage when a load change occurs. The buck converter generates an override signal to turn on one or more switch devices in the circuitry. The effect of the override signal is to provide a sudden increase in the current supplied to a load, preventing the output voltage from dropping below the predetermined level. Sensing circuitry within the buck converter detects a voltage drop at the load, causing the override signal to be generated. The override signal may be a continuous signal or a one-shot pulse. Additional current sensing circuitry and the switch history of the buck converter determines the duration of the override signal for one embodiment and the number of switches activated within the buck converter.

Buck converter with transient suppression

A multi-phase DC&mdash;DC converter having redundant DC&mdash;DC phases or modules. If a DC&mdash;DC phase fails, such as from a short circuit, it is decoupled from the output of the DC&mdash;DC converter. In some embodiments, the other DC&mdash;DC phases bear the burden of the extra power output. In other embodiments, additional DC&mdash;DC phases are coupled in, in response to the failure.

Multi-phase DC&mdash;DC converter

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a DC-to-DC converter includes: a synchronous rectifier converter. The synchronous rectifier converter includes a buck converter. The transformer of the synchronous rectifier converter employs less than five windings on the secondary.

DC-to-DC converter providing high current and low voltage

An improved multi-phase voltage regulator is disclosed. That voltage regulator includes a multi-phase switching signal generator for generating a plurality of out of phase switching signals. Those switching signals define a fixed duty cycle for each of a plurality of switching voltage converters. A switching mechanism is coupled to the multi-phase switching signal generator. That switching mechanism has an input for receiving a feedback voltage and includes logic for enabling and disabling the multi-phase switching signal generator.

Gated multi-phase fixed duty cycle voltage regulator

A DC-to-DC regulator that includes a multi-phase synchronous buck regulator having a pulse width modulator to generate a plurality of switching signals, a plurality of drivers, each coupled to receive one of the switching signals, and a plurality of switching voltage converters, each coupled to receive an output from one of the drivers and an input voltage, wherein the outputs of the switching voltage converters are combined to form an output voltage. The multi-phase synchronous buck regulator can be implemented on a motherboard, such as on an interposer board or directly on a PU chip.

DC-to-DC controller having a multi-phase synchronous buck regulator

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a DC-to-DC converter package includes: a DC-to-DC converter circuit. The components of the DC-to-DC converter circuit that perform high frequency switching during converter operation are surface mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) so that the heat produced from the high frequency switching is approximately equally distributed at least over the portion of the PCB where the components are mounted.

Packaging of a DC-to-DC converter

A DC-to-DC converter, comprising: inverter means for receiving a DC input and providing as an output a high-frequency, alternately pulsed current waveform; a control winding for receiving the output of the inverter means, the control winding being wound on a common bobbin with first and second tank windings, the windings de-coupled on the bobbin so that there is a significant leakage inductance between the windings, the first and second tank windings having two discrete resonant frequencies on a common core and flux path, a main primary winding wound in series with the control winding, the main primary winding being wound onto a separate bobbin and residing on its own core leg and flux path, first and second secondary windings coupled with the main primary winding, the first and second secondary windings being wound out of phase with each other, the first and second secondary windings feeding, respectively, first and second diodes, the first and second diodes rectifying the alternately pulse current waveform generated by high-frequency operation of the inverter means.

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Gig Harbor, WA, United States of America

James S Dinh