Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Justin Shi

Alan S Roth

Eric Soenen

Martin Kinyua

Justin Gaither

Ying-Chih Hsu

Yue-Der Chih

Wen-Shen Chou

Guang-Cheng Wang

Chien-Chung Tseng

A method comprises coupling a charge phase circuit and a battery phase circuit to a battery, in a charge mode, turning on a plurality of first switches and turning off a plurality of second switches to connect the charge phase circuit to the battery and in a battery mode, turning on the plurality of second switches and turning off the plurality of first switches to connect the battery phase circuit to the battery.

Battery fuel gauge apparatus

A battery fuel gauge apparatus comprises a protection device coupled to a battery pack, a current mirror device, wherein a first terminal of the current mirror device is connected to a first terminal of the protection device through a first switch and a second terminal of the current mirror device is connected to a second terminal of the protection device through a second switch, a sensing device coupled to the current mirror device, a transistor coupled to the sensing device and an operational amplifier comprising a first input coupled to the protection device, a second input coupled to the current mirror device and an output coupled to the transistor.

A regulator includes a controller, a driving unit, a digital-to-analog converter, and a comparator. The controller outputs a digital reference voltage and a control signal responsive to a comparison signal. The driving unit generates an output voltage at a first node responsive to the control signal. The digital-to-analog converter generates an analog reference voltage responsive to the digital reference voltage. The comparator generates the comparison signal based on the analog reference voltage and the output voltage.

Dynamic control loop for switching regulators

A comparator circuit includes a comparator, a first selection circuit, and a switched-capacitor circuit. The comparator has a first terminal, a second terminal, and an output terminal. The comparator is configured to generate an output signal at the output terminal based on a first signal on the first terminal and a second signal on the second terminal. The first selection circuit is coupled with the first terminal of the comparator and configured to selectively set a first input signal or a first calibration signal as the first signal in response to a control signal. The switched-capacitor circuit is coupled with the output terminal and the second terminal of the comparator. The switched-capacitor circuit is configured to adjust and output the second signal based on the output signal.

Comparator circuit having a calibration circuit

A power management circuit and method are described. In the method, whether a first voltage and/or a voltage source are present is determined. Based on a first result of the determination, the first voltage is converted to a second voltage. A boost converter is used to convert the second voltage to a third voltage. Alternatively, based on a second result of the determination, a buck converter is used to convert the third voltage to the second voltage.

Power management circuit and method

A power converter includes a first stage voltage modulator configured to receive an input voltage and provide a modulated voltage. A second stage power converter is configured to receive the modulated voltage and vary a switching frequency of the second stage power converter in accordance with the modulated voltage to provide an output voltage.

Spread spectrum power converter

A DC to DC converter includes a switching circuit and a controller. The switching circuit includes an inductor coupled to first and second voltage supply nodes and to a plurality of output loads. The controller is configured to monitor a current through the inductor and to selectively couple the inductor to each of the plurality of output loads such that at least one of the following criteria is met: 1) an average current through the inductor is minimized for the particular output loads coupled to the switching circuit, or 2) minimize a number of times the switching circuit is switched during a charging period for the particular output loads coupled to the switching circuit.

Single-inductor multiple-output DC to DC converter

A circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The ADC is configured to receive an analog feedback signal and an analog input signal and generate a digital output. The circuit further includes a digital filter configured to filter the digital output and a noise shaper. The noise shaper is configured to truncate the filtered digital output and generate a noise shaper output, and to shape quantization noise generated during truncation. The circuit further includes a pulse width modulation digital-to-analog converter (PWM DAC) configured to process the truncated digital output of the noise shaper output and generate a PWM DAC output.

Noise shaping for digital pulse-width modulators

An apparatus for controlling slew rate is coupled to two adjustable voltage rails. The output of the apparatus is coupled to the gate of a switching element. By employing two adjustable voltage rails, the slew rate of the switching element is proportional to the voltage difference between the first adjustable rail and the second adjustable rail. The slew rate control apparatus can be applied to a variety of switching elements including N channel Field Effect Transistors (NFETs), P channel Field Effect Transistors (PFETs), current mode logic circuits and level shifter circuits.

Apparatus for controlling slew rate

A driver circuit includes first switch, configured to selectively couple a first driving node to a power supply node, and a second switch, configured to selectively couple a second driving node to a ground node. The first driving node is coupled to each transistor in a first set of PMOS transistor(s) and the second driving node is coupled to each transistor in a second set of NMOS transistor(s). The driver circuit is configured to propagate a first drive signal in a first direction along an electrical path for biasing the first and second sets of transistors when the transistors in the first set, before receiving the first drive signal, are in a first state. The driver circuit is configured to propagate a second drive signal in a second direction along the path when the transistors in the first set, before receiving the second drive signal, are in a second state.

Gate driver circuit and method

A battery fuel gauge apparatus comprises a current amplifier formed by a first transistor and a second transistor. Both transistors operate in the same operation conditions except that the second transistor has a smaller channel width in comparison with that of the first transistor. The first transistor is connected in series with a battery pack. The second transistor is connected in series with a sensing device. The sensing device comprises a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series. The first resistor has a positive temperature coefficient and the second resistor has a negative temperature coefficient.

A circuit including an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The ADC is configured to receive an analog feedback signal and an analog input signal and generate a digital output. The circuit further includes a noise shaper. The noise shaper is configured to truncate the digital output and generate a noise shaper output having a lower number of bits than the digital output, and to shape quantization noise generated during truncation. The circuit further includes a pulse width modulation digital-to-analog converter (PWM DAC). The PWM DAC configured to process the truncated digital output of the noise shaper output and generate a PWM DAC output.

A switching regulator includes a high side driver electrically coupled with a power line that is configured to provide a supply voltage. A low side driver is electrically coupled between the high side driver and ground. A regulator control circuit is electrically coupled with a gate of the high side driver and a gate of the low side driver. The regulator control circuit is configured to pre-charge a first node between the regulator control circuit and the gate of the high side driver to a first voltage level and to boost the first node to a second voltage level that is higher than the first voltage level to turn on the high side driver.

Switching regulator and method for operating the same

A comparator has a first terminal, a second terminal, and an output terminal. A selection circuit is coupled to the first terminal. A calibration circuit is coupled to the output terminal and the second terminal. The comparator is configured to operate in a first mode when the selection circuit provides a first input signal to the first terminal and the calibration circuit provides a second input signal to the second terminal. The comparator is configured to operate in a second mode when the selection circuit provides a first calibration signal to the first terminal and the calibration circuit provides a second calibration signal to the second terminal based on an output signal at the output terminal. The comparator generates the output signal based on the first calibration signal and the second calibration signal.

A method for generating a reference voltage in an integrated circuit device that is powered by a low voltage power includes generating a coarse first reference voltage using a coarse reference generator, routing the coarse first reference voltage to a boost regulator as an input reference voltage by a hand-off switch circuit, the boost regulator generating an initial-state stepped-up supply based on the first reference voltage, and generating at least two outputs of a second, more accurate, reference voltage from the stepped-up supply voltage using a fine-resolution reference generator. The second reference can be then looped back to the boost regulator, thus, generating a more accurate steady-state stepped-up supply voltage.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Justin Shi