Texas Instruments Corporation

Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited

Kevin Vannorsdel

Jay Edward Ackerman

Yongjie Jiang

Steven Berg

Mark Kuhns

Juha Tapani Pennanen

John Lynn McNitt

John Hoversten

Carsten Barth

Yushan Li

A converter includes a first circuit. The first circuit includes a first input that receives a power supply signal, a second input that receives a first signal, and a first output that outputs a second signal having an amplitude that is based on a frequency of the first signal. The first signal is based on an error value and a third signal, and the third signal is independent of feedback of the first circuit. The converter also includes a second circuit having a second output coupled to the second input and that outputs the third signal. The second circuit nonlinearly adapts the third signal based on the power supply signal and a reference signal.

Methods and devices for operating converters

A multi-loop voltage regulator with load tracking compensation includes a first closed-loop feedback network configured to receive a supply voltage from a power supply and drive an output voltage that is smaller than the supply voltage to a load. The multi-loop voltage regulator includes a second closed-loop feedback network connected to the first closed-loop feedback network and configured to regulate the output voltage between a first supply voltage rail and a second supply voltage rail for a given load current, in which the second closed-loop feedback network produces a gain that is greater than that of the first closed-loop feedback network. The multi-loop voltage regulator also includes a load tracking compensation circuit configured to detect a load current, and to increase the gain of the second closed-loop feedback network based on a dominant pole in the second closed-loop feedback network being a function of the detected load current.

Multi-loop voltage regulator with load tracking compensation

A Switch Node Assisted Linear architecture, including a linear amplifier in parallel with a switched converter, is configurable in two tracking modes: (a) a SMAL regulator in which the amplifier sets load voltage with an envelope tracking bandwidth, and the switched converter is configured for current assist, and (b) a Switched Mode Power Supply configuration in which the amplifier is switch-decoupled, and the switcher circuit is switched configured with an output capacitor, operable as an SMPS providing load voltage with an adaptive tracking bandwidth that is less than the envelope tracking bandwidth. Staged switching effects substantially seamless transitions between tracking modes, with the amplifier holding the load voltage at a substantially constant envelope tracking voltage (CVET): (a) for ET-AT transitions, the CVET mode enables pre-charging the output capacitor to a target AT voltage, prior to switch-decoupling the amplifier; and (b) for AT-ET transitions, CVET mode enables discharging the output capacitor.

Switched mode assisted linear regulator with seamless transition between power tracking configurations

The disclosed switched mode assisted linear (SMAL) amplifier/regulator architecture may be configured as a SMAL regulator to supply power to a dynamic load, such as an RF power amplifier. Embodiments of a SMAL regulator include configurations in which a linear amplifier and a switched mode converter (switcher) parallel coupled at a supply node, and configured such that the amplifier sets load voltage, while the amplifier and the switched mode converter are cooperatively controlled to supply load current. In one embodiment, the linear amplifier is AC coupled to the supply node, and the switched converter is configured with a capacitive charge control loop that controls the switched converter to effectively control the amplifier to provide capacitive charge control. In another embodiment, the amplifier includes separate feedback loops: an external relatively lower speed feedback loop may be configured for controlling signal path bandwidth, and an internal relatively higher speed feedback loop may be configured for controlling output impedance bandwidth of the linear amplifier.

Switched mode assisted linear regulator with AC coupling with capacitive charge control

A switched mode assisted linear regulator includes a linear amplifier (LA) and a buck converter configured as a current source. In example embodiments, the buck converter circuit includes a power switch Mwith an Mbody diode (tub), and includes buck turn-off circuitry configured to avoid negative inductor current by controlled switching of the tub to the higher of VIN and a second voltage. For DC-coupled configurations, boost functionality is provided by an LA boost supply, and the tub is switched to the boost supply. For AC-coupled configurations, boost functionality can be provided without boosting the LA supply rail by constraining signal peak-to-peak amplitude to be less than the LA supply voltage (maintaining a DC-average voltage on the AC-coupling capacitor), and the tub is switched to the higher of VIN and VOUT. The buck turn-off circuitry can include zero crossing detection to control Mtub switches.

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Erie, CO, United States of America

Kevin Vannorsdel