Infineon Technologies Ag

Infineon Technologies Austria Ag

Luca Petruzzi

Keng Chen

Markus Ladurner

Paolo Del Croce

Alberto Zanardi

Peter Bogner

Robert Illing

Alexander Mayer

Christian Djelassi

Bernhard Auer

Francesca Romano

Benjamim Tang

Albino Pidutti

Bernhard Schaffer

Norbert Krischke

Adrian Finney

Hans-Peter Kreuter

Anthony B Candage

Mario Tripolt

Florian Brugger

Mattia Oddicini

Sujata Sen

Stephane Fraisse

Adrian Apostol

Octavian Barbu

Bernhard Meldt

Vasile Matei

A power supply includes a reference voltage generator, a power supply phase, and an adjustor. During operation, the reference voltage generator produces a reference voltage. The power supply phase produces an output voltage to power a load as a function of an output voltage feedback signal derived from the output voltage and the reference voltage. The adjustor adjusts a magnitude of the reference voltage to maintain regulation of the output voltage with respect to a desired voltage setpoint.

Reference voltage control in a power supply

A tracking analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for a power converter includes a first tracking loop and a second tracking loop. The first tracking loop is configured to track a voltage input to the tracking ADC using one or more comparators and has a re-clocking circuit to mitigate the impact of comparator output metastability, but introduces multi-cycle latency which increases a residual error of the voltage tracking provided by the first tracking loop. The second tracking loop is configured to supplement the voltage tracking provided by the first tracking loop and to reduce the residual error of the voltage tracking for dynamic changes at the voltage input. The second tracking loop has a single-cycle latency and is implemented with logic that is less sensitive to logic errors due to comparator metastability. Corresponding methods of voltage tracking and an electronic system are also described.

Tracking analog-to-digital converter for power converters

A power supply includes a voltage converter to produce an output voltage to power a load. The power supply further includes a reference voltage generator and a controller. The reference voltage generator is operative to generate a floor reference voltage that varies as a function of the output voltage depending on a setting of one or more adjustable (programmable) resistor-capacitor paths in the floor reference voltage generator. The controller produces control signals to control the voltage converter as a function of the floor reference voltage and the output voltage.

Power converter implementations, programmable gain, and programmable compensation

An apparatus such as a DC-DC power converter including a switch, an ON-time controller, and a compensator operates in a constant ON-time control mode. Over multiple control cycles, the ON-time controller controls an ON-time duration of activating the switch and generation of an output voltage to power a dynamic load. The compensator, in communication with the ON-time controller, adjusts the ON-time duration of activating the switch depending on a magnitude of output current delivered by the output voltage to the dynamic load. For example, during heavier load conditions when the dynamic load consumes a higher amount of current, and in which internal resistive losses of the power supply become more substantial, the compensator increases the ON-time duration of activating the switch, resulting in operation of the power supply and switch closer to a desired frequency setpoint.

On-time compensation in a power converter

A driver circuit for an electronic switch is described herein. According to one embodiment the driver circuit includes an input buffer with an input node for receiving a buffer input signal, a pull-down circuit coupled to the input node and a ground node, and a pull-up circuit coupled to the input node and a supply node. The driver circuit further includes control circuitry configured to activate either the pull-down circuit or the pull-up circuit. The pull-up circuit is activated when the voltage level of the buffer input signal is above a first threshold, and the pull-down circuit is activated when the voltage level of the buffer input signal is below a second threshold.

Driver circuit for electronic switch

An apparatus includes a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a compensation-setting generator to generate a first amplifier compensation setting and second amplifier compensation setting. A controller is operable to: i) apply the first amplifier compensation setting to the first amplifier and apply the second amplifier compensation setting to the second amplifier. The controller is further operable to switch between generating updates to the first amplifier compensation setting and the second amplifier compensation setting.

Amplifier offset and compensation

Reference voltage control in a power supply based on output voltage and feedback signal

An embodiment method includes detecting an inverse current condition at a switch, and driving a node associated with a switch driver driving the switch to a predetermined voltage in response to the detection of an inverse current condition at the switch. An embodiment switch device includes a switch driver configured to be coupled to a control terminal of a switch, an inverse current detector configured to detect an inverse current condition at the first and second load terminals of the switch, and a voltage driver configured to drive a node associated with the switch driver to a predetermined voltage in response to the inverse current detector detecting an inverse current condition.

Switch device and method

In some examples, a device includes a curvature-correction circuit including a first current source configured to generate a PTAT electrical current. In some examples, the curvature-correction circuit also includes three or more programmable current sources configured to generate three or more programmable electrical currents. In some examples, the curvature-correction circuit is configured to generate a PWL electrical current based on the PTAT electrical current and the three or more programmable electrical currents. In some examples, the device also includes a reference voltage circuit configured to generate a reference voltage signal based on the PWL electrical current.

Bandgap curvature correction

Devices and methods comprising a switch and an overload detection are disclosed. When an overload detection is detected, a first retry scheme followed by a second retry scheme different from the first retry scheme may be applied. If the overload condition persists, the switch may be disabled.

Power switch device

According to an embodiment, a fault protection system includes a first power supply terminal, a second power supply terminal, an error circuit configured to receive a power supply signal, and a power supply circuit coupled to the error circuit, the first power supply terminal, and the second power supply terminal. The power supply circuit is configured to provide the power supply signal from the first power supply terminal during a first operation mode and provide the power supply signal from the second power supply terminal during a second operation mode.

System and method for a fault protection circuit

Techniques are described for determining whether a switch circuit experienced one of a latched overload condition and an open load with no input voltage condition. In the techniques, a first diagnostic signal is output if the switch circuit experienced the latched overload condition. Also, in the techniques, a second, different diagnostic signal is output if the switch circuit experienced the open load with no input voltage condition.

Distinguishing between overload and open load in off conditions

A circuit arrangement for measuring a load current provided to a load via a first load terminal of a load transistor is disclosed. In accordance with one example of the invention, the circuit arrangement includes a sense transistor coupled to the load transistor to provide a sense current representing the load current at a first load terminal of the sense transistor. The first load terminals of the load and the sense transistors are at respective floating electric potentials. A floating sense circuit coupled between the load terminals of sense transistor and load transistor, at least in one mode of operation the sense circuit receives the sense current and provides a floating signal representing the sense current. A non-floating measurement circuit is coupled to the sense circuit via a DC decoupling capacitor for transferring the floating signal representing the sense current to the non-floating measurement circuit. The measurement circuit is configured to provide an output signal representing the floating signal and thus the sense current.

DC decoupled current measurement

According to an embodiment of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device includes a power device well in a semiconductor substrate, a logic device well in the substrate and spaced apart from the power device well by a separation region of the substrate, and a minority carrier conversion structure including a first doped region of a first conductivity type in the separation region, a second doped region of a second conductivity type in the separation region and a conducting layer connecting the first and second doped regions. The second doped region includes a first part interposed between the first doped region and the power device well and a second part interposed between the first doped region and the logic device well.

Minority carrier conversion structure

A semiconductor device is disclosed. In one embodiment a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip including a substrate, a ground terminal configured to be provided with a reference potential and a supply terminal electrically coupled to the substrate, the supply terminal configured to be provided with a load current and configured to be provided with a supply voltage between the substrate and the ground terminal. The semiconductor device further comprises an overvoltage protection circuit disposed in the semiconductor chip and coupled between the supply terminal and the ground terminal, the overvoltage protection circuit including a first transistor having a load current path coupled between the supply terminal and an internal ground node and a second transistor having a load current path coupled between the internal ground node and the ground terminal.

Growing community of inventors

Goedersdorf, Austria

Luca Petruzzi