Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Paul Jay Harriman

Michael A Stapleton

Benjamin M Rice

Christopher J Gass

Ole P Moyer

Alan Richard Ball

Gang Chen

Gabor Reizik

Dominique Romeo

Kisun Lee

Basil Almukhtar

Stephen Meek

Rong-Shyang Ou

Hsien-Te Kevin Shih

Suzanne Nee

J Eric Lindberg

Andrea Bonelli

Eric Reicher

A DC-DC converter includes an output power stage and a driver circuit. The output stage switches an input voltage to a switch node using a first transistor in response to a top-gate signal received at a top-gate node, and the switch node to ground using a second transistor in response to a bottom-gate signal received at a bottom-gate node. The driver circuit that provides the top- and bottom-gate signals in response to high- and low-side switch signals, respectively, activates the top-gate signal by actively regulating the top-gate node to a first voltage between a threshold voltage and a breakdown voltage of the first transistor using charge from the bottom-gate node, and activates the bottom-gate signal by actively regulating a second voltage provided to the bottom-gate node between a threshold voltage and a breakdown voltage of the second transistor using charge from the top-gate node.

DC-DC converter with gate charge re-use

A method and apparatus for estimating capacitor current in a feed-forward control system includes a circuit that conducts a current through an output capacitor to ground and estimates a current magnitude for the current in an output current estimator. The current estimator generates a voltage that corresponds to the estimated current magnitude by creating a voltage drop across an estimator circuit capacitor that equals a voltage drop across the output capacitor, by creating a voltage drop across an output of an RC network of the estimator circuit that equals or is proportional to a voltage drop across the output capacitor due to parasitic inductance and parasitic resistance of the output capacitor. The voltage drop across the output of the RC network of the estimator circuit is proportional to current flowing through the parasitic inductance and resistance of the output capacitor.

Feed-forward control system with current estimator

A method for estimating load current in a DC-DC converter, in some embodiments, comprises: identifying a converter capacitor in parallel with a converter load in a DC-DC converter; providing an estimation capacitor based on a capacitance of the converter capacitor; providing said estimation capacitor with an estimation capacitor current based on an inductor current flowing through an inductor in the DC-DC converter; driving an estimation voltage across the estimation capacitor toward a voltage present across the converter capacitor; and using the estimation voltage to generate an estimation current that estimates a load current passing through said converter load.

DC-DC converter load current estimation circuit

A method for controlling a pulse-modulated DC-to-DC converter includes: applying a control signal to a driver of an LC filter, the driver coupling power to inputs of the LC filter when the control signal is asserted and decoupling power when the control signal is de-asserted; monitoring an inductor current and an output voltage of the LC filter; calculating a goal current based at least in part on inductor energy needed to recharge an output capacitor in the LC filter; asserting the control signal when the goal current exceeds a threshold; and de-asserting the control signal when the inductor current reaches the goal current. An illustrative controller embodiment produces a trigger signal that sets a flip flop when the goal current exceeds the inductor current by more than a threshold amount; and resets the flip flop when the inductor current exceeds the goal current.

Inductive-energy-based auto-tuning DC-to-DC controller

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of switching between synchronous and nonsynchronous ramp control. An embodiment may include a power supply controller that has a trigger circuit configured to generate an RPM trigger, a timer circuit configured to generate a clock signal, and a switching circuit configured to switch a modulation mode responsively to the clock signal and the RPM signal.

Power supply controller having selectable PWM and RPM modes and method therefor

In one embodiment, a method of forming a multi-channel power supply controller includes forming a plurality of channels configured to regulate an output voltage between first and second values, configuring the controller to select a channel that has a lowest current value and initiate forming a drive signal for that channel responsively to the output voltage having a value that is less than the first value, configuring a reset circuit for each channel to terminate the respective drive signal responsively to at least the output voltage having a value greater than the first value.

Multi-phase power supply controller and method therefor

A method for mitigating aliasing effects in a single phase power converter and mitigating aliasing effects and inhibiting thermal run-away in a multi-phase power converter at varying load transition rates. A single phase or multi-phase power converter having an on-time is provided and the frequency of the power converter is adjusted so that a load step period and the on time of the single phase power converter are in a temporal relationship. Alternatively, a load step rate is inhibited from locking onto a phase current of the single phase power converter by suspending an oscillator signal. In accordance with another alternative, a load step rate is inhibited from locking onto a phase current of the single phase power converter by suspending an oscillator signal and dithering an input signal to the oscillator.

Method for inhibiting thermal run-away

In accordance with an embodiment, a converter includes a circuit and method for scaling a drive signal. The converter determines the power at its input and scales a drive signal in accordance with the input power. In accordance with another embodiment the converter determines the power at its output and scales the drive signal in accordance with the output power.

Method for scaling a drive signal and circuit therefor

A multi-phase power converter and a method for balancing a plurality of currents in the multi-phase power converter. The multi-phase power converter that includes a pulse width modulator coupled to an oscillator. A plurality of currents are generated in response to output signals from the pulse width modulator. The levels of the currents are sensed and a sense signal is transmitted to the pulse width modulator. Switching circuitry within the pulse width modulator switches signals from the oscillator in accordance with the current levels, the levels of the signals from the oscillator, and whether at least one of the signals from the oscillator is either rising or falling.

Current balancing circuit and method

A method for method for inhibiting thermal run-away in a multi-phase power converter at varying load transition rates. A multi-phase power converter having an on-time is provided and the frequency of the multi-phase power converter is adjusted so that a load step period and the on time of the multi-phase power converter are in a temporal relationship. Alternatively, a load step rate is inhibited from locking onto a phase current of the multi-phase power converter by suspending an oscillator signal. In accordance with another alternative, a load step rate is inhibited from locking onto a phase current of the multi-phase power converter by suspending an oscillator signal and dithering an input signal to the oscillator.

In one embodiment, a power supply controller is configured to form a reference signal that has selectable values. The power supply controller is also configured to form a feed-forward signal in response to change in the value of the reference voltage and to use this feed-forward signal control the value of an output current.

Power supply controller and method therefor

In one embodiment, a multi-channel power supply controller adjusts the value of an error signal to minimize overshoot and undershoot during load transients.

Compensated switching power supply controller and method therefor

In one embodiment, a self-gated transistor includes a sensing portion that generates a sense signal that is used to drive the self-gated transistor.

Method of forming a self-gated transistor and structure therefor

In one embodiment, a power MOSFET driver uses two different voltages for the operating voltage of the two output drivers of the power MOSFET driver.

Power MOSFET driver and method therefor

In one embodiment, a power supply controller is configured to amplify a feedback signal and a voltage reference signal by gains that are substantially constant over an operating frequency of the power supply controller.

Growing community of inventors

Belfair, WA, United States of America

Paul Jay Harriman