Silicon Laboratories Inc.

Srikanth Govindarajulu

Michael D Mulligan

Hatem M Osman

A method for operating a DC-DC converter circuit includes, in response to detecting a startup condition, charging an output capacitance coupled to an output node of the DC-DC converter circuit at a first rate in a first phase of a multi-phase startup mode of operation of the DC-DC converter circuit. The method includes, in response to an indication of an output voltage on the output node approaching an input voltage on an input node of the DC-DC converter circuit, controlling a current through an inductor using an oscillating signal in a second phase of the multi-phase startup mode of operation, thereby adjusting the output voltage to equal a target voltage level. The first rate may be the rate of charging an RC circuit including the output capacitance coupled to the output node.

Low power boost converter startup with soft start and output voltage overshoot limiting

A method for operating a DC-DC converter includes generating an output voltage on an output node of the DC-DC converter based on an input voltage on an input node of the DC-DC converter using a transistor having a bulk terminal and a gate terminal, the output voltage being greater than the input voltage. The method includes coupling the input node to the bulk terminal and the gate terminal in response to the output voltage being less than the input voltage. The method includes coupling the output node to the bulk terminal in response to the output voltage exceeding the input voltage or a predetermined threshold voltage.

Dynamically biasing a bulk node and a gate node of a transistor in a DC-DC voltage converter

A method for operating a switched-mode power converter includes providing to a maximum voltage node as a maximum voltage, a version of the higher of a first voltage on a first node and a second voltage on a second node. The method includes generating a first signal indicating whether to operate the switched-mode power converter in a buck mode of operation or a boost mode of operation based on the first voltage and a first voltage domain based on the maximum voltage. The method includes generating a second signal indicating whether to operate the switched-mode power converter in a buck mode of operation or a boost mode of operation based on the first voltage and a second voltage domain of the first voltage. The method includes combining the first signal and the second signal to generate a digital configuration indicator signal.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Srikanth Govindarajulu