Infineon Technologies Austria Ag

Primarion Corporation

Tim Ng

Benjamim Tang

Zhiqing You

Amir Babazadeh

Richard Pierson

Jinghong Guo

Kenneth A Ostrom

Scott Wilson Southwell

Ken Ostrom

Benjamin Tang

Mattia Oddicini

Clifford Duong

Keith Nelson Bassett

Brian Molloy

Yi-Yuan Liu

Herbert Zojer

Nicholas Robert Steffen

Nick Steffen

Harrison Hu

Robert T Carroll

Darryl Tschirhart

Chun-Yen Lin

Rohan Samsi

Venkat Sreenivas

Sujata Sen

Sue Perranoski

Cha-Fu Tsai

Allen Sakai

Kelsey Curtis

Richard Rolston

Vrezh Yetanikyan

Cliff Duong

A multi-phase controller includes a summer circuit configured to sense a plurality of phase currents generated by a plurality of power stages and generate a summed current value representative of a total current generated by the plurality of power stages; and a current limit controller configurable in a current-limit mode or a non-current-limit mode based on the summed current value and configured to limit the total current to a predefined value during the current-limit mode. The current limit controller includes a threshold selector circuit and a mode configuration circuit. The threshold selector circuit selects a first threshold or a second threshold as a selected threshold based on a configuration signal. The mode configuration circuit monitors a duration during which a comparison result indicates that the summed current value satisfies the selected threshold, and generates the configuration signal based on whether the first duration satisfies a duration threshold.

Dynamic total current control for a voltage regulator

An apparatus such as a power supply includes management hardware. The management hardware monitors operation of multiple power converter phases coupled in parallel to produce an output voltage. Based on the monitored operation, the management hardware determines a status of a series circuit path connecting windings of the multiple power converter phases. The management hardware produces status information indicating the status of the series circuit path.

Trans-inductance multi-phase power converters, monitoring and management

A controller for a power converter includes: an estimator configured to estimate or calculate a slew rate of an output voltage of the power converter or a slew rate of an error voltage which corresponds to a difference between the output voltage and a target voltage, during a load transient; and a modulator configured to modify regulation of the output voltage based on the estimated or calculated slew rate. A corresponding voltage regulation method and an electronic system that includes the power converter are also described.

Method and apparatus for regulating an output voltage of a power converter during a load transient

An apparatus such as a power supply circuit includes an input, a signal generator, and a frequency selector. The input receives a signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied by an output voltage of a voltage converter to power a load. The signal generator produces a frequency selection signal based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received signal. Via the frequency selection signal, the frequency selector selects a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage. According to one configuration, the signal generator and frequency selector delay increasing the switching frequency from a first switching frequency setting to a second switching frequency setting subsequent to detecting a change in the magnitude of the current.

Power supply monitoring and switching frequency control

An apparatus includes a power converter and an estimator. The power converter produces an output voltage to power a load via current through an inductor. The estimator receives a current sense signal from a current monitor resource. The current sense signal represents/indicates a measured magnitude of the current supplied to the load through the inductor over time during one or more power delivery control cycles. Portions of the current sense signal may be an inaccurate representation of an amount of current through the inductor. Via the current sense signal, or portion thereof, the estimator determines (such as calculates) an inductance (value) of the inductor. The estimator then uses the calculated inductance value to estimate a magnitude of the output current supplied through the inductor to the load.

Inductance and current flow estimations

A controller for a power converter includes: a first sense terminal and a second sense terminal for sensing an output voltage of the power converter; a bridging circuit configured to electrically couple the first sense terminal to the second sense terminal in a first state and electrically decouple the first sense terminal from the second sense terminal in a second state; and control circuitry configured to set the bridging circuit in the first state during a portion of a voltage ramp of the power converter, and to determine whether an open or short fault condition is present at either the first sense terminal or the second sense terminal based on a voltage across the bridging circuit in the first state.

Voltage feedback continuity failure detection in voltage regulators

According to an embodiment, a multiphase regulator includes a plurality of output phases each of which is operable to deliver a phase current through a separate inductor to a load connected to the output phases via the inductors and an output capacitor. A controller is operable to regulate a voltage delivered to the load by adjusting the phase currents delivered to the load by the output phases, monitor the phase currents delivered to the load by the output phases, test the output phases in a predetermined sequence, and determine if the phase currents respond in a predetermined way.

Multiphase regulator with phase current testing using ramp current patterns

A fault-tolerant multiphase voltage regulator includes a plurality of power stages, each of which is configured to deliver a phase current to a processor, and a controller. The controller is configured to: control the plurality of power stages to regulate an output voltage provided to the processor; detect and disable a faulty power stage; generate a throttling signal to indicate that one or more of the power stages is faulty and disabled; communicate the throttling signal to the processor over a physical line running between the processor and the controller; and place the multiphase voltage regulator in a self-test mode in which the processor is operated at a known computational load and the controller operates each power stage independently to determine if any of the power stages is faulty under the known computational load. A corresponding method of operating a fault-tolerant power distribution system is also described.

Voltage regulator having self-test mode

A controller of a switching voltage regulator estimates a load current based upon a current within the voltage regulator, a change in the output voltage of the voltage regulator, and the capacitance and/or equivalent series resistance (ESR) of an output capacitor. For sharp drops in the output voltage, the output capacitor's ESR provides a better estimate of the load current, whereas the output capacitance provides a better estimate for moderate output voltage drops. These techniques allow the voltage regulator controller to more quickly detect excessive load current, and issue an over current warning to the load with little latency. The fast response afforded by these techniques provides the load, e.g., a CPU or GPU, sufficient time to reduce its current, thereby avoiding a complete shutdown due to excessive load current.

Peak current estimation based on output capacitor parameters and change of output voltage

A multiphase voltage regulator includes a plurality of power stages, a plurality of current sense circuits, a controller and a current sense interface running between the controller and one or more of the current sense circuits. The current sense interface includes a separate line for each current sense circuit coupled to the current sense interface and which is configured to support single-ended or differential current sense. The regulator also includes a plurality of pullup circuits, each of which is connected to one of the current sense interface lines and has a higher impedance than the line to which it is connected. A fault detection circuit of the controller determines if an individual one of the current sense interface lines has an open fault, based on the pullup circuit connected to the line with the open fault pulling up the voltage on the line by more than a predetermined amount.

Faulty current sense line detection in multiphase voltage regulators

A method is provided for configuring a controller for a voltage regulator system having an output filter response set by an inductance (L) and a capacitance (C). The method includes applying one or more pulses of known on-time and off-time to the voltage regulator system, and taking measurements of the voltage regulator system in response to the one or more pulses of known on-time and off-time. The method further includes constructing a model of the output filter response of the voltage regulator system based on the measurements, and setting one or more control loop parameters of the controller based on the model of the output filter response.

Control loop parameter setting in a voltage regulator controller

A voltage regulator includes a power stage electrically coupled to an input voltage terminal, a controller for controlling the power stage and a shunt resistor of a sense network connected in series between the input voltage terminal and the power stage. In a non-calibration mode, a first level shifting resistor of the sense network is electrically connected in series between a first terminal of the shunt resistor and a first sense pin of the controller and a second level shifting resistor of the sense network is electrically connected in series between a second terminal of the shunt resistor and a second sense pin of the controller. In a calibration mode, the first sense pin and the second sense pin of the controller are electrically connected to the same terminal of the shunt resistor via the first level shifting resistor and the second level shifting resistor of the sense network.

Input calibration for switching voltage regulators

A fault-tolerant multiphase voltage regulator includes a plurality of power stages, each of which is configured to deliver a phase current to a processor, and a controller. The controller is configured to: control the plurality of power stages to regulate an output voltage provided to the processor; detect and disable a faulty power stage; generate a throttling signal to indicate if one or more of the power stages is faulty and disabled; and communicate the throttling signal to the processor over a physical line running between the processor and the controller. A corresponding method of operating a fault-tolerant power distribution system is also described.

Method and apparatus for power distribution using a multiphase voltage regulator with phase redundancy and fault tolerant operation

Methods and apparatus for a power regulator according to various aspects of the present invention may comprise a sensor adapted to generate a measurement of a voltage or a current. A memory may store a correction parameter that corresponds to the measurement, and a correction system may be adapted to adjust the measurement according to the correction parameter.

Growing community of inventors

Monterey Park, CA, United States of America

Tim Ng