The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Dec. 17, 2002

Filed:

Mar. 09, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:

Terry J. Groom, Durham, NC (US);

Stuart Pullen, Raleigh, NC (US);

Kwang H. Liu, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Assignee:

Semtech Corporation, Morrisville, NC (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G05F 1/40 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G05F 1/40 ;
Abstract

A ripple-mode controller provides reliable operation in multi-phase power supply circuits, over a variety of operating conditions. Cross-phase blanking allows the controller to preserve the desired phase relationship between the switching pulses its provides to the different output phases, and permits the controller to operate each output phase at nearly 100% duty cycles. Active current sharing compliments blanking operations by adjusting the width of switching pulses the controller provides to one or more of the output phases based on detecting load current imbalances between the different output phases. With active current sharing, the controller prevents one or more output phases from carrying excessive portions of the load current. Further complimenting its operation, the controller may include virtual ripple generation to increase the noise immunity of its ripple-mode regulation.


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