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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 13, 2011
Filed:
Feb. 02, 2009
Aleksandar Prodic, Toronto, CA;
Zhenyu Zhao, Toronto, CA;
Aleksandar Prodic, Toronto, CA;
Zhenyu Zhao, Toronto, CA;
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
Limit-cycle oscillation (LCO) generation by altering a digital transfer function of a feedback loop element provides a controllable method and apparatus for generating LCOs within a switch-mode power supply (SMPS). Measurements of the LCO characteristics can then be used to determine characteristics of the SMPS and/or determine proper compensation schemes. At least a zero error code of the feedback loop element is removed, causing the control value to oscillate between at least two values. Additional codes may be progressively removed until an LCO is detected, in order to ensure LCO generation with minimum disruption of SMPS operation. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts an output voltage or current to a control value may be used to generate an LCO by removing one or more output codes to alter its transfer function. Alternatively, a quantization step of the pulse-width modulator or other modulator may be increased to temporarily cause LCOs.