Reverse current detector circuit

Abstract

A circuit () is described for detecting a reverse current condition of a DCDC converter (). This circuit uses a simple logic gate such as an AND gate to sense the voltage on a determined node () of the DCDC converter, and the propagation of the gated signal () is controlled using the timing control signals SWand SWof the DCDC converter, together with delay cells (and), to ensure that the positive or negative state of the sensed voltage at said node () is propagated cleanly through the logic gate (), the flip-flop or latch circuit () and the up-down counter () to the output timing control circuit (). The up-down counter is incremented or decremented in dependence on the presence or absence of a reverse current condition at said node, and the count value () of the up-down counter determines the duration of the on-period of the second-phase timing control signal SW