Slew rate detection in power converter with digital current mode control
Inventors
Pant, Sanjay • Gozzini, Fabio • Attah, Hubert • Bolus, Jonathan F. • Huang, Wenxun • Vaithyanathan, Koushik • PUGGELLI, Alberto
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12476542-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
A power converter with slew rate detection is disclosed. A power converter comprises a plurality of phase circuits coupled to a regulated power supply line via corresponding ones of a plurality of inductors. A first control loop generates, using digital samples and based on comparisons of a reference voltage to a voltage on the regulated power supply line, a first plurality of control signals. A second control loop, using the digital samples, generates a second plurality of control signals based on a rate of change of the voltage of the regulated power supply line. The second control loop causes the first control loop to control the plurality of phase circuits in response to detecting that the rate of change is within a specified range, and causes the second control loop to control the plurality of phase circuits, in response to detecting that the rate of change exceeds the specified range.
Core Innovation
The invention discloses a multi-phase power converter/voltage regulator with a digital current-mode control architecture that includes a second digital slew-rate (dV/dT) control loop in addition to a first control loop. The first loop generates control signals using digital samples and comparisons of a value corresponding to a reference voltage with a voltage level on a regulated power supply line, and the phase circuits modify the voltage level using respective ones of the control signals.
The second loop determines a rate of change of the voltage level of the regulated power supply line using the plurality of digital samples, and generates a second plurality of control signals based on that rate of change. The second loop detects whether the rate of change is within a specified range or exceeds the specified range, and overrides and/or selects control of the phase circuits accordingly. When the rate of change is within the specified range, the first control loop controls the plurality of phase circuits; when the rate of change exceeds the specified range, the second control loop controls the plurality of phase circuits.
The document additionally describes a profiling/parameter loop that measures SR_Det trigger rate and adjusts thresholds and/or the specified range and hysteresis to avoid excessive toggling and improve response to overshoot or droop. Corrective actions include changing delivered current by enabling or disabling phase circuits and adjusting switching frequency and PWM duty/pulse width with gradual recovery to prevent opposite-condition overshoot.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent claim types: an apparatus, a method, and a system. Across these independent claims, the main inventive features are the two-loop digital control that switches phase-circuit control based on whether a detected rate of change is within or exceeds a specified range, using digital samples and reference-voltage comparisons.
Slew-rate based control-loop switching for multi-phase power supply regulation
An apparatus having a plurality of phase circuits coupled to a regulated power supply line via corresponding inductors, where phase circuits modify the voltage level using control signals. A first control loop generates a first plurality of control signals using digital samples and comparisons of a value corresponding to a reference voltage to the voltage level. A second control loop generates a second plurality of control signals based on determining a rate of change of the voltage level using the digital samples, and controls the plurality of phase circuits using the first plurality of control signals in response to detecting the rate of change is within a specified range, and controls using the second plurality of control signals in response to detecting the rate of change exceeds the specified range.
Digital-sample rate-of-change decision switching between two control loops
A method generating a voltage level of a regulated power supply line using ones of a plurality of phase circuits and control signals. The method compares a value corresponding to a reference voltage to the voltage level, generates a first plurality of control signals in a first control loop based on the comparing and using digital samples, and generates a second plurality of control signals in a second control loop based on determining a rate of change of the voltage level using the digital samples. The method controls the plurality of phase circuits using the first plurality of control signals in response to detecting the rate of change is within a specified range, and controls the plurality of phase circuits using the second plurality of control signals in response to detecting the rate of change exceeds the specified range.
Power-managed system with selection between reference-based and slew-rate-based control signals
A system with a plurality of circuit blocks coupled to a power supply line and a power management circuit including a power converter circuit with a plurality of phase circuits. The power management circuit is configured to generate a plurality of digital samples using a voltage level on the power supply line, generate a first plurality of control signals using the digital samples and based on comparisons of a reference voltage value to the voltage level, generate a second plurality of control signals using the digital samples and based on determining a rate of change of the voltage level, and control the plurality of phase circuits using the first plurality of control signals in response to determining the rate of change is within a specified range. The system further controls the plurality of phase circuits using the second plurality of control signals in response to determining the rate of change is not within the specified range.
Across the independent claims, coverage centers on controlling multiple phase circuits with two digital control loops that use digital samples. The control authority switches depending on whether the determined rate of change of the regulated power supply line voltage is within a specified range or exceeds it (or is not within the specified range), with the first loop based on reference-voltage comparison and the second loop based on rate-of-change determination.
Stated Advantages
Improves response to overshoot or droop.
Avoids excessive toggling.
Documented Applications
Application to a computer system power management unit (PMU).
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