Abstract: A voltage regulator provides an output current at an output voltage, based on an input voltage. The voltage regulator has a pass transistor for deriving the output current. The voltage regulator contains a drive transistor forming a current mirror in conjunction with the pass transistor, such that the output current through the pass transistor is dependent on a drive current through the drive transistor. The voltage regulator comprises an auxiliary transistor arranged such that at least a fraction of the drive current through the drive transistor flows through the auxiliary transistor. The voltage regulator has amplification circuitry to set the drive current through the drive transistor depending on the output voltage and on a reference voltage. The voltage regulator further contains control circuitry to detect an indication for a dropout situation where a difference between the input voltage and the output voltage falls below a dropout voltage.

Abstract: A circuit configured for improving the large signal response of a control stage circuit of a switch mode DC/DC power converter by increasing the differential input range of an error amplifier by segmenting and adding an offset to the error amplifier input and output. When a transient is detected, the feedback voltage is offset in multiple segments by multiple offset voltage sources to prevent saturation of the control stage circuit. Counteracting offset voltages are added to an output of an error amplifier to prevent overshoot or undershoot. A feed-forward compensation signal is generated with the amplitude of the signal being clamped to fixed voltage levels between a minimum and a maximum amplitude of the feed-forward compensation signal. The feed-forward compensation signal is added to the output of the error amplifier to produce an output error signal of the control stage circuit configured for controlling the modulating of the switch mode DC/DC power converter.

Abstract: An average load current calculator circuit configured for determining an average load current within an at least one phase switch mode power converter (SMPC) having at least one peak/valley detector receives an inductor current sense signal and determines and holds a peak or valley amplitude of the inductor current sense signal. A current corrector circuit receives an input voltage and an output voltage of the SMPC and an inductance value of the inductor of the SMPC for determining an average correction current of the peak or valley amplitude of the current sense. An average current generator receives the peak or valley amplitude of the current sense signal and the average correction current for determining the instantaneous average load current within a switch mode power converter (SMPC) by additively combining the peak or valley amplitude of the current sense signal and the average correction current.

Abstract: A circuit and method for power converter for improved current monitoring, comprising a buck converter comprising a high side switch, a current sensing circuits parallel to the buck converter configured to sense a current through a low side switch, and a positive slope inductor coil estimator sensing circuit parallel to a buck converter configured to estimate a current magnitude.

Abstract: An in-rush current controller to turn-on a semiconductor output switch is described. The output switch is arranged in series with an output capacitor. The switch comprises a switch control port for controlling an output current and an output voltage. The controller comprises an amplifier to source or sink a switch control current to or from the switch control port, wherein the switch control current is dependent on an amplifier control current at an amplifier control port. The controller comprises a reference current source to provide a reference current at the amplifier control port, subject to a control signal indicating that the output switch is to be turned on. Furthermore, the controller comprises a feedback capacitor to provide a feedback current at the amplifier control port in dependence of a variation of the output voltage.

Abstract: A multi-level buck converter is provided with multiple control loops to regulate the output voltage across a wide duty cycle range while also regulating the flying capacitor voltage.

Abstract: The use of a sleep, or halt, instruction enables a processor to halt execution when read from a non-volatile memory. The opcode for the sleep instruction is the same value as the constant bit value of an un-programmed, nonvolatile memory. When the opcode is read by the processor, execution is halted and the processor enters a wait or sleep mode. During the sleep mode, firmware is programmed into memory with another means such as an external host processor. When a valid trigger event occurs, for instance, external or internal interrupts or reset activation, the processor then exits the sleep mode and starts instruction etching at the PC_INIT address.

Abstract: A system and method of increasing the efficiency in multi-stage power converters by providing an open loop charge pump stage which reacts in part based on information from a closed loop multi-phase buck converter stage.

Abstract: A circuit and method for providing an improved current monitoring circuit for a switching regulator. A circuit providing switching regulation with an improved current monitor, comprising a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller configured to provide P- and N-drive signals, an output stage connected to said PWM controller and configured to provide switching, comprising a high-side and low-side transistor, driven by said P- and N-drive signals, respectively, a sense circuit configured to provide output current sensing from the output stage during a sampling period when the N-drive signal is active, and a sampling timing generator configured to provide a an n-sampling signal, nsample, to the sense circuit, wherein a start of the n-sampling signal is delayed by a first delay after the sampling period and the n-sampling signal is ended prior to an end of the sampling period by a second delay.

Abstract: A multi-stage amplifier, comprising a first amplifier stage is presented. The output of the first amplifier stage is coupled to a first terminal of a capacitor having a controllable capacitance. The input of a second amplifier stage is coupled to the output of the first amplifier stage and the first terminal of the capacitor. The output of the second amplifier stage is coupled to a second terminal of the capacitor and an output of the multi-stage amplifier. The input of a current sensing circuit is coupled with the output of the multi-stage amplifier. A control signal generator is coupled between the output of the current sensing circuit and a control terminal of the capacitor. The control signal generator provides a control signal to the capacitor in order to control or vary the capacitance of the capacitor.

Abstract: A power providing circuit which is configured to provide a current at an output voltage to a load at an output of the power providing circuit is described. The power providing circuit comprises a power transistor which is configured to draw the current from a supply voltage, wherein a resistance of the power transistor is controlled using a control voltage which is applied to a control port of the power transistor. Furthermore, the power providing circuit comprises short circuit protection circuitry which is configured to couple the control port of the power transistor with a first port of the power transistor to put the power transistor in an off-state, subject to a drop of the output voltage.

Abstract: A variable efficiency and response buck converter is achieved. The device includes a multi-phase switch, the coupled coils, the filter capacitor, and the load. The multi-phase switch includes the phase control inputs, the circuit common reference, at least two pairs of complementary switches with each switch containing one upper switch and one lower switch, at least two phase control outputs from the complementary switches. The coupled inductive coils are coupled to the phase control outputs to enable weak couplings and strong couplings. Based on the working mode, equivalently the coupled coils can provide strong mutual inductances and weak mutual inductances. The filter capacitors connected to the output of the coupled coils provide high efficiency output to the load.

Abstract: A circuit and a method for sensing a current flowing from a supply voltage into an electric load are presented. The current sensing circuit comprises a first circuit branch connected between the supply voltage and the electric load, a second circuit branch connected between the supply voltage and ground, and an equalization circuit for equalizing a first voltage drop across a first resistive element and a second voltage drop across a second resistive element and for generating an indication of a current flowing through the second circuit branch.

Abstract: A regulator for providing a load current at a regulator output voltage to a load at an output of the regulator is described. The regulator has a differential input stage to provide a differential output voltage based on a reference voltage and based on the regulator output voltage. Furthermore, the regulator has an output driver to generate a control signal based on the differential output voltage. In addition, the regulator has a pass transistor to provide the load current in dependence of the control signal. The regulator also has clamping circuitry to sense an overvoltage indication which indicates that the pass transistor is being turned off. Furthermore, the clamping circuitry clamps the differential output voltage to a clamping voltage, if the overvoltage indication indicates that the pass transistor is being turned off.

Abstract: A voltage regulator is described. It includes an amplification stage to control a voltage level of a first gain node and of a second gain node in response to an input voltage, to activate a first and a second output stage, respectively. It further includes the first output stage to source a current at an output node of the voltage regulator from a first potential. The voltage regulator includes the second output stage to sink a current at the output node to a second potential. The voltage regulator includes a first operating point control circuit to set the voltage level of the first gain node such that a first maintenance current is sourced by the first output stage; and/or a second operating point control circuit to set the voltage level of the second gain node such that a second maintenance current is sunk by the second output stage.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a temperature and calibration utilizing resonant frequency peaks in an oscillator. A circuit providing resonant peaks for utilization for temperature measurements comprising a resonator device for providing an oscillating source, a variable gain-bandwidth amplifier in parallel with the crystal/resonator for providing modulation of the gain and/or bandwidth driving the crystal/resonator, and control of resonant peaks for selection for oscillation, a first capacitor electrically coupled to the parallel combination of the input of the variable gain-bandwidth amplifier, and the resonator device for providing charge storage for oscillation, and a second capacitor electrically coupled to parallel combination of the output of the variable gain-bandwidth amplifier, and the resonator device for providing charge storage for oscillation.

Abstract: A switching power converter is provided that extrapolates from a reference voltage during dead periods of a rectified input voltage as determined from a comparison of an Isense voltage to a current threshold.

Abstract: A current monitoring circuit capable of being integrated onto an integrated circuit chip with the current source to be monitored, wherein the monitored current is digitized to be transmitted within and external to the host integrated circuit chip. The current monitoring circuit was originally conceived to monitor output current of a buck switching regulator but can be used in other applications. A replica transistor is drain connected to a replicated transistor, wherein an operational transconductor controls the replica transistor to produce the same current that flows in the replicated transistor and connects a copy of the current of the replicated transistor current to an integrating type ADC.

Abstract: An object of the disclosure is to provide a multiphase Buck, Boost, or other switching converter to give high efficiency over the full range of output currents, and to maximize the total output current the switching converter is able to supply, by fully utilizing every phase of the switching converter. Further, another object of this disclosure is to balance the asymmetric transconductance, such that the load share between phases is optimized for different load levels of coil value, coil type, pass-device scaling, and frequency. Still further, another object of this disclosure requires that each of the switching converter operates at a similar point of saturation current at each point along the output load range, and each phase provides a different percentage of the total output current.

Abstract: Control circuit for a power converter that converts an input voltage into an output voltage is disclosed. The control circuit comprises a power switch; a power switch driver coupled with the power switch to control the switching state of the power switch so as to provide the output voltage at an output port of the power converter, the output port for coupling with a first terminal of a load; a load port for coupling with a second terminal of the load; a switching element coupled with the load port to selectively connect the load port to ground; and operating voltage supply means coupled with the load port, for providing an operating voltage to the control circuit.