Abstract: A system includes a power supply model component and a disturbance estimating component. The power supply model component receives an estimated disturbance. The disturbance estimating component provides said estimated disturbance from a difference between a sensed output of a power supply and an estimated output from said power supply model component.

Abstract: A switching power supply includes a circuit that provides an output voltage, a switching component that switches the circuit between a first output voltage state and a second output voltage state, and a driver component that receives an input control signal and that drives the switching component to cause the circuit to switch between the first output voltage state and the second output voltage state. An adaptive plant estimator receives the output voltage from the circuit and an input to the switching power supply and provides a model of the switching power supply that reflects changes in an output voltage state of the switching power supply. A compensator design component receives the model and provides compensator parameters that reflect changes in the output voltage state of the switching power supply. An adaptive compensator receives the compensator parameters and provides the input control signal to the driver component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting a DC voltage to a lower DC voltage, provides for conducting current from an input terminal, through an inductor to charge a capacitor connected to the inductor at an output terminal and to provide a varying range of load current from the output terminal, alternately switching the input terminal between a supply voltage and a ground potential to produce a desired voltage at the output terminal that is lower than the supply voltage, while providing the varying range of load current, and disconnecting the input terminal from both the supply voltage and the ground potential to reduce an increase in voltage at the output terminal caused by a substantial reduction in the load current, while current through the inductor adjusts in response to the reduced load current.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting a DC voltage to a lower DC voltage, provides for conducting current from an input terminal, through an inductor to charge a capacitor connected to the inductor at an output terminal and to provide a varying range of load current from the output terminal, alternately switching the input terminal between a supply voltage and a ground potential to produce a desired voltage at the output terminal that is lower than the supply voltage, while providing the varying range of load current, and disconnecting the input terminal from both the supply voltage and the ground potential to reduce an increase in voltage at the output terminal caused by a substantial reduction in the load current, while current through the inductor adjusts in response to the reduced load current.

Abstract: Methods and systems, utilizing simplified digital hardware, for measuring parameters needed for control of a system (referred to as a plant) such as a power supply or motor. In one embodiment, the system for measuring the desired parameters includes simplified digital hardware to implement the functionality of transfer function measurement in the plant.

Abstract: An inductor current estimator for a switching power supply includes a first sensing and averaging component that generates an average of a switch voltage and a second sensing and averaging component that generates an average of an output voltage of the switching power supply. A first subtraction component receives the average of the switch voltage and the average of the output voltage. A first multiplying component receives an output of the first subtraction component and multiplies the output of the first subtraction component by a first model parameter. A second multiplying component multiplies an input to the second multiplying component by a second model parameter. An adding component adds an output of the first multiplying component and an output of the second multiplying component. A delay component receives an output of the adding component and provides an output to an input of the second multiplying component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method of these teachings includes decomposing the output ripple voltage into its constituent components and utilizing the scale factor necessary for this decomposition to obtain the measure capacitance and ESR for a power supply/converter.

Abstract: Methods for selecting between the two modes (states) of operation, continuous conduction and discontinuous conduction, are disclosed. Systems that are capable of selecting the operating mode and operating in the continuous conduction mode or the discontinuous conduction mode are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods for selecting between the two modes (states) of operation, continuous conduction and discontinuous conduction, are disclosed. Systems that are capable of selecting the operating mode and operating in the continuous conduction mode or the discontinuous conduction mode are also disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the digital pulse width modulator of these teachings includes comparators and a number of phases and capable of increasing resolution without increasing clock frequency. In another embodiment, the digital pulse width modulator (DPWM) of these teachings includes equality comparators and a number of phases and increases resolution without increasing clock frequency. A further embodiment of the system of these teachings includes a priority encoded comparator component (in one instance including a number of comparators) comparing duty cycle commands against preset minimums, that embodiment being referred to as a frequency Foldback component. Other embodiments and embodiments of the method of these teachings are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system includes a power supply model component and a disturbance estimating component. The power supply model component receives an estimated disturbance. The disturbance estimating component provides said estimated disturbance from a difference between a sensed output of a power supply and an estimated output from said power supply model component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the digital pulse width modulator of these teachings includes comparators and a number of phases and capable of increasing resolution without increasing clock frequency. In another embodiment, the digital pulse width modulator (DPWM) of these teachings includes equality comparators and a number of phases and increases resolution without increasing clock frequency. A further embodiment of the system of these teachings includes a priority encoded comparator component (in one instance including a number of comparators) comparing duty cycle commands against preset minimums, that embodiment being referred to as a frequency Foldback component. Other embodiments and embodiments of the method of these teachings are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for digital control utilizing oversampling.

Abstract: A switching power supply includes a circuit that provides an output voltage, a switching component that switches the circuit between a first output voltage state and a second output voltage state, and a driver component that receives an input control signal and that drives the switching component to cause the circuit to switch between the first output voltage state and the second output voltage state. An adaptive plant estimator receives the output voltage from the circuit and an input to the switching power supply and provides a model of the switching power supply that reflects changes in an output voltage state of the switching power supply. A compensator design component receives the model and provides compensator parameters that reflect changes in the output voltage state of the switching power supply. An adaptive compensator receives the compensator parameters and provides the input control signal to the driver component.

Abstract: Methods and systems for digital control utilizing oversampling.

Abstract: Methods for selecting between the two modes (states) of operation, continuous conduction and discontinuous conduction, are disclosed. Systems that are capable of selecting the operating mode and operating in the continuous conduction mode or the discontinuous conduction mode are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods for selecting between the two modes (states) of operation, continuous conduction and discontinuous conduction, are disclosed. Systems that are capable of selecting the operating mode and operating in the continuous conduction mode or the discontinuous conduction mode are also disclosed.

Abstract: A digital controller includes a sampling component that samples an output signal from a system and an input signal to the system at a first sampling rate, which is at least equal to a predetermined operating rate. An input parameter obtaining component obtains a plurality of input parameters from the samples at the first sampling rate. A decimator component generates subsampled values for the plurality of input parameters at a second sampling rate, which is slower than the first sampling rate. An adaptive plant estimator component generates a model of the system based on the subsampled values. A compensator design component determines compensator parameters based on the model. The compensator parameters reflect changes in the system and are sampled at the second sampling rate. A feedback compensator adjusts the input signal to the system based on the compensator parameters.

Abstract: A controller for switching power supplies includes a nonlinear controller component capable of providing a duty cycle to a pulse width modulator. The duty cycle corresponds to at least one predetermining switching power supply state variable. A nonlinear controller component receives as inputs at least one predetermined switching power supply state variable. A relationship between duty cycle and at least one predetermined switching power supply state variable is obtained by a predetermined method. The nonlinear controller component comprises memory for access by an application component. The memory includes a data structure stored in memory and a plurality of duty cycles. Each of the plurality of duty cycles has a corresponding at least one predetermined switching power supply state variable. Each duty cycle, when provided to the pulse width modulator of the switching power supply, provides a predetermined switching power supply output.

Abstract: Methods for selecting between the two modes (states) of operation, continuous conduction and discontinuous conduction, are disclosed. Systems that are capable of selecting the operating mode and operating in the continuous conduction mode or the discontinuous conduction mode are also disclosed.