Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments may include a power converter having a first and a second terminal, a charge pump power conversion circuit, and a protection circuit. The first terminal may be to receive an input voltage. The second terminal may be to output an output voltage. The charge pump power conversion circuit may be electrically coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and to convert the input voltage to the output voltage. The protection circuit may be electrically coupled to the charge pump power conversion circuit. The protection circuit may include a first switching device to, in response to a control signal, block a power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal, and from the second terminal to the first terminal.

Abstract: Circuits and methods for reducing lagging responses of a power converter to changes in circuit voltages or current, over-shoot/under-shoot when a target output voltage changes faster than the power converter's response, and open loop conditions. Embodiments include scanning a feedback voltage from a load powered by a voltage output by a power converter controlled by a PWM control signal; detecting an under-regulation condition; and, while the under-regulation condition is detected, increasing a clock signal rate to a counter outputting a count value usable to generate the PWM control signal. Embodiments include comparing a target output voltage to a signal representative of an output voltage of the power converter; indicating an under-shoot or over-shoot condition if the voltage difference exceeds a corresponding offset value; and limiting the range of values for an M-bit count value used to generate the PWM control signal to mitigate the under-shoot or over-shoot condition.

Abstract: Operating a charge pump in which switches from a first set of switches couple capacitor terminals to permit charge transfer between them and in which switches from a second set of switches couple capacitor terminals of capacitors to either a high-voltage or a low-voltage terminal includes cycling the switches through a sequence of states, each state defining a corresponding configuration of the switches. At least three of the states define different configurations of the switches. During each of the configurations, charge transfer is permitted between a pair of elements, one of which is a first capacitor and another of which is either a second capacitor or the first terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle.

Abstract: A power converter including a multi-level topology is presented. The power converter includes a charge pump, a controller, an output load and an inductor. According to one aspect, the charge pump includes a multi-level topology. According to another aspect, the power converter includes a switch which is connected across the inductor. According to another aspect, the multi-level topology includes a plurality of series-connected switches that are controlled to close or open via the controller. The switches are arranged in a high-side or low-side switchable path of the multi-level topology. During operation in a first state, only one switch of the high-side is closed, during operation in a second state, at least one of the switches in the low-side is open, and during a transition from the first to the second state, all of the switches in the low-side are open.

Abstract: In a power converter having a regulator and charge pump, both of which operate in plural modes, a controller receives information indicative of the power converter's operation and, based at least in part on said information, causes transitions between regulator modes and transitions between charge-pump modes.

Abstract: Various embodiments of charge adjustment techniques for a switched capacitor power converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, charge adjustment techniques may include a technique to operate a charge pump so as to reduce electrical transient effects that may occur during charge pump transition operation between a first steady state charge pump operation with respect to a first configuration gain mode and a second steady state charge pump operation with respect to a second configuration gain mode. In some instances, electrical transient effects may occur during charge pump transition operation, at least in part, from a selectable adjustment of charge pump configuration gain with respect to a configuration gain mode.

Abstract: Circuit embodiments for a switched-capacitor power converter, and/or methods of operation of such a converter, that robustly deal with various startup scenarios, are efficient and low cost, and have quick startup times to steady-state converter operation. Embodiments prevent full charge pump capacitor discharge during shutdown of a converter and/or rebalance charge pump capacitors during a startup period before switching operation by discharging and/or precharging the charge pump capacitors. Embodiments may include a dedicated rebalancer circuit that includes a voltage sensing circuit coupled to an output voltage of a converter, and a balance circuit configured to charge or discharge each charge pump capacitor towards a target steady-state multiple of the output voltage of the converter as a function of an output signal from the voltage sensing circuit indicative of the output voltage. Embodiments prevent or limit current in-rush to a converter during a startup state.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficient shutdown of adiabatic charge pumps. A power converter includes a charge pump, a controller, an output load and an inductor. According to one aspect, the power converter includes a switch which is connected across the inductor, where the controller is configured to sense a status of the charge pump and to correspondingly drive the switch element. According to another aspect, the charge pump includes an active discharge circuit and a current-sense circuit, where the current-sense circuit is configured to activate the active discharge circuit. According to yet another aspect, the power converter includes a cascade multiplier having a plurality of high side and low side switches, where a pair of high side and low side switches are enabled simultaneously, such that the pair of high side and low side switches act as an active discharge switch for the charge pump.

Abstract: Circuits and methods encompassing a power converter that can be started and operated in a reversed unidirectional manner or in a bidirectional manner while providing sufficient voltage for an associated auxiliary circuit and start-up without added external circuitry for a voltage booster and/or a pre-charge circuit—that is, with zero external components or a reduced number of external components. Embodiments include an auxiliary circuit configured to selectively couple the greater of a first or a second voltage from a power converter to provide power to the auxiliary circuit. Embodiments include an auxiliary circuit configured to select a subcircuit coupled to the greater of a first or a second voltage from a power converter to provide an output for the auxiliary circuit. Embodiments include a charge pump including a gate driver configured to be selectively coupled to one of a first voltage node or second voltage node of the charge pump.

Abstract: Various embodiments of charge adjustment techniques for a switched capacitor power converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, charge adjustment techniques may include a technique to control operation of a charge pump for a switched capacitor power converter so that the charge pump is able to adjust the charge of a selected one or more of the two or more charge pump capacitors along a charge transfer path, independent of the charge of other charge pump capacitors of the two or more charge pump capacitors. Likewise, in some instances, a charge may be adjusted in a manner that is to include at least one of the following: a current source, a voltage regulator, an adjustment of switching frequency of a charge pump, a time-based charge operation, a bypass switch with respect to at least one charge pump capacitor, on-resistance modulation for one or more switches of the charge pump, or any combination thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a fault detector for a voltage converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, the fault detector is capable to detect one or more fault events during operation of a voltage converter. Likewise, the fault detector is capable to generate one or more fault signals with respect to the one or more to be detected fault events. The one or more fault signals, in the example embodiment, to signal a disconnect switch of the voltage converter to electrically disconnect or otherwise via a high impedance state to limit current flow through at least one switch of a set of switches of the voltage converter. In another example embodiment, the fault detector, responsive to the one or more fault signals, capable to generate a bus interrupt signal on a pin out, such as of an integrated circuit (IC) for use with the voltage converter, or capable to toggle a fault indicator pin out of the IC. Other additional embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Transient or fault conditions for a switched capacitor power converter are detected by measuring one or more of internal voltages and/or currents associated with switching elements (e.g., transistors) or phase nodes, or voltages or currents at terminals of the converter, and based on these measurements detect that a condition has occurred when the measurements deviate from a predetermined range. Upon detection of the condition fault control circuitry alters operation of the converter, for example, by using a high voltage switch to electrically disconnect at least some of the switching elements from one or more terminals of the converter, or by altering timing characteristics of the phase signals.

Abstract: A power converter that supplies a constant output voltage includes a regulator that connects to a charge pump. The charge pump is operable in plural charge-pump modes. A controller preemptively suppress evidence of occurrence of a transition between said charge-pump modes.

Abstract: Circuits and methods for controlling the startup of multiple parallel power converters that avoid in-rush current and/or switch over-stress in an added power converter or a power converter having one or more fault conditions. Embodiments include node status detectors coupled to selected nodes within parallel-connected power converters to monitor voltage and/or current, and configured in some embodiments to work in parallel with an output status detector measuring the output voltage of an associated power converter during startup. With charge pump-based power converters, the node status detectors ensure that the pump capacitors of each power converter are adequately charged while the output capacitor is charged as well. For such embodiments, a soft-start period of startup may be considered finished if both the shared output capacitors and the pump capacitors of each power converter are charged to selected target values. Embodiments may also be used for fault detection during steady-state operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting a first voltage into a second voltage includes a reconfigurable switched capacitor power converter having a selectable conversion gain. The power converter has switch elements configured to electrically interconnect capacitors to one another and/or to the first or second voltage in successive states. The switch elements are configured to interconnect at least some capacitors to one another through the switch elements. A controller causes the reconfigurable switched capacitor power converter to transition between first and second operation modes. The controller minimizes electrical transients arising from transition between modes. In the first operating mode, the power converter operates with a first conversion gain. In the second operating mode, it operates with a second conversion gain.

Abstract: In a power converter having a regulator and charge pump, both of which operate in plural modes, a controller receives information indicative of the power converter's operation and, based at least in part on said information, causes transitions between regulator modes and transitions between charge-pump modes.

Abstract: Circuit embodiments for a switched-capacitor power converter, and/or methods of operation of such a converter, that robustly deal with various startup scenarios, are efficient and low cost, and have quick startup times to steady-state converter operation. Embodiments prevent full charge pump capacitor discharge during shutdown of a converter and/or rebalance charge pump capacitors during a startup period before switching operation by discharging and/or precharging the charge pump capacitors. Embodiments may include a dedicated rebalancer circuit that includes a voltage sensing circuit coupled to an output voltage of a converter, and a balance circuit configured to charge or discharge each charge pump capacitor towards a target steady-state multiple of the output voltage of the converter as a function of an output signal from the voltage sensing circuit indicative of the output voltage. Embodiments prevent or limit current in-rush to a converter during a startup state.