Abstract: A control device for a switching regulator having two or more converter stages operating with interleaved operation, each converter stage including an inductive element and a switch element, generates command signals having a switching period for controlling switching of the switch elements, and determining alternation of a storage phase of energy in the respective inductive element and a transfer phase of the stored energy onto an output element. The control device generates the command signals phase-offset by an appropriate fraction of the switching period to obtain interleaved operation. In particular, a synchronism stage generates a synchronism signal and a control stage generates the command signals for the converter stages timed by the same synchronism signal.

Abstract: A control circuit controls a switching power factor corrector based on switch off-time modulation by controlling the input electric charge during on-time. The circuit includes a charge current generator that generates charge current as a replica of a current sense signal amplified with a gain corresponding to the square of peak value of a rectified input voltage, a loop capacitor charged with the charge current during on-time intervals and discharged with a discharge current during off-time intervals, a discharge current generator that generates the discharge current proportional to a product of a comparison voltage and a difference between a regulated output voltage and the rectified input voltage, and a PWM modulator that senses a charge voltage of the loop capacitor, turns on the switch for an on-time duration in response to detecting that the charge voltage nullifies, and turns off the switch when the on-time duration has elapsed.

Abstract: A control device for a switching regulator, having two or more converter stages operating with interleaved operation, each comprising an inductive element and a switch element, generates command signals having a switching period for controlling switching of the switch elements and determining alternation of a storage phase of energy in the respective inductive element and a transfer phase of the stored energy onto an output element. The control device generates the command signals phase-offset by an appropriate fraction of the switching period to obtain interleaved operation. In particular, a synchronism stage generates a synchronism signal and a control stage generates the command signals for the converter stages timed by the same synchronism signal.

Abstract: A method controls a power factor correction converter that includes a boost inductor and a switch. The method generates a sense signal representing a rectified AC input voltage or an inductor current through the boost inductor, turns on the switch in response to determining, based on the sense signal, a zero current condition through the boost inductor, turns off the switch after an on-time interval, generates a feedback signal based on an output voltage of the converter, and compares the feedback signal with a threshold. If the feedback signal is smaller than the threshold, the method generates a command signal, representing a phase domain including 0 and ?, based on the feedback signal and the power threshold, and keeps the switch off when a phase of the input rectified AC voltage or of the inductor current is in the phase domain even if the zero current condition has been determined.

Abstract: A control circuit controls a switching power factor corrector based on switch off-time modulation by controlling the input electric charge during on-time. The circuit includes a charge current generator that generates charge current as a replica of a current sense signal amplified with a gain corresponding to the square of peak value of a rectified input voltage, a loop capacitor charged with the charge current during on-time intervals and discharged with a discharge current during off-time intervals, a discharge current generator that generates the discharge current proportional to a product of a comparison voltage and a difference between a regulated output voltage and the rectified input voltage, and a PWM modulator that senses a charge voltage of the loop capacitor, turns on the switch for an on-time duration in response to detecting that the charge voltage nullifies, and turns off the switch when the on-time duration has elapsed.

Abstract: A method controls a power factor correction converter that includes a boost inductor and a switch. The method generates a sense signal representing a rectified AC input voltage or an inductor current through the boost inductor, turns on the switch in response to determining, based on the sense signal, a zero current condition through the boost inductor, turns off the switch after an on-time interval, generates a feedback signal based on an output voltage of the converter, and compares the feedback signal with a threshold. If the feedback signal is smaller than the threshold, the method generates a command signal, representing a phase domain including 0 and ?, based on the feedback signal and the power threshold, and keeps the switch off when a phase of the input rectified AC voltage or of the inductor current is in the phase domain even if the zero current condition has been determined.

Abstract: A managing system manages a plurality of VRMs associated with a plurality of microprocessors and connected in parallel together between first and second voltage references, the VRMs having output terminals connected together and arranged to communicate over a common bus. The managing system includes an error amplifier being input an output voltage signal from the VRM plurality, a reference voltage, and a droop voltage produced through an equivalent droop resistor receiving an output current signal from the VRM plurality and being connected to the common bus. The error amplifier effects a comparison of the input signals to generate a control voltage signal to the VRM plurality. Advantageously, the managing system comprises a controller connected to the equivalent droop resistor.

Abstract: A voltage/current controller device, particularly for interleaving switching regulators, comprises: a DC/DC converter having a plurality of modules, with each module including a drive transistor pair connected in series between first and second supply voltage references, a current sensor connected to one transistor in the pair, and a current read circuit connected to the sensor. Advantageously, the read circuit comprises a transconductance amplifier connected across the current sensor to sense a voltage signal related to a load current being applied to each module, the transconductance amplifier reading the voltage signal with the transistor in the conducting state.

Abstract: A voltage/current controller device, particularly for interleaving switching regulators, comprises: a DC/DC converter having a plurality of modules, with each module including a drive transistor pair connected in series between first and second supply voltage references, a current sensor connected to one transistor in the pair, and a current read circuit connected to the sensor. Advantageously, the read circuit comprises a transconductance amplifier connected across the current sensor to sense a voltage signal related to a load current being applied to each module, the transconductance amplifier reading the voltage signal with the transistor in the conducting state.

Abstract: A voltage/current controller device, particularly for interleaving switching regulators, comprises: a DC/DC converter having a plurality of modules, with each module including a drive transistor pair connected in series between first and second supply voltage references, a current sensor connected to one transistor in the pair, and a current read circuit connected to the sensor. Advantageously, the read circuit comprises a transconductance amplifier connected across the current sensor to sense a voltage signal related to a load current being applied to each module, the transconductance amplifier reading the voltage signal with the transistor in the conducting state.

Abstract: A managing system manages a plurality of VRMs associated with a plurality of microprocessors and connected in parallel together between first and second voltage references, the VRMs having output terminals connected together and arranged to communicate over a common bus. The managing system includes an error amplifier being input an output voltage signal from the VRM plurality, a reference voltage, and a droop voltage produced through an equivalent droop resistor receiving an output current signal from the VRM plurality and being connected to the common bus. The error amplifier effects a comparison of the input signals to generate a control voltage signal to the VRM plurality. Advantageously, the managing system comprises a controller connected to the equivalent droop resistor.

Abstract: A voltage/current controller device, particularly for interleaving switching regulators, comprises: a DC/DC converter having a plurality of modules, with each module including a drive transistor pair connected in series between first and second supply voltage references, a current sensor connected to one transistor in the pair, and a current read circuit connected to the sensor. Advantageously, the read circuit comprises a transconductance amplifier connected across the current sensor to sense a voltage signal related to a load current being applied to each module, the transconductance amplifier reading the voltage signal with the transistor in the conducting state.

Abstract: A charge counter for monitoring the charge of the battery state of an electronic device includes a sensing circuit of the charge and discharge current of the battery. The sensing circuit includes a differential amplifier having inputs coupled to the terminals of a sensing resistor of the battery current, a resettable integrator of the output signal of the amplifier, a first comparator and a second comparator of the output signal of the integrator generating a logic charge interrupt signal and a logic discharge interrupt signal, respectively. The sensing circuit also includes a switch for discharging the capacitance of the integrator momentarily closed by a logic circuit at every transition of the output signal of one or the other of the first and second comparators.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to dynamically modify the internal compensation of a low drop out linear voltage regulator is presented. The process involves using zero mobile compensation; when the output pole of the voltage regulator moves, a compensating zero is moved toward higher frequencies. This compensation zero is used to compensate the effect of a second pole in the loop gain. The circuit includes an input stage having an error amplifier. The error amplifier includes a differential stage output coupled to an output terminal of the buffer stage. An output stage of the circuit includes an output transistor having a conduction terminal connected to an output terminal of the voltage regulator, and having a control terminal coupled to the output terminal of the buffer stage. Additionally, a variable compensation network is connected between the differential stage output and a voltage reference. This variable compensation network can include an RC circuit having a resistive transistor.