Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for supplying power, including battery balancing and isolating. One example power supply circuit generally includes a first battery node for coupling to a first battery, a second battery node for coupling to a second battery, and a switch circuit coupled between the first battery node and the second battery node and disposed on a same integrated circuit (IC) die as the first battery node and the second battery node. The power supply circuit may be configured to balance the first battery and the second battery without a resistor (e.g., a resistor external to the IC die on which the power supply circuit resides).

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for supplying power, including short circuit protection. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switching regulator including an output coupled to a first power supply node, a battery node for coupling to a battery, a switch coupled between the first power supply node and the battery node, a first transistor including a gate coupled to the first power supply node and a source coupled to a reference potential node of the power supply circuit, and a first current source or a resistive element, coupled between a power supply rail and a drain of the first transistor. The power supply circuit may be configured to detect a short circuit on the first power supply node and trigger an automatic fault protection (AFP) mode after completion of a soft start of a voltage on the first power supply node.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for supplying power, including battery charging. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switching regulator including an output node coupled to a power supply node, a battery node for coupling to a battery, a first transistor including a drain coupled to the power supply node, a second transistor including a source coupled to a source of the first transistor and a drain coupled to the battery node, a first current sense circuit coupled to the drain of the first transistor, and a second current sense circuit coupled to the drain of the second transistor.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and apparatus for battery soft start. An example method generally includes: detecting connection of a first battery, wherein a first transistor is coupled between the first battery and an output node of a power supply circuit for the electronic device, and wherein an output capacitive element coupled to the output node; biasing the first transistor in a soft start operating mode to charge the output capacitive element based on the detection; detecting connection of a second battery, wherein a second transistor is coupled between the second battery and the output node; comparing a first battery voltage (VBAT) of the first battery and a second VBAT of the second battery; and biasing the first transistor in a second operating mode based on the comparison and an output voltage at the output node.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for soft starting power supply voltages in a power supply circuit for multiple batteries. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switching regulator including an output selectively coupled to at least one of a first power supply rail or a second power supply rail, a first battery node for coupling to a first battery, a second battery node for coupling to a second battery, a first set of transistors coupled between the first power supply rail and the first battery node, a second set of transistors coupled between the second power supply rail and the second battery node, a voltage regulator (VR), and a charge pump (CP) circuit. The CP circuit generally includes a first terminal coupled to the first power supply rail, a second terminal coupled to the second power supply rail, and a power supply input coupled to an output of the VR.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and apparatus for battery charging. An example method generally includes: performing at least one first charging operation for each of a first battery and a second battery; detecting a first voltage associated with the first battery and a second voltage associated with the second battery; comparing the first voltage and the second voltage to detect whether the first voltage and the second voltage are balanced; and performing a second charging operation for one of the first battery and the second battery to balance the first voltage and the second voltage based on the comparison.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for parallel charging of at least one power storage unit. In example implementations, an apparatus includes a charging system. The charging system includes a first charger having a first current path and a second charger having a second current path. The charging system also includes a charging controller coupled to the first current path. The charging system further includes an indication path coupled between the second current path and the charging controller.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for converting power using a multi-output switched-mode power supply (SMPS) coupled to a multi-cell-in-series battery, such as charging a two-cell-in-series (2S) battery using a dual-output three-level buck converter coupled thereto, or using a multi-input SMPS circuit receiving power from a multi-cell-in-series battery. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switched-mode power supply circuit having an input node and an output node, a battery comprising multiple cells connected in series, a charge pump circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal of the charge pump circuit being coupled to the battery, a first switch coupled between the output node of the switched-mode power supply circuit and the first terminal of the charge pump circuit, and a second switch coupled between the output node of the switched-mode power supply circuit and the second terminal of the charge pump circuit.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for supplying power, including battery charging. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switching regulator including an output node, a first power supply node coupled to the output node of the switching regulator, a first charge pump including a first terminal coupled to the first power supply node and including a second terminal coupled to a second power supply node, a first battery node for coupling to a first battery, and a first switch including a first terminal coupled to the first power supply node and including a second terminal connected to the first battery node.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for supplying power, including battery charging. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switching regulator including an output node; a first battery node for coupling to a first battery; a second battery node for coupling to a second battery; a first switch coupled between the output node of the switching regulator and the first battery node; and a second switch coupled between the output node of the switching regulator and the second battery node. Such a power supply circuit may independently control and monitor the charging of multiple independent batteries without using multiple chargers, may balance the batteries during discharging, and may operate without a current limit switch.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for parallel charging of at least one power storage unit. In example implementations, an apparatus includes a charging system. The charging system includes a first charger having a first current path and a second charger having a second current path. The charging system also includes a charging controller coupled to the first current path. The charging system further includes an indication path coupled between the second current path and the charging controller.

Abstract: A data interconnect system includes: a plurality of pins arranged within a receptacle, a first one of the pins being a power pin, wherein the pins are electrically isolated from each other within the receptacle; a first switching network including a first plurality of parallel switching devices, each of the parallel switching devices of the first plurality of parallel switching devices coupling a respective one of the pins to a node; a first current path from the node to ground, the first current path including a current device; and a second current path, parallel to the first current path, the second current path including a resistor coupling the node to ground.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for implementing a multi-mode direct-current (DC)-to-DC power converter. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes a DC-to-DC power converter with a flying capacitor, an inductor, and four switches. The inductor is coupled between a second node and a battery node. A first switch is coupled between a first node and a first terminal of the flying capacitor. A second switch is coupled between the first terminal and the second node. A third switch is coupled between a second terminal of the flying capacitor and the second node. A fourth switch is coupled between the second terminal and a ground node. The DC-to-DC power converter is configured to selectively transfer power from the first node to the battery node according to a first operational mode and transfer other power from the battery node to the first node according to a second operational mode.

Abstract: A data interconnect system includes: a plurality of pins arranged within a receptacle, a first one of the pins being a power pin, wherein the pins are electrically isolated from each other within the receptacle; a first switching network including a first plurality of parallel switching devices, each of the parallel switching devices of the first plurality of parallel switching devices coupling a respective one of the pins to a node; a first current path from the node to ground, the first current path including a current device; and a second current path, parallel to the first current path, the second current path including a resistor coupling the node to ground.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a connection terminal pattern and layout for a three-level buck regulator. One example electronic module generally includes a substrate, an integrated circuit (IC) package disposed on the substrate and comprising transistors of a three-level buck regulator, a capacitive element of the three-level buck regulator disposed on the substrate, and an inductive element of the three-level buck regulator disposed on the substrate. In certain aspects, the capacitive element and the inductive element may be disposed adjacent to different sides of the IC package.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for controlling gate drivers of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) circuit—such as a three-level buck converter, a divide-by-two charge pump, or an adaptive combination power supply circuit capable of switching therebetween—in a power-saving mode (e.g., a pulse-skipping mode). During such a power-saving mode in which a capacitor of a charge pump is disconnected from at least one power supply rail (e.g., first and second input nodes of the charge pump) and is coupled to power terminals of one or more drivers of the SMPS circuit, the capacitor is temporarily disconnected from the power terminals and temporarily coupled to the at least one power supply rail (e.g., for a few microseconds).

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for supplying power to gate drivers of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) circuit. One example power supply circuit generally includes a SMPS circuit having a first input voltage node and a second input voltage node, and a charge pump. The charge pump generally includes a first capacitive element having a first terminal and a second terminal; a first switch coupled between a first input node of the charge pump and the first terminal of the first capacitive element; a second switch coupled between the second terminal of the first capacitive element and a second input node of the charge pump; a third switch coupled between the first terminal of the first capacitive element and the first input voltage node of the SMPS circuit; and a fourth switch coupled between the second terminal of the first capacitive element and the second input voltage node of the SMPS circuit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for converting power using a multi-output switched-mode power supply (SMPS) coupled to a multi-cell-in-series battery, such as charging a two-cell-in-series (2S) battery using a dual-output three-level buck converter coupled thereto, or using a multi-input SMPS circuit receiving power from a multi-cell-in-series battery. One example power supply circuit generally includes a switched-mode power supply circuit having an input node and an output node, a battery comprising multiple cells connected in series, a charge pump circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal of the charge pump circuit being coupled to the battery, a first switch coupled between the output node of the switched-mode power supply circuit and the first terminal of the charge pump circuit, and a second switch coupled between the output node of the switched-mode power supply circuit and the second terminal of the charge pump circuit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for trickle charging and precharging a dead multi-cell-in-series battery. One example battery charging circuit generally includes a charge pump circuit comprising a plurality of switches, being coupled to first and second power supply nodes, and being configured to multiply (or divide) a first voltage at the first power supply node to generate a second voltage at the second power supply node; a driver circuit configured to drive the plurality of switches in the charge pump circuit; and an arbiter having a first input coupled to the first power supply node, a second input coupled to the second power supply node, a third input coupled to a third power supply node having a third voltage, and an output coupled to a power supply terminal of the driver circuit, the arbiter being configured to select between the first, second, and third voltages to power the driver circuit.

Abstract: A battery charging circuit includes a buck converter, a charge pump power converter, a sensor external to or internal to the battery charging circuit, and a control unit. The charge pump power converter includes an output coupled to an output of the buck converter for charging a battery. The sensor is configured to sense a total input current. The control unit receives the total input current that is sensed and compensates for a variation in an input current to the charge pump power converter based on whether the total input current meets a specified current variance.