Abstract: A hybrid DC-DC converter includes a converter circuit, a bridge circuit with a bridge path that includes a winding of a transformer, and another bridge circuit with a bridge path that includes another winding of the transformer. Current through the bridge path of the other bridge circuit flows through the converter circuit in one direction and bypasses the converter circuit in the other direction. The converter circuit can operate in buck, boost, or buck-boost mode.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) control device for a multi-phase switching converter having a master phase and at least one slave phase, has a first ON-time control circuit to provide a first ON-time control signal and at least one slave ON-time control circuit. Each slave ON-time control circuit has a closed-loop gainer to provide a gain by executing proportional integral to a difference between a master phase temperature and a slave phase temperature, a multiplier to provide a current feedback signal by multiplying a slave current signal with the gain, a bias circuit to provide a bias by executing proportional integral to a difference between a master phase current and the current feedback signal, and an adder to provide a corresponding slave ON-time control signal by adding the first ON-time control signal to a bias ON-time control signal provided by a bias ON-time generator based the bias.

Abstract: A control circuit for a switching converter has a valley current limiting circuit, a peak current limiting circuit, an ON time control circuit, and a switching control circuit. The valley current limiting circuit provides a valley current comparison signal by comparing a current sense signal with a first current threshold. The current sense signal is representative of a current flowing through a switching circuit of the switching converter. The peak current limiting circuit provides a peak current comparison signal based on the valley current comparison signal, a switching control signal, and a second current threshold. The ON time control circuit provides an ON time control signal based on the switching control signal. The switching control circuit provides the switching control signal based on the voltage comparison signal, the valley current comparison signal, the peak current comparison signal, and the ON time control signal to control the switching circuit.

Abstract: A power module has a substrate with a bottom side and a component side. Power converters of the power module are implemented using monolithic integrated circuit (IC) switch blocks that are mounted on the component side of the substrate. The power converters include output inductors that are disposed within the substrate. An end of an output inductor is connected to a switch node of a monolithic IC switch block and another end of the output inductor is connected to an output voltage node of the power module.

Abstract: A control circuit for a voltage regulator has an energy regulation circuit and a switching control circuit. The energy regulation circuit provides a regulation signal based on an output voltage, an output current, and a maximum energy reference. The maximum energy reference decreases with increasing of an ambient temperature and increases with decreasing of the ambient temperature. The switching control circuit provides a switching control signal based on the regulation signal to turn ON and turn OFF at least one switch of a plurality of switches of the voltage regulator, such that the output voltage and the output current satisfy a first relationship when the ambient temperature equals a first temperature value, and the output voltage and the output current satisfy a second relationship when the ambient temperature equals a second temperature value.

Abstract: A sandwich structure power supply module, having: an inductor pack having a first inductor and a second inductor; a bottom PCB (Printed Circuit Board) at the bottom of the sandwich structure power supply module; a top PCB on top of the inductor pack; a connector coupled between the bottom PCB and the top PCB, coupling solder pads on the bottom PCB to solder pads on the top PCB; and a first and a second power device chips on top of the top PCB, wherein the first power device chip and the second power device chip respectively has at least one pin coupled to the first inductor and the second inductor via the top PCB; wherein each inductor comprises one winding having a first end and a second end bent to and extended at a plane perpendicular to an axis along a length of the winding.

Abstract: A hybrid DC-DC converter includes a converter circuit, a bridge circuit with a bridge path that includes a winding of a transformer, and another bridge circuit with a bridge path that includes another winding of the transformer. Current through the bridge path of the other bridge circuit flows through the converter circuit in one direction and bypasses the converter circuit in the other direction. The converter circuit can operate in buck, boost, or buck-boost mode.

Abstract: A method for automatically testing a voltage regulator, including: providing an auto-test setting to a test master, wherein the auto-test setting specifies an auto-sweep setting and a loop comprising an ordered set of serial command frames; producing, in the test master, a test suite comprising a plurality of serial command frames by executing the loop multiple times according to the auto-sweep setting until an array of a preset variable corresponding to the auto-sweep setting is traversed, wherein the preset variable is changed in each iteration of the loop; sequentially transmitting every serial command frame to the voltage regulator; and receiving every resulting behavior of the voltage regulator when operated in accordance with the every serial command frame.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes a substrate, power stage integrated circuit (IC) dies, and output inductors that connect switch nodes of the power stage IC dies to an output node of the power converter. The power stage IC dies are mounted on one side of the substrate and the output inductors are mounted on an opposing side of the substrate. Two output inductors go through a magnetic core. A heatsink is attached to surfaces of the power stage IC dies. A power stage IC die has a pair of switching transistors, and a switch node formed by the switching transistors is connected by an output inductor to the output node of the power converter.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes a substrate, power stage integrated circuit (IC) dies, and output inductors that connect switch nodes of the power stage IC dies to an output node of the power converter. The power stage IC dies are mounted on one side of the substrate and the output inductors are mounted on an opposing side of the substrate. Two output inductors go through a magnetic core. A heatsink is attached to surfaces of the power stage IC dies. A power stage IC die has a pair of switching transistors, and a switch node formed by the switching transistors is connected by an output inductor to the output node of the power converter.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes power stage blocks and heat-dissipating substrate. A power stage block includes a power stage IC die, an output inductor that is connected to a switch node of the power stage IC die, and capacitors that form an output capacitor of the power stage block. The output capacitors of the power stage blocks are symmetrically arranged. The output inductors can be placed on the same side of the substrate as the power stage IC dies, or on a side of the substrate that is opposite to the side where the power stage IC dies are disposed. A power stage block may generate two output phases of the power converter.

Abstract: A voltage regulator has a switching circuit and a control circuit. The switching circuit provides an output voltage and an output current. The control circuit provides a switching control signal to the switching circuit to adjust the output voltage, such that the output voltage decreases with a first slope as the output current increases when the output current is less than a first current level, the output voltage decreases with a second slope as the output current increases when the output current is larger than the first current level and is less than a second current level, and the output voltage decreases with a third slope as the output current increases when the output current is larger than the second current level.

Abstract: A voltage regulator has a switching circuit and a control circuit. The switching circuit provides an output voltage and an output current. The control circuit provides a switching control signal to the switching circuit to adjust the output voltage, such that the output voltage decreases with a first slope as the output current increases when the output current is less than a first current level, the output voltage decreases with a second slope as the output current increases when the output current is larger than the first current level and is less than a second current level, and the output voltage decreases with a third slope as the output current increases when the output current is larger than the second current level.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes power stage blocks and heat-dissipating substrate. A power stage block includes a power stage IC die, an output inductor that is connected to a switch node of the power stage IC die, and capacitors that form an output capacitor of the power stage block. The output capacitors of the power stage blocks are symmetrically arranged. The output inductors can be placed on the same side of the substrate as the power stage IC dies, or on a side of the substrate that is opposite to the side where the power stage IC dies are disposed. A power stage block may generate two output phases of the power converter.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes power stage blocks. A power stage block includes a power stage IC die, an output inductor that is connected to a switch node of the power stage IC die, and capacitors that form an output capacitor of the power stage block. The output capacitors of the power stage blocks are symmetrically arranged. The output inductors can be placed on the same side of the substrate as the power stage IC dies, or on a side of the substrate that is opposite to the side where the power stage IC dies are disposed. A power stage block may generate two output phases of the power converter.

Abstract: A multiphase power supply includes several constant ON-time (COT) DC-DC converter integrated circuits (ICs), with each COT DC-DC converter IC providing an output voltage of a phase of the multiphase power supply. The COT DC-DC converter ICs are sequentially turned ON one after another in interleaved fashion. A COT DC-DC converter IC receives a control signal at a take pin and, in response, turns ON its output switch. The COT DC-DC converter IC generates another control signal at a pass pin. The next COT DC-DC converter IC turns ON its output switch in response to receiving the other control signal from the previous COT DC-DC converter IC.

Abstract: A circuit assembly for a power converter includes power stage blocks. A power stage block includes a power stage IC die, an output inductor that is connected to a switch node of the power stage IC die, and capacitors that form an output capacitor of the power stage block. The output capacitors of the power stage blocks are symmetrically arranged. The output inductors can be placed on the same side of the substrate as the power stage IC dies, or on a side of the substrate that is opposite to the side where the power stage IC dies are disposed. A power stage block may generate two output phases of the power converter.

Abstract: A method for automatically testing a voltage regulator, including: providing an auto-test setting to a test master, wherein the auto-test setting specifies an auto-sweep setting and a loop comprising an ordered set of serial command frames; producing, in the test master, a test suite comprising a plurality of serial command frames by executing the loop multiple times according to the auto-sweep setting until an array of a preset variable corresponding to the auto-sweep setting is traversed, wherein the preset variable is changed in each iteration of the loop; sequentially transmitting every serial command frame to the voltage regulator; and receiving every resulting behavior of the voltage regulator when operated in accordance with the every serial command frame.

Abstract: A multi-rail switching converter providing a plurality of output voltages has a master switching circuit, a plurality of slave switching circuits and a control circuit. The control circuit has an interleaving control circuit, the interleaving control circuit judges a phase zone of a corresponding slave switching circuit based on a switching control signal of the master switching circuit and a set signal of the corresponding slave switching circuit, and adjusts a turn-ON moment of the corresponding slave switching circuit based on the phase zone of the corresponding slave switching circuit.

Abstract: A multiphase power supply includes several constant ON-time (COT) DC-DC converter integrated circuits (ICs). One of the COT DC-DC converter ICs generates a synchronization signal, which is received in parallel by the other COT DC-DC converter ICs. Two or more COT DC-DC converter ICs are turned ON at the same time in synchronization with the synchronization signal (e.g., an edge of a pulse of the synchronization signal) that is received in parallel and with another synchronization signal that is propagated from one COT DC-DC converter IC to another.