Abstract: A voltage regulator includes circuitry for regulating a voltage output of the voltage regulator and a snubber circuit. The snubber circuit includes a switching device which is controlled to electronically connect or disconnect the snubber circuit with the circuitry of the voltage regulator device. The switching device may be controlled by a controller based on one or more parameters indicating a load of the voltage regulator device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an improved switching regulator and a method for controlling a switching regulator, for example, to meet stringent transient demand and high efficiency requirements over wide operating range without impacting system stability. According to one embodiment, the switching regulator may be a voltage regulator comprising a plurality of voltage regulator phases, each phase comprising a power stage operable to produce an output voltage for a transient load, and a driver stage coupled for driving the power stage based on a modulated input signal supplied to the driver stage. A variable inductor is included within the power stages in order to meet stringent transient demand and high efficiency requirements over a range of load conditions and operating set points.

Abstract: A voltage regulator power reporting offset system includes a monitored power reporting subsystem that determines a monitored power level, offsets the monitored power level using voltage regulator operation offset information to provide a first offset monitored power level, and reports the first offset monitored power level to voltage regulator operation components. A processor power reporting component receives the report of the first offset monitored power level from the monitored power reporting subsystem. A processor power reporting offset subsystem receives the report of the first offset monitored power level from the processor power reporting component, offsets the first offset monitored power level using the processor operation offset information to provide a second offset monitored power level that is different than the first offset monitored power level, and reports the second offset monitored power level to a processing system.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that may be employed to implement adaptive FET drive voltage optimization for voltage regulator (VR) integrated power stages (IPstages) that have different MOSFET RDS(on) characteristics to improve VR efficiency and current-sense accuracy.

Abstract: A voltage regulator for delivering power to a processor subsystem within an information handling system is disclosed. The voltage regulator includes an interface to an embedded controller for receiving a linear load line impedance and an intelligent load line controller. The intelligent load line controller may enable linear load line control, determine that a nonlinear load line condition is satisfied, and enable nonlinear load line control based on the determination that the nonlinear load line condition is satisfied.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an improved switching regulator and a method for controlling a switching regulator, for example, to meet stringent transient demand and high efficiency requirements over wide operating range without impacting system stability. According to one embodiment, the switching regulator may be a voltage regulator comprising a plurality of voltage regulator phases, each phase comprising a power stage operable to produce an output voltage for a transient load, and a driver stage coupled for driving the power stage based on a modulated input signal supplied to the driver stage. A variable inductor is included within the power stages in order to meet stringent transient demand and high efficiency requirements over a range of load conditions and operating set points.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that may be employed to enable multi-phase voltage regulator (VR) system calibration during the development phase of a multi-phase VR system so as to meet defined accuracy targets and, in one example, to avoid the need for system level calibration in a production environment. The disclosed systems and methods may be further implemented to enable use of multiple sources for and types of integrated power stages (IPstages) in a common multi-phase VR system configuration while still achieving the required current sense accuracy, thus reducing or substantially eliminating continuity of supply (COS) concerns.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that may be employed to improve efficiency of smart integrated power stages (IPstages) of multi-phase VR systems while operating under relatively light, ultra-light, or partial or reduced loads. The disclosed methods and systems may be implemented to improve VR system light load efficiency by providing and enabling reduced power IPstage operating modes in one or more smart IPstage/s of a VR system, and by enabling state transition between IPstage active and reduced power operating modes such as IPstage standby and IPstage hibernation modes.

Abstract: An information handling system (IHS) includes temperature-compensated power control by a voltage regulation (VR) module to: (i) receive a monitored current (Imon) value from a current sensor integrated into the VR module; (ii) receive a temperature value from the temperature sensor also integrated into the VR module; (iii) determine a temperature-compensated Imon value based at least in part on the Imon value, the temperature value, and an empirically-derived temperature coefficient defined at the Imon value and the temperature value; and (iv) control the voltage-regulated power at least in part based on the temperature-compensated Imon value. The empirically-derived temperature coefficient adjusts for nonlinear portions of temperature coupling relationship between a portion of an integrated circuit (IC) die that can include the current sensor and the temperature sensor and a temperature experienced by by active portion of VR module.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a power supply unit may include one or more stages including an output stage configured to generate a direct-current output voltage at an output of the power supply, an OR-ing metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) coupled between the output stage and the output, and a controller. The controller may be configured to measure a signal indicative of a voltage associated with the OR-ing MOSFET and determine an estimated output current of the power supply based on the signal.

Abstract: A voltage regulator may be tuned to reduce consumption of electrical power. An installed configuration of a dual inline memory module is used to load test the voltage regulator. Results of the load test may then reveal tuning parameters that make the voltage regulator more efficient.

Abstract: An information handling system (IHS) performs current calibration of a multi-phase VR using leakage current as a reference current. The IHS includes a multi-phase voltage regulator (VR) module coupled to an output port of a power supply unit (PSU). The VR module includes: a multi-phase VR having an integrated power stage that provides pulse width modulation (PWM) functionality for controlling operating phases of VR current in the multi-phase VR; and a digital controller coupled to the multi-phase VR. The controller: enables a known, high accuracy operating phase as loading calibrator for offset training; records a leakage current value as a reference current; enables a first unknown, low accuracy operating phase; determines, for the unknown operating phase, an offset value that provides a specified target current accuracy; updates an offset register for the unknown operating phase with the corresponding offset value; and disables the unknown operating phase.

Abstract: A method and an information handling system (IHS) perform current calibration of a multi-phase voltage regulator (VR) by using a calibrated operating phase to calibrate an unknown operating phase. A calibration controller, using a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, enables a first unknown operating phase within a first converter sub-circuit in the multiphase VR. The calibration controller enables a calibrated circuit component electronically coupled to the first unknown operating phase. The calibration controller determines a target voltage for the first unknown operating phase based on sense component specifications. The calibration controller determines, for the first unknown operating phase, a sense voltage that identifies the first unknown operating phase as a first evaluated operating phase.

Abstract: A voltage regulator may be tuned to reduce consumption of electrical power. An installed configuration of a dual inline memory module is used to load test the voltage regulator. Results of the load test may then reveal tuning parameters that make the voltage regulator more efficient.

Abstract: A method may include deactivating a switch of a measurement circuit during a measurement portion of at least one voltage regulator phase, wherein each of the at least one voltage regulator phase is integral to a voltage regulator and each of the at least one voltage regulator phase comprises a power stage. The power stage may include a high-side switch for delivering electrical current to the at least one information handling resource in conformity with a first duty cycle of the high-side switch. The power stage may also include a low-side switch for sinking electrical current to an electrical ground in conformity with a second duty cycle of the low-side switch. The method may also include measuring a voltage across a sense resistor of the measurement circuit during the measurement portion, wherein the sense resistor is coupled in parallel with non-gate terminals of the switch.

Abstract: A switching DC-DC voltage regulator (VR) provides for light and sinking loads by compute components of an information handling system (IHS). A controller detects a load current value and a voltage output value of a synchronous Buck VR. In response to detecting that the load current value is less than a threshold value, the controller drives a high side control switch (HS) and low side synchronous switch (LS) to regulate an output voltage value across a capacitor by causing an inductor current ripple through an inductor of the synchronous Buck VR in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to reduce power consumption during a light load. In response to detecting an electrical characteristic indicative of a voltage overshoot of the output voltage, the controller drives the HS and LS to cause the synchronous Buck VR to perform forced continuous conduction mode (FCCM) to sink the load current each switching cycle.

Abstract: A voltage regulator may comprise a high-side switch and a low-side switch for delivering electrical current to the at least one information handling resource, a high-side driver configured to drive a high-side driving voltage for regulating a first electrical current of the high-side switch, a low-side driver configured to drive a low-side driving voltage for regulating a second electrical current of the low-side switch, and a control circuit configured to operate the at least one voltage regulator in both of a fixed dead time mode and an adaptive dead time mode.

Abstract: A switching DC-DC voltage regulator (VR) provides for light and sinking loads by compute components of an information handling system (IHS). A controller detects a load current value and a voltage output value of a synchronous Buck VR. In response to detecting that the load current value is less than a threshold value, the controller drives a high side control switch (HS) and low side synchronous switch (LS) to regulate an output voltage value across a capacitor by causing an inductor current ripple through an inductor of the synchronous Buck VR in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to reduce power consumption during a light load. In response to detecting an electrical characteristic indicative of a voltage overshoot of the output voltage, the controller drives the HS and LS to cause the synchronous Buck VR to perform forced continuous conduction mode (FCCM) to sink the load current each switching cycle.

Abstract: A system and method of measuring real-time current is disclosed. The method includes calibrating a voltage measurement device. Calibrating includes measuring a real-time voltage difference between a first measurement node located proximate a first connector on a motherboard and a second measurement node located proximate a second connector on a power supply unit (PSU), the first and the second connectors coupled to provide power to the motherboard. Calibrating further includes averaging the real-time voltage difference for a plurality of measurements; computing a resistance of the coupling based at least on a long-duration averaged current from the PSU and the averaged real-time voltage difference, the resistance varying over time; and reporting the resistance of the coupling to the voltage measurement device. The method also includes measuring a real-time current of the PSU at the voltage measurement device based at least on the resistance of the coupling and the real-time voltage difference.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include an information handling resource, a voltage regulator, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and a controller. The voltage regulator may be coupled to the information handling resource and configured to deliver electrical energy to the information handling resource. The a non-transitory computer-readable medium may have stored thereon curve fit information, the curve fit information including coefficients of a polynomial for approximating a parameter indicative of the power efficiency of the voltage regulator as a function of a measured output current of the voltage regulator. The controller may be coupled to the voltage regulator and configured to receive information indicative of an output power of the voltage regulator and, based on the information indicative of an output power of the voltage regulator and the curve fit information, calculate an input current of the voltage regulator.