Abstract: A fault detection method for a multiphase switching converter with a plurality of switching circuits. The fault detection method includes the following steps. 1) Generate a comparing signal by comparing a corresponding current reference signal with a corresponding current sensing signal indicative of a current flowing through a corresponding switching circuit. 2) Generate a duration detecting signal by detecting the duration of the corresponding comparing signal keeping in a first state. 3) Generate a first mode signal indicating whether the corresponding switching circuit is under power operation and a second mode signal indicating whether the corresponding switching circuit works in DCM or CCM. And 4) generate a fault signal indicating whether the corresponding switching circuit is in a fault condition based on the corresponding duration detecting signal, the corresponding first mode signal and the corresponding second mode signal.

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 controller used in a switching converter having a switch and converting an input voltage into an output voltage having a transient profile. The controller includes a transient sensing circuit, a mode determining circuit and an on time regulating circuit. The transient sensing circuit generates a transient voltage signal indicative of the transient profile of the output voltage. The mode determining circuit receives the transient voltage signal and a first feedback voltage signal indicative of the output voltage, and generates a mode signal based on a first comparison between the first feedback voltage signal and a first threshold voltage and a second comparison between the transient voltage signal and a second threshold voltage. The on time regulating circuit generates an on time signal to regulate an on time of the switch based on the mode signal.

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 control circuit for a DC-DC converter has an over-current comparison circuit, an adaptive voltage position (AVP) control circuit and a switching control circuit. The over-current comparison circuit provides an over-current comparison signal by comparing an output current with a current limit value. The AVP control circuit provides a position signal based on a voltage identification code, an output voltage, an output current and the over-current comparison signal. The switching control circuit controls the DC-DC converter based on the position signal. When the output current is smaller than the current limit value, the output voltage varies along a first voltage position curve, and otherwise, the output voltage varies along a second voltage position curve.

Abstract: A fault detection method is sampling currents flowing through a plurality of switching circuits to generate a plurality of current sampling signals, generating a first reference signal and a second reference signal based on a predetermined reference signal and a ripple threshold signal, and generating a plurality of fault signals based on comparison results of each of the plurality of current sampling signals with the first reference signal and the second reference signal. When one of the plurality of current sampling signals is between the first reference signal and the second reference signal, a corresponding one of the plurality of fault signals changes to a first state, and when the corresponding one of the plurality of fault signals remains the first state for more than a predetermined time period, a corresponding one of control signals turns off a corresponding one of the plurality of switching circuits.

Abstract: A fault detection method for a multi-phase converter is: sampling currents flowing through a plurality of switching circuits to generate a plurality of current sampling signals; generating a plurality of digital current signals based on a plurality of current sampling signals; generating a plurality of on-time adjustment signals based on differences between each of the plurality of digital current signals and a reference current signal; averaging the plurality of on-time adjustment signals to generate an average adjustment signal; subtracting each of the plurality of on-time adjustment signals from the average adjustment signal to generate corresponding plurality of adjustment error signals; comparing each of the plurality of adjustment error signals with a threshold signal to generate a plurality of fault signals; and adjusting control signals of the plurality of switching circuits based on the plurality of fault signals.

Abstract: A fault detection method for a multi-phase converter is: sampling currents flowing through a plurality of switching circuits to generate a plurality of current sampling signals; generating a plurality of digital current signals based on a plurality of current sampling signals; generating a plurality of on-time adjustment signals based on differences between each of the plurality of digital current signals and a reference current signal; averaging the plurality of on-time adjustment signals to generate an average adjustment signal; subtracting each of the plurality of on-time adjustment signals from the average adjustment signal to generate corresponding plurality of adjustment error signals; comparing each of the plurality of adjustment error signals with a threshold signal to generate a plurality of fault signals; and adjusting control signals of the plurality of switching circuits based on the plurality of fault signals.

Abstract: A fault detection method is sampling currents flowing through a plurality of switching circuits to generate a plurality of current sampling signals, generating a first reference signal and a second reference signal based on a predetermined reference signal and a ripple threshold signal, and generating a plurality of fault signals based on comparison results of each of the plurality of current sampling signals with the first reference signal and the second reference signal. When one of the plurality of current sampling signals is between the first reference signal and the second reference signal, a corresponding one of the plurality of fault signals changes to a first state, and when the corresponding one of the plurality of fault signals remains the first state for more than a predetermined time period, a corresponding one of control signals turns off a corresponding one of the plurality of switching circuits.

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 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 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 PFC circuit having a switching circuit and a control circuit, the control circuit controls an operation mode of the switching circuit based on an input current and a switching frequency of the switching circuit, when the switching circuit works under a continuous current mode, the switching circuit is turned ON when the input current is less than an OFF current reference signal, and when the switching circuit works under a first discontinuous mode or a second discontinuous mode, the switching circuit is turned ON after a turn ON delay time period when the input current is less than the OFF current reference signal.

Abstract: A control method used in a constant on-time switching converter includes: judging whether the switching converter enters into an ultrasonic mode; turning ON the low-side switch to discharge the output capacitor when the switching converter enters into the ultrasonic mode; generating an additional slope compensation signal during the discharge of the output capacitor; comparing a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage of the switching circuit with the sum of a reference voltage and the additional slope compensation signal; turning OFF the low-side switch and turning ON the high-side switch when the feedback signal decreases to reach the sum of the reference voltage and the additional slope compensation signal.

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 PFC circuit having a switching circuit and a control circuit, the control circuit controls an operation mode of the switching circuit based on an input current and a switching frequency of the switching circuit, when the switching circuit works under a continuous current mode, the switching circuit is turned ON when the input current is less than an OFF current reference signal, and when the switching circuit works under a first discontinuous mode or a second discontinuous mode, the switching circuit is turned ON after a turn ON delay time period when the input current is less than the OFF current reference signal.

Abstract: A control method used in a constant on-time switching converter includes: judging whether the switching converter enters into an ultrasonic mode; turning ON the low-side switch to discharge the output capacitor when the switching converter enters into the ultrasonic mode; generating an additional slope compensation signal during the discharge of the output capacitor; comparing a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage of the switching circuit with the sum of a reference voltage and the additional slope compensation signal; turning OFF the low-side switch and turning ON the high-side switch when the feedback signal decreases to reach the sum of the reference voltage and the additional slope compensation signal.