Voltage regulator including a buck converter pass switch
First Claim
1. A discrete output driver control and monitoring circuit comprising:
- a microprocessor controller coupled to a communication bus and configured to provide high level control instructions to the communication bus;
a programmable circuit coupled to the communications bus and configured to convert a high level control instruction received from the communications bus to at least one control signal;
a voltage driver connected to said programmable circuit such that said at least one control signal sets an operational mode of at least one component of the voltage driver; and
wherein the voltage driver includes a voltage input, a voltage regulation controller including an on/off input, the voltage regulation controller configured to control a switching converter in a first mode, a second mode, and at least one additional mode;
the switching converter being configured to operate as an open pass switch in the first mode, configured to operate as a closed pass switch in the second mode, and configured to operate as an overcurrent and overvoltage protection switch in the at least one additional mode, wherein the first mode is a 0% duty cycle, the second mode is a 100% duty cycle, and the at least one additional mode is greater than 0% duty cycle and less than 100% duty cycle, and wherein the at least one additional mode is mutually exclusive with the first mode and the second mode.
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Abstract
A voltage driver includes a voltage input, a voltage regulation controller including an on/off input. The voltage regulation controller is configured to control a switching converter in a first mode, a second mode, and at least one additional mode. The switching converter is configured to operate as an open pass switch in the first mode, is configured to operate as a closed pass switch in the second mode, and is configured to operate as an overcurrent and overvoltage protection switch in the at least one additional mode. A discrete output driver control and monitoring circuit can be used to control the switching converter. The output driver control and monitoring circuit includes a controller coupled to a communication bus and is configured to provide high level control instructions to the communication bus.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A discrete output driver control and monitoring circuit comprising:
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a microprocessor controller coupled to a communication bus and configured to provide high level control instructions to the communication bus; a programmable circuit coupled to the communications bus and configured to convert a high level control instruction received from the communications bus to at least one control signal; a voltage driver connected to said programmable circuit such that said at least one control signal sets an operational mode of at least one component of the voltage driver; and wherein the voltage driver includes a voltage input, a voltage regulation controller including an on/off input, the voltage regulation controller configured to control a switching converter in a first mode, a second mode, and at least one additional mode;
the switching converter being configured to operate as an open pass switch in the first mode, configured to operate as a closed pass switch in the second mode, and configured to operate as an overcurrent and overvoltage protection switch in the at least one additional mode, wherein the first mode is a 0% duty cycle, the second mode is a 100% duty cycle, and the at least one additional mode is greater than 0% duty cycle and less than 100% duty cycle, and wherein the at least one additional mode is mutually exclusive with the first mode and the second mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a voltage driver comprising:
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placing the voltage driver in a first mode where a switching converter is a fully open switch by operating the switching converter at a 0% duty cycle; placing the voltage driver in a second mode where the switching converter is a fully closed switch by operating the switching converter at a 100% duty cycle; and placing the voltage driver in a third mode where the switching converter is an overcurrent and overvoltage protection, where the switching converter is a voltage limiter by operating the switching converter at a duty cycle greater than 0% and less than 100%, wherein operating the switching converter at a duty cycle greater than 0% and less than 100% comprises operating the switching converter at a first duty cycle when a first overcurrent and overvoltage control level is required and at a second duty cycle with a second overcurrent and overvoltage control level is required.
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Specification