Circuit and method for power control
First Claim
1. A power control circuit, comprising:
- a direct current (DC)-DC converter configured to receive a DC-DC converter control signal, the DC-DC converter configured to output a switching output voltage signal at a node of the DC-DC converter, while the power control circuit operates in a low-dropout (LDO) mode using a linear regulator configured to output a linear supply voltage signal;
an inductor detect circuit coupled to the node of the DC-DC converter, the inductor detect circuit configured to detect whether an inductor is coupled to the node of the DC-DC converter, in response to receiving an inductor detect enable control signal, and to output an inductor detect signal; and
control logic coupled to the DC-DC converter and to the inductor detect circuit, the control logic configured to output the DC-DC converter control signal to activate the DC-DC converter in response to both receiving a DC-DC enable signal and the inductor detect circuit outputting the inductor detect signal after determining that the inductor is coupled to the node of the DC-DC converter.
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Abstract
A power control integrated circuit (IC) chip can include a direct current (DC)-DC converter that outputs a switching voltage in response to a switching output enable signal. The power control IC chip can also include an inductor detect circuit that detects whether an inductor is conductively coupled to the DC-DC converter and a powered circuit component in response to an inductor detect signal. The power control IC chip can further include control logic that (i) controls the inductor detect signal based on an enable DC-DC signal and (ii) controls the switching output enable signal provided to the DC-DC converter and a linear output disable signal provided to a linear regulator based on a signal from the inductor detect circuit indicating whether the inductor is conductively coupled to the DC-DC converter and the powered circuit component.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power control circuit, comprising:
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a direct current (DC)-DC converter configured to receive a DC-DC converter control signal, the DC-DC converter configured to output a switching output voltage signal at a node of the DC-DC converter, while the power control circuit operates in a low-dropout (LDO) mode using a linear regulator configured to output a linear supply voltage signal; an inductor detect circuit coupled to the node of the DC-DC converter, the inductor detect circuit configured to detect whether an inductor is coupled to the node of the DC-DC converter, in response to receiving an inductor detect enable control signal, and to output an inductor detect signal; and control logic coupled to the DC-DC converter and to the inductor detect circuit, the control logic configured to output the DC-DC converter control signal to activate the DC-DC converter in response to both receiving a DC-DC enable signal and the inductor detect circuit outputting the inductor detect signal after determining that the inductor is coupled to the node of the DC-DC converter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method, comprising:
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receiving, by a power control circuit, a direct current (DC)-DC enable signal, while operating the power control circuit in a low-dropout (LDO) mode and supplying a low dropout voltage from a linear regulator in the power control circuit to a voltage supply output; detecting whether an inductor is coupled to the power control circuit, in response to receiving the DC-DC enable signal; and activating a DC-DC converter to supply a voltage to a switching voltage output signal, in response to both receiving the DC-DC enable signal and to detecting that the inductor is coupled to the power control circuit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A power control circuit, comprising:
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a linear regulator coupled to a first node of an inductor, the linear regulator configured to output a supply voltage output signal; a direct current (DC)-DC converter coupled to a second node of the inductor, the DC-DC converter configured to output a switching output voltage signal while the linear regulator outputs the supply voltage output signal; an inductor detect circuit configured to be coupled to the second node of the inductor; and control logic coupled to the DC-DC converter, to the linear regulator, and to the inductor detect circuit. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification