MULTIPHASE TRANSFORMER FOR A MULTIPHASE DC-DC CONVERTER

• US 20090174377A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Paillet, Fabrice, Schrom, Gerhard, Hazucha, Peter, Karnik, Tanay, De, Vivek, Lee, Jaeseo
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/272
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/468 characterised by reference voltage circuitry, e.g. soft start, remote shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/14 Arrangements for reducing ripples from dc input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/068 mounted on a transformer

Abstract

A multiphase DC-DC converter is provided that includes a multiphase transformer, the multiphase transformer including a plurality of input voltage terminals and an transformer output voltage terminal, each input voltage terminal associated with a corresponding phase. Each phase is assigned to an input voltage terminal of the plurality of input voltage terminals to minimize a ripple current at the input voltage terminals of the multiphase transformer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer, the multiphase transformer including a plurality of input voltage terminals and transformer output voltage terminal, each input voltage terminal associated with a corresponding phase; and

assigning each phase to an input voltage terminal of the plurality of input voltage terminals to minimize a ripple current at the input voltage terminals of the multiphase transformer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the phases includes assigning the phases non-sequentially to the plurality of input voltage terminals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the phases are assigned in accordance with the following:

a first phase Φ

₁ is assigned to a first terminal T1 of the plurality of input voltage terminals;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

Φ

_T+1=(Φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1/2)) mod N+1, where T is the terminal number; and

if the number of phases N is even, then

Φ

_T+1=(Φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1)) mod N+1, where T is the terminal number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiphase transformer includes a two-phase transformer for each phase of the multiphase transformer, the two-phase transformers arranged in a cyclic cascade topology.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each two-phase transformer includes coupled-inductors.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiphase transformer includes a two-phase transformer for each phase of the multiphase transformer, the two-phase transformers arranged in a modified cyclic cascade topology.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each two-phase transformer includes coupled-inductors.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiphase transformer includes a two-phase transformer for each phase of the multiphase transformer, the two-phase transformers arranged in a mixed cyclic cascade topology.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each two-phase transformer includes coupled-inductors.

10. A multiphase DC-DC converter, comprising:

a multiphase transformer;

a transformer output voltage terminal coupled to the multiphase transformer; and

a plurality of input voltage terminals coupled to the multiphase transformer,

wherein a plurality of phases corresponding to a plurality of input voltages are assigned to the plurality of input voltage terminals, respectively, to minimize a ripple current at the input voltage terminals of the multiphase transformer.

11. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 10 wherein the multiphase transformer includes a two-phase transformer for each phase of the multiphase transformer, the two-phase transformers arranged in a cyclic cascade topology.

12. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 10 wherein the multiphase transformer includes a two-phase transformer for each phase of the multiphase transformer, the two-phase transformers arranged in a modified cyclic cascade topology.

13. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 10 wherein the multiphase transformer includes a two-phase transformer for each phase of the multiphase transformer, the two-phase transformers arranged in a mixed cyclic cascade topology.

14. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 10, further comprising a shuffle circuit coupled between the plurality of input voltage terminals and corresponding bridges of the multiphase transformer to enable programmability of the assignment of phases to the multiphase transformer.

15. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 10 wherein an output voltage terminal of the multiphase DC-DC converter is coupled to a second output voltage terminal of a second multiphase DC-DC converter in parallel.

16. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 10 wherein the DC-DC converter is integrated on a semiconductor die.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a multiphase DC-DC converter integrated on a semiconductor die to provide a supply voltage to the processor, the DC-DC converter including;

a multiphase transformer;

an transformer output voltage terminal coupled to the multiphase transformer; and

a plurality of input voltage terminals coupled to the multiphase transformer, wherein a plurality of phases corresponding to a plurality of input voltages are applied to the plurality of input voltage terminals, respectively, to minimize a ripple current at the input voltage terminals of the multiphase transformer.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the multiphase transformer includes a two-phase transformer for each phase of the multiphase transformer, the two-phase transformers arranged in one of a cyclic cascade topology, a modified cyclic cascade topology, or a mixed cyclic cascade topology.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor and the multiphase DC-DC converter are packaged in the same package.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the processor and the multiphase DC-DC converter are integrated on the same semiconductor die.