SWITCHING REGULATOR AND SEMICONDUCTOR APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A switching regulator configured to switch a control status of a switching element between a PWM control and a VFM control, and to convert an input voltage input to an input terminal into a predetermined constant voltage and output the predetermined constant voltage from an output terminal as an output voltage, the switching regulator comprising:
- the switching element configured to be switched in accordance with a control signal;
an inductor configured to be supplied with current from the switching element;
a rectifier element configured to carry current supplied from the inductor when the switching element is turned off;
an error amplifier circuit portion configured to compare a proportion voltage proportional to the output voltage and a first reference voltage, and to output a first signal indicating a comparison result of the proportion voltage and the first reference voltage and generate an error voltage by amplifying a voltage difference between the proportion voltage and the first reference voltage;
a PWM pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a PWM signal used for performing the PWM control by modulating the error voltage;
a current sensing circuit portion configured to sense a high side current flowing through the switching element and a low side current flowing through the rectifier element, and to output a signal indicating a sensing result of the high side current and a signal indicating a sensing result of the low side current;
an output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion configured to output a second signal when detecting that the output voltage becomes less than or equal to a predetermined voltage;
a current pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a current pulse signal having a pulse width from a time point when the switching element is turned on to a time point when the high side current reaches a predetermined current value;
a phase detecting circuit portion configured to compare a phase of the PWM signal and a phase of the current pulse signal, and to output a third signal indicating a comparison result of the phase of the PWM signal and the phase of the current pulse signal;
a VFM pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a VFM signal used for the VFM control based on the signal indicating a sensing result of the high side current and the signal indicating a sensing result of the low side current output from the current sensing circuit portion; and
a switching control circuit portion configured to generate the control signal based on the PWM signal or the VFM signal and to switch the control status of the switching element from the PWM control to the VFM control in accordance with the third signal output from the phase detecting circuit portion, and to switch the control status from the VFM control to the PWM control in accordance with the second signal output from the output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A switching regulator is disclosed that includes a switching element; an inductor; a rectifier element; an error amplifier circuit portion; a PWM pulse generating circuit portion; a current sensing circuit portion; an output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion; a current pulse generating circuit portion; a phase detecting circuit portion; a VFM pulse generating circuit portion; and a switching control circuit portion configured to generate a control signal based on a PWM signal or a VFM signal and to switch a control status of the switching element from a PWM control to a VFM control in accordance with a third signal output from the phase detecting circuit portion, and to switch the control status from the VFM control to the PWM control in accordance with a second signal output from the output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A switching regulator configured to switch a control status of a switching element between a PWM control and a VFM control, and to convert an input voltage input to an input terminal into a predetermined constant voltage and output the predetermined constant voltage from an output terminal as an output voltage, the switching regulator comprising:
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the switching element configured to be switched in accordance with a control signal; an inductor configured to be supplied with current from the switching element; a rectifier element configured to carry current supplied from the inductor when the switching element is turned off; an error amplifier circuit portion configured to compare a proportion voltage proportional to the output voltage and a first reference voltage, and to output a first signal indicating a comparison result of the proportion voltage and the first reference voltage and generate an error voltage by amplifying a voltage difference between the proportion voltage and the first reference voltage; a PWM pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a PWM signal used for performing the PWM control by modulating the error voltage; a current sensing circuit portion configured to sense a high side current flowing through the switching element and a low side current flowing through the rectifier element, and to output a signal indicating a sensing result of the high side current and a signal indicating a sensing result of the low side current; an output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion configured to output a second signal when detecting that the output voltage becomes less than or equal to a predetermined voltage; a current pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a current pulse signal having a pulse width from a time point when the switching element is turned on to a time point when the high side current reaches a predetermined current value; a phase detecting circuit portion configured to compare a phase of the PWM signal and a phase of the current pulse signal, and to output a third signal indicating a comparison result of the phase of the PWM signal and the phase of the current pulse signal; a VFM pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a VFM signal used for the VFM control based on the signal indicating a sensing result of the high side current and the signal indicating a sensing result of the low side current output from the current sensing circuit portion; and a switching control circuit portion configured to generate the control signal based on the PWM signal or the VFM signal and to switch the control status of the switching element from the PWM control to the VFM control in accordance with the third signal output from the phase detecting circuit portion, and to switch the control status from the VFM control to the PWM control in accordance with the second signal output from the output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A switching regulator configured to switch a control status of a switching element between a PWM control and a VFM control, and to convert an input voltage input to an input terminal into a predetermined constant voltage and output the predetermined constant voltage from an output terminal as an output voltage, the switching regulator comprising:
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an output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion configured to output a signal when detecting that the output voltage becomes less than or equal to a predetermined voltage; and a switching control circuit portion configured to switch the control status from the VFM control to the PWM control in accordance with the signal output from the output voltage decrease detecting circuit portion.
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10. A switching regulator configured to switch a control status of a switching element between a PWM control and a VFM control, and to convert an input voltage input to an input terminal into a predetermined constant voltage and output the predetermined constant voltage from an output terminal as an output voltage, the switching regulator comprising:
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the switching element configured to be switched in accordance with a control signal; an inductor configured to be supplied with current from the switching element; a rectifier element configured to carry current supplied from the inductor when the switching element is turned off; an error amplifier circuit portion configured to compare a proportion voltage proportional to the output voltage and a first reference voltage, and to output a first signal indicating a comparison result of the proportion voltage and the first reference voltage and generate an error voltage by amplifying a voltage difference between the proportion voltage and the first reference voltage; a PWM pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a PWM signal used for performing the PWM control by modulating the error voltage; a current sensing circuit portion configured to sense a high side current flowing through the switching element and a low side current flowing through the rectifier element, and to output a signal indicating a sensing result of the high side current and a signal indicating a sensing result of the low side current; a current pulse generating circuit portion configured to generate a current pulse signal having a pulse width from a time point when the switching element is turned on to a time point when the high side current reaches a predetermined current value; a phase detecting circuit portion configured to compare a phase of the PWM signal and a phase of the current pulse signal, and to output a third signal indicating a comparison result of the phase of the PWM signal and the phase of the current pulse signal; and a switching control circuit portion configured to generate the control signal based on the PWM signal or the VFM signal and to switch the control status of the switching element from the PWM control to the VFM control in accordance with the third signal output from the phase detecting circuit portion.
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Specification