CURRENT SENSE CASCODE AMPLIFIER

• US 20100127684A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intersil Americas LLC (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intersil Americas LLC (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Iliasevitch, Stepan
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/285
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A current sense amplifier sensing current through a main switch of a converter. The amplifier includes first and second switch devices, an amplifier control circuit, a bias circuit, a current generator circuit, and a sense circuit. The main switch is coupled to an input, phase and control nodes. The first and second switch devices are smaller matching versions of the main switch and are both coupled to the main switch and form first and second nodes. The bias circuit is coupled between second and fourth nodes and the amplifier control circuit is coupled between first and third nodes. The current generator develops a first current through the amplifier control circuit and a second current through the bias circuit. The sense circuit has a current path coupled to the first node and is controlled by the third node to develop a sense voltage indicative of current through the main switch.

Claims

1. A current sense amplifier for sensing current through a main switch device of a converter, wherein the main switch device has a current path coupled between an input node and a phase node and has a control input coupled to a control node, said current sense amplifier comprising:

first and second matching switch devices comprising scaled down versions of the main switch device, each said first and second switch device having a control input coupled to the control node, wherein said first switch device has a current path for coupling between the input node and a first node, and wherein said second switch device has a current path for coupling between the phase node and a second node;

an amplifier control circuit having a current path coupled between said first node and a third node, said amplifier control circuit having an input;

a bias circuit having a current path coupled between said second node and a fourth node and having an output coupled to said input of said amplifier control circuit;

a current generator circuit coupled to said third and fourth nodes which develops a constant first current through said amplifier control circuit and which develops a constant second current through said bias circuit, wherein said second current is about twice said first current; and

a sense circuit having a current path coupled between said first node and ground and having a control input coupled to said third node, wherein said sense circuit develops a sense voltage indicative of current through the current path of the main switch device.

2. The current sense amplifier of claim 1, wherein the main switch device comprises an N-type device having a gate coupled to the control node, a drain coupled to the input node and a source coupled to the phase node, wherein said first and second switch devices comprise N-type switch devices each having a gate for coupling to the control node, wherein said first switch device has a drain for coupling to the input node and a source coupled to said first node, and wherein said second switch device has a drain for coupling to the phase node and a source coupled to said second node.

3. The current sense amplifier of claim 1, wherein:

said amplifier control circuit comprises first and second P-type devices each having a source and a drain coupled in series between said first and third nodes and each having a gate; and

wherein said bias circuit comprises third and fourth P-type devices each being diode-coupled and having sources and drains coupled in series between said second and third fourth nodes, wherein said third P-type device has a gate coupled to said gate of said first P-type device and wherein said fourth P-type device has a gate coupled to said gate of said second P-type device.

4. The current sense amplifier of claim 3, wherein said first and second P-type devices are about twice the size of said first and second P-type devices.

5. The current sense amplifier of claim 3, wherein a first current density of said first and second P-type devices is about the same as a second current density of said third and fourth P-type devices.

6. The current sense amplifier of claim 3, wherein said current path of said first switch device develops a current comprising said first current added to a sense current proportional to current flowing through the current path of the main switch device, and wherein said first and second P-type devices operate to control voltage of said third node so that said sense current is directed through said current path of said sense circuit.

7. The current sense amplifier of claim 1, wherein said sense circuit comprises:

an N-type device having a drain coupled to said first node, a source coupled to said fifth node, and a gate coupled to said third node; and

a resistive device coupled between said fifth node and ground.

8. The current sense amplifier of claim 7, wherein said current path of said first switch device develops a current comprising said first current added to a sense current proportional to current flowing through the current path of the main switch device, and wherein said amplifier control circuit operates to control voltage of said third node so that said sense current is directed through said N-type device of said sense circuit.

9. The current sense amplifier of claim 1, wherein said current generator circuit comprises a cascode current mirror circuit.

10. The current sense amplifier of claim 1, wherein said current generator circuit comprises:

a first circuit receiving a bias current and a bias voltage;

a second circuit coupled in a mirror configuration with said first circuit for developing said constant first current; and

a third circuit coupled in a mirror configuration with said first circuit for developing said constant second current.

11. The current sense amplifier of claim 10, wherein:

said first circuit comprises;

a first N-type device having a drain receiving said bias current, a gate receiving said bias voltage, and a source; and

a second N-type device having a drain coupled to said source of said first N-type device, a gate coupled to said drain of said first N-type device, and a source coupled to ground;

wherein said second circuit comprises;

a third N-type device having a drain coupled to said third node, a gate receiving said bias voltage, and a source; and

a fourth N-type device having a drain coupled to said source of said third N-type device, a gate coupled to said drain of said first N-type device, and a source coupled to ground; and

wherein said third circuit comprises;

a fifth N-type device having a drain coupled to said fourth node, a gate receiving said bias voltage, and a source; and

a sixth N-type device having a drain coupled to said source of said fifth N-type device, a gate coupled to said drain of said first N-type device, and a source coupled to ground.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a voltage converter, comprising;

a first electronic switch having a current path coupled between an input node and a phase node and having a control input coupled to a first power control node;

a second electronic switch having a current path coupled between said phase node and ground and having a control input coupled to a second power control node; and

an inductive device coupled between said phase node and an output node; and

a controller coupled to said first and second control nodes, said phase node and said input node, said controller including a current sense amplifier comprising;

first and second sense devices comprising scaled down versions of said first electronic switch, each said first and second sense device having a control input coupled to said first power control node, wherein said first sense device has a current path coupled between said input node and a first node, and wherein said second sense device has a current path coupled between said phase node and a second node;

a bias circuit having a current path coupled between said second node and a fourth node and having an output;

an amplifier circuit having a current path coupled between said first node and a third node and having an input coupled to said output of said bias circuit;

a current generator circuit coupled to said third and fourth nodes which develops a constant first current through said amplifier control circuit and which develops a constant second current through said bias circuit, wherein said second current is about twice said first current; and

a sense circuit having a current path coupled between said first node and ground and having a control input coupled to said third node, wherein said sense circuit develops a sense voltage indicative of current through the current path of the main switch device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said controller further comprises:

a voltage sense circuit having an input coupled to said output node and an output providing a voltage sense voltage;

an error circuit having an input receiving said voltage sense voltage and an output providing a compensation voltage;

a comparator circuit having a first input receiving said compensation voltage, a second input receiving said sense voltage, and an output providing a pulse control signal; and

a switch control circuit having an input receiving said pulse control signal, a first output coupled to said first control node and a second output coupled to said second control node.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

said first electronic switch comprises a first N-type device having a gate coupled to said first control node, a drain coupled to said input node and a source coupled to said phase node;

wherein said first sense device comprises a second N-type device which is of a similar type as said first N-type device yet substantially smaller than said first N-type device, wherein said second N-type device has a gate coupled to said first control node, a drain coupled to said input node and a source coupled to said first node; and

wherein said second sense device comprises a third N-type device which matches said second N-type device, wherein said third N-type device has a gate coupled to said first control node, a drain coupled to said phase node and a source coupled to said second node.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein:

said amplifier circuit comprises;

a first P-type device having a gate, a drain and a source wherein said source is coupled to said first node; and

a second P-type device having a gate, having a source coupled to said drain of said first P-type device and having a drain coupled to said third node; and

wherein said bias circuit comprises;

a third P-type device having a source coupled to said second node, and having a gate and drain coupled together and to said gate of said first P-type device; and

a fourth P-type device having a source coupled to said gate of said first P-type device, and having a drain and gate coupled to said fourth node and to said gate of said second P-type device.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein said sense circuit comprises:

a fifth N-type device having a drain coupled to said first node, a gate coupled to said third node, and having a source; and

a resistive device coupled between said source of said fifth N-type device and ground.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said current generator circuit comprises a cascode current mirror circuit.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein said voltage converter and controller are provided on a battery-powered electronic hand-held device.

19. A method of sensing current through a main switch device of a voltage converter, wherein the main switch device has a drain coupled to an input node, a source coupled to a phase node and a gate coupled to a control node, said method comprising:

coupling a gate and a drain of a first switch device to the control node and the input node, respectively, and coupling a source of the first switch device to a first node, wherein the first switch device comprises a scaled down version of the main switch device;

coupling a gate of a second switch device to the control node, coupling a drain of the second switch device to the phase node, and coupling a source of the second switch device to a second node, wherein the second switch device matches the first switch device;

coupling a current path of an amplifier circuit between the first node and a third node, wherein the amplifier circuit has a control input;

coupling a current path of a bias circuit between the second node and a fourth node, and coupling a bias output of the bias circuit to the control input of the amplifier circuit;

drawing a constant first current through the amplifier circuit and drawing a constant second current through the bias circuit, wherein the second current is about twice the first current;

coupling a resistive device between a fifth node and ground; and

coupling a drain of a sense device to the first node, coupling a source of the sense device to the fifth node, and coupling a gate of the sense device to the third node.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

said coupling a current path of an amplifier circuit comprises;

coupling a source of a first P-type device to the first node, the first P-type device having a gate and a drain; and

coupling a source of a second P-type device to the drain of the first P-type device, coupling a drain of the second P-type device to the third node, the second P-type device having a gate; and

wherein said coupling a current path of a bias circuit between the second node and a fourth node, and coupling a bias output of the bias circuit to the control input of the amplifier circuit comprises;

coupling a source of a third P-type device to the second node, coupling a gate of the third P-type device to the gate of the first P-type device, the third P-type device having a drain; and

coupling a source of a fourth P-type device to the drain of the third P-type device, coupling a drain of the second P-type device to the fourth node, and coupling a gate of the fourth P-type device to the gate of the second P-type device.