BRIDGE DRIVER FOR A SWITCHING VOLTAGE REGULATOR

• US 20150333628A1
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Schrom, Gerhard, Milshtein, Mark S., Lyakhov, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,651,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/338 in a self-oscillating arrangement H02M3/337 takes 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

Described is an apparatus which comprises: a low-side switch coupled to an output node for providing regulated voltage supply; and a first driver operable to cause the low-side switch to turn off when the output node rises above a first transistor threshold voltage. Described is also a voltage regulator which comprises: a signal generator to generate a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal; a bridge having a low-side switch coupled to an output node for providing regulated voltage supply according to the PWM signal; a first driver operable to cause the low-side switch to turn off when the output node rises above a first transistor threshold voltage; and a bridge controller to provide control signals to the first driver. The voltage regulator may operate without diode clamps and its operation is self-timed. The voltage regulator also provides tolerance against process variation.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a low-side switch coupled to an output node for providing regulated voltage supply; and

a first driver operable to cause the low-side switch to turn off when the output node rises above a first transistor threshold voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprises:

a high-side switch coupled to the output node; and

a second driver operable to cause the high-side switch to turn on when either the output node reaches a second transistor threshold voltage or when a control signal causes the high-side switch to turn on.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the high-side switch comprises a cascode device including a first p-type transistor coupled to the output node and a second p-type transistor, wherein the second p-type transistor is driven by the second driver according to a voltage level on a node coupling the first p-type transistor to the second p-type transistor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second transistor threshold voltage corresponds to a threshold voltage of the first p-type transistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first driver operable to cause the low-side switch to turn on when the output node is substantially close to zero volts.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low-side switch comprises a cascode device including a first n-type transistor coupled to the output node and a second n-type transistor, wherein the second n-type transistor is driven by the first driver according to a voltage level on a node coupling the first n-type transistor to the second n-type transistor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first transistor threshold voltage corresponds to a threshold voltage of the first n-type transistor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first driver comprises a zero-voltage catch circuit which is operable to indirectly sense a voltage on the output node to turn on the low-side switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first driver comprises a release circuit which is operable to indirectly sense a voltage on the output node to turn off the low-side switch.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first driver comprises a pre-charge circuit to pre-charge a node driving the low-side switch.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pre-charge circuit is operable to raise or keep substantially constant a voltage on the node driving the low-side switch to a voltage between ground and a threshold voltage of a transistor of the low-side switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first driver comprises an end-pre-charge circuit to terminate the operation of the pre-charge circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second driver comprises a pre-charge circuit to pre-charge a node driving the high-side switch.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pre-charge circuit is operable to lower or keep substantially constant a voltage on the node driving the high-side switch to a voltage between power supply and a threshold voltage of a transistor of the high-side switch.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second driver comprises an end-pre-charge circuit to terminate the operation of the pre-charge circuit.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output node is coupled to one end of an inductor which has another end coupled to a capacitor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the other end coupled to the capacitor to provide regulated voltage supply to a circuit.

18. A voltage regulator comprising:

a signal generator to generate a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal;

a bridge having a low-side switch coupled to an output node for providing regulated voltage supply according to the PWM signal;

a first driver operable to cause the low-side switch to turn off when the output node rises above a first transistor threshold voltage; and

a bridge controller to provide control signals to the first driver.

19. The voltage regulator of claim 18, wherein the bridge comprises

a high-side switch coupled to the output node.

20. The voltage regulator of claim 19 further comprises:

a second driver operable to cause the high-side switch to turn on when either the output node reaches a second transistor threshold voltage or when a control signal causes the high-side switch to turn on.

21. The voltage regulator of claim 19, wherein the bridge controller to provide control signals to the second driver.

22. The voltage regulator of claim 20, wherein the high-side switch comprises a cascode device including a first p-type transistor coupled to the output node and a second p-type transistor, wherein the second p-type transistor is driven by the second driver according to a voltage level on a node coupling the first p-type transistor to the second p-type transistor.

23. A system comprising:

a wireless interface; and

a processor, capable of communicating directly or indirectly with another device via the wireless interface, the processor including a voltage regulator,

a low-side switch coupled to an output node for providing regulated voltage supply; and

a first driver operable to cause the low-side switch to turn off when the output node rises above a first transistor threshold voltage.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the voltage regulator further comprises:

a high-side switch coupled to the output node; and

a second driver operable to cause the high-side switch to turn on when either the output node reaches a second transistor threshold voltage or when a control signal causes the high-side switch to turn on.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprises a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of hardware processing cores, and wherein at least one hardware processing core is coupled to the memory.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a pre-charge circuit, upon activation, to pre-charge a node driving a low-side switch device of a voltage regulator; and

an output node coupled to the low-side switch device, the low-side switch device to turn on when the output node transitions from an input voltage supply level to a voltage supply level between half of the input voltage supply level and ground.

27. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprises means for turning off the low-side switch when the output node rises above a transistor threshold voltage.