Switching DC-to-DC converter and conversion method with current sharing between paralleled channels
First Claim
1. A DC-to-DC converter having an input node for receiving an input potential, and an output node at which the converter asserts an output potential, wherein when a load is coupled to the output node, the load draws an output current from said output node, wherein the converter comprises:
- current sharing circuitry;
a switching controller configured to generate at least two pulse width modulated power switch control signals, and having at least one reference input coupled to receive at least one signal indicative of a reference potential;
multiple power delivery channels connected in parallel between the input node and the output node, each of the power delivery channels including a power switch coupled to the controller for receiving a different one of the pulse width modulated power switch control signals; and
feedback circuitry, coupled between the output node and a feedback input of the controller, and configured to assert to the feedback input a feedback signal indicative of the output potential,wherein the current sharing circuitry includes first current sharing circuitry coupled between the power delivery channels and a first set of input nodes of the controller, and second current sharing circuitry which is a portion of the controller and is coupled to the first set of input nodes, wherein the first current sharing circuitry is configured to assert channel feedback signals to the first set of input nodes, said channel feedback signals being indicative of channel portions of the output current, wherein each of the channel portions is that portion of the output current drawn from a different one of the power delivery channels, the second current sharing circuitry is configured to generate channel current error signals in response to the channel feedback signals, and the channel current error signals are indicative of the difference between an average of the channel portions and a different one of the channel portions, wherein the controller is configured to generate the power switch control signals in response to the channel current error signals and at least one output error signal indicative of the difference between the output potential and the reference potential, whereby the power switch control signals cause the converter to assert the output potential with reduced differences among the channel portions of the output current.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A DC-to-DC converter having multiple power delivery channels, and including a current-sharing switching controller implemented as an integrated circuit, multi-channel circuitry (including parallel channels connected to one output node) external to the controller chip, and current sharing circuitry (including circuitry external to the controller chip and circuitry including current mirrors internal to the controller chip), and methods for generating PWM power switch control signals for use in (and performing DC-to-DC conversion using) such a DC-to-DC converter. Preferably, the current sharing circuitry generates individual channel current signals from voltage analogs thereof produced external to the controller chip, and superposes the individual channel current signals to produce an average current signal. Channel current error signals are generated by subtracting the individual channel current signals from the average current signal. The power switch control signal for each channel is generated in response to the channel current error signal for the appropriate channel and a feedback signal (an output voltage error signal) indicative of the output potential of the DC-to-DC converter relative to a reference potential, so that the DC-to-DC converter achieves a desired output potential with increased current sharing among the channels. The invention implements current sharing between channels of a DC-to-DC converter using simple circuitry external to the controller chip (and without an external bus which connects one channel to the other), and with simple, silicon-area efficient circuitry internal to the controller chip. Preferably, current mirror circuitry in the controller chip generates a set of identical average current signals, each of which is proportional to the average of the currents drawn from the individual channels, and additional current mirror circuitry generates a set of identical error current signals, each of which is an error current proportional to the difference between the DC-to-DC converter'"'"'s output potential and a reference potential.
100 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A DC-to-DC converter having an input node for receiving an input potential, and an output node at which the converter asserts an output potential, wherein when a load is coupled to the output node, the load draws an output current from said output node, wherein the converter comprises:
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current sharing circuitry; a switching controller configured to generate at least two pulse width modulated power switch control signals, and having at least one reference input coupled to receive at least one signal indicative of a reference potential; multiple power delivery channels connected in parallel between the input node and the output node, each of the power delivery channels including a power switch coupled to the controller for receiving a different one of the pulse width modulated power switch control signals; and feedback circuitry, coupled between the output node and a feedback input of the controller, and configured to assert to the feedback input a feedback signal indicative of the output potential, wherein the current sharing circuitry includes first current sharing circuitry coupled between the power delivery channels and a first set of input nodes of the controller, and second current sharing circuitry which is a portion of the controller and is coupled to the first set of input nodes, wherein the first current sharing circuitry is configured to assert channel feedback signals to the first set of input nodes, said channel feedback signals being indicative of channel portions of the output current, wherein each of the channel portions is that portion of the output current drawn from a different one of the power delivery channels, the second current sharing circuitry is configured to generate channel current error signals in response to the channel feedback signals, and the channel current error signals are indicative of the difference between an average of the channel portions and a different one of the channel portions, wherein the controller is configured to generate the power switch control signals in response to the channel current error signals and at least one output error signal indicative of the difference between the output potential and the reference potential, whereby the power switch control signals cause the converter to assert the output potential with reduced differences among the channel portions of the output current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A switching controller for use in a DC-to-DC converter, having an input node for receiving an input potential and an output node at which the converter asserts an output potential, and configured so that when a load is coupled to the output node, the load draws an output current from said output node, wherein the switching controller is configured to generate at least two pulse width modulated power switch control signals and has a feedback input, said DC-to-DC converter having multiple power delivery channels each including a power switch coupled to the controller for receiving a different one of the pulse width modulated power switch control signals, and feedback circuitry configured to assert to the feedback input of the controller a feedback signal indicative of the output potential, said DC-to-DC converter also having circuitry configured to produce channel feedback signals indicative of channel portions of the output current, each of the channel portions being a portion of the output current drawn from a different one of the power delivery channels, said controller comprising:
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current sharing circuitry including a first set of input nodes for receiving the channel feedback signals, and circuitry coupled to the first set of input nodes and configured to generate at least one average current error signal and at least two channel current error signals in response to the channel feedback signals, wherein each said average current signal is indicative of an average of the channel portions, and each of the channel current error signals is indicative of the difference between the average of the channel portions and a different one of the reference portions; and control signal generating circuitry including at least one input coupled to receive at least one signal indicative of a reference potential, the control signal generating circuitry being configured to generate at least one output error signal indicative of the difference between the output potential and the reference potential and to generate the power switch control signals in response to the channel current error signals and said at least one output error signal, whereby the power switch control signals cause the DC-to-DC converter to assert the output potential with reduced differences among the channel portions of the output current. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for generating pulse width modulated power switch control signals for use in a DC-to-DC converter which asserts an output potential at an output node in response to an input signal and the pulse width modulated power switch control signals, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is configured so that when a load is coupled to the output node, the load draws an output current from said output node, and the DC-to-DC converter has multiple power delivery channels each including a power switch coupled for receiving a different one of the pulse width modulated power switch control signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating at least one average current error signal and at least two channel current error signals in response to channel feedback signals, wherein the channel feedback signals are indicative of channel portions of the output current, each of the channel portions being a portion of the output current drawn from a different one of the power delivery channels, wherein each said average current signal is indicative of an average of the channel portions, and each of the channel current error signals is indicative of the difference between the average of the channel portions and a different one of the reference portions; (b) generating at least one output error signal indicative of the difference between the output potential and a reference potential; and (c) generating the power switch control signals in response to the channel current error signals and said at least one output error signal, whereby the power switch control signals are useful to cause the DC-to-DC converter to assert the output potential with reduced differences among the channel portions of the output current. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for performing DC-to-DC conversion using a DC-to-DC converter, having multiple power delivery channels connected in parallel between and input node and an output node, each of the channels including a power switch configured to operate under control of a different one of a set of pulse width modulated power switch control signals, to assert an output potential at the output node in response to an input signal at the input node and said set of pulse width modulated power switch control signals, while a load coupled to the output node draws an output current from said output node, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating at least one average current error signal and at least two channel current error signals in response to channel feedback signals, wherein the channel feedback signals are indicative of channel portions of the output current, each of the channel portions being a portion of the output current drawn from a different one of the power delivery channels, wherein each said average current signal is indicative of an average of the channel portions, and each of the channel current error signals is indicative of the difference between the average of the channel portions and a different one of the reference portions; (b) generating at least one output error signal indicative of the difference between the output potential and a reference potential; and (c) generating the power switch control signals in response to the channel current error signals and said at least one output error signal, whereby the power switch control signals are useful to cause the DC-to-DC converter to assert the output potential with reduced differences among the channel portions of the output current. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification