Digital pulse width modulation controller with preset filter coefficients

• US 7,239,115 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bel Power Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Power-One Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Chapuis, Alain, Roark, Dennis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US11/099,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 323/222, 323/225, 323/282, 323/283, 323/284, 323/351
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/618 using semiconductor devices in series and in parallel with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control
• 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 switched mode voltage regulator includes a digital control system having a digital filter with a plurality of preset filter coefficients that can be selectively loaded into the digital filter to achieve different operating characteristics. The voltage regulator comprises at least one power switch adapted to convey power between respective input and output terminals of the voltage regulator, and a digital controller adapted to control operation of the at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of the voltage regulator. The digital controller comprises an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a difference between the output measurement and a reference value, a digital filter having a transfer function defined by plural filter coefficients, a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to the at least one power switch, the control signal having a pulse width corresponding to the digital control output, and a memory containing a plurality of pre-defined coefficient sets. The digital filter is adapted to load a selected one of the pre-defined coefficient sets into the plural filter coefficients.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator comprising:

at least one power switch adapted to convey power between respective input and output terminals of said voltage regulator; and

a digital controller adapted to control operation of said at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of said voltage regulator, said digital controller comprising;

an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a difference between said output measurement and a reference value;

a digital filter having a transfer function defined by plural filter coefficients;

a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output; and

a memory containing a plurality of pre-defined coefficient sets, said digital filter being adapted to load a selected one of said pre-defined coefficient sets into said plural filter coefficients.

2. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein said digital controller further comprises a multiplexer operatively coupled to said memory and to said digital filter and adapted to select one of said pre-defined coefficient sets in response to a control signal.

3. The voltage regulator of claim 2, wherein said digital controller further comprises a selector adapted to provide said control signal to said multiplexer in response to an address signal.

4. The voltage regulator of claim 3, wherein said address signal is received from an external host.

5. The voltage regulator of claim 3, wherein said address signal is defined by at least one external resistor.

6. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein said digital filter provides the following transfer function H(z):

7. A method of controlling a voltage regulator comprising at least one power switch adapted to convey power between input and output terminals of said voltage regulator, said method comprising:

receiving an output measurement of said voltage regulator;

sampling said output measurement to provide a digital error signal representing a difference between said output measurement and a reference value;

filtering said digital error signal to provide a digital control output based on a transfer function defined by plural filter coefficients;

providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output;

storing a plurality of pre-defined coefficient sets; and

selectively loading a selected one of said pre-defined coefficient sets into said plural filter coefficients.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said selectively loading step further comprising selecting said one of said pre-defined coefficient sets in response to an externally provided address signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said selectively loading step further comprising selecting said one of said pre-defined coefficient sets in response to at least one externally coupled resistor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said filtering step further comprising filtering said digital error signal using the following transfer function H(z):

11. A voltage regulator comprising:

at least one power switch adapted to convey power between respective input and output terminals of said voltage regulator; and

a digital controller adapted to control operation of said at least one power switch responsive to an output measurement of said voltage regulator, said digital controller comprising;

an analog-to-digital converter providing a digital error signal representing a difference between said output measurement and a reference value;

a digital filter having a transfer function defined by plural filter coefficients and means for selecting said plural filter coefficients from among a plurality of pre-defined coefficient sets; and

a digital pulse width modulator providing a control signal to said at least one power switch, said control signal having a pulse width corresponding to said digital control output.

12. The voltage regulator of claim 11, wherein said selecting means further comprises a memory containing said plurality of pre-defined coefficient sets and a multiplexer operatively coupled to said memory and to said digital filter and adapted to select one of said pre-defined coefficient sets in response to a control signal.

13. The voltage regulator of claim 12, wherein said digital controller further comprises a selector adapted to provide said control signal to said multiplexer in response to an address signal.

14. The voltage regulator of claim 13, wherein said address signal is received from an external host.

15. The voltage regulator of claim 13, wherein said address signal is defined by at least one external resistor.

16. The voltage regulator of claim 11, wherein said digital filter provides the following transfer function H(z):