Multiphase transformer for a multiphase DC-DC converter

• US 7,504,808 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Jaeseo, Paillet, Fabrice, Schrom, Gerhard, Hazucha, Peter, Karnik, Tanay, De, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAI, TIEN HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/173,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 323/272
• US Class Current: 323/272
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/468 characterised by reference voltage circuitry, e.g. soft start, remote shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/14 Arrangements for reducing ripples from dc input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/068 mounted on a transformer

Abstract

A multiphase DC-DC converter is provided that includes a multiphase transformer, the multiphase transformer including a plurality of input voltage terminals and an transformer output voltage terminal, each input voltage terminal associated with a corresponding phase. Each phase is assigned to an input voltage terminal of the plurality of input voltage terminals to minimize a ripple current at the input voltage terminals of the multiphase transformer.

Claims

1. A multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a mixed cyclic cascade topology, comprising:

a first coupled inductor pair having a first terminal coupled to a first transformer input terminal, the first coupled inductor pair having a second terminal coupled to a second transformer input terminal;

a second coupled inductor pair having a first terminal coupled to a third transformer input terminal, the second inductor pair having a second terminal coupled to a fourth transformer input terminal;

a third coupled inductor pair having a first terminal coupled to a fifth transformer input terminal;

a fourth coupled inductor pair having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal; and

a fifth coupled inductor pair having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal,

wherein the first coupled inductor pair further comprises a third terminal and a fourth terminal,

wherein the second coupled inductor pair further comprises a third terminal and a fourth terminal,

wherein the third coupled inductor pair further comprises a second terminal, a third terminal and a fourth terminal,

wherein the third terminal of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair,

wherein the fourth terminal of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the third coupled inductor pair,

wherein the first terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair is coupled to the fourth terminal of the second coupled inductor pair,

wherein the third terminal of the third coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the fifth coupled inductor pair,

wherein the third terminal of the second coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the fifth coupled inductor pair, and

wherein the third terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair is coupled to the third terminal of the fifth coupled inductor pair, to the fourth terminal of the fifth coupled inductor pair, to the fourth terminal of the third coupled inductor pair, to the fourth terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair, and to a transformer output terminal.

2. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 1, further comprising a shuffle circuit coupled to the plurality of input voltage terminals to enable programmability of the assignment of phases to the multiphase transformer.

3. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 1, wherein an output voltage terminal of the multiphase DC-DC converter is coupled to a second output voltage terminal of a second multiphase DC-DC converter in parallel.

4. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 1, wherein the multiphase DC-DC converter is integrated on a semiconductor die.

5. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a mixed cyclic cascade topology of claim 1, wherein an input voltage phase is assigned to each of the transformer input terminals respectively according to the following equation:

let N=a total number of voltage phases assigned and φ

_T=the phase assigned to the transformer input terminal number denoted by T;

a first phase φ

₁=1 is assigned to the first transformer input terminal;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))*mod(N)+1; and

if the number of phases N is even and N*mod(N/2−

1)≠

0, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))*mod(N)+1, where T is the terminal number.

6. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a mixed cyclic cascade topology of claim 5, wherein the phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in a non-sequential order.

7. A multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a modified cyclic cascade topology, comprising:

a first coupled inductor pair having a first terminal coupled to a first transformer input terminal, the first coupled inductor pair having a second terminal coupled to a second transformer input terminal;

a second coupled inductor pair having a first terminal coupled to a third transformer input terminal, the second inductor pair having a second terminal coupled to a fourth transformer input terminal;

a third coupled inductor pair having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal; and

a fourth coupled inductor pair having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal,

the first coupled inductor pair having further a third terminal and a fourth terminal,

the second coupled inductor pair having further a third terminal and a fourth terminal,

wherein the third terminal of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the fourth terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair,

wherein the fourth terminal of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the third coupled inductor pair,

wherein the second terminal of the third coupled inductor pair is coupled to the third terminal of the third coupled inductor pair, to the third terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair, to the second terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair, and to a transformer output terminal,

wherein the fourth terminal of the third coupled inductor pair is coupled to the third terminal of the second coupled inductor pair, and

wherein the fourth terminal of the second coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the fourth coupled inductor pair.

8. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 7, further comprising a shuffle circuit coupled to the plurality of input voltage terminals to enable programmability of the assignment of phases to the multiphase transformer.

9. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 7, wherein an output voltage terminal of the multiphase DC-DC converter is coupled to a second output voltage terminal of a second multiphase DC-DC converter in parallel.

10. The multiphase DC-DC converter of claim 7, wherein the multiphase DC-DC converter is integrated on a semiconductor die.

11. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a modified cyclic cascade topology of claim 7, wherein an input voltage phase is assigned to each of the transformer input terminals respectively according to the following equation:

let N=a total number of voltage phases assigned and φ

_T=the phase assigned to the transformer input terminal number denoted by T;

a first phase φ

₁=1 is assigned to the first transformer input terminal;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))*mod(N)+1; and

if the number of phases N is even and N*mod(N/2−

1)≠

0, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))*mod(N)+1, where T is the terminal number.

12. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a modified cyclic cascade topology of claim 11, wherein the phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in a non-sequential order.

13. A multiphase DC-DC converter, including a multiphase transformer configured in a modified cyclic cascade topology comprising:

a first coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the first coupled inductor pair coupled to a first transformer input terminal, and the first terminal of the secondary winding of the first coupled inductor pair coupled to a second transformer input terminal;

a second coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the second coupled inductor pair coupled to a third transformer input terminal, and the first terminal of the secondary winding of the second coupled inductor pair coupled to a fourth transformer input terminal;

a third coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal; and

a fourth coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal,

wherein the second terminal of the primary winding of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the secondary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair,

the second terminal of secondary winding of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the primary winding of the third coupled inductor pair,

the first terminal of the secondary winding of the third coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the primary winding of the second coupled inductor pair,

the second terminal of the secondary winding of the second coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the primary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair, and

the second terminal of the primary winding of the third coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the secondary winding of the third coupled inductor pair, to the second terminal of secondary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair, to the second terminal of the primary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair, and to a transformer output terminal.

14. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in the modified cyclic cascade topology of claim 13, wherein an input voltage phase is assigned to each of the transformer input terminals respectively according to the following equation:

let N=a total number of voltage phases assigned and φ

_T=the phase assigned to the transformer input terminal number denoted by T;

a first phase φ

₁=1 is assigned to the first transformer input terminal;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))*mod(N)+1; and

if the number of phases N is even and N*mod(N/2−

1)≠

0, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))*mod(N)+1, where T is the terminal number.

15. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in the modified cyclic cascade topology of claim 14, wherein the phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in a non-sequential order.

16. A multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a 5-input mixed cyclic cascade topology comprising:

a first coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the first coupled inductor pair coupled to a first transformer input terminal, and the first terminal of the secondary winding coupled to a second transformer input terminal;

a second coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the second coupled inductor pair coupled to a third transformer input terminal, and the first terminal of the secondary winding coupled to a fourth transformer input terminal;

a third coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the third coupled inductor pair coupled to a fifth transformer input terminal;

a fourth coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal;

a fifth coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal,

wherein the second terminal of the secondary winding of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the primary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair,

the second terminal of the primary winding of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the secondary winding of the third coupled inductor pair,

the first terminal of the secondary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the primary winding of the second coupled inductor pair,

the second terminal of the primary winding of the third coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the secondary winding of the fifth coupled inductor pair,

the second terminal of the secondary winding of the second coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the primary winding of the fifth coupled inductor pair, and

the second terminal of the primary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the primary winding of the fifth coupled inductor pair, to the second terminal of the secondary winding of the fifth coupled inductor pair, to the second terminal of the secondary winding of the third coupled inductor pair, to the second terminal of the secondary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair, and to a transformer output terminal.

17. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in the 5-input mixed cyclic cascade topology of claim 16, wherein an input voltage phase is assigned to each of the transformer input terminals respectively according to the following equation:

let N=a total number of voltage phases assigned and φ

_T=the phase assigned to the transformer input terminal number denoted by T;

a first phase φ

₁=1 is assigned to the first transformer input terminal;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))*mod(N)+1; and

if the number of phases N is even and N*mod(N/2−

1)≠

0, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))*mod(N)+1, where T is the terminal number.

18. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in the 5-input mixed cyclic cascade topology of claim 17, wherein the phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in a non-sequential order.

19. A multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in a 4-input mixed cyclic cascade topology comprising:

a first coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the first coupled inductor pair coupled to a first transformer input terminal;

a second coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the second coupled inductor pair coupled to a second transformer input terminal;

a third coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the primary winding of the third coupled inductor pair coupled to a third transformer input terminal, and the first terminal of the secondary winding of the third coupled inductor pair coupled to a fourth transformer terminal input; and

a fourth coupled inductor pair having a primary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a secondary winding including a first terminal and a second terminal;

wherein the second terminal of the primary winding of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the first terminal of the secondary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair,

the first terminal of the secondary winding of the first coupled inductor pair coupled to the second terminal of the primary winding of the second coupled inductor pair,

the second terminal of the secondary winding of the first coupled inductor pair is coupled to the second terminal of the secondary winding of the second coupled inductor pair, the second terminal of the secondary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair, to the second terminal of the primary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair, and to a transformer output terminal,

the first terminal of the secondary winding of the second coupled inductor pair coupled to the second terminal of the primary winding of the third coupled inductor pair, and

the second terminal of the secondary winding of the third coupled inductor pair coupled to the first terminal of the primary winding of the fourth coupled inductor pair.

20. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in the 4-input mixed cyclic cascade topology of claim 19, wherein an input voltage phase is assigned to each of the transformer input terminals respectively according to the following equation:

let N=a total number of voltage phases assigned and φ

_T=the phase assigned to the transformer input terminal number denoted by T;

a first phase φ

₁=1 is assigned to the first transformer input terminal;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))*mod(N)+1; and

if the number of phases N is even and N*mod(N/2−

1)≠

0, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))*mod(N)+1, where T is the terminal number.

21. The multiphase DC-DC converter including a multiphase transformer configured in the 4-input mixed cyclic cascade topology of claim 20, wherein the phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in a non-sequential order.

22. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a multiphase Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) converter integrated on a semiconductor die to provide a supply voltage to the processor, the multiphase DC-DC converter including;

a multiphase transformer having a first coupled inductor pair, the first couple inductor pair including a first terminal coupled to a first transformer input voltage terminal and a second terminal coupled to a second transformer input voltage terminal;

a transformer output voltage terminal coupled to the multiphase transformer; and

wherein a first phase and a second phase corresponding to a first input voltage and a second input voltage are assigned to the first and second input voltage terminals, respectively, to reduce a ripple current at the input voltage terminals,

wherein the input voltage phases are assigned to the first and second transformer input voltage terminals respectively according to the following equation;

let N=a total number of voltage phases assigned and φ

_T=the phase assigned to the transformer input terminal number denoted by T;

the first phase φ

₁=1 is assigned to the first transformer input terminal;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))*mod(N)+1; and

if the number of phases N is even and N*mod(N/2−

1)≠

0, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))*mod(N)+1, where T is the terminal number.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor and the multiphase DC-DC converter are packaged in the same package.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the processor and the multiphase DC-DC converter are integrated on the same semiconductor die.

25. A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal to assign a first phase associated with a first input voltage to a first input voltage terminal of a multiphase transformer of a multiphase Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) converter, the multiphase transformer having a cyclic cascade topology; and

receiving a second signal to assign at least a second phase associated with at least a second input voltage to a second input voltage terminal of the multiphase transformer, the second input voltage terminal being non-sequential to the first input voltage terminal,

wherein the phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in accordance with the following;

a first phase φ

₁ is assigned to a first terminal T1 of the plurality of input voltage terminals;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))mod N+1, where T is the terminal number; and

if the number of phases N is even, then

φ

_T=1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))mod N+1, where T is the terminal number.

26. A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal to assign a first phase associated with a first input voltage to a first input voltage terminal of a multiphase transformer of a multiphase Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) converter; and

receiving a second signal to assign at least a second phase associated with a second input voltage to a second input voltage terminal of the multiphase transformer, wherein the voltage phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in accordance with the following;

let N=a total number of voltage phases assigned and φ

_T=the phase assigned to the transformer input terminal number denoted by T;

a first phase φ

₁=1 is assigned to the first transformer input terminal;

if the number of phases N is odd, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

½

))*mod(N)+1; and

if the number of phases N is even and N*mod(N/2−

1)≠

0, then

φ

_T+1=(φ

_T−

1+(N/2−

1))*mod(N)+1, where T is the terminal number.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the phases are assigned to the input voltage terminals in a non-sequential order.