Discontinuous conduction mode pulse-width modulation
First Claim
1. A power regulator system comprising:
- a switching system configured to generate an output voltage across a load based on a high-side switch coupling a power voltage to an output according to a PWM control signal, the PWM control signal having an activation pulse for activating the high-side switch; and
a switch driver system configured to set the activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal differently depending on whether the power regulator system operates in one of a continuous conduction mode (CCM) and a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), the activation pulse of the PWM control signal being generated based on the output voltage relative the power voltage while operating in the DCM, wherein the switch driver system comprises a switch controller configured to set the duty-cycle of the PWM control signal, the switch controller being configured to set a minimum activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal beginning at an edge-trigger of the PWM control signal based on the relative magnitude of the output voltage and the power voltage in the DCM.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the invention includes a power regulator system. The system includes a switching system configured to generate an output voltage across a load based on a high-side switch coupling a power voltage to an output at an edge-trigger of a PWM control signal having an activation pulse-width of the high-side switch. The system also includes a switch driver system configured to set a duty-cycle of the PWM control signal such that the activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal is based on the power regulator system operating in one of a continuous conduction mode (CCM) and a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). The edge-trigger of the PWM control signal can occur based on a relative magnitude of the output voltage and the power voltage while operating in the DCM.
29 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A power regulator system comprising:
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a switching system configured to generate an output voltage across a load based on a high-side switch coupling a power voltage to an output according to a PWM control signal, the PWM control signal having an activation pulse for activating the high-side switch; and a switch driver system configured to set the activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal differently depending on whether the power regulator system operates in one of a continuous conduction mode (CCM) and a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), the activation pulse of the PWM control signal being generated based on the output voltage relative the power voltage while operating in the DCM, wherein the switch driver system comprises a switch controller configured to set the duty-cycle of the PWM control signal, the switch controller being configured to set a minimum activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal beginning at an edge-trigger of the PWM control signal based on the relative magnitude of the output voltage and the power voltage in the DCM. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for regulating an output voltage in a power regulator system, the method comprising:
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comparing an error voltage that is associated with an output voltage of the power regulator system with a fixed-frequency ramp signal; controlling a PWM control signal to have an activation pulse-width for activating a high-side switch that is based on the comparison; activating the high-side switch at an edge-trigger of the PWM control signal to couple a power voltage to an inductor to generate the output voltage; switching the power regulator system from a continuous conduction mode (CCM) to a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) in response to detecting approximately zero current flow through the inductor; reducing the error voltage from a first magnitude to a second magnitude in response to switching the power regulator system from the CCM to the DCM, the difference between the first and second magnitudes being proportional to the output voltage; and switching the power regulator system from the DCM to the CCM in response to detecting a non-zero current flow through the inductor at the edge-trigger of the PWM control signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A power regulator system comprising:
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means for generating an output voltage across a load based on a high-side switch coupling a power voltage to an inductor at an edge-trigger of a PWM control signal having a duty-cycle that defines an activation pulse-width of the high-side switch; means for switching the power regulator between a continuous conduction mode (CCM) and a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) based on a magnitude of a current through the inductor; means for setting the activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal in the CCM based on a magnitude of an error voltage associated with the output voltage relative to a fixed-frequency ramp signal; and means for setting the activation pulse-width of the PWM control signal in the DCM based on a magnitude of the output voltage relative to the power voltage. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification