Voltage regulator feedback protection method and apparatus

• US 7,960,958 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Sutardja, Sehat
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Rajnikant B
• Application Number:
  US12/398,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 323282-289, 323/222, 323/272, 323/312, 323/224, 323/266, 323/313, 307/38, 307/39, 307/41, 307/85, 307/59, 307 64- 66, 307/47, 363/58, 363/60, 363/65, 363/89, 363/97, 363/20, 363/21.1, 363/131
• US Class Current: 323/285
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/613 using semiconductor devices in parallel with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters

Abstract

An integrated circuit includes an output terminal. A plurality of feedback terminals receives a feedback signal. A voltage regulator has a feedback input in communication with the plurality of feedback terminals to receive the feedback signal. The voltage regulator has a power output in communication with the output terminal. The voltage regulator is responsive to the feedback signal to generate the power output.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising;

an output terminal;

a plurality of feedback terminals, wherein each of the plurality of feedback terminals is configured to receive a feedback signal;

a voltage regulator having a feedback input and a power output, wherein the feedback input is directly connected to the plurality of feedback terminals and is configured to receive the feedback signal, wherein the power output is in communication with the output terminal and is directly connected to the plurality of feedback terminals, and wherein the voltage regulator is configured to generate a regulated output voltage at the power output in response to the feedback signal; and

redundant feedback lines connected between the output terminal and the plurality of feedback terminals.

2. A power distribution system comprising:

the integrated circuit of claim 1; and

external filter components connected to the output terminal, wherein the external filter components comprise

an output inductor, and

an output capacitor configured to (i) filter the regulated output voltage and (ii) generate a filtered output voltage.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein:

the voltage regulator comprises a switching regulator or a linear regulator;

the output terminal comprises a pin, a ball grid array, or a connector; and

the plurality of feedback terminals comprises one or more of pins, ball grid arrays, and connectors.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising an interconnection circuit configured to interconnect each of the plurality of feedback terminals to the feedback input of the voltage regulator.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a filter configured to generate a filtered output voltage based on the regulated output voltage,

wherein the feedback signal is derived from the filtered output voltage.

6. A power distribution system comprising:

the integrated circuit of claim 1; and

a filter configured to generate a filtered output voltage in response to the regulated output voltage, wherein the redundant feedback lines are configured to conduct the feedback signal from the output terminal to the plurality of feedback terminals.

7. An integrated circuit comprising,

an output terminal;

a plurality of feedback terminals, wherein each of the plurality of feedback terminals is configured to receive a feedback signal;

a voltage regulator having a feedback input and a power output, wherein the feedback input is directly connected to the plurality of feedback terminals and is configured to receive the feedback signal, wherein the power output is in communication with the output terminal, and wherein the voltage regulator is configured to generate a regulated output voltage at the power output in response to the feedback signal;

a voltage generator configured to generate a pull-up voltage having an amplitude greater than a DC voltage amplitude of the power output, wherein the pull-up voltage is derived separately from the power output;

a pull-up resistor connected between the voltage generator and the feedback input of the voltage regulator and configured to pull-up a voltage of the feedback input; and

redundant feedback lines connected between the output terminal and the plurality of feedback terminals.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein:

the pull-up voltage is approximately 120% of the DC voltage amplitude of the power output;

the pull-up resistor has an impedance in a range of approximately 100 ohms to 1,000,000 ohms; and

the voltage generator comprises an AC source or a DC source.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the voltage regulator is configured to decrease the DC voltage amplitude based on the pull-up voltage.

21. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the pull-up resistor directly connects the voltage generator to the feedback terminal.

26. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the pull-up resistor is configured to pull-up the voltage of the feedback input to the pull-up voltage.

9. An integrated circuit comprising;

an output terminal;

a feedback terminal configured to receive a feedback signal;

a voltage regulator having a feedback input and a power output, wherein the feedback input is configured to receive the feedback signal from the feedback terminal, wherein the power output is in communication with the output terminal, and wherein the voltage regulator is configured to generate a regulated output voltage at the power output and is responsive to the feedback signal; and

a signal generator having an output impedance at least ten times greater than an output impedance of the feedback terminal, wherein the signal generator is configured to generate a pull-up signal in communication with the feedback input.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 9, further comprising:

a filter configured to generate a filtered output voltage based on the regulated output voltage,

wherein the feedback signal is derived from the filtered output voltage.

11. A power distribution system comprising:

the integrated circuit of claim 10; and

a feedback line configured to conduct the feedback signal from the output terminal to the feedback terminal.

12. A power distribution system comprising:

integrated circuit of claim 9; and

external filter components connected to the output terminal, wherein the external filter components comprise an inductor and a capacitor, wherein the inductor and the capacitor are configured to (i) filter the power output and (ii) generate a filtered output voltage, and

wherein the feedback signal is derived from the filtered output voltage.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein:

the voltage regulator comprises a switching regulator or a linear regulator;

the output terminal comprises a pin, a ball grid array, or a connector; and

the feedback terminal comprises a pin, a ball grid array, or a connector.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 11, further comprising a feedback monitor configured to detect a connection that is electrically degraded, wherein the connection is electrically degraded when an impedance of the connection is increased to a level which prevents the voltage regulator from controlling an amplitude of the regulated output voltage, and wherein the connection is between the feedback terminal and the power output.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the connection includes (i) a cold solder joint, (ii) the feedback line being partially disconnected from the regulated output voltage, or (iii) the feedback line being completely disconnected from the regulated output voltage.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the feedback monitor is configured to compare a voltage of the feedback terminal to a reference voltage to detect the electrically degraded connection.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of feedback terminals, wherein each of the plurality of feedback terminals is configured to receive the feedback signal.

18. A power distribution system comprising:

integrated circuit of claim 17;

a filter configured to generate a filtered output voltage based on the regulated output voltage; and

redundant feedback lines connected between the output terminal and the plurality of feedback terminals, wherein the redundant feedback lines are configured to conduct the feedback signal from the output terminal to the plurality of feedback terminals.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 17, further comprising an interconnection circuit configured to interconnect the plurality of feedback terminals.

22. The integrated circuit of claim 9, further comprising a pull-up circuit that is connected between the signal generator and the feedback input and provides the pull-up signal to the feedback input.

23. The integrated circuit of claim 22, wherein the pull-up circuit includes a pull-up resistor.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the pull-up resistor directly connects the signal generator to the feedback input.

25. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the pull-up signal has an amplitude greater than an amplitude of the regulated output voltage and is provided to the feedback input when a feedback line of the feedback terminal is degraded.