Multi-threshold multi-gain active transient response circuit and method for digital multiphase pulse width modulated regulators

• US 8,049,482 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Primarion Incorporated (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Primarion Incorporated (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Carroll, Robert T., Tang, Benjamim, Southwell, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Behm; Harry
• Application Number:
  US12/969,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 323/283, 323/272, 323/284, 323/285, 323/286, 323/282
• US Class Current: 323/286
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel

Abstract

Disclosed is a multi-phase pulse width modulated voltage regulator and method in which transient voltage excursions or deviations that exceed the load line voltage by more than a pre-determined amount are detected by an ATR circuit and a correction signal is applied. The correction signal is in the form of asynchronous pulses and the number of such pulses is a function of the magnitude of the voltage excursion as determined by the number of thresholds that are exceeded. Also disclosed is an adaptive voltage positioning (AVP) circuit and method for early detection of a transient event by sensing voltage changes at the load and adjusting the target voltage with pre-determined current values prior to the time that ATR event changes in the current at the load are detected.

Claims

1. In a multiphase pulse-width modulated voltage regulator system providing synchronous pulse width modulated pulses for regulating voltage at a load, a method of detecting deviations from a pre-determined output voltage level comprising the steps of:

setting a threshold at which a deviation from the pre-determined voltage level in a first direction is detected;

setting multiple thresholds at which deviations from the desired voltage in a second direction are detected;

detecting when one or more of the multiple thresholds has been exceeded; and

providing an output that is adjusted in accordance with the number of multiple thresholds that have been exceeded wherein providing the adjusted output comprises;

detecting a current at an output stage of the pulse-width modulated voltage regulator system;

providing the detected current to a filter; and

adjusting, a bandwidth of the filter when detecting that one or more of the multiple thresholds has been exceeded.

2. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, wherein:

the deviation in the first direction is a deviation in a positive direction; and

the deviation in the second direction is a deviation in a negative direction.

3. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a compensation signal to adjust an output voltage.

4. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 3 wherein the step of providing a compensation signal adjusts the output voltage to a new predetermined voltage that is a function of an output current.

5. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 3, wherein the step of providing a compensation signal to adjust the output voltage comprises:

providing a plurality of correction pulses.

6. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 5, wherein the step of providing a plurality of correction pulses comprises:

increasing the number of correction pulses that are provided when a deviation of more than one threshold is detected.

7. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, wherein the step of setting multiple thresholds at which deviations from the desired voltage in a second direction are detected, comprises:

setting three thresholds.

8. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, wherein the pre-determined output voltage level is along a load line.

9. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1,

wherein the threshold setting steps comprise the step of:

applying a programmable signal to set the thresholds at a desired level.

10. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a compensation signal to adjust an output voltage wherein the compensation signal blocks the synchronous pulse width modulated pulses.

11. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a compensation signal by generating a plurality of correction pulses to adjust an output voltage;

said correction pulses being generated asynchronously; and

selecting phases when said correction pulses are applied in accordance with a predetermined scheduled timing relative to the synchronous pulse width modulated pulses.

12. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving pre-determined current values corresponding to the one or more of the multiple threshold values that have been exceeded;

adding such pre-determined current values to the detected current at an output stage; and

providing the sum of the detected current and the pre-determined current values to the filter.

13. A method of detecting deviations from the pre-determined voltage level as in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting when one or more of the multiple thresholds has been exceeded comprises:

sensing the voltage at the load; and

determining when a change of voltage at the load exceeds a pre-determined threshold.