DC/DC converter, method for providing an output voltage on the basis of an input voltage and computer program

• US 9,219,411 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Deutschland GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Henzler, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dole, Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIVERA-PEREZ, CARLOS O
• Application Number:
  US13/231,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 323271-275, 323/234, 323/349, 323/351, 323222-226, 323281-285, 323/288, 363/21.01, 363/41, 363/42, 363/74, 363/43, 363 77- 82, 375237-239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• 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 DC/DC converter includes a switch mode converter for providing an output voltage based on an input voltage and a drive signal generator configured to provide a drive signal for the switch mode converter. The drive signal generator is configured to switch between a non-pulse-skipping mode and a pulse-skipping mode. Moreover, the drive signal generator is configured to adapt a setting of a pulse generation such that a length of a first pulse following a pulse skipping is larger than a minimum length of a pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode.

Claims

1. A DC/DC converter, comprising:

a switch mode converter configured to provide an output voltage based on an input voltage; and

a drive signal generator configured to provide a drive signal for the switch mode converter,

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to switch between a non-pulse-skipping mode and a pulse-skipping mode,

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to adapt a setting of a pulse generation such that a length of a first pulse following a pulse skipping in the pulse-skipping mode is larger than a minimum length of a pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode,

wherein upon occurrence of an immediately subsequent pulse in the next switching cycle after the first pulse, a length of the immediately subsequent pulse is less than the length of the first pulse, and

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to selectively omit provision of a pulse of the drive signal if a desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to a first threshold duty cycle value represented by a first threshold duty cycle information, and increase in a step-wise fashion the desired duty cycle information from a value below the first threshold duty cycle value to a value above a second threshold duty cycle value in response to an omission of provision of a pulse of the drive signal, such that a length of the first pulse following the pulse skipping is larger than the minimum length of the pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode.

2. The DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter is a synchronous DC/DC converter,

wherein the DC/DC converter comprises a timing generator configured to define a sequence of switching cycles,

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to provide a pulse of the drive signal for each switching cycle in the non-pulse-skipping mode, and

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to omit a provision of a pulse of the drive signal in one or more switching cycles in the pulse-skipping mode, to thereby perform a pulse skipping.

3. The DC/DC converter according to claim 2, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to adjust a duty cycle of pulses of the drive signal in the non-pulse-skipping mode based on a comparison or difference formation between the output voltage and a reference voltage, such that the minimum length of a pulse is obeyed.

4. The DC/DC converter according to claim 3, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to obtain the desired duty cycle information based on the comparison or difference formation between the output voltage and the reference voltage both in the pulse-skipping mode and in the non-pulse-skipping mode, and wherein the drive signal generator is configured to compare the desired duty cycle information with the first threshold duty cycle information, and to switch from the non-pulse-skipping mode to the pulse-skipping mode if the desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to the first threshold duty cycle value represented by the first threshold duty cycle information.

5. The DC/DC converter according to claim 4, wherein the DC/DC converter is configured to operate in a continuous conduction mode without pulse skipping, in a discontinuous conduction mode without pulse skipping and in the pulse-skipping mode, and

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to selectively omit provision of a pulse of the drive signal if the desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to the first threshold duty cycle value, and

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to increase in a step-wise fashion the desired duty cycle information from a value below the first threshold duty cycle value to a value above a second threshold duty cycle value in response to the omission of provision of a pulse of the drive signal if the DC/DC converter was operating in the continuous conduction mode immediately before the omission of the provision of a pulse of the drive signal, and

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to leave the desired duty cycle information unchanged if the DC/DC converter was operating in the discontinuous conduction mode immediately before the omission of the provision of a pulse of the drive signal,

such that the length of the first pulse following the pulse skipping is larger than the minimum length of the pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode, if the DC/DC converter was operating in the continuous conduction mode immediately before the omission of the provision of a pulse of the drive signal.

6. The DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to resume provision of one or more pulses of the drive signal after the omission of one or more pulses of the drive signal if the desired duty cycle information is larger than or equal to the second threshold duty cycle value, and

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to reduce the desired duty cycle information in response to the resumption of the provision of one or more pulses of the drive signal.

7. The DC/DC converter according to claim 6, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to reset the desired duty cycle information to a value below the first threshold duty cycle value in response to the resumption of provision of one or more pulses of the drive signal.

8. The DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to obtain the desired duty cycle information, and wherein the drive signal generator is configured to switch from the non-pulse-skipping mode to the pulse-skipping mode if the desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to the first threshold duty cycle value, and wherein the drive signal generator is configured to switch from the pulse-skipping mode to the non-pulse-skipping mode if the desired duty cycle information is larger than or equal to the second threshold duty cycle value, wherein the first threshold duty cycle value is different from the second threshold duty cycle value.

9. The DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to obtain the desired duty cycle information, and wherein the drive signal generator is configured to provide pulses of the drive signal in the non-pulse-skipping mode if the desired duty cycle information is larger than or equal to the first threshold duty cycle value, and wherein the drive signal generator is configured to enter the pulse-skipping mode, in which provision of one or more pulses of the drive signal is omitted, in response to the desired duty cycle information reaching or falling below the first threshold duty cycle value, and wherein the drive signal generator is configured to resume provision of one or more pulses of the drive signal after the omission of one or more pulses only when the desired duty cycle information reaches or exceeds the second threshold duty cycle value, wherein the second threshold duty cycle value is larger than the first threshold duty cycle value.

10. The DC/DC converter according to claim 9, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to provide the pulses of the drive signal such that a duty cycle of the pulses of the drive signal is determined by the desired duty cycle information, such that a length of a pulse following a pulse skipping is larger than a minimum length of a pulse, wherein the minimum length of a pulse is determined by the first threshold duty cycle value.

11. The DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the non-pulse-skipping mode is a continuous conduction mode or a discontinuous conduction mode.

12. The DC/DC converter according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter comprises a digital control loop.

13. The DC/DC converter of claim 1, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to adapt a duty cycle of a pulse generation during the non-pulse-skipping mode that is a function of a load current at an output of the DC/DC converter.

14. The DC/DC converter of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to alter the desired duty cycle information based on the output voltage,

wherein the desired duty cycle information is increased in a step-wise fashion if the desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to the first threshold duty cycle value represented by the first threshold duty cycle information, and

wherein the desired duty cycle information is decreased in a step-wise fashion if the desired duty cycle information is larger than or equal to the second threshold cycle value represented by a second threshold duty cycle information.

15. A DC/DC converter, comprising:

means for providing an output voltage based on an input voltage; and

means for providing a drive signal for the means for providing the output voltage,

wherein the means for providing the drive signal is configured to switch between a non-pulse-skipping mode and a pulse-skipping mode,

wherein the means for providing the drive signal is configured to adapt a setting of a pulse generation such that a length of a first pulse following a pulse skipping in the pulse-skipping mode is larger than a minimum length of a pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode,

wherein the means for providing the drive signal is further configured to adapt a setting of the pulse generation such that upon occurrence of an immediately subsequent pulse in the next switching cycle after the first pulse, a length of the immediately subsequent pulse is less than the length of the first pulse, and

wherein the means for providing the drive signal is further configured to selectively omit provision of a pulse of the drive signal if a desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to a first threshold duty cycle value represented by a first threshold duty cycle information, and increase in a step-wise fashion the desired duty cycle information from a value below the first threshold duty cycle value to a value above a second threshold duty cycle value in response to the omission of provision of a pulse of the drive signal, such that a length of the first pulse following the pulse skipping is larger than the minimum length of the pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode.

16. The DC/DC converter of claim 15, wherein the means for providing the drive signal is configured to adapt a duty cycle of a pulse generation during the non-pulse-skipping mode that is a function of a load current at an output of the DC/DC converter.

17. A DC/DC converter, comprising:

a switch mode converter configured to provide an output voltage based on an input voltage; and

a drive signal generator configured to provide a drive signal for the switch mode converter,

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to switch between a non-pulse-skipping mode and a pulse-skipping mode,

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to adapt a setting of a pulse generation such that a length of a first pulse following a pulse skipping mode is larger than a minimum length of a pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode;

wherein the DC/DC converter is a synchronous DC/DC converter,

wherein the DC/DC converter comprises a timing generator configured to define a sequence of switching cycles,

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to provide a pulse of the drive signal for each switching cycle in the non-pulse-skipping mode, and

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to omit provision of a pulse of the drive signal in one or more switching cycles in the pulse-skipping mode, to thereby perform a pulse skipping;

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulses of the drive signal in the non-pulse-skipping mode based on a comparison or difference formation between the output voltage and a reference voltage, such that the minimum length of a pulse is obeyed;

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to obtain a desired duty cycle information based on the comparison or difference formation between the output voltage and the reference voltage both in the pulse-skipping mode and in the non-pulse-skipping mode;

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to compare the desired duty cycle information with a first fixed threshold duty cycle value, and to switch from the non-pulse-skipping mode to the pulse-skipping mode if the desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to the first fixed threshold duty cycle value;

wherein the drive signal generator is configured to selectively omit provision of a pulse of the drive signal if the desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to the first fixed threshold duty cycle value, and increase in a step-wise fashion the desired duty cycle information from a value below the first fixed threshold duty cycle value to a value above a second fixed threshold duty cycle value in response to the omission of provision of a pulse of the drive signal, such that a length of a first pulse following the pulse skipping in the pulse-skipping mode is larger than the minimum length of a pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode, and

wherein upon occurrence of an immediately subsequent pulse in the next switching cycle after the first pulse, a length of the immediately subsequent pulse is less than the length of the first pulse.

18. The DC/DC converter of claim 17, wherein the drive signal generator is configured to adapt a duty cycle of a pulse generation during the non-pulse-skipping mode that is a function of a load current at an output of the DC/DC converter.

19. A method for providing an output voltage based on an input voltage using a switch mode converter, the method comprising:

providing a drive signal for a switch mode converter; and

switching a switch of the switch mode converter based on the drive signal to provide the output voltage based on the input voltage,

wherein providing the drive signal comprises providing the drive signal in a non-pulse-skipping mode and providing the drive signal in a pulse-skipping mode;

wherein a switching is performed between the non-pulse-skipping mode and the pulse-skipping mode;

wherein a setting of a pulse generation of the drive signal is adapted such that a length of a first pulse following a pulse skipping in the pulse-skipping mode is larger than a minimum length of a pulse in the non-pulse-skipping mode,

wherein the setting of the pulse generation of the drive signal is further adapted such that upon occurrence of an immediately subsequent pulse in the next switching cycle after the first pulse, a length of the immediately subsequent pulse is less than the length of the first pulse, and

wherein a desired duty cycle information is increased in a step-wise fashion from a value below a first fixed threshold duty cycle value to a value above a second fixed threshold duty cycle value in response to the omission of the provision of the pulse of the drive signal, such that a provision of one or more pulses of the drive signal is only resumed after the omission of the provision of one or more pulses of the drive signal when the desired duty cycle information reaches or exceeds the second fixed threshold duty cycle value.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the method further comprises providing the desired duty cycle information to regulate a length of pulses of the drive signal based on a load condition in the non-pulse-skipping mode, wherein the desired duty cycle information is compared with the first threshold duty cycle value, and wherein a provision of a pulse of the drive signal is omitted if it is found that the desired duty cycle information is smaller than or equal to the first threshold duty cycle value, such that a pulse skipping is performed.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising adapting the setting of the pulse generation such that the first pulse following a pulse skipping results in a transfer of a larger quantity of charge to an output capacitor than a minimum length pulse of the non-pulse-skipping mode.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein providing the drive signal further comprises adapting a duty cycle of a pulse generation during the non-pulse-skipping mode that is a function of a load current at an output of the switch mode converter.