Switching power converter controller

• US 7,092,265 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Exar Corporation (Maxlinear Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FYRE Storm Incorporated (Maxlinear Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kernahan, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/295,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 363/65, 323/282, 323/284, 323/285
• US Class Current: 363/65
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/262 using field-effect transistors only
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0012 Control circuits using digital or numerical techniques in DC/DC converters H02M3/157, H02M3/33515; in DC-AC converters H02M7/53873
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0845 digitally controlled (or with digital control)
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 5/08 Code representation by pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2828 using control circuits for the switching elements H05B41/2827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• 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 control system and method for simultaneously regulating the operation of a plurality of different types of switching power converters. The system utilizes in regulating the power converters sampled data and nonlinear feedback control loops.

Claims

1. A switching power converter controller, wherein the switching power converter controller controls a plurality of pulse-width-modulated switching power converters, each switching power converter being controlled to regulate power supplied to its own load, comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter configured to provide, for each switching power converter, a corresponding digital version of an analog feedback signal; and

a processor configured to control the pulse widths for each switching power converter so as to independently regulate the power supplied from each switching power converter to the switching power converter'"'"'s own load, wherein the pulse widths for the switching power converters are defined with respect to a single period; and

wherein the processor is further configured to control the pulse widths for each switching power converter by processing the corresponding digital version to determine a desired pulse width and commanding the switching power converter to pulse according to the desired pulse width, the controller being configured to operate in a pipelined fashion such that while the analog-to-digital converter is providing the digital version for a given one of the switching power converters, the processor is determining the desired pulse width for a remaining one of the switching power converters.

2. The switching power converter controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to operate in the pipelined fashion such that while the processor is determining the desired pulse width for another given one of the switching power converters, the processor is commanding a remaining one of the switching power converters to pulse according to its desired pulse width.

3. The switching power converter controller of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to require the switch on times for each switching power converter within a given period to be different.

4. The switching power converter controller of claim 2, wherein each period is divided into a predetermined number of counts, and wherein the processor is further configured to command the switch on and off times for each switching power converter to occur only at the times specified by the counts.

5. The switching power converter controller of claim 4, wherein the number of counts is approximately 1024.

6. The switching power converter controller of claim 5, wherein the number of counts is 1024.

7. The switching power converter controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the pulse widths for each for each switching power converter in a given period using feedback information from each power converter from a period immediately preceding the given period.

8. The switching power converter controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is a very long instruction word (VLIW) processor.

9. The switching power converter controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to command the switch on and off times for each switching power converter to satisfy simultaneous switching output requirements.

10. A switching power converter controller, wherein the switching power converter controller controls a plurality of pulse-width-modulated switching power converters, each switching power converter being controlled to regulate power supplied to its own load, comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter configured to provide, for each switching power converter, a digital version of a load voltage; and

a programmable controller configured to control the pulse widths for each switching power converter so as to independently regulate the power supplied from each switching power converter to the switching power converter'"'"'s own load, wherein the pulse widths for the switching power converters are defined with respect to a single period; and

wherein the programmable controller is further configured to control the pulse widths for each switching power converter by processing the corresponding digital version to determine a desired pulse width and commanding the switching power converter to pulse according to the desired pulse width, the switching power converter controller being configured to operate in a pipelined fashion such that while the analog-to-digital converter is providing the digital version for a given one of the switching power converters, the programmable controller is determining the desired pulse width for a remaining one of the switching power converters.

11. The switching power converter controller of claim 10, wherein the switching power converter controller is further configured to operate in the pipelined fashion such that while the programmable controller is determining the desired pulse width for another given one of the switching power converters, the programmable controller is commanding the corresponding switch of a remaining one of the switching power converters to pulse according to its desired pulse width.

12. The switching power converter controller of claim 11, wherein the programmable controller is further configured to require the switch on times for each switching power converter within a given period to be different.

13. The switching power converter controller of claim 10, wherein each period is divided into a predetermined number of counts, and wherein the programmable controller is further configured to command the switch on and off times for each switching power converter to occur only at the times specified by the counts.