Forced-burst voltage regulation for burst-mode DC-DC converters

A direct-current-to-direct-current (DC-DC) converter within an integrated circuit, comprising:

• control logic having a force-burst command from an external circuit as an input and having a drive signal as an output;
• and
• an output driver having the drive signal as an input and being coupled to provide an output voltage to a load;
• wherein control logic causes the DC-DC converter to perform a burst mode based upon a low-voltage detection for the output voltage;
• wherein control logic causes the DC-DC converter to perform the burst mode when the force-burst command is asserted regardless of a state for the low-voltage detection;
• and
• wherein the force-burst command comprises assertion of an enable control signal to the DC-DC converter while a refresh control signal to the DC-DC converter is also asserted, the refresh control signal alone causing the DC-DC converter to turn off for a low-power mode, and the enable control signal alone causing the DC-DC converter to turn on for normal operations.

A method for an integrated circuit, comprising:

• providing an output voltage to a load within an integrated circuit using a direct-current-to-direct-current (DC-DC) converter;
• performing a burst mode with the DC-DC converter to raise the output voltage to a threshold voltage based upon a low voltage detection for the output voltage;
• also performing the burst mode with the DC-DC converter when a force-burst command is asserted to the DC-DC converter regardless of a state for the low-voltage detection;
• and
• asserting the force-burst command by asserting an enable control signal to the DC-DC converter while a refresh control signal to the DC-DC converter is also asserted, using the refresh control signal alone to cause the DC-DC converter to turn off for a low-power mode, and using the enable control signal alone to cause the DC-DC converter to turn on for normal operations.