Reference voltage control in a power supply
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorsPaul Sisson, Keng Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power supply includes a power converter, a reference voltage generator, and a controller. During operation, the power converter produces an output voltage to power a load. The reference voltage generator (such as a voltage mode amplifier circuit) generates a floor reference voltage, a magnitude of which varies as a function of the output voltage error. The controller compares an output voltage feedback signal (derived from the output voltage) to the floor reference voltage to produce control output to control timing of activating switches in the power converter to maintain the output voltage within a desired voltage range.
Claims26
A power supply comprising:
- a reference voltage generator operable to produce a floor reference voltage;
- phase control circuitry operable to produce an output voltage to power a load;
- a mode controller operable to switch the reference voltage generator between a first operational mode in which the floor reference voltage is set to a predetermined fixed voltage value and a second operational mode in which a magnitude of the floor reference voltage varies depending on a magnitude of the output voltage;
- and
- the phase control circuitry further operable to, during both the first operational mode and the second operational mode, produce the output voltage to power the load as a function of an output voltage feedback signal derived from the output voltage and of the floor reference voltage;
- the power supply further comprising:
- a ramp generator operable to generate a ramp voltage signal, the ramp voltage signal being offset with respect to the floor reference voltage to produce an offset ramp voltage signal;
- and a comparator operable to compare the output voltage feedback signal to the offset ramp voltage signal to control the magnitude of the output voltage.
A power supply comprising:
- a reference voltage generator operable to produce a floor reference voltage;
- phase control circuitry operable to produce an output voltage to power a load as a function of an output voltage feedback signal derived from the output voltage and of the floor reference voltage;
- a mode controller operable to switch the reference voltage generator between a first operational mode in which the floor reference voltage is set to a predetermined fixed voltage value and a second operational mode in which a magnitude of the floor reference voltage varies;
- and
- wherein the phase control circuitry includes a comparator operable to, while in the first operational mode, switch between comparison of:
- i) the output voltage feedback signal and a soft start signal, and ii) the output voltage feedback signal and the floor reference voltage.
A method comprising:
- producing a floor reference voltage;
- producing an output voltage of a power supply to power a load;
- during generation of the output voltage, switching the power supply between a first operational mode in which the floor reference voltage is set to a predetermined fixed voltage value and a second operational mode in which a magnitude of the floor reference voltage varies depending on a magnitude of the output voltage, the method further comprising:
- during both the first operational mode and the second operational mode, producing the output voltage to power the load as a function of an output voltage feedback signal derived from the output voltage and of the floor reference voltage, the method further comprising:
- generating a ramp voltage signal;
- offsetting the ramp voltage signal with respect to the floor reference voltage to produce an offset ramp voltage signal;
- and
- comparing the output voltage feedback signal to the offset ramp voltage signal to control the magnitude of the output voltage.
Computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:
- produce a floor reference voltage;
- generate a ramp voltage signal;
- offset the ramp voltage signal with respect to the floor reference voltage to produce an offset ramp voltage signal;
- produce an output voltage of a power supply to power a load;
- compare the output voltage feedback signal to the offset ramp voltage signal to control the magnitude of the output voltage;
- during generation of the output voltage, switch operation of the power supply between a first operational mode in which the floor reference voltage is set to a predetermined fixed value and a second operational mode in which a magnitude of the floor reference voltage varies depending on a magnitude of the output voltage;
- and
- during both the first operational mode and the second operational mode, produce the output voltage to power the load as a function of an output voltage feedback signal derived from the output voltage and of the floor reference voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.