Voltage regulator with piecewise linear loadlines

A control circuit comprising:

• (a) an input terminal coupled to receive an output current signal representative of a current supplied by a voltage regulator to a load;
• (b) a processing circuit configured to generate a control output signal according to one of a plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics, wherein the processing circuit is operative to select one of the plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics as a function of the received output current signal;
• and,
• (c) an output terminal to transmit the generated control output signal to a control input of the voltage regulator;
• wherein at least one of the predetermined loadline characteristics further comprises a first loadline characterized by a first positive resistance and a second loadline characterized by a second positive resistance, the second positive resistance is greater than the first positive resistance, and when the output current is greater than a second predetermined current threshold, the processing circuit is configured to select the second loadline.

A control circuit comprising:

• (a) an input terminal coupled to receive an output current signal representative of a current supplied by a voltage regulator to a load;
• (b) a processing circuit configured to generate a control output signal according to one of a plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics, wherein the processing circuit is operative to select one of the plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics as a function of the received output current signal;
• and,
• (c) an output terminal to transmit the generated control output signal to a control input of the voltage regulator;
• wherein the processing circuit comprises:
• (a) a first comparator configured to receive the output current and a first predetermined current threshold to generate a first comparison result;
• (b) a state machine coupled to an output of the first comparator and generate a selection signal in response to the first comparison result;
• and,
• (c) a multiplexer configured to receive a plurality of voltage values sensed at different nodes of a string of resistors, wherein the string of resistors is coupled between a first node A and a second node B, wherein the output current is injected into the first node A, the second node B is connected to a signal which represents an output voltage generated by the voltage regulator,
• wherein the multiplexer is configured to output the control output signal VLL in response to the selection signal.

A control circuit comprising:

• (a) an input terminal coupled to receive an output current signal representative of a current supplied by a voltage regulator to a load;
• (b) a processing circuit configured to generate a control output signal according to one of a plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics, wherein the processing circuit is operative to select one of the plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics as a function of the received output current signal;
• and,
• (c) an output terminal to transmit the generated control output signal to a control input of the voltage regulator;
• wherein the received output current signal comprises an average over a plurality of switching cycles of the voltage regulator.

A method to operate a control circuit, the method comprising:

• receiving an output current signal representative of a current supplied by a voltage regulator to a load;
• generating, with a processing circuit, a control output signal according to one of a plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics, wherein the processing circuit is operative to select one of the plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics as a function of the received output current signal;
• and,
• providing, to the voltage regulator, the generated control output signal, wherein the voltage regulator is configured to control an output voltage of the voltage regulator in response to the control output signal;
• wherein at least one of the predetermined loadline characteristics comprises a loadline characterized by a negative resistance at the output of the voltage regulator.

A method to operate a control circuit, the method comprising:

• receiving an output current signal representative of a current supplied by a voltage regulator to a load;
• generating, with a processing circuit, a control output signal according to one of a plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics, wherein the processing circuit is operative to select one of the plurality of predetermined loadline characteristics as a function of the received output current signal;
• and,
• providing, to the voltage regulator, the generated control output signal, wherein the voltage regulator is configured to control an output voltage of the voltage regulator in response to the control output signal;
• wherein at least one of the predetermined loadline characteristics further comprises a first loadline characterized by a first positive resistance and a second loadline characterized by a second positive resistance, the second positive resistance is greater than the first positive resistance, wherein the generation of the control output signal further comprises selecting the second loadline when the output current is greater than a second predetermined current threshold.