Method and apparatus for reverse over current protection
AssigneeIntersil Americas Inc.
InventorsChun Cheung, Mir Mahin, Paul Dackow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for providing fault protection in a power controller such as a voltage regulator, and particularly protection against reverse over current fault conditions. Some embodiments are capable of distinguishing between different types of reverse over current conditions, such as a high-side short or a normal over voltage condition. In these and other embodiments, fault protection is performed in favor of a load connected to the voltage regulator, rather than components of the voltage regulator itself.
Claims21
A method for providing fault protection in a voltage regulator coupled to a load via an inductor, comprising:
- monitoring a voltage at the inductor;
- and
- distinguishing between conditions of a short in the voltage regulator a non-short over current condition based on the monitored voltage.
An apparatus for providing fault protection in a voltage regulator coupled to a load via an inductor, comprising:
- a fault protection module configured to:
- monitor a voltage at the inductor;
- and
- distinguish between conditions of a short in the voltage regulator associated with a short circuit of a high-side FET and a non-short over current condition based on the monitored voltage.
A method for providing fault protection in a voltage regulator coupled to a load via an inductor, comprising:
- monitoring a voltage at the inductor;
- and
- distinguishing between conditions of a short in the voltage regulator associated with a short circuit of a high-side FET and a non-short over current condition based on the monitored voltage,
- wherein if the condition is the short, the fault protection module is configured to provide fault detection in favor of the load over the voltage regulator by allowing the low-side FET to remain turned on and fail during the short condition including the short circuit of the high-side FET.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.