Electronic circuit and method of controlling three-level switching converters

A method comprising:

• providing a first circuit portion, wherein:
• the first circuit portion comprises:
• a first circuit first input node;
• a first circuit second input node;
• a first circuit first output node;
• and
• a first circuit second output node;
• when the first circuit first input node is pulled high, the first circuit first output node and the first circuit second output node are both pulled high;
• when the first circuit first input node is pulled low and when the first circuit second input node is pulled low, the first circuit first output node is pulled high and the first circuit second output node is pulled low;
• and
• when the first circuit first input node is pulled low and when the first circuit second input node is pulled high, the first circuit first output node is pulled low and the first circuit second output node is pulled high;
• providing a second circuit portion, wherein:
• the second circuit portion comprises:
• a second circuit first input node;
• a second circuit second input node;
• a second circuit first output node;
• and
• a second circuit second output node;
• when the second circuit first input node and the second circuit second input node are both pulled high, the second circuit first output node is pulled high and the second circuit second output node is pulled low;
• when the second circuit first input node is pulled high and when the second circuit second input node is pulled low, the second circuit first output node is pulled low and the second circuit second output node is pulled high;
• and
• when the first circuit first input node is pulled low, the second circuit first output node and the second circuit second output node are both pulled low;
• providing a flying capacitor voltage comparator;
• providing an output switching circuit;
• providing an electronic circuit first output node configured to be electrically coupled to a first gate terminal of a switching converter;
• providing an electronic circuit second output node configured to be electrically coupled to a second gate terminal of the switching converter;
• and
• electrically coupling a voltage sensor output terminal of the flying capacitor voltage comparator to the first circuit second input node of the first circuit portion and the second circuit second input node of the second circuit portion,
• wherein:
• the first circuit first input node of the first circuit portion and the second circuit first input node of the second circuit portion are configured to be electrically coupled to an indication of whether an output voltage of the switching converter is higher in magnitude than a reference voltage of the switching converter;
• an output value of the voltage sensor output terminal is indicative of whether a constant half source voltage is higher or lower in magnitude than a flying capacitor voltage;
• the constant half source voltage is a half of a power source voltage of the switching converter;
• the flying capacitor voltage is a voltage across a flying capacitor of the switching converter;
• when the constant half source voltage is higher in magnitude than the reference voltage, the output switching circuit is configured to:
• electrically couple the electronic circuit first output node to the first circuit first output node of the first circuit portion;
• and
• electrically couple the electronic circuit second output node to the first circuit second output node of the first circuit portion;
• and
• when the constant half source voltage is not higher in magnitude than the reference voltage, the output switching circuit is configured to:
• electrically couple the electronic circuit first output node to the second circuit first output node of the second circuit portion;
• and
• electrically couple the electronic circuit second output node to the second circuit second output node of the second circuit portion.