# US 11,114,943 B2 · Inductive current sensing for DC-DC converter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,943 B2 - Document ID: US11114943B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/163,971 - Filed: 2018-10-18 - Published: 2020-04-23 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-18 - Assignees: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited - Applicants: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited - Inventors: Francesco Paolo; Julian Tyrrell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114943B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators - H02M 3/1582: {Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence)} - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H02M 3/1566: {with means for compensating against rapid load changes, e.g. with auxiliary current source, with dual mode control or with inductance variation} - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract An inductive current sensing method for a DC-DC switching converter is described. A sense coil is placed adjacent to a PCB track between the switching converter output and a load powered by the switching converter. A change in a magnetic field is measured around the track, generating a voltage proportional to a change in a load current. The load current is subtracted from an inductor current, when a current needed on the switching converter output is higher than a current in a steady state. In this way, output voltage undershoot or overshoot in the DC-DC switching converter is minimized. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A DC-DC switching converter, including a multiple output switching converter, comprising: A sense coil, configured to measure a change in a magnetic field around a PCB track, and to generate a voltage proportional to a change in a load current, built on top of said PCB track between an output of said switching converter and said load powered by said switching converter, and placed after an LC filter, in order to detect a load current slew rate for the switching converter; a load current compensation circuit, configured to minimize an undershoot or an overshoot voltage on the switching converter output, using said sense coil; wherein said load current compensation circuit is configured to calculate a difference between a sense coil current and said load current using a scaled voltage replication of a load current profile. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 1, wherein said load current compensation circuit is configured to subtract a load current from an inductor current, when a current needed on said output of said switching converter is higher than a current in a steady state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 1, further comprising an inner current loop to regulate a current peak according to a control signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 3, further comprising an outer voltage loop to regulate said output of said switching converter and to generate said control signal for said inner current loop, wherein said control signal is determined by said load current. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 3, further comprising said control signal input to a current-programmed controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 1, wherein said load current compensation circuit is configured to activate a reduction in said overshoot voltage, to discharge an output capacitor, in said switching converter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 1, wherein said DC-DC switching converter is a step-down or buck converter, a step-up or boost converter, a buck-boost converter, or any other type. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 1, further comprising a current sense integrator, configured to detect a voltage across a secondary coil, and to reproduce said load current profile of the switching converter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 1, wherein said load current compensation circuit further comprises a peak current modulator, configured to receive said difference between said output of said switching converter and said reference voltage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 9, wherein said load current compensation circuit further comprises a type II compensator, configured to drive said peak current modulator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The DC-DC switching converter of claim 10, wherein said type II compensator has a 100 KHz crossover frequency. ### Claim 12 A sense coil, in a DC-DC switching converter, comprising: a current carrying conductor, further comprising: a PCB trace and vertical via holes, on a multilayer board; wherein the sense coil is air-cored and constructed around a vertical via hole, connecting two layers in the PCB trace, when the PCB trace changes layers in the multilayer board; wherein the sense coil is built on top of the PCB trace, between the DC-DC switching converter and a load; and wherein a plurality of said vertical via holes are connected in parallel with a central plate, to minimize an inner radius of the sense coil, and are connected to minimize a distance between the inner radius of the sense coil and a source of a magnetic field. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The sense coil of claim 12, wherein multiple vertical via holes are connected to reduce distance among windings, and to increase the number of windings. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The sense coil of claim 12, wherein the sense coil is constructed according to board layers of the multilayer board and physical design space. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The sense coil of claim 12, wherein the multilayer board has a total stack-up thickness of about 1.6 mm. ### Claim 16 An inductive current sensing method for a DC-DC switching converter, having a control loop implemented with a sense coil, comprising: building the sense coil on top of a PCB track between the switching converter output and a load powered by the switching converter; placing the sense coil after an LC filter, in order to detect a load current slew rate for the switching converter; measuring a change in a magnetic field around the track, and generating a voltage proportional to a change in a load current using the sense coil; calculating a difference between a sense coil current and the load current using a scaled voltage replication of a load current profile; subtracting the load current from said sense coil current, when a current needed on the switching converter output is higher than a current in a steady state; and minimizing an undershoot or overshoot in the DC-DC switching converter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising regulating a current peak according to a control signal using an inner current loop. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein an outer voltage loop regulates the switching converter output and generates the control signal for the inner current loop, and the load device current determines the control signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising integrating the voltage from said sense coil, to reproduce said load current profile.