Power supply monitoring and switching frequency control

An apparatus comprising:

• an input operative to receive a first signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied an output voltage of a voltage converter to a load;
• a signal generator operative to produce a second signal, the second signal being a frequency selection signal generated based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received first signal;
• a frequency selector operative to, based on a setting of the second signal, select a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage;
• a controller operative to control the switches via the selected switching frequency, control of the switches via the selected switching frequency including preventing the magnitude of current from exceeding a current threshold level;
• wherein the current threshold level is a peak current threshold limit;
• wherein the signal generator includes a comparator operative to compare the first signal to the peak current threshold limit;
• and
• wherein the frequency selector is operative to increase the switching frequency of controlling the switches to the selected switching frequency in response to detecting that the magnitude of the current equals the peak current threshold limit for multiple control cycles of controlling the switches.

An apparatus comprising:

• an input operative to receive a signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied by an output voltage of a voltage converter to a load;
• a signal generator operative to produce a frequency selection signal based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received signal;
• a frequency selector operative to, via the frequency selection signal, select a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage;
• and
• wherein the frequency selector is operative to increase the switching frequency of controlling the switches in the voltage converter to the selected switching frequency in response to a detected condition in which the magnitude of the current supplied to the load reaches a current limit value for a predetermined number of control cycles of controlling the switches.

An apparatus comprising:

• an input operative to receive a first signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied by an output voltage of a voltage converter to a load;
• a signal generator operative to produce a second signal, the second signal being a frequency selection signal generated based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received first signal;
• a frequency selector operative to, based on a setting of the second signal, select a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage;
• a controller operative to control the switches via the selected switching frequency, control of the switches via the selected switching frequency including preventing the magnitude of current from exceeding a current threshold level;
• wherein the frequency selector is operative to set the switching frequency to a first setting prior to detecting a change in the magnitude of the current;
• wherein the frequency selector is operative to set the switching frequency to the first setting in a first window of time between a first time instant of detecting the change in the magnitude of the current and a second time instant of detecting a trigger event;
• and
• wherein the trigger event is a condition in which the magnitude of the current is equal to a peak current limit value for multiple control cycles of monitoring the magnitude of current in the first window of time.

A method comprising:

• receiving a first signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied by an output voltage generated by a voltage converter to power a load;
• producing a second signal, the second signal being a frequency selection signal derived based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received first signal;
• and
• via the second signal, selecting a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage;
• wherein selecting the switching frequency includes:
• increasing the switching frequency of controlling the switches in the voltage converter in response to a detected condition in which the magnitude of the current equals a current limit value for predetermined number of control cycles of controlling the switches.

A method comprising:

• receiving a first signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied by an output voltage generated by a voltage converter to power a load;
• producing a second signal, the second signal being a frequency selection signal derived based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received first signal;
• via the second signal, selectin a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage;
• via a comparator, comparing the first signal to a peak current threshold value;
• and
• wherein selecting the switching frequency includes:
• increasing the switching frequency of controlling the switches in response to detecting that the magnitude of the current equals the peak current threshold value for multiple control cycles of controlling the switches.

A method comprising;

• receiving a first signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied by an output voltage generated by a voltage converter to power a load;
• producing a second signal, the second signal being a frequency selection signal derived based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received first signal;
• via the second signal, selecting a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage;
• setting the switching frequency to a first setting prior to detecting a change in the magnitude of the current;
• setting the switching frequency to the first setting in a first window of time between a first time instant of detecting the change in the magnitude of the current and a second time instant of detecting a trigger event;
• and
• wherein detecting the trigger event includes detecting a condition in which the magnitude of the current is equal to a peak current limit value for multiple control cycles of monitoring the magnitude of current in the first window of time.

An apparatus comprising:

• an input operative to receive a first signal indicating a magnitude of current supplied by an output voltage of a voltage converter to a load;
• a signal generator operative to produce a second signal, the second signal being a frequency selection signal generated based on the magnitude of the current supplied to the load as indicated by the received first signal;
• a frequency selector operative to, based on a setting of the second signal, select a switching frequency of controlling switches in the voltage converter to produce the output voltage;
• a controller operative to control the switches via the selected switching frequency, control of the switches via the selected switching frequency including preventing the magnitude of current from exceeding a current threshold level;
• wherein the controller is further operative to switchover from operating the switches at a first switching frequency to operating the switches at the selected switching frequency in response to detecting a condition in which the magnitude of the current equals the current threshold level, the selected switching frequency being higher than the first switching frequency;
• and
• wherein a transition of switching over from operating the switches at the first switching frequency to operating the switches at the selected switching frequency reduces a magnitude of ripple current associated with the current supplied to the load.