US 12,003,251 B2 · Inductive current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and related control options

Abstract

An inductive current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes: a power supply input adapted to be coupled to a power supply; a load terminal adapted to be coupled to a load; an inductor between the power supply input and the load terminal; and inductor current control circuitry. The inductor current control circuitry has: a sense signal input configured to receive a sense signal representative of the inductor current; a control code input configured to receive a control code; a set of switches having respective control terminals; and a set of control circuit outputs coupled to the respective control terminals of the set of switches. The inductor current control circuitry is configured to adjust control signals provided to the set of control circuit outputs based on the sense signal and the control code.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An inductive current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) comprising:

an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal;
inductor current control circuitry having:
a sense signal input;
a control code input;
a set of switches having respective control terminals;
and
a set of control circuit outputs coupled to the respective control terminals of the set of switches;
a phase selection circuit having a phase selection circuit input and a phase selection circuit output;
and
a driver circuit having a driver circuit input and driver circuit outputs, the driver circuit input coupled to the phase selection circuit output, the driver circuit outputs coupled to the set of control circuit outputs.

7 more elements

An inductive current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit, comprising:

an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal;
a first field-effect transistor (FET) having a first current terminal, a second current terminal and a first control terminal, the first current terminal of the first FET coupled to the the first terminal of the inductor, and the second current terminal of the first FET coupled to the second terminal of the inductor;
a second FET having a first current terminal, a second current terminal and a second control terminal, the first current terminal of the second FET coupled to the second terminal of the inductor, and the second current terminal of the second FET coupled to ground;
a third FET having a first current terminal, a second current terminal and a fourth control terminal, the first current terminal of the third FET coupled to the first terminal of the inductor, and the second current terminal of the third FET coupled to ground;
and
a control circuit coupled to the first control terminal, the second control terminal, and the third control terminal, wherein the control circuit is configured to provide selectively provide control signals to the first control terminal, the second control terminal, and the third control terminal to support different phases of the inductive current DAC.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Inductive current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and related control options

Life of this patent

Inductive current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and related control options

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16