Communicating faults by a power stage of a multi-phase switching converter

A voltage regulator module (VRM) comprising:

• a phase controller to provide a regulated supply voltage on a supply node based on an input voltage received at an input node;
• and
• a power stage comprising:
• a high-side switch and a low-side switch coupled in series at a switching (SW) node, said high-side switch and said low-side switch being connected in series between said input node and a ground terminal providing a constant reference potential, wherein an inductor is coupled between said switching node and said supply node,
• wherein said high-side switch and said low-side switch are respectively operated by a first drive signal and a second drive signal, said first drive signal and said second drive signal to be respectively asserted to drive respective currents through said inductor in a high-side phase and a low-side phase;
• a gate driver to generate said first drive signal and said second drive signal based on a control signal received from said phase controller, wherein said first drive signal and said second drive signal are respectively asserted when said control signal is at a first logic level and a second logic level,
• wherein ringing occurs at said ground terminal when said control signal switches between said first logic level and said second logic level to settle by a settling time;
• and
• a fault logic block for generating a plurality of deviation signals indicating corresponding deviations by examining states internal to said power stage, wherein each deviation signal of said plurality of deviation signals is a binary logic signal indicating whether or not a corresponding fault exists,
• said fault logic block generating a plurality of fault signals by sensing said plurality of deviation signals according to a delayed version of said control signal, wherein said delayed version is generated by delaying said control signal by a first delay having a magnitude greater than said settling time,
• said fault logic block communicating said fault signals to said phase controller for any requisite corrective actions.

A method performed in a power stage of a multi-phase switching converter, said multi-phase switching converter providing a regulated supply voltage on a supply node based on an input voltage received at an input node, said method comprising:

• driving a high-side switch and a low-side switch of said power stage based on a control signal received from a phase controller, said high-side switch and said low-side switch being connected in series at a switching node, said high-side switch and said low-side switch being connected in series between said input node and a ground terminal providing a constant reference potential, wherein an inductor is coupled between said switching node and said supply node,
• wherein ringing occurs at said ground terminal when said control signal switches between a first logic level and a second logic level to settle by a settling time;
• and
• forming a delayed version of said control signal, wherein said delayed version is formed by delaying said control signal by a first delay having a magnitude greater than said settling time;
• capturing a plurality of faults as corresponding plurality of deviation signals;
• generating respective plurality of fault signals by sensing said plurality of deviation signals according to said delayed version;
• and
• communicating said plurality of fault signals to said phase controller for any requisite corrective actions.