Programmable dual mode hysteretic power output controller

A power controller comprising:

• an output stage;
• a sensing circuit for providing an output corresponding to a voltage of the output stage;
• a pulse generator that charges the output stage;
• and
• a multi-state digital logic circuit having N states S1 through SN corresponding to N pulse frequencies fi (i=1 through N) and that controls the pulse generator, the pulse frequencies fi monotonically increasing,
• wherein the N states include states S1 through SM with lower frequencies f1 through fM and states SM+1 through SN with higher frequencies fM+1 through fN, and
• wherein the logic circuit switches to state SN from any of states S1 through SM when a number of pulses needed to charge the output stage exceeds a threshold number NAi for each state S1 through SM.

A power controller comprising:

• a sensing circuit that provides an output corresponding to a voltage of an output stage;
• a pulse generator that charges the output stage;
• and
• a digital logic circuit having N states S1 through SN corresponding to N pulse frequencies fi (i=1 through N) and that controls the pulse generator based on the output of the sensing circuit, the pulse frequencies fi monotonically increasing,
• wherein the N states include states S1 through SM with lower frequencies f1 through fM and states SM+1 through SN with higher frequencies fM+1 through fN,
• wherein the logic circuit switches to state SN from any of states S1 through SM when a number of pulses needed to charge the output stage exceeds a threshold number NAi for each state S1 through SM,
• wherein the logic circuit switches to a next higher state from any of states SM+1 through SN−1 when a number of pulses needed to charge the output stage exceeds NA for each state SM+1 through SN−1, and
• wherein the logic circuit switches to a next lower state when the number of pulses needed to charge the output stage is less than a threshold number NBi for each state S2 through SN.

A power output controller comprising:

• a sensing circuit that senses an output voltage of an output stage;
• a frequency modulated pulse generator that charges the output stage;
• and
• a multi-state digital controller that controls a frequency of pulses generated by the pulse generator based on information from the sensing circuit.

A method of controlling power output comprising the steps of:

• sensing a voltage of an output stage;
• driving a pulse generator to charge the output stage;
• and
• controlling the pulse generator by using a multi-state digital logic circuit having N states S1 through SN corresponding to N pulse frequencies fi (i=1 through N), the pulse frequencies fi monotonically increasing,
• wherein the N states include M states S1 through SM with lower frequencies f1 through fM and states SM+1 through SN with higher frequencies fM+1 through fN, and
• wherein the digital logic circuit switches to state SN from any of states S1 through SM when a number of pulses needed to charge the output stage exceeds a threshold number NAi for each state S1 through SM.

A power output controller comprising:

• an output stage;
• a sensing circuit for providing an output representative of an output voltage of the output stage;
• and
• a controller that controls output pulses that charge the output stage with a frequency selected from a plurality of discrete frequencies and dependent on the output of the sensing circuit.