System on chip for digital control of electronic power devices

A method for digitally controlling electronic power applications comprising the steps of:

• a. providing an integrated digital controller operative to provide configurable, practically unlimited control loops that can be implemented in firmware by custom logic, said controller including at least
• i. an analog-to-digital converting (ADC) Scanner module configured to flexibly scan analog inputs and to receive input signals from said analog inputs and, said ADC Scanner module further configured to create digital data outputs correlated with said input signals;
• ii. a pulse sequence generator (PSG) module used for generating configurable event-driven pulse sequences solely defined by a set of configurable constants;
• and
• iii. a loop control module for controlling at least one control loop, said loop control module configured to receive said digital data outputs from said ADC Scanner and operative to exchange information with said pulse sequence generator;
• and
• b. creating rapid, re-configurable pulse sequences for a variety of electronic control applications using said integrated digital controller.

An analog-to-digital converting (ADC) Scanner configured to flexibly scan analog data inputs and to receive input signals from the analog inputs, the ADC Scanner further configured to create digital data outputs correlated with said input signals, comprising:

• a. at least one configurable and flexible scanning engine responsive to conversion requests and operative to define the sequence of analog-to-digital conversion of said analog inputs;
• b. at least one analog multiplexer used to select at least one of said analog inputs using said scanning engine;
• and
• c. at least one analog-to-digital converter for converting said at least one analog input into said digital data outputs.

A loop controller having at least one loop control channel and operative to receive digital data inputs, comprising

• a. at least one proportional gain element;
• b. at least one integral gain element, used cooperatively with said at least one proportional gain element to provide a result correlated with at least one control function;
• and
• c. at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of at least one differential gain element, at least one feed-forward element, and a combination thereof, said at least one additional element acting coordinately with said at least one proportional gain element and at least one integral gain element to provide an enhanced control function.

A pulse sequence generator comprising:

• a. means to receive events input information;
• b. at least one channel having at least one state machine for generating event-driven pulse sequences in response to said input information;
• and
• c. means to output said event driven pulse sequences and other information;
• whereby said pulse sequences are solely defined by a set of configurable constants.

An integrated digital controller for controlling electronic devices, comprising:

• a. an analog-to-digital converting (ADC) Scanner module operative to flexibly scan analog data inputs and to create digital data outputs correlated with data received from said inputs;
• b. a loop control module for controlling at least one control loop, said loop control module operative to receive said digital data outputs from said ADC Scanner;
• c. a pulse sequence generator (PSG) module used for generating configurable event-driven pulse sequences solely defined by a set of configurable constants, said PSG module operative to exchange information with said loop control module and said ADC Scanner module;
• and
• d. an analog compare module for creating at least one external event to be fed to said PSG module.

An integrated digital controller for controlling electronic devices, comprising

• a. an analog-to-digital converting (ADC) Scanner module operative to flexibly scan analog data inputs and to create digital data outputs correlated with data received from said inputs;
• b. a loop control module for controlling at least one control loop, said loop control module operative to receive said digital data outputs from said ADC Scanner;
• c. a pulse sequence generator (PSG) module used for generating configurable event-driven pulse sequences solely defined by a set of configurable constants, said PSG module operative to exchange information with said loop control module and said Scanner module;
• d. an analog compare module for creating at least one external event to be fed to said PSG module;
• and
• e. at least one digital phase locked loop for synchronizing a module selected from the group consisting of said PSG module and said loop control module to said external event.

An integrated digital controller for controlling electronic devices, comprising:

• a. an analog-to-digital converting (ADC) Scanner module operative to flexibly scan analog data inputs and to create digital data outputs correlated with data received from said inputs;
• b. a loop control module for controlling at least one control loop, said loop control module operative to receive said digital data outputs from said ADC Scanner;
• c. a pulse sequence generator (PSG) module used for generating configurable event-driven pulse sequences solely defined by a set of configurable constants, said PSG module operative to exchange information with said loop control module and said Scanner module;
• d. an analog compare module for creating at least one external event to be fed to said PSG module;
• e. at least one digital phase locked loop for synchronizing a module selected from the group consisting of said PSG module and said loop control module to said external event;
• and
• f. a central processing unit (CPU) used for configuring the controller at initialization and on-the-fly and for managing the controller and for performing control functions in cooperation with said loop control and said pulse sequence generator, said CPU connected to said loop control module and said PSG module by an external data bus and an external address bus.

An integrated digital controller for controlling electronic devices, comprising:

• a. an analog-to-digital converting (ADC) Scanner module operative to flexibly scan analog data inputs and to create digital data outputs correlated with data received from said inputs;
• b. a loop control module for controlling at least one control loop, said loop control module operative to receive said digital data outputs from said ADC Scanner;
• c. a pulse sequence generator (PSG) module used for generating configurable event-driven pulse sequences solely defined by a set of configurable constants, said PSG module operative to exchange information with said loop control module and said Scanner module;
• d. an analog compare module for creating at least one external event to be fed to said PSG module;
• e. at least one digital phase locked loop for synchronizing a module selected from the group consisting of said PSG module and said loop control module to said external event;
• f. a central processing unit (CPU) used for configuring the controller at initialization and on-the-fly and for managing the controller and for performing control functions in cooperation with said loop control and said pulse sequence generator, said CPU connected to said loop control module and said PSG module by an external data bus and an external address bus;
• and
• g. a central processing unit (CPU) interface for monitoring and for modifying a configuration on-the-fly according to the scanned data