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US 2007/0176587 A1Published application
Controller for DC to DC Converter
AssigneeO2Micro International Limited
InventorsLaszlo Lipcsei, Serban-Mihai Popescu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A DC to DC converter to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The DC to DC converter may include a pair of switches including a high side switch and a low side switch, an inductor coupled to the pair of switches; and a controller. The controller may be configured to estimate a zero crossing of an inductor current through the inductor without directly measuring said inductor current. An associated method is also provided.
Claims12
A DC to DC converter to convert an input voltage to an output voltage,
- said DC to DC converter comprising:
- a pair of switches comprising a high side switch and a low side switch;
- an inductor coupled to said pair of switches;
- and a controller configured to estimate a zero crossing of an inductor current through said inductor, said controller is further configured to provide a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal and a low side switch enabling signal, said low side switch responsive to said PWM signal and said low side switch enabling signal, said controller is further configured to provide a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal and a low side switch enabling signal, said controller comprising a capacitor, wherein said zero crossing of said inductor current is estimated by monitoring when a charge on said capacitor is less than a low voltage threshold.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a controller for a DC to DC converter, said controller configured to estimate a zero crossing of an inductor current through an inductor of said DC to DC converter, said controller is further configured to provide a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal and a low side switch enabling signal, said DC to DC converter having a high side switch and a low side switch, wherein said low side switch is responsive to said PWM signal and said low side switch enabling signal, said controller is further configured to provide a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal and a low side switch enabling signal, said controller comprising a capacitor, wherein said zero crossing of said inductor current is estimated by monitoring when a charge on said capacitor is less than a low voltage threshold.
A method comprising:
- estimating a zero crossing of an inductor current through an inductor of a DC to DC converter by monitoring a charge on a capacitor of a controller for said DC to DC converter, said zero crossing occurring when a charge level of said capacitor is less than a low voltage threshold;
- providing a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal in a digital one state, a high side switch of said DC to DC converter switching ON in response to said PWM signal in said digital one state;
- and determining a time interval to maintain said PWM signal in said digital one state, said time interval inversely proportional with an input voltage of said DC to DC converter less an output voltage of said DC to DC converter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.