# US 2013/0154585 A1 · Multiple phase switching regulator with phase current sharing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154585 A1 - Document ID: US20130154585A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/772,085 - Filed: 2013-02-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-26 - Assignees: Intersil Americas Inc. - Inventors: Steven P. Laur; Rhys S.A. Philbrick - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154585A1 ## CPC - G05F 1/59: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel} - H02M 3/1586: {switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved} - G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract A phase current sharing network that adjusts operation of a current mode multiphase switching regulator in which the phase current sharing network includes multiple synthetic ripple networks and a current share network. The regulator develops phase currents including ripple currents through corresponding phase inductors as controlled by corresponding pulse control signals. Each synthetic ripple networks develops a corresponding ripple voltage that simulates a corresponding phase ripple current and uses the ripple voltages to develop the pulse control signals. The current share network adjusts each ripple voltage by a combined adjustment value. The combined adjustment value is a combination of phase adjustment values in which each phase adjustment value is based on a difference between a corresponding one of ripple voltage and a reference voltage. Transconductance amplifiers may be used to convert the voltage differences to current adjust values applied to the ripple capacitors developing the ripple voltages. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A phase current sharing network configured to adjust operation of a current mode multiphase switching regulator, wherein the multiphase switching regulator includes a plurality of switching networks in which each switching network develops a corresponding one of a plurality of phase currents including a corresponding plurality of phase ripple currents through an inductor of each of a plurality of switching phase networks controlled by a corresponding one of a plurality of pulse control signals for converting an input voltage to an output voltage, said phase current sharing network comprising: a plurality of synthetic ripple networks, wherein each of said plurality of synthetic ripple networks is configured to develop a corresponding one of a plurality of ripple voltages that simulates a corresponding one of the plurality of phase ripple currents; wherein each of said plurality of ripple voltages is used to develop a corresponding one of the plurality of pulse control signals; and a current share network that is configured to develop a combined adjustment value and to adjust each of said plurality of ripple voltages by said combined adjustment value, wherein said combined adjustment value comprises a combination of a plurality of phase adjustment values, and wherein each of said plurality of phase adjustment values is based on a difference between a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages and a reference voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The phase current sharing network of claim 1, wherein: each of said plurality of synthetic ripple networks comprises a corresponding one of a plurality of ripple capacitors that develops a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages; and wherein said current share network comprises a plurality of transconductance amplifiers, each having a first input receiving said reference voltage, having a second input receiving a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages, and having an output providing an adjust current to a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple capacitors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The phase current sharing network of claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of transconductance amplifiers simulates a ripple resistor coupled between said reference voltage and said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple capacitors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The phase current sharing network of claim 1, wherein: each of said plurality of synthetic ripple networks comprises a corresponding one of a plurality of ripple capacitors that develops a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages; and wherein said current share network comprises a plurality of adjustment networks, wherein each of said plurality of adjustment networks comprises a plurality of transconductance amplifiers, and wherein each of said plurality of transconductance amplifiers of each of said plurality of adjustment networks has a first input receiving said reference voltage, has a second input receiving a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages, and has an output providing an adjust current to a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple capacitors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The phase current sharing network of claim 4, wherein at least one of said plurality of transconductance amplifiers simulates a ripple resistor coupled between said reference voltage and said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple capacitors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The phase current sharing network of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of synthetic ripple networks comprises: a ripple capacitor coupled between a supply node and a corresponding one of a plurality of ripple nodes developing a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages; a current sink that is coupled to sink a current proportional to the output voltage from said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple nodes; and a current source that is coupled to source a current proportional to the input voltage to said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple nodes when a corresponding one of the plurality of pulse control signals is active. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The phase current sharing network of claim 6, wherein said current share network comprises a transconductance network that is configured to convert a difference between each of said plurality of ripple voltages and said reference voltage into a corresponding plurality of adjustment currents that are applied to said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple nodes. ### Claim 8 A current mode multiphase switching regulator for converting an input voltage to an output voltage, comprising: a plurality of switching networks, each configured to switch current through a corresponding one of a plurality of inductors as controlled by a corresponding one of a plurality of switch control signals; an error network which is configured to develop a trigger signal based on a relative error of the output voltage; a plurality of synthetic ripple networks, each configured to develop a corresponding one of a plurality of ripple voltages that simulates a corresponding one of a plurality of phase ripple currents through a corresponding one of said plurality of inductors; a plurality of first comparators, each configured to develop a corresponding one of a plurality of first control signals based on a corresponding one of said ripple voltages and used to determine timing of a first operative edge of a corresponding one of said plurality of switch control signals; a plurality of second comparators, each configured to develop a corresponding one of a plurality of second control signals based on said trigger signal and a corresponding one of said ripple voltages and used to determine timing of a second operative edge of a corresponding one of said plurality of switch control signals; and a phase current sharing network that is configured to develop a combined adjustment value and to adjust each of said plurality of ripple voltages by said combined adjustment value, wherein said combined adjustment value comprises a combination of a plurality of phase adjustment values, and wherein each of said plurality of adjustment values is based on a difference between a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages and a reference voltage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 8, wherein: each of said plurality of synthetic ripple networks comprises a corresponding one of a plurality of ripple capacitors that is coupled to develop a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages; and wherein said phase current sharing network comprises a plurality of transconductance amplifiers, each having a first input receiving said reference voltage, having a second input receiving a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple voltages, and having an output providing an adjust current to a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple capacitors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 9, wherein at least one of said plurality of transconductance amplifiers has a gain which simulates a ripple resistance coupled between said reference voltage and said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple capacitors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 8, wherein said phase current sharing network comprises a transconductance network that is configured to convert a difference between each of said plurality of ripple voltages and said reference voltage into a corresponding plurality of adjustment currents that are applied to a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple nodes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 8, wherein said phase current sharing network comprises a plurality of transconductance networks, and wherein each of said plurality of transconductance networks comprises a plurality of transconductance amplifiers that are configured to convert a difference between each of said plurality of ripple voltages and said reference voltage into a corresponding plurality of adjustment currents that are applied to a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple nodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of synthetic ripple networks comprises: a ripple capacitor coupled between a supply node and a corresponding one of a plurality of ripple nodes developing a corresponding one of said plurality of ripple capacitors; a current sink that is coupled to sink a current proportional to the output voltage from said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple nodes; and a current source that is coupled to source a current proportional to the input voltage to said corresponding one of said plurality of ripple nodes when a corresponding one of the plurality of pulse control signals is active. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 8, wherein said error network comprises an error amplifier which develops a compensation voltage which is used as said trigger signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 8, wherein said error network develops a window voltage, and wherein each of said plurality of first comparators comprises a window comparator which compares said window voltage with a corresponding one of said ripple voltages to develop a reset signal used to terminate a control pulse on a corresponding one of said plurality of switch control signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The current mode multiphase switching regulator of claim 8, wherein said error network develops said trigger value as a trigger voltage, and wherein each of said plurality of second comparators comprises a phase comparator which compares said trigger voltage with a corresponding one of said ripple voltages to develop a set signal used to initiate a control pulse on a corresponding one of said plurality of switch control signals. ### Claim 17 A method of sharing current among phases of a current mode multiphase switching regulator, wherein the multiphase switching regulator develops a plurality of phase currents including a corresponding plurality of phase ripple currents through corresponding phase inductors as controlled by a corresponding plurality of pulse control signals for converting an input voltage to an output voltage, said method comprising: developing a plurality of ripple voltages, each simulating a corresponding one of the plurality of phase ripple currents; using each of the plurality of ripple voltages for developing a corresponding one of the plurality of pulse control signals; developing a plurality of adjustment values, each based on a difference between a reference voltage and a corresponding one of the plurality of ripple voltages; and applying each of the plurality of adjustment values to adjust each of the plurality of ripple voltages. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said developing a plurality of ripple voltages comprises developing the plurality of ripple voltages on a corresponding plurality of ripple capacitors, where said developing a plurality of adjustment values comprises developing a plurality of adjustment currents, and wherein said applying each of the plurality of adjustment values comprises applying the plurality of adjustment currents to each of the plurality of ripple capacitors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said developing a plurality of adjustment values comprises amplifying a difference between the reference voltage and each of the ripple voltages and converting a plurality of amplified differences to a corresponding plurality of adjustment currents. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein: said developing a plurality of ripple voltages comprises continuously discharging each of a plurality of ripple capacitors by a current proportional to the output voltage and charging each of the plurality of capacitors by a current proportional to the input voltage during an active portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of pulse control signals; wherein said using each of the plurality of ripple voltages comprises comparing each of the plurality of ripple voltages with a control value based on a relative error of the output voltage; wherein said developing a plurality of adjustment values comprises developing a plurality of adjustment currents; and wherein said applying each of the plurality of adjustment values comprises applying each of the plurality of adjustment currents to each of the plurality of ripple capacitors.