Systems and methods for regulating a switching converter

A simulated output generator for providing a simulated inductor waveform to be employed as a feedback signal to a switching converter that includes a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor both coupled to an output inductor through a switching node, the high-side and low side-transistors alternating between opposing on and off states with the high-side transistor being on during on-times and the low-side transistor being on during off-times, the simulated output generator comprising:

• a gain and inverter circuit that receives a low-side output waveform of the low-side transistor measured during off-times and generates an amplified inverted version of the low-side output waveform;
• a first control loop that regulates the falling edge slope of the simulated inductor waveform with the amplified, inverted version of the low-side output waveform;
• a second control loop that regulates minimum values of the simulated inductor waveform with the amplified, inverted version of the low-side output waveform of the low-side transistor;
• and
• a charging capacitor coupled to outputs of the first and second control loops, the charging capacitor charges to produce on-times of the simulated inductor waveform and discharges to produce off-times of the simulated inductor waveform, wherein the first control loop controls the modulation of the charging of the charging capacitor and the second control loop controls the modulation of the discharging of the charging capacitor.

A method of regulating a switching converter that includes a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor both coupled to an output inductor through a switching node, the method comprising:

• alternating turning on and off the high-side transistor and the low side-transistor between opposing states with the high-side transistor being on during on-times and the low-side transistor being on during off-times;
• inverting and amplifying a low-side output waveform of the low-side transistor measured during off-times;
• determine a high-side portion of the simulated inductor waveform during on-times based on the low-side output waveform;
• and
• generating a simulated inductor waveform that is proportional to an actual inductor output current through the output inductor based on the low-side output waveform and the determined high-side portion.