Sensing a phase-path current in a coupled-inductor power supply

A system, comprising:

• a power supply, including
• a supply output node configured to carry a regulated output signal,
• phase paths each having a respective phase-path non-output node, each having a respective phase-path output node coupled to the supply output node, and each configured to carry a respective phase current, at least two of the phase paths inductively coupled to one another,
• at least one sensor circuit each having a sensor node coupled to the phase-path non-output nodes of the at least two phase paths and each configured to generate a respective sense signal that represents the phase current flowing through a respective one of the at least two phase paths,
• phase-path drivers each coupled to a phase-path non-output node of a respective one of the phase paths, and
• a power-supply controller coupled to the at least one sensor circuit and the phase-path drivers and configured to regulate the output signal by controlling the at least one phase-path driver coupled to the respective one of the at least two phase paths in response to the respective sense signal;
• and
• a load coupled to the supply output node of the power supply.

A power supply, comprising:

• a supply output node configured to carry a regulated output signal;
• phase paths each having a respective phase-path output node coupled to the supply output node, each having a respective phase-path non-output node, and each configured to carry a respective phase current, at least two of the phase paths magnetically coupled to one another;
• and
• at least one sensor circuit each coupled to the at least two phase paths and each configured to generate a respective sense signal that represents the phase current flowing through a respective one of the at least two phase paths.

A method, comprising:

• driving first and second inductively coupled power-supply phase paths with respective first and second driving signals to generate an output signal;
• generating a first sense signal that represents a first phase-path current flowing through the first power-supply phase path;
• and
• regulating the output signal in response to the first sense signal.

A power supply, comprising:

• a supply output node configured to carry a regulated output signal;
• at least two phase paths each having a respective phase-path output node coupled to the supply output node, each having a respective phase-path non-output node, and each configured to carry a respective phase current;
• and
• at least one sensor circuit each coupled to the phase-path non-output nodes of the at least two phase paths and each configured to generate a respective sense signal that represents the phase current flowing through a respective one of the at least two phase paths.

A method, comprising:

• generating a first phase-path non-output signal with a first power-supply phase path;
• generating a second phase-path non-output signal with a second power-supply phase path;
• generating an output signal with the first and second power-supply phase paths;
• generating a first sense signal in response to the first and second phase-path non-output signals, the first sense signal representing a first phase-path current flowing through the first power-supply phase path;
• and
• regulating the output signal in response to the first sense signal.

A power supply, comprising:

• an output node configured to provide a regulated output signal;
• inductively coupled phase paths each configured to provide a respective phase current to the output node;
• and
• a first sensor circuit configured to generate a first sense signal that represents the phase current flowing through a first one of the phase paths.