Device and Method for Hybrid Feedback Control of a Switch-Capacitor Multi-Unit Voltage Regulator

A method for reducing ripple in a multi-unit switched-capacitor (SC) core voltage regulator comprising a plurality of SC converter units, comprising the steps of:

• comparing an output voltage of the SC core with a reference voltage;
• producing a comparator trigger signal comprising a first state and a second state;
• selecting a first subset of proactive units from the plurality of units to switch at a predetermined frequency;
• selecting the remaining units of the plurality of units that are not selected as proactive units as a second subset of single-bound units;
• and
• changing a number of proactive units in the first subset based on the comparator trigger signal,
• wherein the number of proactive units is based upon an amount of time the comparator trigger signal remains in the first state and/or an amount of time the comparator trigger signal remains in the second state.

A secondary proactive loop circuit configured to control a multi-unit switched-capacitor (SC) core of a voltage regulator, the core comprising a plurality of SC converter units, each unit comprising a capacitor and a plurality of switches controllable by a plurality of switching signals, the core configured to receive an input voltage and regulate an output voltage, the secondary proactive loop circuit comprising:

• a feedback control circuit in electrical communication with the multi-unit SC core output voltage and configured to control one or more of the plurality of switches of one or more of the plurality of units;
• a comparator configured to compare the output voltage with a reference voltage and provide a comparator trigger signal;
• ripple reduction logic configured to receive the comparator trigger signal and provide an SC unit allocation signal;
• a multiplexer (MUX) configured to receive a first clock signal, a second clock signal, and the SC unit allocation signal and provide a core switching signal to the multi-unit SC core.