# US 2019/0245442 A1 · Load current feedforward schemes for current-mode controlled power converters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0245442 A1 - Document ID: US20190245442A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/127,876 - Filed: 2018-09-11 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-06 - Assignees: Linear Technology Holding LLC - Applicants: Linear Technology Holding, LLC - Inventors: Yonghwan Cho; Keith Szolusha; Min Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245442A1 ## CPC - H02M 3/1582: {Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence)} - G05F 1/565: sensing a condition of the system or its load in addition to means responsive to deviations in the output of the system, e.g. current, voltage, power factor (G05F1/563 takes precedence) - H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters - H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators - H03F 3/2171: {with field-effect devices (H03F3/2173 - H03F3/2178 take precedence)} - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H02M 1/0019: {the disturbance parameters being load current fluctuations} - H02M 1/0025: {Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter} - H02M 3/1557: {Single ended primary inductor converters [SEPIC]} - 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) - G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES - H03F: AMPLIFIERS ## Abstract A switching power converter circuit comprises an inductor arranged to receive input energy from an input circuit node; a switch circuit coupled to the inductor; a load current sensing circuit element coupled to a regulated circuit node and an output circuit node; a compensation circuit coupled to a compensation circuit node; a control circuit coupled to the compensation circuit node and the switch circuit, the control circuit configured to modulate activation of the switch circuit to regulate a voltage at the regulated circuit node; and a feedforward circuit coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and the compensation circuit, and configured to adjust modulation of the switch circuit according to sensed load current. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A switching power converter circuit comprising: an inductor arranged to receive input energy from an input circuit node; a switch circuit coupled to the inductor; a load current sensing circuit element coupled to a regulated circuit node; a feedforward circuit coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and configured to produce a feedforward signal representative of the load current; a control circuit coupled to the switch circuit and configured to modulate activation of the switch circuit to regulate a voltage at the regulated circuit node; and a compensation circuit coupled to the feedforward circuit and configured to provide a filtered feedforward signal to a compensation circuit node of the control circuit: wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust modulation of the switch circuit according to the filtered feedforward signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the feedforward circuit includes a voltage amplifier having amplifier inputs coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and an amplifier output operatively coupled to the compensation circuit to adjust a voltage at the compensation circuit node. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The switching power converter circuit of claim 2, including a tuning circuit coupled to the compensation circuit and an output of the feedforward circuit, and configured to further adjust the voltage at the compensation circuit node. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the feedforward circuit includes a transconductance amplifier having amplifier inputs coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and an amplifier output operatively coupled to the compensation circuit to adjust a voltage at the compensation circuit node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, including: an inductor current sensing circuit element coupled in series with the inductor; wherein the control circuit includes: a comparator circuit; a voltage amplifier including inputs coupled to the inductor current sensing element, and an output coupled to a first input of the comparator; an error amplifier configured to produce a current proportional to a difference between a reference voltage and the voltage at the regulated circuit node, wherein an output of the error amplifier is coupled to a second input of the comparator; and wherein the output of the comparator is used to modulate the activation of the switch circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the switching power converter circuit is a buck converter circuit and the feedforward circuit applies a current proportional to the sensed load current to the compensation circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the switching power converter circuit is a boost converter circuit and the feedforward circuit applies, to the compensation circuit, a current proportional to the sensed load current multiplied by a ratio of a voltage at the regulated circuit node to a voltage at the input circuit node. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the switching power converter circuit is a single ended primary inductance converter (SEM) circuit and the feedforward circuit applies, to the compensation circuit, a current proportional to the sensed load current multiplied by a ratio of a voltage at the regulated circuit node to a voltage at the input circuit node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the load sensing circuit element is a resistive circuit element arranged between the regulated circuit node and the output circuit node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The switching power converter circuit of claim 1, wherein the load sensing circuit element is a magnetic current sensor. ### Claim 11 A method of operating a switching power converter circuit, the method comprising: charging an inductor using energy provided at an input circuit node of the power converter circuit; modulating the charging of the inductor to regulate a voltage of a regulated circuit node of the switching power converter circuit using a control circuit loop coupled to the regulated circuit node, wherein the control loop feeds forward a load current sensed at an output circuit node and the charging of the inductor is modulated using sensed inductor current and the fed forward sensed load current; filtering the sensed load current using a compensation circuit coupled to a compensation circuit node of the switching power converter circuit; adjusting the modulating of the charging of the inductor by adjusting a voltage of the compensation circuit node according to sensed inductor current and the filtered sensed load current. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the modulating the charging of the inductor to regulate the voltage of the regulated circuit node includes modulating the charging of the inductor to generate a regulated voltage at the regulated circuit node that is less than an input voltage at the input circuit node; and wherein the adjusting the voltage of the compensation circuit node includes applying a current proportional to the load current to the compensation circuit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the modulating the charging of the inductor to regulate the voltage of the regulated circuit node includes modulating the charging of the inductor to generate a regulated voltage at the regulated circuit node that is greater than an input voltage at the input circuit node; and wherein the adjusting the voltage of the compensation circuit node includes applying, to the compensation circuit, a current proportional to the load current multiplied by the ratio of the voltage at the regulated circuit node to the voltage at the input circuit node. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the modulating the charging of the inductor to regulate the voltage of the regulated circuit node includes modulating the charging of the inductor to generate a regulated voltage at the regulated circuit node that can be greater than or less than an input voltage at the input circuit node; and wherein the adjusting the voltage of the compensation circuit node includes applying, to the compensation circuit, a current proportional to the load current multiplied by the ratio of the voltage at the regulated circuit node to the voltage at the input circuit node. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting the voltage of the compensation node includes tuning the voltage adjustment using a voltage divider circuit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the modulating the charging of the inductor includes modulating the charging of the inductor using inductor current and using a voltage proportional to the difference between the voltage of the regulated circuit node and a reference voltage. ### Claim 17 An electronic system comprising: a switching power converter circuit including an inductor arranged to receive input energy from an input circuit node; a switch circuit coupled to the inductor; an inductor current sensing element; a load current sensing circuit element coupled to a regulated circuit node; a feedforward circuit coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and configured to produce a feedforward signal representative of the load current; a control circuit coupled to the switch circuit and configured to modulate activation of the switch circuit to regulate a voltage at the regulated circuit node; and a compensation circuit coupled to the feedforward circuit and configured to provide a filtered feedforward signal to a compensation circuit node of the control circuit wherein the control circuit adjust modulation of the switch circuit according to a sensed inductor current and the filtered feedforward signal; and a first amplifier circuit operatively coupled to the regulated voltage node as a first amplifier supply connection and operatively coupled to circuit ground as a second amplifier supply connection. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electronic system of claim 17, wherein the feedforward circuit includes a second amplifier circuit, wherein the second amplifier circuit is a voltage amplifier circuit having amplifier inputs coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and an amplifier output operatively coupled to the compensation circuit to adjust a voltage at the compensation circuit node. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The electronic system of claim 17, including a tuning circuit coupled to the compensation circuit and an output of the feedforward circuit, and configured to further adjust the voltage at the compensation circuit node. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The electronic system of claim 17, wherein the feedforward circuit includes a second amplifier circuit, wherein the second amplifier circuit is a transconductance amplifier circuit having amplifier inputs coupled to the load current sensing circuit element and an amplifier output operatively coupled to the compensation circuit to adjust a voltage at the compensation circuit node.