Diagnosing power rail over-voltage and under-voltage conditions
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorDieter Jozef JOOS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Power monitors, power supply circuits, and methods for operating a power supply. The method includes determining a voltage of a power rail provided to a load device from the power supply. The method also includes detecting that the voltage of the power rail is greater than or equal to an over-voltage threshold. The method further includes incrementing an over-voltage counter when the voltage of the power rail is detected as being greater than or equal to the over-voltage threshold. The method also includes detecting that the over-voltage counter is equal to a threshold value. The method further includes generating an interrupt signal when the over-voltage counter is detected as being equal to the threshold value.
Claims20
A method for operating a power supply, the method comprising:
- determining a voltage of a power rail provided to a load device from the power supply;
- detecting that the voltage of the power rail is greater than or equal to an over-voltage threshold;
- incrementing an over-voltage counter when the voltage of the power rail is detected as being greater than or equal to the over-voltage threshold;
- detecting that the over-voltage counter is equal to a threshold value;
- and
- generating an interrupt signal when the over-voltage counter is detected as being equal to the threshold value.
A power monitor, comprising:
- a voltage fault detector configured to:
- determine a voltage of a power rail provided to a load device from a power supply, and
- detect when the voltage of the power rail is greater than or equal to an over-voltage threshold;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- increment an over-voltage counter when the voltage fault detector detects that the voltage of the power rail is greater than or equal to the over-voltage threshold, and
- generate an interrupt signal when the over-voltage counter is equal to a threshold value.
A power supply circuit, comprising:
- a power supply configured to provide a power rail to a load device;
- and
- a power monitor configured to:
- detect when a voltage of the power rail is greater than or equal to an over-voltage threshold,
- increment an over-voltage counter each time the power monitor detects that the voltage of the power rail is greater than or equal to the over-voltage threshold, and
- generate an interrupt signal when the over-voltage counter is equal to a threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.