Digital feedback power supply

An apparatus including an integrated digital feedback power supply circuit for providing a power signal to an external circuit, the digital feedback power supply circuit comprising:

• an output node configured to couple to an external circuit and convey an output power signal, wherein an amount of power the external circuit draws varies;
• a switching array circuit comprising a plurality of switches wherein each of the plurality of switches is individually controlled to provide a switching output signal;
• an output circuit coupled to the switching array circuit and configured to receive the switching output signal and in accordance therewith generate the output power signal to the output node;
• an analog-to-digital circuit coupled to the output node and configured to monitor the output power signal from the output circuit and in accordance therewith generate a feedback signal;
• and
• a digital logic control circuit coupled between the monitoring circuit and the switching array,
• wherein when the digital logic control circuit receives the feedback signal from the monitoring circuit, the digital logic control circuit compares a magnitude of the feedback signal to a reference signal value to determine a number of the plurality of switches that need to be active to satisfy the amount of power drawn by the external circuit.

A method of controlling an integrated digital feedback power supply circuit to provide a power signal to an external circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating an output power signal;
• receiving the output power signal by an output node and conveying the first output power signal to an external circuit, wherein an amount of power the external circuit draws varies;
• monitoring the output power signal from the output node and in accordance therewith generating a digital feedback signal;
• comparing a magnitude of the digital feedback signal with a reference signal value;
• determining, based on the comparison of the magnitude of the digital feedback signal with the reference signal value, a number of three or more switches that need to be active to satisfy the amount of power drawn by the external circuit;
• and
• generating a plurality of control signals, wherein the control signals individually controls the plurality of switches, which activates the number of the three or more switches that need to be active to satisfy the amount of power drawn by the external circuit.

A method of controlling an integrated digital feedback power supply circuit to provide a power signal to an external circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating an output power signal;
• receiving the output power signal by an output node and conveying the first output power signal to an external circuit, wherein an amount of power the external circuit draws varies;
• monitoring the output power signal from the output node and in accordance therewith generating a feedback signal;
• comparing a magnitude of the feedback signal with a reference signal value;
• determining, based on the comparison between the magnitude of the feedback signal and the reference signal value, a number of a plurality of switching transistors that need to be turned on to satisfy the amount of power drawn by the external circuit;
• and
• generating a plurality of control signals to turn on or turn off at least one of the plurality of switching transistors, wherein
• when the magnitude of the feedback signal transcends the reference signal value in a first direction, at least one of the switching transistors that is active is deactivated to decrease the amount of power supplied to the external circuit, and
• when the magnitude of the feedback signal transcends the reference signal value in a second direction, at least one of the switching transistors that is inactive is activated to increase the amount of power supplied to the external circuit.