System and method for managing negative voltage in a power supply overvoltage failure event

A method for regulating voltage to a component, the method comprising:

• regulating output voltage through a control MOSFET;
• monitoring the output voltage for an overvoltage event;
• interfacing a capacitor with the output voltage in response to the overvoltage event;
• monitoring the output voltage for a negative voltage event resulting from the interfacing of the capacitor;
• and
• removing the interfacing of the capacitor if the negative voltage event is associated with a predetermined overvoltage condition.

A system for monitoring voltage to an electronic component, the system comprising:

• a synchronous Buck regulator having a control MOSFET operable to regulate voltage from an input voltage to an output voltage, an inductor-capacitor tank circuit interfaced with the output voltage and operable to discharge and reduce the output voltage, and a synchronous MOSFET operable to regulate the interface of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit with the output voltage;
• a regulator controller interfaced with the synchronous Buck regulator and operable to detect an overvoltage event at the output voltage, the regulator controller selectively engaging the synchronous MOSFET in response to the overvoltage event to reduce the overvoltage with the inductor-capacitor tank circuit;
• and
• a negative voltage protection MOSFET driver associated with the regulator controller and operable to detect if the overvoltage event is associated with a predetermined overvoltage condition, the negative voltage protection MOSFET driver operable to selectively enable or disable the interfacing of the inductor-capacitor tank circuit if the overvoltage event is associated with the predetermined overvoltage condition.