Switching voltage regulator comprising a cycle comparator for dynamic voltage scaling
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorGeorge J. Bennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switching voltage regulator is disclosed for regulating a voltage supplied to system circuitry. The switching voltage regulator comprises an oscillator operable to generate an oscillator signal representing a gate speed of a reference circuit in the system circuitry, and a frequency generator operable to generate a reference signal representing a target gate speed of the reference circuit. A cycle comparator compares at least one cycle of the oscillator signal to at least one cycle of the reference signal, and switching circuitry charges a charging element based at least on part on the comparison.
Claims20
A switching voltage regulator for regulating a voltage supplied to system circuitry, the switching voltage regulator comprising:
- (a) an oscillator operable to generate an oscillator signal representing a gate speed of a reference circuit in the system circuitry;
- (b) a frequency generator operable to generate a reference signal representing a target gate speed of the reference circuit;
- (c) a cycle comparator operable to compare at least one cycle of the oscillator signal to at least one cycle of the reference signal;
- and
- (d) switching circuitry operable to charge a charging element based at least in part on the comparison.
A method of operating a switching voltage regulator for regulating a voltage supplied to system circuitry, the method comprising:
- generating an oscillator signal representing a gate speed of a reference circuit in the system circuitry;
- generating a reference signal representing a target gate speed of the reference circuit;
- comparing at least one cycle of the oscillator signal to at least one cycle of the reference signal;
- and
- charging a charging element based at least in part on the comparison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.