POL system architecture with analog bus
AssigneeInternational Rectifier Corporation
InventorJason Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power control system and method including a plurality of point-of-load regulators (POL) providing corresponding regulated output voltages; a manager for communicating control signals and operational parameters with said point-of load regulators; a digital bus to carry control signals therebetween; and an analog bus to carry operational parameters therebetween. Analog sensing circuits and a mutliplexer on the POL communicate operational parameters to and from the manager via the analog bus and are controlled via the digital bus. The operational parameters include output voltage, output current, over voltage, temperature, amplifier or comparator offset, and amplifier gain. The analog sensing circuits are calibrated by trim registers on the POL under digital control by the manager.
Claims20
A power control system comprising:
- a plurality of point-of-load regulators (POL) providing respective regulated output voltages;
- a manager for communicating control signals and operational parameters with said point-of-load regulators, said manager having a manager reference voltage source generating a manager reference voltage;
- a bi-directional, digital bus connected to said manager and to each of said plurality of point-of-load regulators to permit communication of said control signals therebetween;
- and
- a bi-directional analog bus connected to said manager and to each of said plurality of point-of-load regulators to permit communication of said operational parameters therebetween;
- wherein each said POL has a local reference voltage source generating a local reference voltage, said manager operating to poll each said POL via the digital bus, said POL in response to polling multiplexing the local reference voltage on the analog bus, said manager operating to compare the local reference voltage on the analog bus against said manager reference voltage and generating a signal on the digital bus to control the local reference voltage source in the POL until the local reference voltage is within an acceptable range of the manager reference voltage.
A point-of-load regulator (POL) having a digital data interface and an analog data interface adapted to communicate control signals and operational parameters with a manager via a digital bus and an analog bus, respectively, the manager having a manager reference voltage source generating a manager reference voltage,;
- wherein said POL has a local reference voltage source generating a local reference voltage, said manager operating to poll said POL via the digital bus, said POL in response to polling providing the local reference voltage on the analog bus, said manager operating to compare the local reference voltage on the analog bus against said manager reference voltage and generating a signal on the digital bus to control the local reference voltage source in the POL until the local reference voltage is within an acceptable range of the manager reference voltage.
A power control method for a plurality of point-of-load regulators (POL) providing corresponding regulated output voltages;
- and a manager for communicating control signals and operational parameters with said point-of load regulators, said manager having a manager reference voltage source generating a manager reference voltage;
- comprising the steps of:
- providing a bi-directional, digital bus connected to said manager and to each of said plurality of point-of-load regulators to permit communication of control signals therebetween;
- and providing a bi-directional analog bus connected to said manager and to each of said plurality of point-of-load regulators to permit communication of said operational parameters therebetween;
- wherein each said POL has a local reference voltage source generating a local reference voltage, further comprising operating said manager to poll each said POL via the digital bus, said POL in response to polling multiplexing the local reference voltage on the analog bus, operating said manager to compare the local reference voltage on the analog bus against said manager reference voltage and generating a signal on the digital bus to control the local reference voltage source in the POL until the local reference voltage is within an acceptable range of the manager reference voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.