Power supply circuit containing multiple DC-DC converters having programmable output current capabilities

A method of operating a power converter circuit, the method comprising:

• selectively coupling control signals to at least one output driver stage of a plurality of output driver stages of the power converter circuit to obtain a desired output at a select output port of a plurality of output ports, wherein each output driver stage has a defined current drive capacity that is output to the select output port in response to the control signals;
• determining external connections made by a user from phase nodes of the output driver stages to output inductors;
• and
• based on the determination, selectively activating the at least one output driver stage to obtain the desired output at the select output port of the power converter circuit.

A power converter circuit comprising:

• a plurality of output driver stages, each output driver stage having a select current drive capacity;
• a plurality of controllers, each controller operative to cause at least one of the output driver stages to output a current;
• a plurality of switches to selectively couple select controllers to select output driver stages;
• a plurality of output inductors, each output inductor coupled to a plurality of select output driver stages;
• an output voltage port coupled to each inductor, each output port configured to provide an output of the power supply circuit;
• and
• combinational circuitry configured to determine the proper switching arrangement of the switches based upon external connections by a user, wherein the combinational circuitry comprises:
• a pulse generator multiplexer configured to supply pulse inputs to select switches to create a response pulse from transistors in the output driver stages;
• and
• a combinational logic circuit coupled between the output driver stages and the output inductors, the combinational logic configured to detect response pulses based on the external connections made by the user from phase nodes of the output driver stages to the output inductors.