Adaptive controller with mode tracking and parametric estimation for digital power converters

An apparatus for adaptively controlling a power stage in an electronic system, comprising:

• logic to obtain a value of an input power of the power stage, wherein the logic to obtain the input power comprises logic to sense the input current and logic to digitize the sensed input current;
• and
• a controller to adaptively change the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch until the minimum input power is obtained, and to use the duty cycle that corresponds to the minimum input power for the synchronous power switch;
• wherein the controller is to adaptively change the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch by:
• increasing or decreasing the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch, and
• checking whether the input power decreases as a result of the increase or decrease of the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch.

An article comprising a machine-readable medium that contains instructions, which when executed by a processing platform, cause said processing platform to perform operations for adaptively controlling a power stage in an electronic system, the operations including:

• obtaining a value of an input power of the power stage, wherein obtaining the value of input power comprises sensing the input current and digitizing the sensed input current;
• obtaining a value of a current duty cycle of a synchronous power switch in the power stage;
• adaptively changing the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch until a minimum input power value is obtained based on values of input power obtained as the duty cycle is changed, wherein adaptively changing the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch until the minimum input power is obtained comprises:
• increasing or decreasing the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch, and
• checking whether the input power decreases as a result of the increase or decrease of the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch;
• and
• using the duty cycle that corresponds to the minimum input power for the synchronous power switch.

A method comprising:

• obtaining a value of an input power of a power stage in an electronic system, wherein obtaining the value of input power comprises sensing the input current and digitizing the sensed input current;
• adaptively changing a duty cycle of a synchronous power switch in the power stage to identify a duty cycle value, including:
• increasing or decreasing the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch,
• checking whether the input power decreases as a result of the increase or decrease of the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch, and
• identifying a duty cycle value at which the input power changes from decreasing with succeeding changes in the duty cycle to increasing with succeeding changes in the duty cycle;
• and
• using the identified duty cycle value as the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch.

An apparatus comprising:

• logic to obtain a value of an input power of a power stage in an electronic system, wherein the logic to obtain the input power comprises logic to sense the input current and logic to digitize the sensed input current;
• and
• a controller to adaptively change the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch to identify a duty cycle value, and to use the identified duty cycle value;
• wherein the controller is to adaptively change the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch by:
• increasing or decreasing the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch,
• checking whether the input power decreases as a result of the increase or decrease of the duty cycle of the synchronous power switch, and
• identifying a duty cycle value at which the input power changes from decreasing with succeeding changes in the duty cycle to increasing with succeeding changes in the duty cycle.