Threshold voltage monitoring and control in synchronous power converters

A driver control circuit for a synchronous power converter, comprising:

• at least one body diode conduction detection circuit operable to detect body diode conduction of one or more body diodes associated with at least one of an upper and a lower power switch of the synchronous power converter;
• a lower gate turn-on timing adjustment circuit operable to adjust a first threshold voltage reference for a gate voltage of the upper power switch, the lower gate turn-on timing adjustment circuit in operative communication with the at least one body diode conduction detection circuit;
• an upper gate turn-on timing adjustment circuit operable to adjust a second threshold voltage reference for a gate voltage of the lower power switch, the upper gate turn-on timing adjustment circuit in operative communication with the at least one body diode conduction detection circuit;
• and
• wherein the upper and lower gate turn-on timing adjustment circuits are operable to set and adjust a dead time interval between a gate driver signal for each of the upper and lower power switches by monitoring body diode conduction levels present in the at least one upper and lower power switches via the at least one body diode conduction detection circuit.

A voltage regulation system, comprising:

• a voltage output circuit having upper and lower power switches, including upper and lower body diodes respectively, the voltage output circuit operable to provide a voltage output at a phase node coupled between the upper and lower power switches;
• an inductor coupled between the phase node and an output node of the voltage regulation system;
• a driver control circuit coupled to the voltage output circuit, the driver control circuit including:
• an upper and a lower gate driver circuit coupled to the upper and lower switches respectively, operable to turn the said power switches on and off;
• a phase node comparator having two inputs and an output, one input being coupled to the phase node the other being coupled to an adjustable threshold voltage;
• said phase node comparator enabling the lower gate driver to turn off the lower switch at substantially zero inductor current in diode emulation mode;
• whereby the phase node comparator enables the turn off the lower switch if the phase node voltage crosses over the adjustable threshold voltage;
• and whereby the adjustable threshold voltage is increased or decreased depending on whether the phase node voltage moves above or below the adjustable threshold voltage after the lower switch has been turned off.

A voltage regulation system, comprising:

• a voltage output circuit having upper and lower power switches, the voltage output circuit operable to provide a voltage output at a phase node coupled between the upper and lower power switches;
• a driver control circuit coupled to the voltage output circuit, the driver control circuit including:
• at least one body diode conduction detection circuit operable for detecting body diode conduction of body diodes associated with at least one of the upper and the lower power switches of the voltage output circuit,
• a lower gate threshold voltage adjustment circuit for an upper gate of the upper power switch in operative communication with the at least one body diode conduction detection circuit, and
• an upper gate threshold voltage adjustment circuit for a lower gate of the lower power switch in operative communication with the at least one body diode conduction detection circuit;
• and
• a controller operable to provide a control input to the driver control circuit based at least in part on a feedback signal from the voltage output circuit;
• wherein the driver control circuit provides bi-directional voltage threshold calibration based on body diode conduction detected by the at least one body diode conduction detection circuit by selectively adjusting upper and lower gate threshold voltage levels using the upper and lower gate threshold voltage adjustment circuits to fine-tune a body diode conduction time around an equilibrium for at least one of the upper and lower power switches.

An electronic device, comprising:

• a switching regulator including upper and lower power switches, the switching regulator operable to provide a voltage output at a phase node coupled between the upper and lower power switches;
• a driver control circuit coupled to the switching regulator, the driver control circuit having at least one body diode conduction detection circuit operable for detecting body diode conduction of body diodes associated with at least one of the upper and the lower power switches of the switching regulator;
• and
• a load element coupled to a voltage output node of the switching regulator;
• wherein the driver control circuit provides bi-directional voltage threshold calibration for the switching regulator based on the detected body diode conduction by adjusting upper and lower gate threshold voltage levels of the upper and lower power switches to fine-tune a body diode conduction time around an equilibrium for at least one of the upper and lower power switches in the switching regulator.