Methods and systems for defective phase identification and current sense calibration for multi-phase voltage regulator circuits

A method of testing a multi-phase voltage regulator (VR) having multiple phases, comprising:

• controlling the multi-phase VR to individually enable each of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR one at a time to produce an output voltage for a duration of time from each respective individually enabled phase alone;
• analyzing the separate individual output of each one of the individually enabled multiple phases;
• and
• at least one of:
• determining if the analyzed separate output from each one of the individually enabled phases meets a predetermined phase output criteria, or
• performing phase current sense calibration for each individually enabled phase based on the analyzed separate output from the respective individually enabled phase, or
• a combination thereof.

A test system configured to test a multi-phase VR having multiple individual phases, the test system comprising:

• a test system voltage source configured to be coupled to provide power to a voltage input of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR;
• a test system load configured to be coupled to a voltage output of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR;
• a test system controller configured to be coupled to provide test system control signals to the multi-phase VR;
• where the test system controller is configured to provide test system control signals to the multi-phase VR to cause the multi-phase VR to operate in a rotating single phase operation mode to:
• first individually enable a first one of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR by itself to produce an output voltage to the test system load for a duration of time from the individually enabled first phase alone;
• and
• where the test system controller is further configured to analyze the individual output of the individually enabled first phase to at least one of:
• determine if the analyzed separate output from the individually enabled first phase meets a predetermined phase output criteria, or
• perform phase current sense calibration for the individually enabled first phase based on the analyzed separate output from the respective individually enabled phase, or
• a combination thereof:
• and
• then individually enable a second one of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR by itself to produce an output voltage for a duration of time from the individually enabled second phase alone;
• analyze the separate individual output of the individually enabled second phase;
• and
• at least one of:
• determine if the analyzed separate output from the individually enabled second phase meets a predetermined phase output criteria, or
• perform phase current sense calibration for the individually enabled second phase based on the analyzed separate output from the individually enabled second phase, or
• a combination thereof.

A test system configured to test a multi-phase VR having multiple individual phases, the test system comprising:

• a test system voltage source configured to be coupled to provide power to a voltage input of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR;
• a test system load configured to be coupled to a voltage output of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR;
• a test system controller configured to be coupled to provide test system control signals to the multi-phase VR;
• where the test system controller is configured to:
• provide test system control signals to the multi-phase VR to cause the multi-phase VR to individually enable each of the multiple phases of the multi-phase VR one at a time to produce an output voltage for a duration of time from each respective individually enabled phase alone,
• analyze the separate individual output of each one of the individually enabled multiple phases, and
• at least one of:
• determine if the analyzed separate output from each one of the individually enabled phases meets a predetermined phase output criteria, or
• perform phase current sense calibration for each individually enabled phase based on the analyzed separate output from the respective individually enabled phase, or
• a combination thereof.