Active current sharing multiphase DC-DC converter

Claim 2

A converter module for use as a phase in a multiphase DC-DC converter having a data bus for transferring current-sharing information, the converter module comprising: a power stage comprising an input for receiving an input voltage and an output for providing an output voltage and an output current; a chain controller coupled to said power stage to receive a feedback signal from said power stage and comprising a data bus port configured to receive the current-sharing information from the data bus and provide updated current-sharing information to the data bus, said chain controller being configured to: determine a current level being provided by said power stage, update the current-sharing information based upon the determined current level, determine a current error based upon the determined current level and the updated current-sharing information, control an operation of said power stage based upon the current error, and provide the updated current-sharing information to the data bus.

Claim 3

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said chain controller comprises an analog current-mode controller and a digital voltage regulation controller.

Claim 4

The converter module of claim 2 wherein said analog current mode controller of said chain controller comprises a current programmed mode (CPM) modulator.

Claim 5

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said chain controller comprises a digital voltage-mode controller.

Claim 6

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said feedback signal from said power stage comprises a current level corresponding to said power stage.

Claim 7

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said chain controller further comprises a compensator that is configured to provide a duty cycle command based upon at least a voltage error signal and a current error signal.

Claim 8

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said chain controller comprises a current-mode controller and chain current sharing controller.

Claim 9

The converter module of claim 1 further comprising: a second power stage comprising a second input for receiving a second input voltage and a second output for providing a second output voltage and a second output current, wherein said second power stage is disposed in parallel with said power stage; a data bus coupled to said controller; a second chain controller coupled to said second power stage to receive a feedback signal from said second power stage and comprising a second data bus port coupled to said data bus and configured to receive the updated current-sharing information from the data bus and provide a second updated current-sharing information to the data bus, said second chain controller being configured to: determine a second current level being provided by said second power stage, update the updated current-sharing information based upon the determined second current level to obtain a second updated current-sharing information, determine a current error based upon the determined second current level and the second updated current-sharing information, control an operation of said power stage based upon the current error, and provide the second updated current-sharing information to the data bus.

Claim 10

The converter module of claim 8 wherein said power stage and said second power stage comprise interleaved phases of a multiphase DC-DC power converter.

Claim 11

The converter module of claim 8 further comprising an output capacitor disposed in parallel with said output of said power stage, said second output of said second power stage, and a pair of output terminals of the converter module.

Claim 12

The converter module of claim 8 wherein the second updated current-sharing information comprises collective current-sharing information of the determined current level of said power stage and the determined second current level of said second power stage.

Claim 13

The converter module of claim 11 wherein the second updated current-sharing information comprises a function of an average comprising at least the determined current level of said power stage and the determined second current level of said second power stage.

Claim 14

The converter module of claim 8 wherein the second updated current-sharing information comprises individual current-sharing information of the determined second current level of said second power stage.

Claim 15

The converter module of claim 1 wherein the chain controller is configured to update the current-sharing information via a moving-window average function.

Claim 16

The converter module of claim 14 wherein the moving-window average function comprises I ave [i]=I ave — prev −I[i][n− 1 ]/N+I[i][n]/N, wherein I ave — prev comprises an average current level determined by a previous phase.

Claim 17

The converter module of claim 1 wherein the updated current-sharing information comprises a function of the determined current level of the power stage.

Claim 18

The converter module of claim 1 wherein the updated current-sharing information comprises collective current-sharing information comprising a function of the determined current level of said power stage and current information of a second power stage.

Claim 19

The converter module of claim 16 wherein the updated current-sharing information comprises a function of an average comprising at least the determined current level of said power stage and the current information of said second power stage.

Claim 20

The converter module of claim 1 wherein the updated current-sharing information comprises individual current-sharing information of the determined current level of said power stage.

Claim 21

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said chain controller comprises a voltage regulation loop in parallel with a current-sharing regulation loop.

Claim 22

The converter module of claim 20 wherein said chain controller is configured to utilize a saturation control to prevent said voltage regulation loop and said current-sharing regulation loop from entering saturation.

Claim 23

The converter module of claim 20 wherein said chain controller is configured to adaptively control at least one voltage reference level to maintain said voltage regulation loop and said current-sharing regulation loop active.

Claim 24

The converter module of claim 22 wherein said chain controller is configured to utilize a search algorithm to adaptively determine a stable reference voltage.

Claim 25

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said chain controller is configured to determine a duty cycle command for use in controlling an operation of said power stage, the duty cycle command comprising a voltage regulation component and a current-sharing regulation component, wherein, if the current-sharing regulation component exceeds a boundary, then the current-sharing regulation component and the voltage regulation component are adjusted by equal and opposite incremental amounts.

Claim 26

The converter module of claim 24 wherein, when the current-sharing regulation component exceeds the boundary, a reference voltage is incrementally adjusted.

Claim 27

The converter module of claim 1 wherein said power stage comprises at least one of the group comprising a buck power converter, a boost power converter, a boost-buck power converter, an inverting power converter, a half-bridge switching power converter, a full-bridge switching power converter, a multi-level switching power converter, and an isolated power converter.

Claim 28

A multiphase DC-DC power converter comprising: a first phase comprising a first power stage and a first chain controller configured to control an operation of the first power stage; a second phase comprising a second power stage and a second chain controller configured to control an operation of the second power stage; and a data bus coupled to the first controller and the second controller, wherein the first chain controller is further configured to receive a first current-sharing information via the data bus, update the first current-sharing information to obtain a second current-sharing information, and provide the second current-sharing information to the data bus, and wherein the second chain controller is further configured to receive the second current-sharing information from the data bus, to update the second current-sharing information to obtain a third current-sharing information, and to provide the third current-sharing information to the data bus.

Claim 29

A multiphase DC-DC power converter comprising: a first phase comprising a first power stage and a first chain controller configured to control an operation of the first power stage; a second phase comprising a second power stage and a second chain controller configured to control an operation of the second power stage; and a data bus coupled to the first controller and the second controller, wherein the first chain controller is further configured to receive a first current-sharing information via the data bus, update the first current-sharing information to obtain a second current-sharing information, and provide the second current-sharing information to the data bus, and wherein the second chain controller is further configured to receive the second current-sharing information from the data bus, to update the second current-sharing information to obtain a third current-sharing information, and to provide the third current-sharing information to the data bus.

Claim 30

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the first chain controller comprises an analog current mode controller and a digital voltage regulation controller.

Claim 31

The converter module of claim 28 wherein the first analog current mode controller of the first chain controller comprises a current programmed mode (CPM) modulator.

Claim 32

The converter module of claim 27 wherein the first chain controller comprises a digital voltage-mode controller.

Claim 33

The converter module of claim 27 wherein the first chain controller is further configured to receive a first current level corresponding to the first power stage, the first chain controller further configured to update the first current-sharing information using the first current level.

Claim 34

The converter module of claim 31 wherein the first chain controller further comprises a compensator that is configured to provide a duty cycle command based upon at least a voltage error signal and a current error signal.

Claim 35

The converter module of claim 27 wherein the first chain controller comprises a current-mode control and chain current sharing control.

Claim 36

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the first phase and the second phase comprise interleaved phases.

Claim 37

The power converter of claim 27 further comprising an output capacitor disposed in parallel with the first power stage, the second power stage, and a pair of output terminals of the power converter.

Claim 38

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises collective current-sharing information of a first current level of the first power stage and a second current level of the second power stage.

Claim 39

The power converter of claim 36 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises a function of an average comprising at least the first current level and the second current level.

Claim 40

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the second current-sharing information comprises individual current-sharing information of a first current level of the first power stage.

Claim 41

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the first chain controller is configured to update the first current-sharing information via a moving-window average function.

Claim 42

The power converter of claim 39 wherein the moving-window average function comprises I ave [i]=I ave — prev −I[i][n−1]/N+I[i][n]/N, wherein I ave — prev comprises an average current level determined by a previous phase.

Claim 43

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the second current-sharing information comprises a function of a current level of the first power stage.

Claim 44

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises collective current-sharing information comprising a function of a first current level of the first power stage and a second current level of the second power stage.

Claim 45

The power converter of claim 42 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises a function of an average comprising at least the first current level and the second current level.

Claim 46

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises individual current-sharing information of a second current level of the second power stage.

Claim 47

The power converter of claim 27 wherein the first chain controller comprises a voltage regulation loop in parallel with a current-sharing regulation loop.

Claim 48

The power converter of claim 45 wherein the first chain controller is configured to utilize a saturation control to prevent the voltage regulation loop and the current-sharing regulation loop from entering saturation.

Claim 49

The power converter of claim 46 wherein the first chain controller is configured to adaptively control at least one voltage reference level to maintain the voltage regulation loop and the current-sharing regulation loop active.

Claim 50

The power converter of claim 47 wherein the first chain controller is configured to utilize a search algorithm to adaptively determine a stable reference voltage.

Claim 51

The power converter of claim 27 wherein said first chain controller is configured to determine a duty cycle command for use in controlling an operation of said power stage, the duty cycle command comprising a voltage regulation component and a current-sharing regulation component, wherein, if the current-sharing regulation component exceeds a boundary, then the current-sharing regulation component and the voltage regulation component are adjusted by equal and opposite incremental amounts.

Claim 52

The converter module of claim 49 wherein, when the current-sharing regulation component exceeds the boundary, a reference voltage is incrementally adjusted.

Claim 53

A chain control method of sharing current information between phases of a multiphase DC-DC converter, the chain control method comprising: receiving a first current-sharing information at a first phase via a data bus; updating the first current-sharing information at the first phase based upon current information of the first phase to obtain a second current-sharing information; providing the second current-sharing information to the data bus; receiving the second current-sharing information at a second phase via the data bus; updating the second current-sharing information at the second phase based upon current information of the second phase to obtain a third current-sharing information; and providing the second current-sharing information to the data bus.

Claim 54

A chain control method of sharing current information between phases of a multiphase DC-DC converter, the chain control method comprising: receiving a first current-sharing information at a first phase via a data bus; updating the first current-sharing information at the first phase based upon current information of the first phase to obtain a second current-sharing information; providing the second current-sharing information to the data bus; receiving the second current-sharing information at a second phase via the data bus; updating the second current-sharing information at the second phase based upon current information of the second phase to obtain a third current-sharing information; and providing the second current-sharing information to the data bus.

Claim 55

The method of claim 51 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises collective current-sharing information of the first phase and the second phase.

Claim 56

The method of claim 52 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises a function of an average comprising at least a first current level of the first phase and a second current level of the second phase.

Claim 57

The method of claim 51 wherein the second current-sharing information comprises individual current-sharing information of a first current level of the first phase.

Claim 58

The method of claim 51 wherein the operation of updating the second current sharing information comprises utilizing a moving-window average function.

Claim 59

The method of claim 55 wherein the moving-window average function comprises I ave [i]=I ave — prev −I[i][n−1 ]/N+I[i][n]/N, wherein I ave — prev comprises an average current level determined by the first phase.

Claim 60

The method of claim 56 wherein I ave — prev comprises the second current-sharing information.

Claim 61

The method of claim 51 wherein the operation of updating the second current sharing information comprises utilizing a chain control algorithm.

Claim 62

The method of claim 51 wherein the second current-sharing information comprises a function of a first current level of the first phase.

Claim 63

The method of claim 51 wherein third updated current-sharing information comprises collective current-sharing information comprising a function of a first current level of the first phase and a second current level of the second phase.

Claim 64

The method of claim 60 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises a function of an average comprising at least the first current level and the second current level.

Claim 65

The method of claim 51 wherein the third current-sharing information comprises individual current-sharing information of a second current level of the second phase.