Conversion control circuit and method for use in stackable multiphase power converter

1 . A stackable multiphase power converter, comprising a plurality of stackable sub-converters, wherein each of the plurality of stackable sub-converters includes a respective initial phase sequence number, a respective power stage circuit, and a respective conversion control circuit;

wherein the plurality of power stage circuits are coupled in parallel, to convert an input power into an output power to a load;

wherein one of the plurality of conversion control circuits, when configured as a master circuit, is configured to generate a synchronization signal, and each of other ones of the plurality of conversion control circuits, when configured as a slave circuit, is configured to receive the synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal includes a plurality of pulses;

wherein each of the plurality of conversion control circuits is configured to operably control at least one switch of a corresponding power stage circuit for switching an inductor thereof to generate the output power;

wherein each of the plurality of conversion control circuits comprises:

a synchronization terminal, wherein the synchronization terminals of the plurality of conversion control circuits are coupled to each other, such that the synchronization signal is transmitted and received among the plurality of the conversion control circuits;

wherein during a normal operation, the plurality of pulses are accumulatively counted as a count value, and when the count value corresponds to a respective initial phase sequence number of a corresponding one of the plurality of conversion control circuits, the corresponding conversion control circuit enables a corresponding power stage circuit;

wherein when at least one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters experiences a fault, a fault indication signal or a fault indication status indicates and controls the corresponding conversion control circuit to enter a fault operation, wherein the plurality of pulses of the synchronization signal include the fault indication status;

wherein during the fault operation, the fault indication signal or the fault indication status disables a faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters; and

the plurality of conversion control circuits record a fault phase sequence number according to the fault indication signal or the fault indication status, wherein the fault phase sequence number corresponds to a respective initial phase sequence number of the faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters;

wherein the fault operation further includes one of the following:

when the master circuit experiences the fault, a conversion control circuit of a non-faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters takes over operation of the master circuit, and conversion control circuits of other non-faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters take over operation according to the fault phase sequence number; or

when a slave circuit experiences the fault, conversion control circuits of non-faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters take over operation according to the fault phase sequence number;

wherein a conversion control circuit of the faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters is configured to transmit the fault indication signal or the fault indication status; and

wherein conversion control circuits of non-faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters are configured to receive the fault indication signal or the fault indication status and to operate according to the fault indication signal or the fault indication status.

2 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 1 , wherein the fault operation includes: controlling, by a conversion control circuit of the faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters, at least one switch of a power stage circuit of the faulty one to turn off, such that a switching terminal of an inductor of the faulty one is left floating.

3 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 1 , wherein the fault operation further includes:

the fault indication signal or the fault indication status further indicating a reduction in an activated phase number based on a fault phase number; and

conversion control circuits of non-faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters taking over operation of the faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters according to respective initial phase sequence numbers and the fault phase sequence number;

wherein the fault phase number corresponds to a number of faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters, and the activated phase number increases as a load current consumed by the load increases.

4 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of conversion control circuits further comprising a fault indication terminal, wherein the fault indication terminals of the plurality of conversion control circuits are coupled to each other, such that the fault indication signal is transmitted and received among the plurality of conversion control circuits through the fault indication terminals.

5 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of conversion control circuits is configured as an integrated circuit, and wherein, for each of the plurality of conversion control circuits, the synchronization terminal corresponds to a synchronization pin of the integrated circuit, and the fault indication terminal corresponds to a fault indication pin of the integrated circuit.

6 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 1 , wherein the fault indication status is transmitted and received among the plurality of conversion control circuits through the synchronization terminals of the plurality of conversion control circuits, wherein the plurality of pulses of the synchronization signal include a first predetermined level and a second predetermined level, the first predetermined level being configured to trigger the master circuit and the second predetermined level being configured to trigger the slave circuit.

7 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 6 ,

wherein each of the plurality of conversion control circuits further comprises a driver module configured to modulate one of the plurality of pulses to generate a fault pulse according to a fault detection signal such that the fault pulse includes the fault indication status;

wherein the fault detection signal is generated based on an abnormal circuit state of the faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters;

wherein the abnormal circuit state includes an overcurrent protection (OCP) state, an over temperature protection (OTP) state, and at least one of an over voltage protection (OVP) state and an under voltage lock out (UVLO) state of the input power or a supply voltage, wherein the supply voltage is configured to provide power to the plurality of conversion control circuits.

8 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 7 , wherein the fault indication status includes one of the following:

(1) the fault pulse transitions from the first predetermined level or the second predetermined level to a higher level;

(2) the fault pulse transitions from the first predetermined level or the second predetermined level to a lower level;

(3) a fault pulse width of the fault pulse is greater than a predetermined pulse width; or

(4) the fault pulse width of the fault pulse is less than a predetermined pulse width;

wherein the higher level is higher than both the first predetermined level and the second predetermined level, and the lower level is lower than both the first predetermined level and the second predetermined level.

9 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 7 , wherein the driver module in each of the plurality of conversion control circuits comprises:

a first driver configured to generate the synchronization signal based on a synchronization input signal; and

a second driver configured to generate a modulation signal based on the fault detection signal to modulate one of the plurality of pulses;

wherein a driving capability of the second driver is higher than a driving capability of the first driver.

10 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of conversion control circuits is configured as an integrated circuit, and wherein the synchronization terminal of each of the plurality of conversion control circuits corresponds to a synchronization pin of the integrated circuit.

11 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 1 , wherein during the normal operation, when the count value corresponds to an activated phase number, a reset signal is generated to reset the count value, wherein the activated phase number increases as a load current consumed by the load increases.

12 . The stackable multiphase power converter of claim 11 , wherein during the fault operation, when the count value corresponds to a value obtained by subtracting a fault phase number from the activated phase number, the reset signal is generated, wherein the fault phase number corresponds to a number of faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters.

13 . A control method for controlling a stackable multiphase power converter, wherein the stackable multiphase power converter includes a plurality of stackable sub-converters, wherein each of the plurality of stackable sub-converters includes a respective initial phase sequence number, a respective power stage circuit, and a respective conversion control circuit, wherein the plurality of power stage circuits are coupled in parallel to convert an input power into an output power to a load, the control method comprising:

generating, by one of the plurality of conversion control circuits when configured as a master circuit, a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal includes a plurality of pulses;

receiving, by each of other ones of the plurality of conversion control circuits when configured as a slave circuit, the synchronization signal;

controlling, by each of the plurality of conversion control circuits, at least one switch of a corresponding power stage circuit to switch an inductor thereof to generate the output power;

transmitting and receiving the synchronization signal among the plurality of conversion control circuits through synchronization terminals of the plurality of conversion control circuits;

during a normal operation, accumulatively counting the plurality of pulses as a count value, and enabling a corresponding power stage circuit when the count value corresponds to a respective initial phase sequence number of a corresponding one of the plurality of conversion control circuits;

when at least one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters experiences a fault, indicating and controlling a corresponding conversion control circuit to enter a fault operation through a fault indication signal or a fault indication status, wherein the plurality of pulses of the synchronization signal include the fault indication status;

wherein during the fault operation disabling a faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters, and a non-faulty one among the plurality of stackable sub-converters takes over operation of the faulty one;

wherein during the fault operation, the plurality of conversion control circuits record a fault phase sequence number according to the fault indication signal or the fault indication status, wherein the fault phase sequence number corresponds to a respective initial phase sequence number of the faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters;

wherein the fault operation further includes controlling non-faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters to take over operation according to the fault phase sequence number; and

wherein the faulty one among the plurality of stackable sub-converters transmits the fault indication signal or the fault indication status, and the non-faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters receive the fault indication signal or the fault indication status and operate according to the fault indication signal or the fault indication status.

14 . The control method of claim 13 , wherein the fault operation includes: controlling at least one switch of a power stage circuit of the faulty one of the plurality of stackable sub-converters to turn off, such that a switching terminal of an inductor of the faulty one is left floating.

15 . The control method of claim 13 , wherein the fault operation further includes:

controlling the fault indication signal or the fault indication status to indicate a reduction in an activated phase number based on a fault phase number; and

controlling non-faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters to take over operation of faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters according to respective initial phase sequence numbers and the fault phase sequence number;

wherein the fault phase number corresponds to a number of faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters, and the activated phase number increases as a load current consumed by the load increases.

16 . The control method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of pulses of the synchronization signal include a first predetermined level and a second predetermined level.

17 . The control method of claim 16 , further comprising:

generating a fault detection signal based on an abnormal circuit state of the faulty one among the plurality of stackable sub-converters; and

modulating one of the plurality of pulses to generate a fault pulse based on the fault detection signal, such that the fault pulse includes the fault indication status;

wherein the abnormal circuit state includes an overcurrent protection (OCP) state, an over temperature protection (OTP) state, and at least one of an over voltage protection (OVP) state and an under voltage lock out (UVLO) state of the input power or a supply voltage, wherein the supply voltage is configured to provide power to the plurality of stackable sub-converters.

18 . The control method of claim 17 , wherein the fault indication status includes one of the following:

(1) the fault pulse transitions from the first predetermined level or the second predetermined level to a higher level;

(2) the fault pulse transitions from the first predetermined level or the second predetermined level to a lower level;

(3) a fault pulse width of the fault pulse is greater than a predetermined pulse width; or

(4) the fault pulse width of the fault pulse is less than a predetermined pulse width;

wherein the higher level is higher than both the first predetermined level and the second predetermined level, and the lower level is lower than both the first predetermined level and the second predetermined level.

19 . The control method of claim 17 , further comprising:

generating the synchronization signal based on a synchronization input signal; and

generating a modulation signal based on the fault detection signal, thereby modulating one of the plurality of pulse.

20 . The control method of claim 13 , further comprising: generating a reset signal during the normal operation to reset the count value when the count value corresponds to an activated phase number, wherein the activated phase number increases as a load current consumed by the load increases.

21 . The control method of claim 20 , wherein the fault operation further includes: generating the reset signal when the count value corresponds to a value obtained by subtracting a fault phase number from the activated phase number, wherein the fault phase number corresponds to a number of faulty ones among the plurality of stackable sub-converters.