High accuracy zero crossing detector and method therefor

1. A zero crossing detection method comprising:

receiving a sense signal;

coupling a first comparator as a first amplifier, and storing an output of the first amplifier on a first storage element during at least a portion of a first time period;

coupling the first comparator as a comparator and coupling the sense signal to the first storage element during at least a portion of a second time period;

coupling a second comparator as a second amplifier, and storing an output of the second amplifier on a second storage element during the portion of the second time period; and

coupling the second comparator as a comparator and coupling the sense signal to the second storage element during the first time period.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the output of the first amplifier on the first storage element during at least the portion of the first time period includes coupling a first input of the first amplifier to receive a first reference signal, coupling a first terminal of the first storage element to a second reference, and coupling the output of the first amplifier to a second terminal of the first storage element and to a second input of the first amplifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the output of the second amplifier on the second storage element during the portion of the second time period includes coupling a first input of the second amplifier to a first reference signal, coupling a first terminal of the second storage element to a second reference, and coupling the output of the second amplifier to a second terminal of the second storage element and to a second input of the second amplifier.

4. The method of claim 1 further including coupling an output of the first comparator to a first node during the second time period and coupling an output of the second comparator to the first node during the first time period.

5. A method of forming a power supply controller comprising:

configuring the power supply controller to receive a sense signal representative of a current through an inductor;

coupling a plurality of comparators in parallel with each comparator coupled to receive the sense signal including coupling a capacitor in series with an input of each comparator of the plurality of comparators;

configuring a first comparator of the plurality of comparators to store an offset of the first comparator on a first capacitor as a first stored value during at least a first portion of a first time period; and

configuring a second comparator of the plurality of comparators to store an offset of the second comparator on a second capacitor as a second stored value during at least a first portion of a second time period.

6. The method of claim 5 further including configuring a clock circuit to generate a plurality of slave clock signals wherein a first slave clock signal forms the first time period and a second slave clock signal forms the second time period.

7. The method of claim 6 further including configuring the clock circuit to form the second slave clock signal out of phase with the first slave clock signal.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein configuring the clock circuit to generate the plurality of slave clock signals includes configuring the power supply controller to form a system clock having a first period and to use the system clock for operating a PWM channel of the power supply controller, for forming the first slave clock signal, and for forming the second first slave clock signal.

9. The method of claim 5 further including coupling an output of the first comparator and an output of the second comparator to a common node to form a signal representative of a zero crossing of the sense signal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein coupling the output of the first comparator and the output of the second comparator to the common node includes configuring the power supply controller to couple the output of the first comparator to the common node during at least a second portion of the second time period and to couple the output of the second comparator to the common node during at least a second portion of the first time period.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein configuring the first comparator of the plurality of comparators to store the offset of the first comparator on the first capacitor as the first stored value during at least the first portion of the first time period includes configuring the first comparator to compare the sense signal to a reference signal during at least a second portion of the second time period.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein configuring the first comparator of the plurality of comparators to store the offset of the first comparator on the first capacitor as the first stored value during at least the first portion of the first time period includes coupling the first capacitor to receive a first reference signal and an output of the first comparator during at least the first portion of the first time period and store a difference between the first reference signal and the output as the first stored value.

13. The method of claim 5 wherein configuring the second comparator of the plurality of comparators to store the offset of the second comparator on the second capacitor as the second stored value during at least the first portion of the second time period includes configuring the second comparator to compare the sense signal to a reference signal during at least a second portion of the first time period.

14. The method of claim 5 wherein configuring the second comparator of the plurality of comparators to store the offset of the second comparator on the second capacitor as the second stored value during at least the first portion of the second time period includes coupling the second capacitor to receive a second reference signal and an output of the second comparator during at least the first portion of the second time period and store a difference between the second reference signal and the output as the second stored value.

15. A zero crossing detector comprising:

a plurality of comparators coupled in parallel with each comparator having a first input and a second input, and a capacitor coupled to the second input of the comparator; and

a first portion of the plurality of comparators configured as an amplifier to store an offset voltage of the amplifier as a first stored offset during at least a first portion of a first time period and the first portion of the plurality of comparators configured as a comparator to compare a sense signal plus the first stored offset to a first reference signal during at least a first portion of a second time period.

16. The zero crossing detector of claim 15 wherein the first portion of the plurality of comparators configured as the amplifier to store the offset voltage of the amplifier as the first stored offset during at least the first portion of the first time period and the first portion of the plurality of comparators configured as the comparator to compare the sense signal plus the first stored offset to the first reference signal during at least the first portion of the second time period includes a first comparator of the first portion of the plurality of comparators having the first input coupled to receive a first reference signal, and the second input coupled to receive a second reference signal and an output of the first comparator during at least the first portion of the first time period and to receive the sense signal during at least a first portion of the second time period.

17. The zero crossing detector of claim 16 further including a second portion of the plurality of comparators having the first input coupled to receive the first reference signal, and the second input coupled to receive the second reference signal and an output of the second comparator during a second portion of the second time period and to receive the sense signal during at least a second portion of the first time period.

18. The zero crossing detector of claim 17 further including a first switch configured to couple the output of the first comparator to a common node during at least the first portion of the second time period and a second switch configured to couple the output of the second comparator to the common node during at least the second portion of the first time period.

19. The zero crossing detector of claim 17 further including a clock generator configured to receive a system clock and to responsively form the first time period and the second time period.