Dynamic slew rate control
An inverter circuit may include an inverter, a driver coupled to the inverter, and a slew rate control module configured to modify a slew rate of the driver. The slew rate may be modified based on a magnitude of a load driven by the inverter circuit. The magnitude of the load driven by the inverter circuit may be indicated by a current representing a load current or a voltage representing an input voltage. The slew rate may also be modified based on a mode configuration of the inverter circuit.
1. A method for controlling a driver of an inverter of an inverter circuit, the method comprising:
detecting a magnitude of a load driven by the inverter; and
modifying a slew rate of the driver of the inverter by controlling an input of the driver based on the magnitude of the load,
wherein the slew rate is a rate of change of an output voltage of the driver during a transition between output voltage levels of the driver,
wherein detecting the magnitude of the load driven by the inverter comprises detecting a mode configuration of the inverter circuit, and modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter based on the magnitude of the load comprises modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter based on the detected mode configuration of the inverter circuit, and
wherein the mode configuration of the inverter circuit is selected from a plurality of modes comprising dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) mode.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter comprises reducing the slew rate of the driver of the inverter when the detected magnitude of the load increases.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter comprises increasing the slew rate of the driver of the inverter when the detected magnitude of the load decreases.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the magnitude of the load driven by the inverter comprises detecting a current representing a load current.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter comprises modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter to a first predetermined level when the detected current is higher than a reference current.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter further comprises modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter to a second predetermined level when the detected current is lower than the reference current, wherein the second predetermined level is higher than the first predetermined level.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the magnitude of the load driven by the inverter comprises detecting a voltage representing an input voltage.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter comprises modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter to a third predetermined level when the detected voltage is higher than a reference voltage.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter further comprises modifying the slew rate of the driver of the inverter to a fourth predetermined level when the detected voltage is lower than the reference voltage, wherein the fourth predetermined level is higher than the third predetermined level.
10. An inverter circuit comprising:
an inverter;
a driver coupled to the inverter, the driver being configured to receive a first signal; and
a slew rate control module coupled to an input of the driver, the slew rate control module being configured to receive the first signal and a second signal indicating a magnitude of a load driven by the inverter circuit, wherein the slew rate control module modifies a slew rate of the driver based on the second signal, and the slew rate is a rate of change of an output voltage of the driver during a transition between output voltage levels of the driver,
wherein the second signal is a current representing a load current, and the slew rate control module comprises a comparator configured to compare the current to a reference current, and
wherein the slew rate control module comprises an OR gate configured to receive the first signal and an output of the comparator, and the OR gate outputs to the driver.
11. The inverter circuit of claim 10 , wherein the slew rate control module is configured to receive a third signal indicating a mode configuration of the inverter circuit, and the slew rate control module modifies the slew rate of the driver based on the third signal.
12. An inverter circuit comprising:
an inverter;
a driver coupled to the inverter, the driver being configured to receive a first signal; and
a slew rate control module coupled to the driver, the slew rate control module being configured to receive the first signal and a second signal indicating a magnitude of a load driven by the inverter circuit, wherein the slew rate control module modifies a slew rate of the driver based on the second signal, and the slew rate is a rate of change of an output voltage of the driver during a transition between output voltage levels of the driver, wherein:
the slew rate control module is configured to receive a third signal indicating a mode configuration of the inverter circuit,
the slew rate control module modifies the slew rate of the driver based on the third signal, and
the mode configuration of the inverter circuit is selected from a plurality of modes comprising dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) mode.
13. An inverter circuit comprising,
an inverter;
a driver coupled to the inverter, the driver being configured to receive a first signal; and
a slew rate control module coupled to an input of the driver, the slew rate control module being configured to receive the first signal and a second signal indicating a magnitude of a load driven by the inverter circuit, wherein the slew rate control module modifies a slew rate of the driver based on the second signal, and the slew rate is a rate of change of an output voltage of the driver during a transition between output voltage levels of the driver,
wherein the second signal is a voltage representing an input voltage, and the slew rate control module comprises a comparator configured to compare the voltage to a reference voltage, and
wherein the slew rate control module comprises an OR gate configured to receive the first signal and an output of the comparator, and the OR gate outputs to the driver.
14. The inverter circuit of claim 10 , wherein the slew rate control module reduces the slew rate of the driver when the second signal indicates that the magnitude of the load increases.
15. The inverter circuit of claim 10 , wherein the slew rate control module increases the slew rate of the driver when the second signal indicates that the magnitude of the load decreases.
16. The inverter circuit of claim 12 , wherein the second signal is a current representing a load current, and the slew rate control module comprises a comparator configured to compare the current to a reference current.
17. The inverter circuit of claim 12 , wherein the second signal is a voltage representing an input voltage, and the slew rate control module comprises a comparator configured to compare the voltage to a reference voltage.
18. The inverter circuit of claim 12 , wherein the slew rate control module reduces the slew rate of the driver when the second signal indicates that the magnitude of the load increases.
19. The inverter circuit of claim 12 , wherein the slew rate control module increases the slew rate of the driver when the second signal indicates that the magnitude of the load decreases.
20. The inverter circuit of claim 13 , wherein the slew rate control module is configured to receive a third signal indicating a mode configuration of the inverter circuit, and the slew rate control module modifies the slew rate of the driver based on the third signal.