Multiphase trans-inductor voltage regulator fault diagnostic
Multiphase trans-inductor voltage regulator fault diagnostic. One example is a method of detecting electrical faults in a multiphase power converter, the method comprising: driving, by a controller of the multiphase power converter, a first phase of the power converter, the first phase comprising a phase-one transformer module; driving, by the controller, a second phase of the power converter, the second phase comprising a phase-two transformer module distinct from the phase-one transformer module; testing, by the controller of the multiphase power converter, for a phase-one electrical fault associated with the phase-one transformer module; testing, by the controller, for a phase-two electrical fault associated with the phase-two transformer module; and driving, by the controller, a fault indicator in the presence of a phase-one or phase-two electrical fault.
1. A method of detecting electrical faults in a multiphase power converter, the method comprising:
driving, by a controller of the multiphase power converter, a first phase of the multiphase power converter, the first phase comprising a phase-one transformer module;
driving, by the controller, a second phase of the multiphase power converter, the second phase comprising a phase-two transformer module distinct from the phase-one transformer module;
testing, by the controller of the multiphase power converter, for a phase-one electrical fault associated with the phase-one transformer module;
testing, by the controller, for a phase-two electrical fault associated with the phase-two transformer module, wherein testing for the phase-one electrical fault and the phase-two electrical fault is conducted without measuring an AC portion of a respective phase current; and
driving, by the controller, a fault indicator in the presence of a phase-one or phase-two electrical fault.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein driving the first phase and driving the second phase further comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of: driving when a voltage output of the multiphase power converter is less than half a rated voltage; and driving when the voltage output is less than a quarter of the rated voltage.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein testing for the phase-one electrical fault further comprises analyzing a signal indicative of current during a charge mode of the first phase.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein driving the first phase and driving the second phase further comprises driving the first phase and then driving the second phase.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein driving the fault indicator further comprises driving the fault indicator if the testing for the phase-one electrical fault indicates at least one selected from a group consisting of: a primary winding to a secondary winding short circuit; shorting of the secondary winding; and an open circuit on a primary side of the phase-one transformer module.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein driving the first phase and driving the second phase further comprises driving the first phase and simultaneously driving the second phase.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein driving the fault indicator further comprises driving the fault indicator if the testing for the phase-one electrical fault or the testing for the phase-two electrical fault indicate an open circuit on a secondary side of either the phase-one or phase-two transformer modules.
8. A controller for power converter, the controller comprising:
a phase-one drive terminal, a phase-one monitor terminal, a phase-two drive terminal, a phase-two monitor terminal, and a fault terminal;
a fault logic coupled to the phase-one drive terminal, the phase-one monitor terminal, the phase-two drive terminal, the phase-two monitor terminal, and the fault terminal;
the fault logic is configured to:
assert the phase-one drive terminal;
sense a phase-one signal indicative of current by way of the phase-one monitor terminal, wherein the fault logic is configured to sense the phase-one signal without measuring an AC portion of the current by way of the phase-one monitor terminal;
assert the phase-two drive terminal;
sense a phase-two signal indicative of current by way of the phase-two monitor terminal, wherein the fault logic is configured to sense the phase-one signal without measuring an AC portion of the current by way of the phase-one monitor terminal;
detect an electrical fault associated with a phase-one transformer module associated with the phase-one drive terminal, the detection based on the phase-one signal indicative of current; and
drive a fault indicator to the fault terminal.
9. The controller of claim 8 wherein when the fault logic detects the electrical fault, the controller is configured to at least one selected from a group consisting of: detect when a voltage output of the power converter is less than half a rated voltage; and detect when the voltage output is less than a quarter of the rated voltage.
10. The controller of claim 8 wherein when the fault logic senses the phase-one signal indicative of current, the controller is further configured to sense the phase-one signal indicative of current during a charge mode of a first phase of the power converter.
11. The controller of claim 8 wherein when the fault logic asserts the phase-one drive terminal and the phase-two drive terminal, the controller is further configured to assert the phase-one drive terminal and then assert the phase-two drive terminal.
12. The controller of claim 11 wherein when the fault logic drives the fault indicator, the controller is further configured to drive the fault indicator when the controller detects at least one selected from a group consisting of: a misplacement of the phase-one transformer module resulting in a short circuit between a phase-one primary winding and a phase-one secondary winding; a misplacement of the phase-one transformer module resulting in a short circuit across the phase-one secondary winding; and an incomplete solder joint resulting in an open circuit associate with a phase-one primary winding.
13. The controller of claim 8 wherein when the fault logic asserts the phase-one drive terminal and the phase-two drive terminal, the controller is further configured to assert the phase-one drive terminal and simultaneously assert the phase-two drive terminal.
14. The controller of claim 13 wherein when the fault logic drives the fault indicator, the controller is further configured to drive the fault indicator if the controller detects an open circuit on a phase-one secondary of the phase-one transformer module.
15. A method comprising:
driving, by a controller of a multiphase power converter, a first phase of the multiphase power converter into a charge mode, the first phase comprising a phase-one transformer module;
sensing, by the controller during the driving of the first phase, a phase-one signal indicative of current, wherein sensing the phase-one signal indicative of current is performed without measuring an AC portion of a phase-one current;
driving, by the controller, a second phase of the multiphase power converter into a charge mode, the second phase comprising a phase-two transformer module distinct from the phase-one transformer module;
sensing, by the controller during the driving of the second phase, a phase-two signal indicative of current, wherein sensing the phase-two signal indicative of current is performed without measuring an AC portion of a phase-two current;
detecting, by the controller, an electrical fault associated with the phase-one transformer module, the detection based on the phase-one signal indicative of current; and
driving, by the controller, a fault indicator.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein driving the first phase and driving the second phase comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of: driving when a voltage output of the multiphase power converter is less than half a rated voltage; and driving when the voltage output is less than a quarter of the rated voltage.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein driving the first phase and driving the second phase comprises driving the first phase simultaneously with driving the second phase.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein driving the first phase and driving the second phase comprises driving the first phase and then driving the second phase.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein driving the fault indicator comprises driving the fault indicator if the detecting indicates at least one selected from a group consisting of: a primary winding to a secondary winding short circuit of the phase-one transformer module; shorting of the secondary winding of the phase-one transformer module; and an open circuit of the primary winding of the phase-one transformer module.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein detecting comprises detecting without measuring a voltage or current on a secondary winding of either the phase-one transformer module or the phase-two transformer module.