IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,965,216
Granted Patent B2
US 10,965,216 · App. 16/141,063 · Granted Mar 30, 2021

Integrated circuits with current limit clamps and skip clamps for power converters

Inventors: Gerhard Thiele (Dachau, DE); Manuel Wiersch (Freising, DE)
Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
H02M3/1582H02M1/08H02M2001/0009
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,965,216
App. No.
16/141,063
Granted
Mar 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated circuit comprising: a high-side pMOSFET comprising a drain and a gate; a node coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET; a voltage-to-current circuit comprising a first nMOSFET and a first resistor, the first nMOSFET comprising a gate and a source, the first resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the first nMOSFET; an error amplifier comprising an output port coupled to the gate of the first nMOSFET; a skip clamp nMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier; and a current limit clamp pMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier.

Claims (68)

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a high-side pMOSFET comprising a drain and a gate;

a node coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET;

a voltage-to-current circuit comprising a first nMOSFET and a first resistor, the first nMOSFET comprising a gate and a source, the first resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the first nMOSFET;

an error amplifier comprising an output port coupled to the gate of the first nMOSFET;

a skip clamp nMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier; and

a current limit clamp pMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first transconductance amplifier comprising a first input port coupled to the terminal of the first resistor, and an output port coupled to a gate of the skip clamp nMOSFET; and

a second transconductance amplifier comprising a first input port coupled to the terminal of the first resistor, and an output port coupled to a gate of the current limit clamp pMOSFET.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2 , the first transconductance amplifier comprising a second input port and the second transconductance amplifier comprising a second input port, the integrated circuit further comprising:

a resistor ladder network;

a first switch network coupled to the resistor ladder network and to the second input port of the first transconductance amplifier; and

a second switch network coupled to the resistor ladder network and to the second input port of the second transconductance amplifier.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 3 , further comprising:

a second nMOSFET comprising a gate coupled to the output port of the error amplifier, a drain, and a source;

a second resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the second nMOSFET; and

a comparator comprising a first input port coupled to the node, a second input port coupled to the drain of the second nMOSFET, and an output port coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4 , further comprising:

a control and gate drive module coupled to the output port of the comparator and to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET, the output port of the comparator coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET by way of the control and gate drive module.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 4 , further comprising:

a first pMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the node, a gate coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET, and a drain coupled to the first input port of the comparator, the first input port of the comparator coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET by way of the first pMOSFET.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 2 , further comprising:

a second nMOSFET comprising a gate coupled to the output port of the error amplifier, a drain, and a source;

a second resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the second nMOSFET; and

a comparator comprising a first input port coupled to the node, a second input port coupled to the drain of the second nMOSFET, and an output port coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7 , the voltage-to-current circuit further comprising:

stacked nMOSFETs coupled in series with the first nMOSFET, each nMOSFET in the stacked nMOSFETs having a gate coupled to the gate of the second nMOSFET, the stacked nMOSFETs coupled to a voltage input.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 7 , further comprising:

a control and gate drive module coupled to the output port of the comparator and to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET, the output port of the comparator coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET by way of the control and gate drive module.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 7 , further comprising:

a first pMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the node, a gate coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET, and a drain coupled to the first input port of the comparator, the first input port of the comparator coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET by way of the first pMOSFET.

11. A system comprising:

an inductor comprising a first terminal and a second terminal;

a voltage divider coupled to the second terminal of the inductor;

an integrated circuit comprising:

a high-side pMOSFET comprising a gate, and a drain coupled to the first terminal of the inductor;

a voltage-to-current circuit comprising a first nMOSFET and a first resistor, the first nMOSFET comprising a gate and a source, the first resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the first nMOSFET;

a voltage reference;

an error amplifier comprising an output port coupled to the gate of the first nMOSFET, a first input port coupled to the voltage reference, and a second input port coupled to the voltage divider;

a skip clamp nMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier; and

a current limit clamp pMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier.

12. The system of claim 11 , the integrated circuit further comprising:

a first transconductance amplifier comprising a first input port coupled to the terminal of the first resistor, and an output port coupled to a gate of the skip clamp nMOSFET; and

a second transconductance amplifier comprising a first input port coupled to the terminal of the first resistor, and an output port coupled to a gate of the current limit clamp pMOSFET.

13. The system of claim 12 , the first transconductance amplifier comprising a second input port and the second transconductance amplifier comprising a second input port, the integrated circuit further comprising:

a resistor ladder network;

a first switch network coupled to the resistor ladder network and to the second input port of the first transconductance amplifier; and

a second switch network coupled to the resistor ladder network and to the second input port of the second transconductance amplifier.

14. The system of claim 12 , the integrated circuit further comprising:

a second nMOSFET comprising a gate coupled to the output port of the error amplifier, a drain, and a source;

a second resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the second nMOSFET; and

a comparator comprising a first input port coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET, a second input port coupled to the drain of the second nMOSFET, and an output port coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET.

15. The system of claim 14 , the voltage-to-current circuit further comprising:

stacked nMOSFETs coupled in series with the first nMOSFET, each nMOSFET in the stacked nMOSFETs having a gate coupled to the gate of the second nMOSFET, the stacked nMOSFETs coupled to a voltage input.

16. The system of claim 14 , the integrated circuit further comprising:

a control and gate drive module coupled to the output port of the comparator and to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET, the output port of the comparator coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET by way of the control and gate drive module.

17. The system of claim 14 , the integrated circuit further comprising:

a first pMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET, a gate coupled to the gate of the high-side pMOSFET, and a drain coupled to the first input port of the comparator, the first input port of the comparator coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET by way of the first pMOSFET.

18. An integrated circuit comprising:

a high-side pMOSFET comprising a drain and a gate;

a node coupled to the drain of the high-side pMOSFET;

a voltage-to-current circuit comprising a first nMOSFET and a first resistor, the first nMOSFET comprising a gate and a source, the first resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the first nMOSFET;

an error amplifier comprising an output port coupled to the gate of the first nMOSFET;

a skip clamp nMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier;

a current limit clamp pMOSFET comprising a source coupled to the output port of the error amplifier;

a second nMOSFET comprising a gate coupled to the output port of the error amplifier, a drain, and a source; and

a second resistor comprising a terminal coupled to the source of the second nMOSFET.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2018
From: THIELE, GERHARD; WIERSCH, MANUEL
To: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 046962/0882 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200099299A1 · Mar 26, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,341,427