Stackable controllers for multiphase switching converters and power supply system thereof
View Patent ↗A power supply system has a first power circuit, a second power circuit, a first controller and a second controller. The first and second power circuits respectively have a first and second plurality of switching circuits coupled in parallel to provide an output voltage. The first controller provides a turn-on control signal at the first turn-on control pin based on a voltage feedback signal received by a first feedback pin, and provides a first plurality of switching control signals at the first plurality of switching control pins based on a turn-on control signal to successively turn ON a first plurality of switching circuits. The second controller provides a second plurality of switching control signals at a second plurality of switching control pins based on the turn-on control signal received by a second turn-on control pin to successively turn ON the second plurality of switching circuits.
1 . A power supply system, comprising:
a first power circuit having a first plurality of switching circuits, and a second power circuit having a second plurality of switching circuits, wherein each of the first plurality of switching circuits and the second plurality of switching circuits are coupled in parallel to provide an output voltage;
a first controller, comprising a first feedback pin, a first turn-on control pin, and a first plurality of switching control pins, wherein the first feedback pin is configured to receive a voltage feedback signal representative of the output voltage, the first controller is configured to provide a turn-on control signal at the first turn-on control pin based on the voltage feedback signal, and is configured to provide a first plurality of switching control signals at the first plurality of switching control pins based on the turn-on control signal to successively turn ON the first plurality of switching circuits; and
a second controller, comprising a second turn-on control pin and a second plurality of switching control pins, wherein the second turn-on control pin is coupled to the first turn-on control pin to receive the turn-on control signal provided by the first controller, and the second controller is configured to provide a second plurality of switching control signals at the second plurality of switching control pins based on the turn-on control signal to successively turn ON the second plurality of switching circuits; wherein
when a voltage feedback signal received by the first controller is smaller than a voltage reference signal, the first controller is configured to turn ON at least one of the first plurality of switching circuits, and the second controller is configured to turn ON at least one of the second plurality of switching circuits.
2 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first controller further comprises a first communication pin, and the first controller is configured to provide a first data via the first communication pin, wherein the first data indicates a total current flowing through the first power circuit or a current flowing through at least one of the first plurality of switching circuits; and
the second controller further comprises a second communication pin coupled to the first communication pin, wherein the second controller is configured to receive the first data from the first controller via the second communication pin, to regulate a total current flowing through the second power circuit.
3 . The power supply system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first controller is further configured to provide a second data, and the second controller is further configured to receive the second data via the second communication pin to control an initial ON time period of each of the second plurality of switching circuits equal to the initial ON time period of each of the first plurality of switching circuits.
4 . The power supply system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first controller further comprises a third communication pin, wherein the third communication pin is configured to receive a system control command provided by a system controller to control circuit parameters of the first power circuit; and
the first controller is further configured to provide a third data to the second controller based on the system control command to control circuit parameters of the second power circuit.
5 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first controller further comprises a first total current pin and a first plurality of current sense pins to receive a first plurality of current sense signals, and the first controller is further configured to provide a first total current sense signal representative of a total current flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits, wherein the first plurality of current sense signals represents a plurality of currents flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits;
the second controller further comprises a second total current pin and a second plurality of current sense pins to receive a second plurality of current sense signals, the second total current pin is coupled to the first total current pin, and the second controller is further configured to provide a second total current sense signal representative of a total current flowing through the second plurality of switching circuits, wherein the second plurality of current sense signals represents a plurality of currents flowing through the second plurality of switching circuits; and
the first controller is configured to provide the turn-on control signal further based on the first total current sense signal and the second total current sense signal.
6 . A controller for a multiphase switching converter, the controller comprising:
a turn-on control pin configured to provide or receive a turn-on control signal which is generated based on an output voltage of the multiphase switching converter; and
a plurality of switching control pins, wherein the controller is configured to provide a plurality of switching control signals at the plurality of switching control pins based on the turn-on control signal to successively turn ON a first plurality of switching circuits which are coupled in parallel to provide the output voltage; wherein
when a voltage feedback signal representative of the output voltage is smaller than a voltage reference signal, the turn-on control signal is asserted to turn on at least one of the first plurality of switching circuits and at least one of a second plurality of switching circuits of an additional switching converter, wherein the second plurality of switching circuits are coupled in parallel with the first plurality of switching circuits to provide the output voltage.
7 . The controller of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first communication pin configured to synchronize information with the additional switching converter through a first communication bus; and
a second communication pin, capable of coupling to a system controller through a second communication bus to receive a system control command from the system controller to control at least one circuit parameter of the multiphase switching converter.
8 . The controller of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide a first data to the additional switching converter via the first communication pin, wherein the first data indicates currents flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits.
9 . The controller of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a first data via the first communication pin to regulate a total current flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits, wherein the first data indicates currents flowing through the second plurality of switching circuits.
10 . The controller of claim 7 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to provide or receive a second data via the first communication pin,
to set an initial ON time period of each of the first plurality of switching circuits and each of the second plurality of switching circuits.
11 . The controller of claim 6 , further comprising:
a plurality of current sense pins, configured to receive a plurality of current sense signals representative of a plurality of currents flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits; and
a total current pin capable of being coupled to the additional switching converter to share a total current sense signal representative of a total current flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits based on the plurality of current sense signals.
12 . The controller of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first communication pin configured to provide or receive a first data, through a first communication bus
wherein the first data indicates currents flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits or currents flowing through the second plurality of switching circuits.
13 . The controller of claim 12 , further comprising:
a current balance unit, configured to regulate ON time periods of the first plurality of switching circuits respectively based on differences between the current sense signals and a current reference signal, wherein the current reference signal is provided based on the first data.
14 . A control method for a multiphase switching converter, the control method comprising:
providing or receiving a turn-on control signal; and
providing a plurality of switching control signals based on the turn-on control signal to turn ON a first plurality of switching circuits of the multiphase switching converter successively; wherein
when a voltage feedback signal representative of an output voltage of the multiphase switching converter is smaller than a voltage reference signal, the turn-on control signal is asserted to turn on at least one of the first plurality of switching circuits and at least one of a second plurality of switching circuits of an additional switching converter, wherein the second plurality of switching circuits are coupled in parallel with the first plurality of switching circuits to provide the output voltage.
15 . The control method of claim 14 , further comprising:
coupling to the additional switching converter through a first communication bus to synchronize information between the multiphase switching converter and the additional switching converter; and
coupling to a system controller to receive a system control command to control circuit parameters of the multiphase switching converter.
16 . The control method of claim 15 , further comprising: providing a first data through the first communication bus, and wherein the first data indicates currents flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits.
17 . The control method of claim 15 , further comprising: receiving a first data through the first communication bus to regulate currents flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits.
18 . The control method of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing or receiving a second data through the first communication bus; wherein
the second data is used to set an initial ON time period of each of the first plurality of switching circuits and the second plurality of switching circuits.
19 . The control method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a plurality of current sense signals representative of a current flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits via a plurality of current sense pins; and
coupling a total current pin to the additional switching converter providing a total current sense signal representative of a total current flowing through the first plurality of switching circuits at the total current pin based on the plurality of current sense signals; wherein
the turn-on control signal is provided further based on the signal on the total current pin.