Inductance and current flow estimation

Abstract

Embodiments of this disclosure relate to inductance and current flow estimation. An apparatus includes a power converter and an estimator. The power converter generates an output voltage to power a load via current flowing through an inductor. The estimator receives a current-sensing signal from a current monitoring resource. The current-sensing signal represents / indicates a measured magnitude of a current supplied to the load through the inductor over time during one or more power delivery control cycles. A portion of the current-sensing signal may be an inaccurate representation of the current flow through the inductor. Using the current-sensing signal or a portion thereof, the estimator determines (e.g., calculates) the inductance (value) of the inductor. The estimator then uses the calculated inductance value to estimate the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load through the inductor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to inductance and current flow estimation. Background Technology

[0002] A typical type of power converter is the buck converter. Typically, to maintain the output voltage within a desired range, the controller in a buck converter compares the amplitude of the generated output voltage with a setpoint reference voltage. Based on the corresponding error voltage, the controller modifies the appropriate switching frequency and / or pulse width modulation associated with starting the high-side or low-side switching circuitry in the buck converter.

[0003] In some instances, the controller controls the operation of the buck converter based on the amount of output current supplied to the load by the generated output voltage.

[0004] Output current can be measured in any suitable manner, such as by DCR current sensing on an inductor, current mirroring, or sensing resistance in a switching circuit system. In different conventional implementations, the corresponding analog-to-digital converter (ADC) monitoring of the output current is often slow and inaccurate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure includes observations of deficiencies in conventional power supply monitoring and control techniques. For example, it is often difficult, but desirable, to know more accurately the magnitude of the output current delivered to the load by the corresponding power converter in order to generate appropriate power supply control signals.

[0006] The accuracy of inductor current sensing depends on the controller's estimation and the accuracy of the current sensing input signal. To estimate the magnitude of the output current, the user must enter the inductance value associated with the corresponding inductor in the power supply. The inductance value is used as the basis for determining the amount of current supplied to the load. It can be observed that the actual inductance of the inductor varies with temperature, load current, manufacturing inaccuracies, etc. This introduces errors associated with estimating the actual output current of the power converter.

[0007] The embodiments described herein include a novel approach to determine the inductance of an inductor and then estimate the magnitude of the output current based on the determined inductance.

[0008] More specifically, embodiments of this document include an apparatus comprising a power converter and an estimator. The power converter generates an output voltage to supply power to a load via current flowing through an inductor. The power converter is at least partially based on an inductor. The estimator (hardware or software processing engine) receives a current-sensing signal from a current monitoring resource. The current-sensing signal represents the magnitude of a current supplied through the inductor over time during one or more power delivery control cycles. Using the current-sensing signal, the estimator determines the inductance (value) of the inductor.

[0009] According to other example embodiments, the current sensing signal is at least partially inaccurate. Based on the determined inductance of the inductor, the estimator provides a better estimate of the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load through the inductor.

[0010] In other example embodiments, the power converter includes a controller that converts the input voltage into an output voltage. The controller controls the operation of the power converter circuitry based at least in part on an estimated magnitude of the output current generated from the inductance of a determined inductor.

[0011] In other embodiments of this paper, the inductance of the inductor is repeatedly calculated via an estimator during multiple power delivery control cycles of the power converter that generates the output voltage. If desired, multiple determined inductance values ​​can be filtered to provide an average (such as a moving average) inductance of the inductor over multiple power delivery control cycles.

[0012] It should also be noted that the estimator can be configured to estimate the magnitude of the inductance associated with the inductor in any way. For example, in one embodiment, based on one or more parameters, such as: i) the determined inductance of the inductor, ii) the magnitude of the input voltage of the power converter, which is operable to convert the input voltage to the output voltage, iii) the magnitude of the output voltage of the power converter supplying power to the load, etc., the estimator determines (such as estimating, calculating, looking up, etc.) the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load.

[0013] In other example embodiments, the estimator determines the inductance based on the slope of the current sensing signal.

[0014] According to other example embodiments, the estimator obtains the inductance (value) of the inductor via the current sensing signal: i) selects a time window; ii) measures the amplitude change of the current sensing signal during the time window; and iii) derives the inductance (value) of the inductor based on a combination of the duration of the time window and the amplitude change of the current sensing signal.

[0015] It is important to note that the power converter can be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, in one embodiment, the power converter includes a high-side switching circuit system and a low-side switching circuit system. The controller of the power converter activates the high-side and low-side switching circuit systems at different times during the power delivery control cycle to control the magnitude of the output current through the inductor. The estimator described herein selects a time window in the power delivery control cycle such that this time window covers the duration during which the low-side switching circuit system is activated. Based on the current sensing signal within the time window, the estimator determines the inductance value for the inductor in a manner further described herein.

[0016] Through other example embodiments described herein, it is not necessary to place the power converter and the corresponding power supply in test mode to determine the magnitude of the inductance of the inductor. For example, in one embodiment, an estimator determines the inductance of the inductor, and the power converter uses the inductor assembly to generate an output current to power the load. Thus, in one embodiment, the estimator determines the inductance of the inductor during a full-supply operation mode, in which the power converter drives the load with the corresponding output voltage. An initial value for the inductor can be stored in memory, if desired. If the difference between the determined inductance and the stored initial value is greater than a threshold, the power converter can be configured to provide notification of a failure in the inductor assembly.

[0017] Other embodiments described herein include receiving a current sensing signal from a current monitor at the estimator. In one embodiment, the current monitor generates the current sensing signal based on a voltage change across a sensing resistor in the power converter. The voltage change is caused by a change in the magnitude of the output current through the sensing resistor (and consequently, the inductor). Since the same current passes through both the sensing resistor and the inductor, the current sensing signal derived from the voltage across the sensing resistor (component) generally indicates well the amount of output current through the inductor to the load and / or (multiple) output capacitors.

[0018] In one embodiment, the estimator determines the amplitude change of the output current during a time window (via the inductor) via a current sensing signal, and derives the inductance at least in part based on the duration of the time window divided by the determined amplitude change of the output current. In one embodiment, the time window is shorter than the corresponding duration of the power delivery control cycle of the power supply.

[0019] This paper also observes that a current sensing signal can accurately depict the amount of current through an inductor with respect to one or more first portions of the current sensing signal, while the current sensing signal may be inaccurate when depicting the amount of current through an inductor with respect to one or more second portions of the current sum signal. In such an instance, one or more first portions of the current sensing signal that accurately depicts the amount of current through the inductor are used to determine the inductance of the inductor.

[0020] More specifically, in one embodiment, the estimator determines the inductance of the inductor based on a sample window of the current-sensing signal. In one embodiment, the sample window (such as a portion of the current-sensing signal considered more accurate or the most accurate) is a less-than-all portion of the power delivery control cycle during which the power converter supplies output current to the load through the inductor. In another embodiment, the sample window is selected depending on the corresponding state of the switches in the power converter that generate the output current.

[0021] After calculating the inductor's inductance based on a less-than-full portion of the power delivery cycle with greater accuracy, the estimator estimates the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load over the entire duration of the power delivery control cycle based on the determined inductor inductance. The estimate of the inductor current is more accurate than that indicated by the current sensing signal itself.

[0022] As previously discussed, the embodiments described herein are more useful than conventional techniques. For example, as previously discussed, the embodiments described herein enable the corresponding power supply circuitry (such as an estimator or other suitable resource) to determine the inductance value of the appropriate inductor that supplies output current to the load. The calculation of the inductance eliminates the need for manufacturers to program the power supply with potentially inaccurate inductor values. Additionally, accurately determining the inductance simplifies the current monitor circuitry system, as the inductance can be accurately determined only for a portion of the power delivery cycle, and then that inductance is used to produce a more accurate depiction of the inductor throughout each power delivery control cycle that supplies current to the load.

[0023] These and other more specific embodiments are disclosed in more detail below.

[0024] It should be noted that although the embodiments discussed herein are applicable to power converters, the concepts disclosed herein can be advantageously applied to any other suitable topology as well as general power control applications.

[0025] It should be noted that any resources discussed herein may include one or more computerized devices, mobile communication devices, servers, base stations, wireless communication devices, communication management systems, workstations, user equipment, handheld or laptop computers, etc., to perform and / or support any or all of the methods disclosed herein. In other words, one or more computerized devices or processors may be programmed and / or configured to operate as explained herein to perform the different embodiments described herein.

[0026] Other embodiments herein include software programs for performing the steps and operations outlined above and disclosed in detail below. One such embodiment includes a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (i.e., any computer-readable hardware storage medium) on which software instructions are encoded for subsequent execution. When executed in a computerized device (hardware) having a processor, the instructions program and / or cause the processor (hardware) to perform the operations disclosed herein. Such arrangements are typically provided as software, code, instructions, and / or other data (e.g., data structures) arranged or encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as optical media (e.g., CD-ROM), floppy disk, hard disk, memory stick, memory device, etc., or other media, such as firmware in one or more ROMs, RAMs, PROMs, etc., or provided as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. Software or firmware or other such configurations may be installed on a computerized device to cause the computerized device to perform the techniques explained herein.

[0027] Therefore, the embodiments herein relate to methods, systems, computer program products, etc., that support the operations discussed herein.

[0028] One embodiment of this document includes a computer-readable storage medium and / or a system on which instructions are stored. When executed by computer processor hardware, the instructions cause the computer processor hardware (such as one or more processor devices located in the same or different locations) to: receive a current sensing signal representing the magnitude of an output current supplied to a load through an inductor of a power converter; determine the inductance of the inductor based on the current sensing signal; and control the operation of the power converter based on the determined inductance.

[0029] For clarity, the order of the steps above has been added. It should be noted that any processing steps discussed in this article can be performed in any suitable order.

[0030] Other embodiments of this disclosure include software programs and / or corresponding hardware to perform any of the steps and operations of the method embodiments outlined above and disclosed in detail below.

[0031] It should be understood that the systems, methods, apparatuses, instructions on computer-readable storage media discussed herein can also be strictly implemented as software programs, firmware, a mixture of software, hardware and / or firmware, or as hardware such as alone within a processor (hardware or software), within an operating system, or within a software application.

[0032] As discussed herein, the techniques described herein are well-suited for applications involving the implementation of one or more inductor assemblies to deliver current to a load. However, it should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not limited to such applications, and the techniques discussed herein are also well-suited for other applications.

[0033] Additionally, it should be noted that although each of the different features, techniques, configurations, etc., described herein may be discussed in different places within this disclosure, it is intended that each concept in the ideas may optionally be implemented independently of each other or combined with each other where appropriate. Therefore, one or more of the inventions described herein can be practiced and viewed in many different ways.

[0034] Furthermore, it should be noted that this initial discussion of the embodiments (a brief description of the embodiments) is intentionally not intended to specify every embodiment and / or incremental novelty aspect of this disclosure or the claimed invention(s). Rather, this brief description only presents general embodiments and corresponding novel points relative to conventional techniques. For additional details and / or possible perspectives (arrangements) of the invention(s), the reader will be directed to the detailed description section (which is an overview of the embodiments) and the corresponding drawings of this disclosure, which are discussed further below. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is an example general diagram of a power supply supporting inductance and current estimation according to embodiments of this document.

[0036] Figure 2 An example diagram of a power converter is illustrated according to an embodiment of this document.

[0037] Figure 3 The illustrations provided herein are example diagrams representing control signals and current sensing signals for the current through an inductor, according to embodiments thereof.

[0038] Figure 4 The illustrations provided illustrate, according to embodiments of this document, the generation of an inductor's inductance value and the estimation of the current through the inductor using the generated inductance value.

[0039] Figure 5 The illustrations provided herein depict example diagrams of the analysis of a current sensing signal during one or more time windows, according to embodiments thereof, to generate one or more inductance values.

[0040] Figure 6 The illustrations provided herein depict example diagrams of the analysis of a current sensing signal during one or more time windows to generate inductance values, according to embodiments thereof.

[0041] Figure 7The illustrations in this paper illustrate an example time-plot of the estimated inductor current dynamically generated based on different inductance values ​​generated over time, according to embodiments of the present paper.

[0042] Figure 8 This is an example diagram illustrating the computer processor hardware and related software instructions for performing the method according to embodiments of this document.

[0043] Figure 9 The illustrations are example diagrams illustrating the methods according to embodiments of this document.

[0044] Figure 10 The illustration shows an example diagram of the circuit assembly according to the embodiments of this article.

[0045] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description of preferred embodiments herein, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein reference characters refer to the same portions throughout different views. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the emphasis is placed on the illustrated embodiments, principles, concepts, etc. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Embodiments of this document include an apparatus comprising a power converter and a current estimator. The power converter generates an output voltage to supply power to a load via current flowing through an inductor. The estimator receives a current sensing signal from a current monitoring resource. The current sensing signal represents a measured magnitude of a current that is supplied to the load through the inductor over time during one or more power delivery control cycles. Using the current sensing signal, the estimator first determines the inductance (value) of the inductor. The estimator then uses the estimated inductance value to further determine the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load through the inductor.

[0047] Now, more specifically, Figure 1 This is an example general diagram of a power supply that supports inductance measurement and inductor current estimation according to embodiments of this document.

[0048] In this example embodiment, power supply 100 includes a power converter 135, an estimator 141, and an output current measurement resource 150. Power converter 135 includes a controller 140 and a voltage converter 165. During operation, power converter 135 (and voltage converter 165) converts input voltage 121 into an output voltage 118 to power load 118.

[0049] As shown, the output current measurement resource 150 receives one or more signals 132 (such as a feedback signal associated with the voltage converter 165). In one embodiment, via one or more signals 132, the output current measurement resource 150 physically measures the output current 122 supplied to the combination of the capacitor 136 and the load 118 through the inductor 225.

[0050] Based on the feedback signal 132, the output current measurement resource 150 generates a current sensing signal 147 (i.e., inductor output current information), which indicates the magnitude of the output current 122 provided through the inductor 225.

[0051] It should be noted that the output current measurement resource 150 includes any suitable circuitry for monitoring the amount of current flowing through the inductor 225. For example, in one embodiment, the output current measurement resource 150 is or includes one or more analog-to-digital converters to measure the voltage across a resistive element in a power converter through which the output current 122 flows (such as that inherent in the inductor 225 itself or in a separate component).

[0052] As another non-limiting example embodiment, the output current measurement resource 150 may be configured to include one or more analog-to-digital converters and / or corresponding circuitry systems that generate actual sample measurements of the output current 122. This may include techniques such as measuring the voltage across the inductor 225 of the corresponding power converter 165 and performing a DCR measurement to detect the output current 122.

[0053] Alternatively, embodiments of this document include monitoring the voltage of a resistive element, such as R. DSON (The resistance of the high-side switching circuit system and / or the low-side switching circuit system between the drain node and the source node), when the low-side switching circuit system is turned on, the output current 122 flows through this resistive element.

[0054] Other embodiments include determining the amplitude of the output current 122 via current mirroring technology.

[0055] Therefore, any alternative or suitable type of physical measurement can be implemented to detect the amplitude or amplitude change of the inductor output current 122.

[0056] As further shown, and as previously discussed, power supply 100 includes an estimator 141. Estimator 141 determines the inductance of inductor 225 (e.g., through estimation, calculation, or, in an AI-based implementation, by looking up one or more inductors in a lookup table). Then, based on the determined inductance of inductor 225, estimator 141 estimates the magnitude of the output current 122 through inductor 225, thereby providing controller 140 with a more accurate depiction of the magnitude of the output current 122 (using the actual inductance) compared to the current sensing signal 147.

[0057] As a more specific example, as shown, power converter 135 generates an output voltage 123 (Vout) to power load 118 via an output current 122 provided by inductor 225.

[0058] In one embodiment, to determine the magnitude of inductor 225, estimator 141 receives a current sensing signal 147 from output current measurement resource 150 (i.e., current monitor resource). The current sensing signal 147 represents the magnitude of output current 122, which is supplied through inductor 225 over time during one or more power delivery control cycles. Using the current sensing signal 147, estimator 141 determines the inductance (value) of inductor 225.

[0059] According to other example embodiments, during multiple power delivery control cycles of the power converter that generates output voltage 123, estimator 141 repeatedly determines the inductance of inductor 225. If desired, estimator 141 filters the multiple determined inductance values ​​to provide an average (such as a moving average) inductance of inductor 225 over the multiple power delivery control cycles.

[0060] It should be noted again that, in one embodiment, it is not necessary to place the power converter 135 and the corresponding power supply 100 in a test mode to determine the magnitude of the inductance L225 of the inductor 225. For example, in one embodiment, the estimator 141 determines the inductance value L225 of the inductor 225 while the power converter 165 uses the inductor 225 assembly to generate an output current 122 to power the load 118. Therefore, in one embodiment, the estimator 141 determines the inductance value L225 of the inductor 225 during a power supply operation mode in which the power converter 165 drives the load 118 with the corresponding output voltage 123.

[0061] Figure 2 An example diagram of a power converter is illustrated according to an embodiment of this document.

[0062] In this non-limiting example embodiment, voltage converter 165 is configured as a buck converter, including voltage source 220 (providing input voltage 121), switch Q1, switch Q2, inductor 225 and output capacitor 136.

[0063] although Figure 2 The voltage converter 165 is shown as a buck converter configuration, but it should be noted again that the voltage converter 165 can be instantiated as any suitable type of voltage converter and include any number of phases to provide the regulation described herein.

[0064] As shown in this example embodiment, switches Q1 and Q2 of voltage converter 165 are connected in series between the input voltage 121 and the corresponding ground reference. As previously discussed, voltage converter 165 also includes an inductor 225. Inductor 225 extends from node 296 to the output capacitor 136 and the dynamic load 118.

[0065] Switches Q1 and Q2 are switched based on corresponding control signals 105-1 (applied to the gate G of switch Q1) and 105-2 (applied to the gate G of switch Q2). The node 296, which couples the source (S) node of switch Q1 and the drain (D) node of switch Q2, provides an output current 122 through the inductor 225, thereby generating an output voltage 123 to power the load 118.

[0066] In one embodiment, controller 140 controls the switching of switches Q1 and Q2 based on one or more feedback parameters. For example, controller 140 may be configured to receive an output voltage feedback signal 123-1 derived from output voltage 123, which is provided to power load 118, as previously described. Figure 1 As discussed earlier, the output voltage feedback signal 123-1 can be the output voltage 123 itself or its proportional derivative (when using a resistor divider).

[0067] Refer again Figure 2 via comparator 250, controller 140 compares the output voltage feedback signal 123-1 (such as the output voltage 123 itself, its derivative, or a proportional signal) with the reference voltage 235. Figure 2 As previously discussed, reference voltage 235 is the desired setpoint where the amplitude of output voltage 123 is controlled during load line regulation implemented by power supply 100. Furthermore, as previously discussed, during load line regulation, the amplitude of reference voltage 235 varies depending on the amplitude of inductor output current 122. Alternatively or additionally, reference voltage 235 may be a static value.

[0068] Based on the difference between the output voltage feedback signal 123-1 and the reference voltage 235, comparator 250 generates a corresponding error voltage 255. The magnitude of the error voltage 255 generated by comparator 250 varies depending on the degree to which the magnitude of the output voltage 123 is within or outside the adjustment range (relative to the reference voltage 225).

[0069] As further shown, based on the magnitude of the error voltage 255, the PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controller 260 of the controller 140 controls the operation of switching switches Q1 and Q2. For example, if the error voltage 255 indicates that the output voltage 123 (of the voltage converter 165) becomes less than the magnitude of the reference voltage 235, the PWM controller 360 increases the duty cycle or frequency of starting the high-side switch Q1 in the corresponding switching control cycle (thereby decreasing the duty cycle of starting the low-side switch Q2).

[0070] Conversely, if the error voltage 255 indicates that the output voltage 123 (of the voltage converter 165) becomes greater than the magnitude of the reference voltage 235, the PWM controller 260 will reduce the duty cycle or frequency of the high-side switch Q11 in the corresponding switching control cycle (and thus increase the duty cycle of the low-side switch Q2).

[0071] As is known in the art, controller 140 controls the switching on and off of each of switches Q1 and Q2 at different times to prevent input voltage 121 from short-circuiting to the ground reference voltage. For example, when switch Q1 is activated to the on state, switch Q2 is disabled to the off state. Conversely, when switch Q1 is disabled to the off state, switch Q2 is activated to the on state. Note that controller 240 implements a pause time between the on-off and off-on state transitions to prevent input voltage 121 from short-circuiting to the ground reference.

[0072] By controlling the pulse width modulation (and / or frequency modulation) variations of the corresponding switches Q1 and Q2, the controller 140 controls the generation of the output voltage 123, ensuring that the output voltage 123 remains within a desired voltage range relative to the reference voltage setpoint 235. (See the following figures...) Figure 3 , 5 Figures 6 and 7 show the amplitude of the inductor output current 122 over time.

[0073] Figure 3 The illustrations provided herein are example diagrams representing control signals and current sensing signals for the current through an inductor, according to embodiments thereof.

[0074] In this example embodiment, graph 320 illustrates the different signals, such as current sensing signal 147 (a coarse measurement of the current through inductor 225, including inaccuracies), control signal 105, and the determined current through inductor 225. Current sensing signal 147 is inaccurate at approximately times T12, T14, T16, etc.

[0075] In one embodiment, the current sensing signal 147 is measured in volts across a resistive element. However, the signal represents current. In another embodiment, the current sensing signal 147 is received in volts and converted via a gain value that indicates how the received current sensing signal 147 is converted to amperes.

[0076] Alternatively, it should be noted that the output current measurement resource 150 can be configured to generate a current sensing signal 147 as a measure of amperes. In this instance, the estimator 141 does not need to perform a conversion from volts to amperes.

[0077] Regardless of whether the current sensing signal 147 is in voltage or ampere, it indicates the magnitude of the inductor output current 122 and how it changes over time.

[0078] Furthermore, in this example embodiment, as previously discussed, the pulse width modulation controller 260 (controller 140) generates a control signal 105 that drives the corresponding switches Q1 and Q2 of the voltage converter 165.

[0079] As previously discussed, control signal 105-1 drives switch Q1; control signal 105-2 drives switch Q2.

[0080] When control signal 105-1 is at a logic high level (such as when control signal 105-1 drives switch Q1 to the ON state and control signal 105-2 drives switch Q2 to the OFF state), the current through inductor 225 changes as follows:

[0081] dI=(Vin-Vout)*dT / L

[0082] Where dI = the change of inductor output current 122 over time, Vin = the voltage at node 296 (e.g., 12VDC in this example, since switch Q1 passes the input voltage to node 296), Vout = the magnitude of output voltage 123 (e.g., 1.0VDC in this example), dT = the change over time, and L is the inductance of inductor 225 (e.g., approximately 100 nanohenries in this example).

[0083] Therefore, between each time range, such as T11 to T12, T13 to T14, the actual amount of the output current 122 increases monotonically, as shown in graph 320.

[0084] Conversely, when control signal 105-1 drives switch Q1 to the off state and control signal 105-2 drives switch Q2 to the on state, the current through inductor 225 changes as follows:

[0085] dI=(-Vout)x dT / L

[0086] Where dI = current change over time, voltage at node 296 (e.g., 0VDC in this example because switch Q2 is on), Vout = magnitude of output voltage 123 (e.g., 1.0VDC in this example), dT = sample duration, and L is the inductance of inductor 225 (e.g., approximately 100 nanohenries in this example).

[0087] Therefore, between each time range in time ranges T12 and T13, time ranges T14 and T15, the amount of output current 122 decreases monotonically, as shown in graph 320.

[0088] According to other example embodiments, as discussed below, the current sensing signal 147 received by estimator 141 is at least partially inaccurate. Instead of using the entire power delivery control cycle between times T11 and T13 to generate the corresponding inductance value L225 for inductor 225, estimator 141 selects a window 321 in the power delivery control cycle between times T11 and T13 to generate the inductance value L225 within the power delivery control cycle between times T11 and T13; estimator 141 selects a window 322 in the power delivery control cycle between times T13 and T15 to generate the inductance value L225 within the power delivery control cycle between times T13 and T15; estimator 141 selects a window 323 in the power delivery control cycle between times T15 and T17 to generate the inductance value L225 within the power delivery control cycle between times T15 and T17; and so on.

[0089] It should be noted that each of these windows can be selected at any suitable time within the corresponding power delivery control cycle (the first power delivery control cycle between times T11 and T13, the second power delivery control cycle between times T13 and T14, etc.).

[0090] With the estimated inductance value L225 associated with inductor 225, and based on the determined inductance L225 of inductor 225, estimator 141 provides a better estimate of the magnitude of the output current 122 supplied to load 118 through inductor 225. For example, based on the determined inductance value L225 and the known magnitudes of input voltage 121 and output voltage 122, estimator 141 generates a more accurate representation of the output current 122, as depicted by the actual inductor current value 122-V in graph 320.

[0091] Figure 4 The illustrations provided illustrate, according to embodiments of this document, the generation of an inductor's inductance value and the estimation of the current through the inductor using the generated inductance value.

[0092] In one embodiment, the estimator 141 includes a sampler 420, an inductance value generator 430, and a current estimator 440.

[0093] During operation, sampler 420 receives current sensing signal 147 and control signal 105. For each selected window in the corresponding power delivery control cycle, sampler 420 generates sample values ​​(such as I11, I12, TW11, TW12, etc.), as follows: Figure 5 and 6 Further discussion is needed.

[0094] As the name suggests, the inductance value generator 430 generates a corresponding inductance value L225 for each time window based on the sample value 325. In one embodiment, the estimator 141 determines the inductance value L225 of the inductor 225 based on the slope (di / dt = current change / time change) of the current sensing signal 147 in the selected window.

[0095] Therefore, embodiments of this document include: via the current sensing signal 147, estimator 141: i) selects a time window; ii) measures the amplitude change of the current sensing signal 147 during the time window; and iii) derives the inductance (value) L225 of inductor 225 based on a combination of the duration of the time window and the amplitude change of the output current 122 applied to the current sensing signal 147 during the time window.

[0096] As further shown, after generating the inductance value L225, the current estimator 440 generates the inductor current value 122-V. For example, the estimator 141 receives the control signal 105 and the values ​​of the input voltage 121 and the output voltage 123. With this information, the current estimator 440 generates an accurate inductor output current value 122-V over time. Figure 3 ).

[0097] By using the output current value 122-V from the inductor, the controller 140 can determine a specific amount of the output current 122 through the inductor 225 at a given time, the average amount of the inductor output current, etc., to control the voltage converter 135.

[0098] Figure 5 The illustrations provided herein depict example diagrams of the analysis of a current sensing signal during one or more time windows, according to embodiments thereof, to generate one or more inductance values.

[0099] As previously discussed, embodiments herein include the following observation: the current sensing signal 147 can accurately depict the amount of the output current 122 through the inductor 225 for one or more first portions of the current sensing signal 147 (such as windows 521, 522, 523, etc.); the current sensing signal 147 may be inaccurate when depicting the amount of the current 122 through the inductor 225 for one or more second portions of the current sensing signal 147 (such as outside window 521 between times TW11 and TW12, outside window 522 between times TW13 and TW15, outside window 523 between times TW15 and TW17).

[0100] In each cycle during which the high-side switching circuit system Q1 is turned on, a portion of the current sensing signal 147 can be accurate, exactly after times T11, T13, etc. These portions can be used as a window to derive the inductance value of inductor 225. However, when the high-side switching circuit system Q1 is turned on, the slope is quite steep, making it more difficult to obtain accurate time and amplitude information. Therefore, in one embodiment, it may be desirable to use a window during the startup of the low-side switching circuit system Q2, so that the slope of the current change over time is less steep.

[0101] In this example, one or more first portions (windows 521, 522, 523, etc.) of a current sensing signal 147 that accurately describes the amount of current 122 passing through inductor 225 are used to determine the inductance L225 of inductor 225, and subsequently the amount of output current 122 in all each power delivery cycle of the power delivery cycle.

[0102] One embodiment of this document includes: selecting a difference threshold (such as based on the change in current associated with each window), and using the window to determine corresponding times TW11 and TW12 associated with window 521, corresponding times TW13 and TW14 associated with window 522, etc.

[0103] As previously discussed, estimator 141 calculates the inductance value L225 of inductor 140 based on one or more sample windows of current sensing signal 147. In one embodiment, each sample window (such as a portion of current sensing signal 147 considered more accurate or most accurate) is less than the entirety of the power delivery control cycle during which power converter 135 supplies output current 122 to load 118 through inductor 225.

[0104] In one embodiment, as previously discussed, a sample window (such as each of windows 521, 522, 523, etc.) is selected depending on the respective states of switches Q1 and Q2 in the power converter 135 that generates the output current 122.

[0105] For example, in one embodiment, because the current sensing signal 147 is more accurate in this selected window, the estimator 141 selects the window based on the time it takes for the low-side switching circuit system Q2 to be activated to the on state just before the high-side switching circuit system Q1 is turned on.

[0106] If desired, other embodiments of this document include averaging the slopes of current sensing signals in multiple windows 521, 522, 523, etc., and deriving the corresponding inductance value L225 from the average slope information derived from the multiple windows.

[0107] Other embodiments herein use a combination of one or more windows during a first portion of the power delivery control cycle when the high-side switching circuitry is turned on and one or more windows during a second portion of the power delivery control cycle when the low-side switching circuitry is turned on to calculate the corresponding inductance value L225 via the current sensing signal 147.

[0108] Figure 6 The illustrations provided herein depict example diagrams of the analysis of a current sensing signal during one or more time windows to generate inductance values, according to embodiments thereof.

[0109] In a manner similar to that previously discussed, estimator 141 calculates one or more inductance values ​​L225 of inductor 140 based on sample windows 621, 622, 623, etc. of current sensing signal 147.

[0110] Figure 7 The illustrations in this paper illustrate an example time-plot of the estimated inductor current dynamically generated based on different inductance values ​​generated over time, according to embodiments of the present paper.

[0111] As previously discussed, estimator 141 estimates the magnitude of the inductance associated with inductor 225 in any suitable manner. For example, as previously discussed, in one embodiment, estimator 141 calculates (estimates) the magnitude of the output current 122 supplied through inductor 225 based on one or more parameters such as: i) the calculated inductance of inductor 225 (e.g., based on inductance value L225), ii) the magnitude of the input voltage 121 of power converter 165 (e.g., a DC-DC power converter), which is operable to convert the input voltage 121 (e.g., a DC input voltage) to an output voltage 123 (e.g., a DC output voltage), iii) the magnitude of the output voltage 123 of power converter 165 supplying power to load 118, etc.

[0112] Therefore, after calculating the inductance (L225) of inductor 225 based on a more accurate, but not complete, portion of the corresponding power delivery cycle (such as windows 521, 522, 523, ..., windows 521, 522, 523, ...), estimator 141 estimates the magnitude of the output current 122 supplied to load 118 over the entire duration of the power delivery control cycle based on the calculated inductance (L225) of inductor 225. The estimate of the inductor output current 122 is more accurate than that indicated by the current sensing signal 147 itself.

[0113] As further illustrated in this example embodiment, the estimator 141 operates over time ranges T11 and T17 ( Figure 3The inductance of inductor 225 is calculated as 103.1 nanohenries (nH) between time ranges T21 and T27; the inductance of inductor 225 is calculated as 103.2 nanohenries (nH) between time ranges T31 and T37; the inductance of inductor 225 is calculated as 104.3 nanohenries (nH) between time ranges T41 and T47. Figure 6 The inductance of inductor 225 is calculated to be 105.1 nanohenries (nH); etc.

[0114] As previously Figure 4 As discussed elsewhere in this specification, the embodiments herein include using the generated inductance value L225 and the values ​​of input voltage 121, output voltage 123, etc., at different times to derive a more accurate representation of the inductor output current 122.

[0115] More specifically, for the time range T11 to T17, the current estimator 340 (of estimator 141) uses the inductance value L225 = 103.1nH, the input voltage 121, and the output voltage 123 to generate the corresponding actual inductance current 122-V1; for the time range T21 to T27, the current estimator 340 (of estimator 141) uses the inductance value L225 = 103.2nH, the input voltage 121, and the output voltage 123 to generate the corresponding actual inductance current 122-V2. For the time range T31 to T37, the current estimator 340 of (estimator 141) uses the inductance value L225 = 104.3nH and the input voltage 121 and output voltage 123 to generate the corresponding actual inductance current 122-V3; for the time range T41 to T47, the current estimator 340 of (estimator 141) uses the inductance value L225 = 105.1nH and the input voltage 121 and output voltage 123 to generate the corresponding actual inductance current 122-V4; and so on.

[0116] Refer again Figure 3 and Figure 7 Based on the estimated inductance L225 associated with inductor 225, and control signal 105, input voltage 121 and output voltage 123, current estimator 440 associated with estimator 141 generates actual inductor current values ​​122-V (such as 122-V1, 122-V2, 122-V3, etc.).

[0117] To generate an actual current value of 122-V for each inductance value at time T11 in graph 320, it is known that the current through inductor 225 is zero. During the activation of switch Q1 between times T11 and T12, times T13 and T14, the current through inductor 225 increases monotonically at the following rate:

[0118] dI=(Vin-Vout)*dT / L

[0119] Where dI = the change of inductor output current 122 over time, Vin = the voltage at node 296 (e.g., 12VDC in this example, since switch Q1 passes the input voltage to node 296), Vout = the magnitude of output voltage 123 (e.g., 1.0VDC in this example), dT = the change over time, and L is the inductance of inductor 225 (e.g., 103.1, 103.2, 104.3, etc. for each instance).

[0120] Therefore, the actual amount of output current 122 increases monotonically between each time range, such as T11 and T12, T13 and T14.

[0121] Conversely, when control signal 105-1 drives switch Q1 to the off state and control signal 105-2 drives switch Q2 to the on state, the current changes through inductor 225 between times T12 and T13, and between times T14 and T15, are as follows:

[0122] dI=(-Vout)x dT / L

[0123] Where dI = current change over time, voltage at node 296 (e.g., 0VDC in this example because switch Q2 is on), Vout = magnitude of output voltage 123 (e.g., 1.0VDC in this example), dT = sample duration, and L is the inductance of inductor 225 (e.g., 103.1, 103.2, 104.3, etc. for each instance).

[0124] Based on this processing, based on different inductor values ​​such as 103.1nH, 103.2nH, 104.3nH, 105.1nH, etc., the estimator 141 generates the estimated actual current values ​​122-V1, 122-V2, 12-V3, 122-V4, etc.

[0125] Figure 8 This is an example block diagram of a computing device according to embodiments of this document, which is used to implement any of the operations discussed herein.

[0126] As shown, the computer system 800 of this example (such as implemented by any one of one or more resources, such as controller 140, estimator 141, output current measurement resource 150, etc.) includes interconnect 811 that couples together a computer-readable storage medium 812, such as a non-transitory type medium (or hardware storage medium), a processor 813 (e.g., computer processor hardware, such as one or more processor devices), an I / O interface 814, and a communication interface 817 in which digital information can be stored and retrieved.

[0127] I / O interface 814 provides connectivity to any suitable circuit system, such as power voltage converter 165.

[0128] The computer-readable storage medium 812 can be any hardware storage resource or device, such as a memory, optical storage device, hard disk drive, floppy disk, etc. In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium 812 stores instructions and / or data used by the estimator application 140-1 to perform any of the operations described herein.

[0129] Furthermore, in this example embodiment, the communication interface 817 enables the computer system 800 and the processor 813 to communicate via resources such as network 190 to retrieve information from a remote source and communicate with other computers.

[0130] As shown, the computer-readable storage medium 812 is encoded with an estimator application 140-1 (e.g., software, firmware, etc.) executed by the processor 813. The estimator application 140-1 can be configured to include instructions for implementing any of the operations discussed herein.

[0131] During operation in one embodiment, the processor 813 accesses the computer-readable storage medium 812 via the use of the interconnect 811 in order to initiate, run, execute, interpret, or otherwise perform instructions in the estimator application 140-1 stored on the computer-readable storage medium 812.

[0132] The execution of estimator application 140-1 produces processing functionality, such as estimator process 140-2 in processor 813. In other words, estimator process 140-2 associated with processor 813 represents one or more aspects of estimator application 140-1 being executed within or on processor 813 in computer system 800.

[0133] According to different embodiments, it should be noted that the computer system 800 may be a microcontroller device, logic, hardware processor, mixed analog / digital circuit system, etc., which is configured to control power and perform any of the operations described herein.

[0134] Functionality supported by different resources will now be achieved through Figure 9 The following flowchart will be used for discussion. It should be noted that the steps in the flowchart below can be performed in any suitable order.

[0135] Figure 9 This is an example diagram illustrating a method for controlling a power converter according to embodiments of this document.

[0136] In processing operation 910, estimator 141 receives current sensing signal 147, which represents the magnitude of the inductor output current 122 supplied to load 118 by inductor 225 of power converter 135.

[0137] In processing operation 920, estimator 141 determines the inductance value L225 of inductor 225 based on current sensing signal 147.

[0138] In processing operation 930, controller 140 controls the operation of power converter 135 based on the determined inductance value L225.

[0139] Figure 10 This is an example diagram illustrating the assembly of a power converter circuit on a circuit board according to embodiments of this document.

[0140] In this example embodiment, the assembler 1040 accommodates a substrate 1010 (such as a circuit board).

[0141] Assembler 1040 also attaches (couples) controller 140 and voltage converter 165 (and corresponding components associated with power converter 135, such as estimator 141, output current measurement resource 150, etc.) to substrate 1010.

[0142] The assembler 1040 couples the controller 140 to the voltage converter 165 via circuit path 1021 (such as one or more traces, conductors, cables, wires, etc.). It should be noted that components such as the controller 140, the voltage converter 165, and corresponding components associated with the power converter 135 (such as the estimator 141, output current measurement resource 150, etc.) can be attached or coupled to the substrate 1010 in any suitable manner. For example, one or more components of the power supply 100 can be soldered to the substrate, inserted into sockets placed on the substrate 1010, etc.

[0143] It should also be noted that substrate 1010 is optional. Circuit paths 1020, 1021, 1022, etc., can be provided in the cable to provide connectivity between power converter 135 and load 118.

[0144] In a non-limiting example embodiment, load 118 is disposed on its own substrate, independent of substrate 1010; the substrate of load 118 is directly or indirectly connected to substrate 1010. Any part of controller 140 or power converter 135 may be disposed on a separate smaller board that is inserted into a socket in substrate 1010.

[0145] Assembler 1040 couples voltage converter 165 to load 118 via one or more circuit paths 1022 (such as one or more traces, cables, connectors, wires, conductors, conductive paths, etc.). In one embodiment, circuit path 1022 delivers the output voltage 123 (and output current 122) generated by voltage converter 165 to load 118.

[0146] Therefore, embodiments herein include a system comprising: a substrate 1010 (such as a circuit board, a stand-alone board, a motherboard, a stand-alone board designated to be coupled to the motherboard, a host, etc.); a voltage converter 165 including the corresponding components described herein; and a load 118. As previously discussed, the load 118 is powered based on the transmission of an output voltage 123 and a corresponding current 122 transmitted over one or more circuit paths 1022 from the voltage converter 165 to the load 118.

[0147] It should be noted that the load 118 can be any suitable circuitry or hardware, such as one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), and ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits, such as ASICs that include one or more artificial intelligence accelerators), which can be located on the substrate 1010 or at a remote location.

[0148] It should be noted again that the techniques described herein are well-suited for use in circuit applications, such as those implementing power conversion. However, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein are not limited to such applications, and the techniques discussed herein are also well-suited for other applications.

[0149] Based on the descriptions presented herein, numerous specific details have been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, apparatuses, systems, etc., known to those of ordinary skill in the art, have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter. Some portions of the detailed description have been presented in accordance with algorithms or symbolic representations of operations on data bits or binary digital signals stored in the memory of a computing system such as computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions or representations are examples of techniques used by those of ordinary skill in the field of data processing to convey the working substance of their work to others of ordinary skill in the art. The algorithms described herein are generally considered to be a self-consistent sequence of operations or similar processes that lead to a desired result. In this context, the operation or process involves the physical manipulation of a physical quantity. Typically, although not strictly necessary, this quantity may take the form of an electrical or magnetic signal that can be stored, transmitted, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated. Primarily for common use, it is sometimes more convenient to refer to such signals as bits, data, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, numerals, etc. However, it should be understood that all these and similar terms will be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specifically stated, as will be apparent from the following discussion, it is to be understood that throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” and “determining” refer to the actions or processes of a computing platform, such as a computer or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates or transforms data represented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities within the computing platform’s memory, registers, or other information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0150] Although the invention has been specifically shown and described with reference to its preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Such variations are intended to be covered by the scope of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing description of embodiments of the invention is not intended to be limiting. Rather, any limitation on the invention is set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: A power converter capable of operating to generate an output voltage to power a load via an output current through an inductor; as well as The estimator can operate as follows: i) Receive a current sensing signal, the current sensing signal representing the amplitude of the output current provided through the inductor; as well as ii) Determine the inductance of the inductor based on multiple samples of the current sensing signal. The plurality of samples are acquired during a time window, the selection of which depends at least in part on the slope of the current sensing signal, the slope being determined based on the setting of a switch in the power converter that controls the output current flowing through the inductor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to: Based on the determined inductance of the inductor, the amplitude of the output current provided through the inductor is estimated.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power converter includes a controller operable to control the operation of the power converter circuit based on the estimated magnitude of the output current.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to repeatedly determine the inductance of the inductor during a plurality of power delivery control cycles of the power converter that generates the output voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to: The magnitude of the output current supplied to the load is estimated based on the following: i) The inductance of the inductor as determined. ii) the amplitude of the input voltage of the power converter, the power converter being operable to convert the input voltage into the output voltage, and iii) The magnitude of the output voltage of the power converter that supplies power to the load.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to: The inductance is determined based on the slope of the current sensing signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to: via the current sensing signal: i) Select the time window; and ii) Based on the plurality of samples of the current sensing signal during the time window, measure the change in the amplitude of the output current provided by the inductor; and iii) Derive the inductance of the inductor based on the duration of the time window and the change in the amplitude of the current sensing signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power converter includes a high-side switching circuit system and a low-side switching circuit system activated at different times during a power delivery control cycle to control the amplitude of the output current through the inductor; and The estimator is also operable to select a time window in the power delivery control cycle such that the time window is within the duration during which the low-side switching circuit system is activated.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to: The current sensing signal is received from a current monitor, which generates the current sensing signal based on a voltage change on a sensing resistor in the power converter, the voltage change being caused by the flow of the output current through the sensing resistor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to: The amplitude variation of the output current supplied by the inductor during the time window is determined via the current sensing signal; and The inductance is derived, at least in part, based on the duration of the time window divided by the determined amplitude variation of the output current supplied by the inductor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimator is further operable to: The inductance of the inductor is determined based on a sample window of the current sensing signal, the sample window being less than the entire portion of the power delivery control cycle during which the power converter supplies the load with the output current through the inductor. Based on the determined inductance of the inductor, the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load during the entire duration of the power delivery control cycle is estimated.

12. A method comprising: The power converter controls the output current through the inductor to generate an output voltage that supplies power to the load. Receive a current sensing signal, the current sensing signal representing the amplitude of the output current supplied to the load through the inductor; as well as The inductance of the inductor is determined based on multiple samples of the current sensing signal. The plurality of samples are acquired during a time window, the selection of which depends at least in part on the slope of the current sensing signal, the slope being determined based on the setting of a switch in the power converter that controls the output current flowing through the inductor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: Based on the determined inductance of the inductor, the amplitude of the output current provided through the inductor is estimated.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The operation of the power converter circuit is controlled based on the estimated magnitude of the output current.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The inductance of the inductor is repeatedly determined during multiple power delivery control cycles that control the power converter to generate the output voltage.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The magnitude of the output current supplied to the load is estimated based on the following: i) The inductance of the inductor as determined. ii) the amplitude of the input voltage of the power converter, the power converter being operable to convert the input voltage into the output voltage, and iii) The magnitude of the output voltage of the power converter that supplies power to the load.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The inductance is determined based on the slope of the current sensing signal.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the inductor comprises: via the current sensing signal: i) Select a time window; as well as ii) Based on the plurality of samples of the current sensing signal, measure the change in the amplitude of the current sensing signal during the time window; as well as iii) Derive the inductance of the inductor based on the duration of the time window and the change in the amplitude of the current sensing signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the power converter includes a high-side switching circuit system and a low-side switching circuit system activated at different times during a power delivery control cycle to control the amplitude of the output current through the inductor, the method further comprising: The time window in the power delivery control cycle is selected such that the time window is within the duration during which the low-side switching circuit system is activated.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The current sensing signal is received from a current monitor, which generates the current sensing signal based on a voltage change on a sensing resistor in the power converter, the voltage change being caused by the flow of the output current through the sensing resistor.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the inductor comprises: The amplitude change of the output current during the time window is determined via the current sensing signal; as well as The inductance is derived, at least in part, based on the duration of the time window divided by the determined amplitude change of the output current.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the inductor comprises: The inductance of the inductor is determined based on a sample window of the current sensing signal, the sample window being less than the entire portion of the power delivery control cycle during which the power converter supplies the output current through the inductor to the load, the method further comprising: Based on the determined inductance of the inductor, the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load during the entire duration of the power delivery control cycle is estimated.

23. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to: Receive a current sensing signal, which represents the magnitude of the output current supplied to the load through the inductor of the power converter; The inductance of the inductor is determined based on multiple samples of the current sensing signal; and The operation of the power converter is controlled based on the determined inductance. The plurality of samples are acquired during a time window, the selection of which depends at least in part on the slope of the current sensing signal, the slope being determined based on the setting of a switch in the power converter that controls the output current flowing through the inductor.

24. A system comprising: Circuit substrate; The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is coupled to the circuit substrate; and The load is coupled to the substrate.

25. A method comprising: Embedded circuit substrate; as well as The device according to claim 1 is coupled to the circuit substrate.

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