Control circuit, control method of multiphase power supply and multiphase power supply

Abstract

This invention discloses a control circuit, control method, and multiphase power supply for a multiphase power supply. The control circuit includes: a current reference signal generation module configured to adjust a first compensation signal according to a first proportional coefficient and a first voltage signal, so that the first compensation signal is consistent with the first voltage signal in a stable state, and thereby obtain a current reference signal; and a control module configured to obtain control signals for each phase power conversion circuit according to the current reference signal, so as to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load. This invention can adjust the first compensation signal according to the number of phases of the power conversion circuit actually operating in the multiphase power supply and the average value of the total output current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the set power conversion circuit, which can improve the phase-cutting stability of the multiphase power supply and facilitate the rapid and accurate control of the multiphase power supply.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of power converter technology, specifically to a control circuit, control method, and multiphase power supply for a multiphase power supply. Background Technology

[0002] Modern electronic components, such as central processing units (CPUs) and memory, have progressively lower driving voltages, which reduces their tolerance for voltage ripple. However, the power consumption of these components has not decreased at the same rate, resulting in an increase in the current required for operation. This larger current, in turn, causes larger voltage ripple. To address this issue, multiphase switching power supply (MSPS) architectures have been developed, distributing the current across multiple switching circuits. Compared to single-phase switching power supply architectures, MPS architectures not only excel in eliminating voltage ripple but also offer advantages in dynamic response, output ripple current elimination, and heat dissipation.

[0003] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an existing multiphase power supply is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the multiphase power supply 100 includes: a multiphase power supply control circuit 110, N-phase parallel power conversion circuits 101-10N (N is an integer greater than or equal to 1), and a feedback control circuit 111. Each phase power conversion circuit includes a driver, switching devices T1 and T2, and an inductor Lx. Switching devices T1 and T2 are connected between the input voltage Vin and a reference ground. The first end of the inductor Lx is connected to the intermediate node of switching devices T1 and T2, and the second end is connected to the first end of the output capacitor Cout. The second end of the output capacitor Cout is grounded. The driver in each phase power conversion circuit 101-10N receives a control signal, i.e., pulse width modulation signals PWM1-PWMN, provided by the multiphase power supply controller 110, and controls the corresponding switching device transistor to turn on and off according to the received control signal, charging the energy storage element of the corresponding phase for a corresponding duration to generate the output voltage Vo1-VoN of the corresponding phase. The output voltages Vo1-VoN are combined into a single output voltage Vout, and the load is driven based on the output capacitor Cout. The multiphase power supply control circuit 110 includes multiple control units 1121-112N. Each control unit uses the first compensation signal Vc1 output by the feedback control circuit 111 as its own current reference signal, and then controls the on / off of each switching device T1 and T2 based on the comparison result between its own inductor current and the current reference signal Vc1.

[0004] Existing control methods for multiphase power supplies cannot achieve rapid control of the average current of the multiphase power supply. Furthermore, when the multiphase power supply undergoes phase switching changes (e.g., the number of phases of the power conversion circuit actually turned on changes), the existing control methods cannot respond quickly to the changes in the number of phases, which is not conducive to achieving accurate control of the multiphase power supply.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide improved technical solutions to overcome the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a control circuit, control method, and multiphase power supply for a multiphase power supply. The first compensation signal can be adjusted based on the number of phases of the power conversion circuit actually operating in the multiphase power supply and the average value of the total output current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the power conversion circuit. This improves the phase-cutting stability of the multiphase power supply and facilitates rapid and accurate control of the multiphase power supply.

[0007] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a control circuit for a multiphase power supply is provided. The multiphase power supply includes an N-phase power conversion circuit, where N is the number of phases in the multiphase power supply and is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The control circuit includes:

[0008] The current reference signal generation module is configured to adjust the first compensation signal according to the first proportional coefficient and the first voltage signal so that the first compensation signal is consistent with the first voltage signal in a stable state, and thereby obtain the current reference signal.

[0009] The control module is configured to obtain control signals for each phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal, so as to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load.

[0010] Wherein, the first compensation signal represents the difference between the output feedback signal of the multiphase power supply and the preset reference voltage; the first proportional coefficient represents the ratio of the number of phases of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit; and the first voltage signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the power conversion circuit.

[0011] Optionally, the first voltage signal is obtained by sampling the total current actually output by the N-phase power conversion circuit and dividing it by N;

[0012] Alternatively, it can be obtained by filtering the output current of the power conversion circuit that sets the number of phases in the multiphase power supply.

[0013] Optionally, the number of phases of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply is greater than or equal to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

[0014] Optionally, the current reference signal generation module includes:

[0015] A voltage conversion unit receives the first compensation signal, and the voltage conversion unit is configured to perform voltage conversion on the first compensation signal according to the first proportional coefficient to obtain a first node signal;

[0016] A voltage regulation unit is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit, and the voltage regulation unit is configured to obtain a voltage regulation signal based on the first compensation signal and the first voltage signal.

[0017] The current reference signal is obtained by superimposing the voltage regulation signal and the first node signal.

[0018] Optionally, the first node signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

[0019] Optionally, when the first compensation signal is greater than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal is increased;

[0020] When the first compensation signal is less than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal decreases.

[0021] Optionally, the voltage conversion unit includes:

[0022] The first voltage conversion unit is configured to convert the first compensation signal into a second voltage signal according to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

[0023] A second voltage conversion unit is connected to the first voltage conversion unit. The second voltage conversion unit is configured to convert the second voltage signal according to the number of phases of the power conversion circuit to obtain the first node signal.

[0024] Optionally, the voltage regulation unit includes:

[0025] The comparator receives the first compensation signal at its first input terminal, receives the first voltage signal at its second input terminal, and outputs an adjustment signal at its output terminal.

[0026] A voltage regulation subunit receives the regulation signal, and the voltage regulation subunit is configured to obtain the voltage regulation signal based on the regulation signal.

[0027] Optionally, the second voltage conversion unit includes: a first operational amplifier, a second resistor, and a third resistor.

[0028] The second resistor and the third resistor are connected in series between the output terminal of the first operational amplifier and the reference ground.

[0029] The first input terminal of the first operational amplifier receives the second voltage signal, the second input terminal of the first operational amplifier is connected to the intermediate connection node between the second resistor and the third resistor, and the output terminal of the first operational amplifier outputs the first node signal.

[0030] Wherein, the voltage division ratio of the second resistor and the third resistor to the first node signal is equal to the reciprocal of the number of phases of the power conversion circuit.

[0031] Optionally, the voltage regulation subunit includes:

[0032] A current generating unit is configured to generate a first current signal according to the adjustment signal;

[0033] A first resistor has a first end connected to the current generating unit and a second end connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit. The first resistor is configured to receive the first current signal to obtain the voltage adjustment signal at its two ends.

[0034] The voltage regulation subunit outputs the current reference signal at the first end of the first resistor.

[0035] Optionally, the control module includes:

[0036] The N-phase control unit corresponds one-to-one with the N-phase power conversion circuit. Each phase control unit in the N-phase control unit is configured to generate a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal for the corresponding phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal, and obtain a control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, as well as the inductor current sampling signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices in the corresponding phase power conversion circuit.

[0037] Optionally, the control module includes:

[0038] A current reference signal processing unit generates a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal based on the current reference signal.

[0039] The N-phase control unit corresponds one-to-one with the N-phase power conversion circuit. Each phase control unit in the N-phase control unit is configured to obtain a control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal, as well as the inductor current sampling signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, so as to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices in the corresponding phase power conversion circuit.

[0040] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a multiphase power supply is provided, comprising: an N-phase parallel coupled power conversion circuit, where N is the number of phases configured in the multiphase power supply and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and a control circuit as described above.

[0041] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a multiphase power supply is provided. The multiphase power supply includes an N-phase power conversion circuit, where N is the number of phases in the multiphase power supply and is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The control method includes:

[0042] The first compensation signal is obtained based on the output feedback signal of the multiphase power supply and the preset reference voltage;

[0043] The first voltage signal is obtained based on the total output current of the multiphase power supply and the number of phases of the power conversion circuit.

[0044] The first compensation signal is adjusted according to the first proportional coefficient and the first voltage signal so that the first compensation signal is consistent with the first voltage signal in a stable state, and a current reference signal is obtained accordingly.

[0045] Based on the current reference signal, control signals are obtained for each phase power conversion circuit to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load.

[0046] The first proportional coefficient represents the ratio of the number of phases of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

[0047] Optionally, the reference current signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

[0048] Optionally, the method for obtaining the first voltage signal includes:

[0049] The result is obtained by sampling the total current actually output by the N-phase power conversion circuit and dividing it by N.

[0050] Alternatively, it can be obtained by filtering the output current of the power conversion circuit that sets the number of phases in the multiphase power supply.

[0051] Optionally, adjusting the first compensation signal according to the first proportional coefficient and the first voltage signal includes:

[0052] The first compensation signal is voltage-converted according to the first proportional coefficient to obtain the first node signal;

[0053] A voltage adjustment signal is obtained based on the first compensation signal and the first voltage signal;

[0054] The voltage regulation signal is superimposed on the first node signal to generate the current reference signal.

[0055] Optionally, the first node signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

[0056] Optionally, obtaining the voltage adjustment signal based on the first compensation signal and the first voltage signal specifically includes:

[0057] When the first compensation signal is greater than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal increases.

[0058] When the first compensation signal is less than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal decreases.

[0059] Optionally, obtaining the control signal for each phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal includes:

[0060] Based on the current reference signal, a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal are generated for the corresponding phase power conversion circuit;

[0061] The control signal is obtained based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, as well as the inductor current.

[0062] The beneficial effects of the present invention include at least the following:

[0063] This invention utilizes a first proportional coefficient and a first voltage signal to convert and adjust a first compensation signal to obtain a current reference signal. This method uses the ratio information representing the ratio of the number of phases of the power conversion circuits set in a multiphase power supply to the number of phases of the power conversion circuits that are turned on, and a first voltage signal. It can adjust the first compensation based on the actual number of phases of the power conversion circuits that are turned on in the multiphase power supply and the average value of the total output current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the set power conversion circuits to generate a current reference signal corresponding to each phase power conversion circuit. In this way, the phase-cutting stability of the multiphase power supply can be improved, which is beneficial to achieving fast and accurate control of the multiphase power supply.

[0064] It should be noted that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0065] Figure 1This diagram shows a schematic of an existing multiphase power supply.

[0066] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the structure of a multiphase power supply according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the current reference signal generation module in the diagram;

[0068] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a multiphase power supply according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0069] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0070] It should be noted that, in this document, the switching device is a transistor operating in switching mode to provide a current path, including one selected from bipolar transistors or field-effect transistors. The first and second terminals of the switching device are respectively the high-potential terminal and the low-potential terminal on the current path, and the control terminal of the switching device is used to receive a drive signal to control the conduction and turn-off of the transistor. Furthermore, in this application, the description of the conduction and turn-off of the power conversion circuit corresponds to the conduction and turn-off of the main switching device in the power conversion circuit that receives the input voltage. For example, turning on the power conversion circuit corresponds to turning on the main switching device in the power conversion circuit to connect the energy storage element in the circuit to the input for charging and energy storage, and to begin providing power output to the load; turning off the power conversion circuit corresponds to turning off the main switching device in the power conversion circuit to end the charging and energy storage state of the energy storage element in the circuit, and to provide power output to the load based on the freewheeling diode.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, the multiphase power supply disclosed in this embodiment of the invention includes a control circuit (hereinafter referred to as the control circuit) 210 and N-phase parallel-coupled power conversion circuits 201-20N. Each phase of the N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N has an input terminal coupled to the input voltage and an output terminal coupled to the load to provide power output. N is the number of phases in the multiphase power supply, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0072] It should be noted that, Figure 2 The power conversion circuit shown can be referenced. Figure 1The structure of the power conversion circuit 101 in the N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N is explained. In this embodiment, the inductors corresponding to each phase of the power conversion circuit in each phase can be discrete or coupled (e.g., the first and second phase inductors are coupled; the third and fourth phase inductors are coupled, and so on). Although this power conversion circuit is described as having a buck topology, the technical solution of this invention can be adopted for any type of layout design, such as boost, flyback, buck-boost, Cuk, Sepic, and Zeta types.

[0073] Control circuit 210 is coupled to N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N respectively. Control circuit 210 is used to adjust the power output based on a first proportional coefficient (denoted as N / act_phase) and a first voltage signal V. SEN The first compensation signal Vc1 is adjusted so that when the multiphase power supply 200 reaches a stable state, the first compensation signal Vc1 and the first voltage signal Vc1 are synchronized. SEN The current reference signal Vc2 is obtained accordingly, and control signals PWM1-PWMN for each phase power conversion circuit in the N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N are obtained based on the current reference signal Vc2 to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load. The first compensation signal Vc1 represents the difference between the output feedback signal (denoted as FB) of the multi-phase power supply 200 and the preset reference voltage (denoted as Vref). The first proportional coefficient represents the ratio of the number of phases N of the power conversion circuits set in the multi-phase power supply 200 to the number of phases of the power conversion circuits actually turned on (hereinafter referred to as the number of turned-on phases, denoted as act_phase). The first voltage signal Vc1 represents the difference between the output feedback signal (denoted as FB) of the multi-phase power supply 200 and the preset reference voltage (denoted as Vref). SEN This represents the average value (i.e., Iout / N) of the total output current of the multiphase power supply 200 relative to the set number of phases N. When the multiphase power supply 200 reaches a steady state, the first compensation signal Vc1 and the first voltage signal V... SEN When the first compensation signal Vc1 and the first voltage signal V are in a stable state, SEN Equal or very close.

[0074] Optionally, the first voltage signal V SEN It can be obtained by sampling the total current Iout actually output by the N-phase power conversion circuit and dividing it by N; or by filtering the output current of the power conversion circuit with a set number of phases in a multi-phase power supply.

[0075] In this invention, the number of phases N in the power conversion circuit of the multiphase power supply 200 is greater than or equal to the number of activated phases act_phase, and the first proportional coefficient is greater than or equal to 1.

[0076] In this embodiment, the control circuit 210 further includes: a feedback control circuit 211, a first voltage signal generation unit 212, a current reference signal generation module 213, and a control module 214.

[0077] The feedback control circuit 211 has its first input terminal connected to the output terminals of the N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N to receive the output feedback signal FB, which represents the output voltage Vout of the multiphase power supply 200. The second input terminal of the feedback control circuit 211 receives a preset reference voltage signal Vref. The output terminal of the feedback control circuit 211 is connected to the current reference signal generation module 213 to output a first compensation signal Vc1 to the current reference signal generation module 213. For example, the output feedback signal FB can be obtained by dividing the output voltage Vout of the multiphase power supply 200 using a resistor voltage divider sampling unit. In some possible embodiments of the present invention, the feedback control circuit 211 specifically includes an error amplifier circuit and a compensation circuit. The first input terminal of the error amplifier circuit receives the reference voltage signal Vref, the second input terminal receives the output feedback signal FB, and the output terminal of the error amplifier circuit is connected to the compensation circuit and outputs the first compensation signal Vc1.

[0078] Optionally, the first voltage signal generation unit 212 in this embodiment can be configured to sample the output current of the phase that is turned on in each phase of the N-phase power conversion circuit to obtain multiple sampling signals, and add the multiple sampling signals and divide by N to generate the first voltage signal V. SEN The first voltage signal generation unit 212 can also be configured to directly sample the total actual output circuit Iout of the multiphase power supply 200 and divide it by N to generate the first voltage signal V. SEN Preferably, the first voltage signal generation unit 212 can also generate the output current of each phase power conversion circuit (i.e., each configured phase power conversion circuit) in the N-phase power conversion circuit, such as I... 01 -I 0N Filtering is performed to generate the first voltage signal V SEN This is used to obtain the average current value characterizing the multiphase power supply 200, while the corresponding output current of the unactivated phase is zero. This invention does not limit this aspect.

[0079] Optionally, the first voltage signal V SEN It can also be obtained through expected settings.

[0080] The current reference signal generation module 213 is configured to generate a current reference signal based on a first proportionality coefficient N / act_phase and a first voltage signal V. SENThe first compensation signal Vc1 is adjusted so that when the multiphase power supply 200 reaches a steady state, the first compensation signal Vc1 is equal to the first voltage signal V. SEN And based on this, the current reference signal Vc2 is obtained.

[0081] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the current reference signal generation module 213 in this embodiment includes a voltage conversion unit 2131 and a voltage adjustment unit 2132.

[0082] The voltage conversion unit 2131 is configured to receive a first compensation signal Vc1 and perform voltage conversion on the first compensation signal Vc1 according to a first proportional coefficient N / act_phase to obtain a first node signal. In this embodiment, the voltage conversion unit 2131 further includes a first voltage conversion unit 21311 and a second voltage conversion unit 21312.

[0083] The first voltage conversion unit 21311 is configured to convert the first compensation signal Vc1 into a second voltage signal based on the number of active phases (act_phase) of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply 200. For example, the first voltage conversion unit 21311 can utilize a first resistor divider unit to convert the first compensation signal Vc1. This is achieved by appropriately setting the resistance value of each resistor in the first resistor divider unit and adjusting the resistance values ​​of one or more resistors in the resistor divider unit in real time based on monitoring the operating status of each phase of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply 200 (e.g., by setting at least one variable resistor in the first resistor divider unit, or by connecting a switch in parallel with each series resistor in the first resistor divider unit). This ensures that the voltage division coefficient of the first resistor divider unit is equal to the reciprocal of the number of active phases (act_phase) of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply 200. In other examples of the invention, a multiplier or divider may be used to perform voltage conversion on the first compensation signal Vc1. For example, the processor may adjust the operation coefficients of the multiplier or divider based on monitoring the operating status of each phase power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply 200, so that the reciprocal of the operation coefficients of the multiplier or the divider is equal to 1 / act_phase.

[0084] The second voltage conversion unit 21312 is connected to the first voltage conversion unit 21311. The second voltage conversion unit 21312 is configured to convert the second voltage signal output by the first voltage conversion unit 21311 into a voltage signal equal to the reciprocal of the number of phases (i.e., 1 / N) of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply 200, thereby obtaining the first node signal (denoted as V). AFor example, the second voltage conversion unit 21312 further includes a first operational amplifier 21313 and a second resistor divider unit 21314 comprising a second resistor R2 and a third resistor R3. The second resistor R2 and the third resistor R3 are connected in series between the output terminal of the first operational amplifier 21313 and a reference ground; the first input terminal of the first operational amplifier 21313 receives a second voltage signal, the second input terminal of the first operational amplifier 21313 is connected to the intermediate connection node of the second resistor R2 and the third resistor R3, and the output terminal of the first operational amplifier 21313 outputs a first node signal V. A Among them, the second resistor R2 and the third resistor R3 are related to the first node signal V. A The voltage division ratio, i.e., the voltage division ratio of the second resistor voltage divider unit 21314, is equal to the reciprocal of the number of phases (1 / N) of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply 200. It can be understood that the voltage division ratio of the second resistor voltage divider unit 21314 can be preset based on 1 / N.

[0085] like Figure 3 As shown, based on the connection structure of the voltage conversion unit 2131, its input-output relationship is as follows:

[0086]

[0087] Understandably, since the first proportional coefficient represents the ratio information between the number of phases N of the power conversion circuit set in the multiphase power supply 200 and the number of phases act_phase of the power conversion circuit actually turned on, the voltage conversion unit 2131 can establish a connection between the first compensation signal Vc1 and act_phase. This allows the first compensation signal Vc1 to be adjusted according to the number of phases act_phase of the power conversion circuit actually turned on in the multiphase power supply 200 during subsequent voltage regulation. This results in obtaining a current reference signal Vc2 related to the number of phases act_phase of the power conversion circuit actually turned on in the multiphase power supply 200 to trigger and control each phase power conversion circuit. When the number of phases act_phase of the power conversion circuit actually turned on in the multiphase power supply 200 changes, the output current of each phase power conversion circuit can be adjusted quickly and timely to keep the average value of the output current of each phase power conversion circuit constant. This, in turn, facilitates the rapid and accurate adjustment of the output current Iout of the multiphase power supply 200.

[0088] Furthermore, the voltage regulation unit 2132 is connected to the voltage conversion unit 2131, and the voltage regulation unit 2132 is configured to adjust the voltage according to the first compensation signal Vc1 and the first voltage signal V. SEN Obtain the voltage regulation signal. The current reference signal Vc2 is based on the voltage regulation signal and the first node signal V. AThis is obtained by superimposing the current reference signal Vc2. For example, the current reference signal Vc2 is equal to the voltage regulation signal and the first node signal Vc2. A Superimposed signals.

[0089] In this embodiment, the voltage regulation unit 2132 further includes a comparator 21322 and a voltage regulation subunit 21321. The first input terminal of the comparator 21322 receives a first compensation signal Vc1, and the second input terminal of the comparator 21322 receives a first voltage signal V. SEN The comparator 21322 outputs an adjustment signal. The voltage regulation subunit 21321 receives this adjustment signal and is configured to obtain a voltage regulation signal based on the adjustment signal, and adjust the first node signal V according to the voltage regulation signal. A Adjustments are made to generate a current reference signal Vc2.

[0090] In some examples of the present invention, the first compensation signal Vc1 is greater than the first voltage signal V SEN When the voltage regulation signal increases, the first compensation signal Vc1 is less than the first voltage signal V. SEN Under these conditions, the voltage regulation signal decreases. Through dynamic adjustment, the first compensation signal Vc1 and the first voltage signal V are synchronized in a stable state. SEN The dynamic equilibrium.

[0091] The voltage regulation subunit 21321 further includes a current generation unit 21323 and a first resistor R1. The current generation unit 21323 is configured to generate a first current signal based on the regulation signal output by the comparator 21322. The first terminal of the first resistor R1 is connected to the current generation unit 21323, and the second terminal of the first resistor R1 is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit 2131. The first resistor R1 is configured to receive the first current signal to obtain a voltage regulation signal at its two terminals. Simultaneously, the voltage regulation subunit 21322 also outputs a current reference signal Vc2 at the first terminal of the first resistor R1, i.e., node B.

[0092] For example, the adjustment signal may be a signal representing the first compensation signal Vc1 and the first voltage signal V. SEN The high / low level signals indicating the relative magnitudes; and the current generation unit 21323 can, for example, utilize a voltage-controlled current source or a digital-to-analog converter to implement the corresponding function based on the corresponding adjustment signal.

[0093] For example, the current generating unit 21323 is configured as a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). Furthermore, when the first compensation signal Vc1 is greater than the first voltage signal V... SENWhen the comparator 21322 outputs a high-level signal to trigger the DAC to count, it generates a corresponding first current signal based on the count value to adjust the output current Iout of the multiphase power supply 200; when the first voltage signal V... SEN Upon reaching the first compensation signal Vc1, comparator 21322 outputs a low-level signal to trigger the DAC to pause counting, and generates a corresponding first current signal based on the count value at this time, while maintaining the first voltage signal Vc1. SEN Dynamic balance with the first compensation signal Vc1.

[0094] In this embodiment, since the number of phases N of the power conversion circuit provided in the multiphase power supply 200 is fixed, the first voltage signal V obtained therefrom is... SEN Its stability is relatively high, and when the multiphase power supply 200 reaches steady state, the first compensation signal Vc1 is equal to the first voltage signal V. SEN Therefore, it can reduce or even avoid the severe jitter of the first compensation signal Vc1 in the phase-cutting control of the multiphase power supply 200, which is beneficial to improving the output stability of the multiphase power supply 200.

[0095] Based on the working principle of the voltage regulation subunit 2132, it can be known that

[0096] Vc2=V B =V A +R1*I DAC ......................(2),

[0097] Among them, I DAC The first current signal is generated by the current generation unit 21323.

[0098] And when the multiphase power supply 200 reaches a steady state,

[0099]

[0100] Where R is the resistance value of the sampling resistor in the first voltage signal generation unit 212.

[0101] Combining the above formulas (1), (2), and (3), we can obtain:

[0102]

[0103]

[0104] Therefore, the first node signal VA can be used to characterize the average value of the total current Iout of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases act_phace of the power conversion circuit that is turned on. Vc2 can be used as the peak reference for the inductor current, and a fixed voltage value can be subtracted from it to obtain the valley reference. The fixed voltage value can be set relative to R1*I.DAC They cancel each other out; therefore, the average inductor current is only related to... This allows for precise control of the inductor current based on the actual number of phases activated.

[0105] Therefore, when one or more phases of the N-phase power conversion circuit are shut down or fail to operate due to a fault, the current reference signal Vc2 corresponding to each of the remaining phase power conversion circuits can be quickly adjusted to a value corresponding to the number of phases (act_phase) of the currently active power conversion circuit. This allows for accurate adjustment of the average output current of each currently active power conversion circuit and the total average output current (Iout) of the multi-phase power supply 200, ensuring that the average output current of each phase power conversion circuit is the required current when the system is stable. Furthermore, during the phase-switching process, based on the relatively stable first voltage signal Vc2... SEN Dynamically adjusting the first compensation signal Vc1 can reduce or even avoid severe jitter in the first compensation signal Vc1, which is beneficial to enhancing the phase-cutting stability of the multiphase power supply 200.

[0106] The control module 214 includes N-phase control units 2141-214N, which correspond one-to-one with N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N. The control module 214 is configured to obtain control signals PWM1-PWMN for each phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal Vc2 generated by the current reference signal generation module 213, so as to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load.

[0107] In this embodiment, the current reference signal Vc2 can be processed and converted into a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal that controls the peak and / or valley values ​​of the inductor current of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit.

[0108] Optionally, in some possible embodiments of the present invention, the conversion processing of the current reference signal Vc2 is performed separately by each phase control unit. That is, each phase control unit of the N-phase control units 2141-214N is configured to generate a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal for the corresponding phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal Vc2, and obtain a control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, and the inductor current sampling signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, so as to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices (including switching devices T1 and T2) in the corresponding phase power conversion circuit. For example, taking the Mth phase control unit 214M in the N-phase control units 2141-214N as an example, the Mth phase control unit 214M can be configured to generate an Mth peak current reference signal and / or an Mth valley current reference signal based on the current reference signal Vc2, and obtain an Mth control signal based on the Mth peak current reference signal and / or the Mth valley current reference signal, and the Mth inductor current sampling signal, to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices in the Mth phase power conversion circuit. Here, M is any integer from 1 to N, and the Mth inductor current sampling signal characterizes the inductor current of the Mth phase power conversion circuit 20M. This facilitates precise control of each phase power conversion circuit. Furthermore, based on the structure and working principle of the control module 214 at this time, it is also beneficial to achieve current sharing control of the N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N in the multi-phase power supply 200.

[0109] In some other possible embodiments of the present invention, the control module 214 further includes a current reference signal processing module, which performs the conversion processing of the current reference signal Vc2 uniformly. That is, the current reference signal processing module can generate a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal based on the current reference signal Vc2. Each phase control unit in the N-phase control units 2141-214N is configured to obtain a control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal generated by the current reference signal processing module, and the inductor current sampling signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, so as to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices in the corresponding phase power conversion circuit. For example, taking the M-phase control unit 214M in the N-phase control units 2141-214N as an example, the M-phase control unit 214M can be configured to obtain a M-th control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal generated by the current reference signal processing module, and the M-th inductor current sampling signal, so as to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices in the M-phase power conversion circuit 20M. Where M is any integer from 1 to N, and the sampling signal of the Mth inductor current represents the magnitude of the inductor current of the Mth phase power conversion circuit.

[0110] In this embodiment, since the current reference signal Vc2 output by the current reference signal generation module 213 is simultaneously output to each control unit, only one current reference signal generation module 213 is needed in this invention to achieve adaptive adjustment of the current reference signal corresponding to the power conversion circuit of all phases, and the circuit structure is simple.

[0111] Furthermore, the multiphase power supply 200 also includes multiple drive units and logic trigger units. These drive units are configured to generate drive signals based on the control signals PWM1-PWMN generated by the N-phase control units 2141-214N in the control circuit 210, and send the drive signals to the control terminals of the switching devices in the corresponding phase power conversion circuits. Exemplarily, the multiple drive units are integrated into each phase power conversion circuit, or the multiple drive units are integrated into the control circuit 210, with each drive unit corresponding to a control unit.

[0112] The logic triggering unit is configured to control the on-state of multiple control units 2121-212N and / or multiple drive units as needed, thereby controlling the on-state of each phase power conversion circuit in the N-phase power conversion circuits 201-20N. This enables control over the number of phases of the power conversion circuits actually turned on in the multi-phase power supply 200.

[0113] Furthermore, the present invention also discloses a control method for a multiphase power supply, which can be applied to, for example... Figures 2 to 3 The multiphase power supply 200 shown is illustrated. Specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, the control method includes performing the following steps:

[0114] In step S1, a first compensation signal is obtained based on the output feedback signal of the multiphase power supply and a preset reference voltage. This first compensation signal represents the difference between the output feedback signal of the multiphase power supply and the preset reference voltage.

[0115] In this embodiment, the method for obtaining the first compensation signal includes: sampling the output voltage of the multiphase power supply to obtain a second sampling signal; amplifying the second sampling signal and a preset reference voltage signal to obtain an error amplification signal; and compensating the error amplification signal to obtain the first compensation signal.

[0116] In step S2, a first voltage signal is obtained based on the total output current of the multiphase power supply and the number of phases of the configured power conversion circuit. This first voltage signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the configured power conversion circuit.

[0117] In this invention, the number of phases in the power conversion circuit of the multiphase power supply 200 is greater than or equal to the number of activated phases, and the number of phases in the power conversion circuit of the multiphase power supply 200 is less than or equal to N. Furthermore, in some preferred embodiments, the number of phases in the power conversion circuit of the multiphase power supply 200 can be set to equal N.

[0118] The method for obtaining the first voltage signal includes: obtaining it by sampling the total current actually output by the N-phase power conversion circuit and dividing it by N; or obtaining it by filtering the output current of the power conversion circuit with a set number of phases in a multi-phase power supply.

[0119] In step S3, the first compensation signal is adjusted according to the first proportional coefficient and the first voltage signal so that the first compensation signal is consistent with the first voltage signal in a stable state, and a current reference signal is obtained accordingly. The first proportional coefficient represents the ratio of the number of phases of the power conversion circuit in the multi-phase power supply to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

[0120] In this embodiment, step S3 further includes: performing voltage conversion on the first compensation signal according to a first proportional coefficient to obtain a first node signal; obtaining a voltage adjustment signal based on the first compensation signal and the first voltage signal; and superimposing the voltage adjustment signal and the first node signal to generate a current reference signal. Specifically, when the first compensation signal is greater than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal increases; when the first compensation signal is less than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal decreases. Through dynamic adjustment, the first compensation signal Vc1 and the first voltage signal Vc1 are synchronized in a stable state. SEN The dynamic balance. The first node signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases in the activated power conversion circuit.

[0121] In step S4, control signals for each phase power conversion circuit are obtained based on the current reference signal to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load.

[0122] In this embodiment, step S4 further includes: generating a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal for the corresponding phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal; and obtaining a control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or the valley current reference signal for the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, as well as the inductor current.

[0123] In practice, the specific implementation of each step in the control method of the multiphase power supply described above can be found in the aforementioned embodiments of the multiphase power supply 200, and will not be repeated here.

[0124] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A control circuit for a multiphase power supply, wherein the multiphase power supply includes an N-phase power conversion circuit, where N is the number of phases in the multiphase power supply, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, wherein... The control circuit includes: The current reference signal generation module is configured to adjust the first compensation signal according to the first proportional coefficient and the first voltage signal so that the first compensation signal is consistent with the first voltage signal in a stable state, and thereby obtain the current reference signal. The control module is configured to obtain control signals for each phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal, so as to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load. Wherein, the first compensation signal represents the difference between the output feedback signal of the multiphase power supply and the preset reference voltage; the first proportional coefficient represents the ratio between the number of phases of the power conversion circuit set in the multiphase power supply and the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit; and the first voltage signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the set power conversion circuit. The current reference signal generation module includes: A voltage conversion unit receives the first compensation signal, and the voltage conversion unit is configured to perform voltage conversion on the first compensation signal according to the first proportional coefficient to obtain a first node signal; A voltage regulation unit is connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit, and the voltage regulation unit is configured to obtain a voltage regulation signal based on the first compensation signal and the first voltage signal. The current reference signal is obtained by superimposing the voltage regulation signal and the first node signal.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The first voltage signal is obtained by sampling the total current actually output by the N-phase power conversion circuit and dividing it by N. Alternatively, it can be obtained by filtering the output current of the power conversion circuit that sets the number of phases in the multiphase power supply.

3. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The number of phases of the power conversion circuit in the multiphase power supply is greater than or equal to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

4. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The first node signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

5. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, When the first compensation signal is greater than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal increases; When the first compensation signal is less than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal decreases.

6. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The voltage conversion unit includes: The first voltage conversion unit is configured to convert the first compensation signal into a second voltage signal according to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit. A second voltage conversion unit is connected to the first voltage conversion unit. The second voltage conversion unit is configured to convert the second voltage signal according to the number of phases of the power conversion circuit to obtain the first node signal.

7. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The voltage regulation unit includes: The comparator receives the first compensation signal at its first input terminal, receives the first voltage signal at its second input terminal, and outputs an adjustment signal at its output terminal. A voltage regulation subunit receives the regulation signal, and the voltage regulation subunit is configured to obtain the voltage regulation signal based on the regulation signal.

8. The control circuit according to claim 6, wherein, The second voltage conversion unit includes: a first operational amplifier, a second resistor, and a third resistor. The second resistor and the third resistor are connected in series between the output terminal of the first operational amplifier and the reference ground. The first input terminal of the first operational amplifier receives the second voltage signal, the second input terminal of the first operational amplifier is connected to the intermediate connection node between the second resistor and the third resistor, and the output terminal of the first operational amplifier outputs the first node signal. Wherein, the voltage division ratio of the second resistor and the third resistor to the first node signal is equal to the reciprocal of the number of phases of the power conversion circuit.

9. The control circuit according to claim 7, wherein, The voltage regulation subunit includes: A current generating unit is configured to generate a first current signal according to the adjustment signal; A first resistor has a first end connected to the current generating unit and a second end connected to the output terminal of the voltage conversion unit. The first resistor is configured to receive the first current signal to obtain the voltage adjustment signal at its two ends. The voltage regulation subunit outputs the current reference signal at the first end of the first resistor.

10. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The control module includes: The N-phase control unit corresponds one-to-one with the N-phase power conversion circuit. Each phase control unit in the N-phase control unit is configured to generate a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal for the corresponding phase power conversion circuit based on the current reference signal, and obtain a control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, as well as the inductor current sampling signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices in the corresponding phase power conversion circuit.

11. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The control module includes: A current reference signal processing unit generates a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal based on the current reference signal. The N-phase control unit corresponds one-to-one with the N-phase power conversion circuit. Each phase control unit in the N-phase control unit is configured to obtain a control signal based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal, as well as the inductor current sampling signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, so as to trigger the on / off control of the switching devices in the corresponding phase power conversion circuit.

12. A multiphase power supply, wherein, include: The power conversion circuit with N phases connected in parallel and the control circuit as described in any one of claims 1-11, wherein N is the number of phases in the multi-phase power supply and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

13. A control method for a multiphase power supply, wherein the multiphase power supply includes an N-phase power conversion circuit, where N is the number of phases in the multiphase power supply and is an integer greater than or equal to 1, wherein... The control method includes: The first compensation signal is obtained based on the output feedback signal of the multiphase power supply and the preset reference voltage; The first voltage signal is obtained based on the total output current of the multiphase power supply and the number of phases of the power conversion circuit. The first compensation signal is adjusted according to the first proportional coefficient and the first voltage signal so that the first compensation signal is consistent with the first voltage signal in a stable state, and a current reference signal is obtained accordingly. Based on the current reference signal, control signals are obtained for each phase power conversion circuit to control each phase power conversion circuit to provide power output to the load. Wherein, the first proportional coefficient represents the ratio information between the number of phases of the power conversion circuit set in the multiphase power supply and the number of phases of the power conversion circuit that is turned on; The first compensation signal is adjusted according to a first proportional coefficient and the first voltage signal so that the first compensation signal is consistent with the first voltage signal in a stable state, and a current reference signal is obtained accordingly, including: The first compensation signal is voltage-converted according to the first proportional coefficient to obtain the first node signal; A voltage adjustment signal is obtained based on the first compensation signal and the first voltage signal; The voltage regulation signal is superimposed on the first node signal to generate the current reference signal.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein, The first voltage signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the power conversion circuit.

15. The control method according to claim 13, wherein, Methods for obtaining the first voltage signal include: The result is obtained by sampling the total current actually output by the N-phase power conversion circuit and dividing it by N. Alternatively, it can be obtained by filtering the output current of the power conversion circuit that sets the number of phases in the multiphase power supply.

16. The control method according to claim 13, wherein, The first node signal represents the average value of the total current of the multiphase power supply relative to the number of phases of the activated power conversion circuit.

17. The control method according to claim 13, wherein, Obtaining the voltage adjustment signal based on the first compensation signal and the first voltage signal specifically includes: When the first compensation signal is greater than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal increases. When the first compensation signal is less than the first voltage signal, the voltage adjustment signal decreases.

18. The control method according to claim 13, wherein, The control signals for each phase power conversion circuit obtained based on the current reference signal include: Based on the current reference signal, a peak current reference signal and / or a valley current reference signal are generated for the corresponding phase power conversion circuit; The control signal is obtained based on the peak current reference signal and / or valley current reference signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit, as well as the inductor current.

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