Method and apparatus for testing voltage regulators

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a kind of voltage regulator test method and device, wherein the method comprises: determining the reference current parameter of voltage regulator according to the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator to be tested;According to the reference current parameter, the target current parameter interval is selected from the reference current parameter interval of voltage regulator;Sweeping the target current parameter interval, and obtaining the target current parameter;The voltage regulator is tested using the target current parameter.By the present application, the problem of low test efficiency of voltage regulator in the related art is solved, and the effect of improving the test efficiency of voltage regulator is achieved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of power supply testing, in particular, to a test method and device for a voltage regulator. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of power supply testing, CPU (central processing unit) testing is an important part. Among them, the test of VCCIN (Voltage Current Characteristic IN) occupies a large part in the test items, and the transient is an important indicator. In the transient test of VCCIN, the existing scheme is to run a total of 10 test items Test, and each Test has a different test purpose. Each Test needs to run a fixed script to sweep the frequency to obtain the worst case frequency and duty cycle; and then use the obtained worst frequency point (frequency and duty cycle) to pull the load of VR (Voltage Regulator), and read out the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding voltage on the oscilloscope. In the whole process, the worst frequency point is determined from the pre-provided frequency point range by sweeping, so the sweeping needs to cover the entire frequency point range, and the running time of the test script is also relatively long, which brings a huge workload to the entire test process, thereby also leading to a long test period. SUMMARY

[0003] Embodiments of the present application provide a test method and device for a voltage regulator, to at least solve the problem of low test efficiency of the voltage regulator in the related art.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present application, a test method for a voltage regulator is provided, comprising: determining a reference current parameter of the voltage regulator according to a compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator to be tested, wherein the voltage regulator is used to be deployed in a server and to supply power for target hardware in the server, the voltage regulator simultaneously performs loop compensation on output voltage through the compensation circuit and a compensation algorithm in the server, and the reference current parameter is used to test extreme voltage of the voltage regulator in the case of loop compensation through only the compensation circuit; screening a target current parameter interval from a reference current parameter interval of the voltage regulator according to the reference current parameter, wherein the reference current parameter interval is used to indicate a change range of a current parameter of the target hardware when working; sweeping the target current parameter interval to obtain a target current parameter; and testing the voltage regulator using the target current parameter.

[0005] Optionally, determining the reference current parameter of the voltage regulator based on the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator under test includes: obtaining the electronic component parameters of the electronic components in the compensation circuit; and searching for the current parameter of the voltage regulator that makes the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator reach its maximum value based on the electronic component parameters as the reference current parameter.

[0006] Optionally, the step of searching for the current parameter of the voltage regulator that maximizes the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator based on the electronic component parameters as the reference current parameter includes: constructing a system differential equation for the compensation circuit using the electronic component parameters, wherein the system differential equation indicates the relationship between the output voltage of the voltage regulator and the target voltage compensation value, the target voltage compensation value being the voltage value obtained after compensation of the output voltage by the compensation circuit; and solving the system differential equation with the goal of maximizing the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator to obtain the reference current parameter.

[0007] Optionally, the step of solving the system differential equation with the goal of achieving the maximum peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator to obtain the reference current parameters includes: converting the system differential equation into a target transfer function; calculating the zeros and poles in the target transfer function, wherein the peak-to-peak voltage output by the voltage regulator reaches its maximum value under the current parameters corresponding to the zeros and poles; and converting the zeros and poles into the reference current parameters.

[0008] Optionally, the step of selecting a target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator based on the reference current parameter includes: obtaining candidate current parameters from the reference current parameter range, wherein the candidate current parameters are less than the reference current parameter; and constructing the target current parameter range by using the candidate current parameters as the target lower limit and the reference current parameter as the target upper limit.

[0009] Optionally, obtaining the candidate current parameter from the reference current parameter range includes one of the following: obtaining the lower limit of the reference current parameter range as the candidate current parameter; calculating the product of the reference current parameter and the target ratio, wherein the target ratio is greater than 0 and less than 1; and determining the sum of the product and the lower limit of the reference current parameter range as the candidate current parameter.

[0010] Optionally, the step of sweeping the target current parameter range to obtain the target current parameter includes: determining multiple target sweep intervals and parameter sub-intervals corresponding to each target sweep interval in the target current parameter range based on the reference current parameter, wherein the closer the parameter sub-interval is to the reference current parameter, the smaller the target sweep interval corresponding to the parameter sub-interval; collecting current parameters in each parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target sweep interval to obtain multiple initial current parameters; applying the initial current parameters to the voltage regulator to obtain the output voltage of the voltage regulator under each of the multiple initial current parameters; and selecting the current parameter whose output voltage meets the target condition from the multiple initial current parameters as the target current parameter.

[0011] According to another embodiment of this application, a testing apparatus for a voltage regulator is provided, comprising: a determination module, configured to determine a reference current parameter of the voltage regulator based on a compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator under test, wherein the voltage regulator is deployed in a server and supplies power to target hardware in the server, and the voltage regulator performs loop compensation on its output voltage simultaneously through the compensation circuit and a compensation algorithm in the server, and the reference current parameter is used to test the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator when loop compensation is performed only through the compensation circuit; a screening module, configured to screen a target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator based on the reference current parameter, wherein the reference current parameter range is used to indicate the range of current parameter variation of the target hardware during operation; a frequency sweep module, configured to sweep the target current parameter range to obtain target current parameters; and a testing module, configured to test the voltage regulator using the target current parameters.

[0012] According to yet another embodiment of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, and the computer program is configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when it is run.

[0013] According to yet another embodiment of this application, an electronic device is also provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0014] This application enables a method where, when a voltage regulator performs loop compensation on its output voltage using both a compensation circuit and a compensation algorithm, the compensation circuit determines the reference current parameter for testing the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator when loop compensation is performed solely through the compensation circuit. This reference current parameter is then used to filter out the target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range used to indicate the range of current parameter changes during operation of the target hardware. This narrows down the range of the current parameter range used for frequency sweeping. Consequently, when sweeping the target current parameter range to determine the target current parameter for testing the voltage regulator, the workload of frequency sweeping is reduced. This not only shortens the workload of frequency sweeping during testing but also reduces the testing time for the voltage regulator, solving the problem of low testing efficiency for voltage regulators in related technologies and achieving the effect of improving the testing efficiency of voltage regulators. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a hardware structure block diagram of a mobile terminal for a voltage regulator testing method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a test method for a voltage regulator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an optional type II loop compensation circuit according to an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a functional framework diagram of an optional testing tool according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an optional interactive interface according to an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 6 This is an optional test report illustration according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0021] Figure 7 This is an optional test report illustration according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an optional compensation circuit according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 9 This is an optional compensation circuit system diagram according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 10This is a flowchart of an optional reference current parameter determination according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 11 This is a test flowchart of an optional voltage regulator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 12 This is a structural block diagram of a voltage regulator testing device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0028] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0029] The methods and embodiments provided in this application can be executed on a mobile terminal, a computer terminal, or a similar computing device. Taking running on a mobile terminal as an example, Figure 1 This is a hardware structure block diagram of a mobile terminal for a voltage regulator testing method according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, a mobile terminal may include one or more ( Figure 1 Only one is shown in the diagram. A processor 102 (which may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor MCU or a programmable logic device FPGA, etc.) and a memory 104 for storing data are also shown. The mobile terminal may further include a transmission device 106 for communication functions and an input / output device 108. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 1 The structure shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the structure of the mobile terminal described above. For example, the mobile terminal may also include components that are more... Figure 1 The more or fewer components shown, or having the same Figure 1 The different configurations shown.

[0030] The memory 104 can be used to store computer programs, such as application software programs and modules, like the computer program corresponding to the voltage regulator testing method in this embodiment. The processor 102 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the computer program stored in the memory 104, thus implementing the above-described method. The memory 104 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 104 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 102, and these remote memories can be connected to a mobile terminal via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0031] The transmission device 106 is used to receive or send data via a network. Specific examples of the network described above may include a wireless network provided by the mobile terminal's communication provider. In one example, the transmission device 106 includes a Network Interface Controller (NIC), which can connect to other network devices via a base station to communicate with the Internet. In another example, the transmission device 106 may be a Radio Frequency (RF) module used for wireless communication with the Internet.

[0032] This embodiment provides a test method for a voltage regulator. Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a test method for a voltage regulator according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0033] Step S202: Determine the reference current parameter of the voltage regulator based on the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator to be tested, wherein the voltage regulator is used to be deployed in a server and to power the target hardware in the server, and the voltage regulator performs loop compensation on the output voltage in the server simultaneously through the compensation circuit and the compensation algorithm, and the reference current parameter is used to test the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator when loop compensation is performed only through the compensation circuit;

[0034] Step S204: Select a target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator according to the reference current parameter, wherein the reference current parameter range is used to indicate the range of change of current parameter of the target hardware when it is working;

[0035] Step S206: Sweep the frequency of the target current parameter range to obtain the target current parameters;

[0036] Step S208: Test the voltage regulator using the target current parameters.

[0037] Through the above steps, when the voltage regulator performs loop compensation on its output voltage simultaneously through the compensation circuit and the compensation algorithm, the reference current parameter for testing the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator can be determined based on the compensation circuit when loop compensation is performed only through the compensation circuit. This reference current parameter can then be used to filter out the target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range used to indicate the range of current parameter changes during operation of the target hardware. This narrows down the range of the current parameter range for frequency sweeping. Therefore, when sweeping the frequency within the target current parameter range to determine the target current parameter for testing the voltage regulator, the workload of frequency sweeping is reduced. This not only shortens the workload of frequency sweeping during testing but also reduces the testing time for the voltage regulator, solving the problem of low testing efficiency for voltage regulators in related technologies and achieving the effect of improving the testing efficiency of voltage regulators.

[0038] In the technical solution provided in step S202, loop compensation is used to maintain the output voltage stability during the change of load current on the voltage regulator. Loop compensation can either increase or decrease the output voltage of the voltage regulator.

[0039] Optionally, in this embodiment, the compensation circuit is used to compensate the output voltage of the voltage regulator in hardware. The compensation circuit may include, but is not limited to, a type-one loop compensation circuit (single-pole compensation), a type-two loop compensation circuit (double-pole single-zero), a type-three loop compensation circuit (triple-pole double-zero), and a power stage circuit disposed inside the voltage regulator chip. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an optional type-two loop compensation circuit according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it includes at least capacitor C. c1 and C c2 resistance R f1 R f2 and R c1 .

[0040] Optionally, in this embodiment, the method for determining the reference current parameter of the voltage regulator may be to construct a corresponding system state differential equation based on the compensation circuit used. This system state differential equation is used to indicate the relationship between the output voltage of the voltage regulator and the corresponding compensation value. By solving the system state differential equation, the reference current parameter can be obtained. Alternatively, a correspondence between the compensation circuit and the current parameter can be constructed, thereby determining the reference current parameter corresponding to the compensation current from the compensation current and current parameter with the corresponding relationship.

[0041] Optionally, in this embodiment, the compensation algorithm is used to compensate the output voltage of the voltage regulator in software. The compensation algorithm may be, but is not limited to, a PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) algorithm, an adaptive control algorithm, a predictive control algorithm, or a fuzzy control algorithm.

[0042] Optionally, in this embodiment, the target hardware is hardware deployed in the server to implement server business functions. The target hardware may include, but is not limited to, CPU (Central Processing Unit), graphics card, memory, etc.

[0043] In the technical solution provided in step S204, the method of selecting the target current parameter interval from the reference current parameter interval based on the reference current parameter can be to determine the upper limit and lower limit of the interval including the target current parameter interval based on the reference current parameter. For example, the reference current parameter can be used as the upper limit of the interval, and the lower limit of the interval can be calculated based on the reference current parameter. The current parameter interval bounded by the upper limit and lower limit of the interval can be determined as the target current parameter interval. Alternatively, the current parameter interval including the reference current parameter can be determined from multiple intervals divided from the reference current interval as the target current parameter interval.

[0044] Optionally, in this embodiment, the current parameters may include, but are not limited to, the maximum current value, the minimum current value, the current switching frequency, the current duty cycle, etc., and this application does not limit them.

[0045] The pre-sweep frequency method in this application embodiment (i.e., the process of selecting the target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range and then selecting the target current parameter from the target current parameter range, as described above) can be applied, but is not limited to, to the transient test process of voltage regulators (the transient test has a total of 10 test items, each with a different test purpose. During the test, each test item needs to run the script provided by the chip manufacturer, and the worst-case frequency and duty cycle are obtained through 3D frequency sweeping). Alternatively, it can be applied to the extreme voltage test process of voltage regulators, or it can be applied to the determination process of compensation parameters in the compensation algorithm of pre-voltage regulators. That is, the above-mentioned pre-sweep frequency method can be used to create a test tool for testing voltage regulators. Figure 4 This is a functional framework diagram of an optional testing tool according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 4As shown, the testing tool includes a front-end interactive interface and a back-end computing program. The front-end interface is made using LabVIEW. Through the front-end interface, current parameters such as load current, frequency, duty cycle, and the TEST number to be tested can be passed to the main program. The main program is made using Python. Python is used to implement the continuous execution of test scripts. That is, LabVIEW calls Python, passes the parameters input into the interface to Python, and Python calls each test script, changes the parameters in the test script, and executes the scripts continuously. Each test script controls the Gen5 software to perform frequency sweep and output a report.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an optional interactive interface according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the program running box on the left side of the interface displays the current program's progress, controlled by a script. There are 10 tabs on the right, each allowing settings for load current, slope, and load frequency. The selection of a test is determined by checking the checkboxes in each test tab. Two testing modes are provided: verification mode, which verifies whether the current parameter matches the target current parameter, and pre-sweep mode, which filters the target current parameter range from the reference power parameter range by checking the "pre-sweep" checkbox, and then selects the target current parameter from the target current parameter range.

[0047] Figure 6 This is an optional test report illustration according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 When a verification mode is selected in the interactive interface, the output is as follows: Figure 6 The test report shown includes the set current parameters and waveforms from the Gen5 software. The maximum output voltage of the voltage regulator is compared with the SPEC (preset standard voltage of the maximum value) corresponding to the maximum value, and the minimum output voltage of the voltage regulator is compared with the SPEC (preset standard voltage of the minimum value) corresponding to the minimum value. The margin should be greater than 5mV. The waveforms in the report are used to determine whether there are any abnormalities.

[0048] Figure 7 This is an optional test report illustration according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 When the pre-scan mode is selected in the interactive interface, the output is as follows: Figure 7The test report shown displays the voltage values ​​of the voltage regulator output under various current parameters obtained by frequency sweep (as shown in the right half of the figure, with current duty cycles of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%, and current switching frequencies of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5...10, corresponding to the maximum and minimum voltage output values). Based on the output voltages in the right half, the extreme values ​​of the voltage regulator output voltage and the corresponding current parameters can be found. The maximum voltage output of the voltage regulator is compared with the SPEC (pre-set standard voltage of the maximum value) corresponding to the maximum value, and the minimum voltage output of the voltage regulator is compared with the SPEC (pre-set standard voltage of the minimum value) corresponding to the minimum value. The margin should be greater than 5mV. This yields the target current parameters in the left half of the interface and the corresponding maximum and minimum voltage outputs of the voltage regulator (i.e., the minimum voltage output of the voltage regulator in the figure, Worst VMin, is 1.573V, the corresponding switching frequency Worst VMin Frequency is 1kHz, and the duty cycle Worst VMin Duty...). The voltage regulator output voltage is 1.82V, with a corresponding switching frequency of 200kHz and a duty cycle of 30%. The peak-to-peak value of the voltage regulator is 0.224V, the peak-to-peak value is 0.233V, the peak-to-peak value is 7kHz, and the duty cycle is 50%.

[0049] In the technical solution provided in step S206, the target current parameter is obtained based on the frequency sweep result of the target current parameter range. The frequency is swept in the target current parameter range to determine the current parameter with the maximum or minimum output voltage value as the target current parameter.

[0050] In the technical solution provided in step S208, the power regulator test can be performed by applying a target current parameter to a voltage regulator that simultaneously uses a compensation circuit and a compensation algorithm, thereby obtaining the maximum voltage value, minimum voltage value, voltage waveform, etc. of the voltage regulator output.

[0051] As an optional embodiment, determining the reference current parameters of the voltage regulator based on the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator under test includes:

[0052] Obtain the electronic component parameters of the electronic components in the compensation circuit;

[0053] The reference current parameter is the current parameter of the voltage regulator that, based on the electronic component parameters, causes the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator to reach its maximum value.

[0054] Optionally, in this embodiment, the method of searching for reference current parameters based on electronic component parameters may be, but is not limited to, searching from electronic component parameters and current parameters that have a corresponding relationship, or it may be obtained by constructing the system differential equation of the compensation circuit based on the electronic component parameters and solving the system differential equation.

[0055] Optionally, in this embodiment, the electronic components may be, but are not limited to, resistors, capacitors, etc., and the parameters of the electronic components may be, but are not limited to, the resistance value of the resistor, the capacitance value of the capacitor, etc.

[0056] Optionally, in this embodiment, the compensation circuit may include, but is not limited to, a power stage circuit (designed by the chip manufacturer) disposed inside the voltage regulator chip and a loop compensation circuit (such as a type I loop compensation circuit, a type II loop compensation circuit, or a type III loop compensation circuit) disposed outside the chip, with the loop compensation circuit and the power stage circuit arranged sequentially. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an optional compensation circuit according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the power stage circuit and the loop compensation circuit are connected in sequence. The power stage circuit and the loop compensation circuit perform hardware compensation on the output voltage of the voltage regulator. 1 / K is the corresponding coefficient value set.

[0057] Figure 9 This is an optional compensation circuit system diagram according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the power stage circuit and the loop compensation circuit are connected. The power stage circuit regulates the on / off state of MOS1 (field-effect transistor) and MOS2 through the PWM controller, thereby regulating the output voltage.

[0058] As an optional embodiment, the step of searching for the current parameter of the voltage regulator that maximizes the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator based on the electronic component parameters, and using it as the reference current parameter, includes:

[0059] The system differential equation of the compensation circuit is constructed using the parameters of the electronic components, wherein the system differential equation is used to indicate the relationship between the output voltage of the voltage regulator and the target voltage compensation value, the target voltage compensation value being the voltage value obtained after the output voltage is compensated by the compensation circuit;

[0060] The system differential equation is solved with the goal of achieving the maximum peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator, and the reference current parameters are obtained.

[0061] Optionally, in this embodiment, the method for solving the system differential equation may include, but is not limited to, transforming the system differential equation to obtain the corresponding transfer function, solving the transfer function to obtain the corresponding zeros and poles, and using the current parameters corresponding to the zeros and poles as reference current parameters.

[0062] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an optional reference current parameter determination method according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 10 As shown, taking the loop compensation circuit as a type II compensation circuit and the current parameter as the switching frequency as an example, it can include, but is not limited to:

[0063] S1001, since the voltage regulator's compensation circuit includes a loop compensation circuit and a power stage circuit, taking the loop compensation circuit as a type II loop compensation circuit as an example, the system differential equation of the compensation circuit is constructed based on the electronic component parameters in the circuit. For the type II loop compensation circuit, Formula 1 is obtained:

[0064]

[0065] Where A is the magnification factor, Z C1 and Z C2 C in the type II loop compensation circuit C1 and C C2 The impedance.

[0066] S1002, Equation 1 is simplified by Laplace transform to obtain Equation 2:

[0067]

[0068] Design C C2 Typically much smaller than C C1 Therefore, the formula can be simplified to Formula 3:

[0069]

[0070] For the power stage circuit, we get Formula 4:

[0071]

[0072] Depend on Figure 8 The process shown yields Formula 5:

[0073]

[0074] S1003, the zeros and poles obtained from Equation 5 are as follows:

[0075]

[0076]

[0077] s P1 =0

[0078]

[0079]

[0080] S1004, Performing an inverse Laplace transform on the above zeros and poles, the switching frequency is obtained as follows:

[0081]

[0082]

[0083]

[0084]

[0085] Furthermore, from F Z1 F Z2 F P1 F P2 Select the highest frequency as the reference frequency (reference current parameter).

[0086] As an optional embodiment, the step of solving the system differential equation with the goal of achieving the maximum peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator to obtain the reference current parameters includes:

[0087] The system differential equation is converted into a target transfer function;

[0088] Calculate the zeros and poles in the target transfer function, wherein the peak-to-peak voltage output by the voltage regulator reaches its maximum value under the current parameters corresponding to the zeros and poles;

[0089] The zeros and poles are converted into the reference current parameters.

[0090] Optionally, in this embodiment, the method for converting the system differential equation into a target transfer function may be to perform a Laplace transform on the system differential equation to obtain the corresponding target transfer function.

[0091] Optionally, in this embodiment, the zeros and poles can be converted into reference current parameters by means of inverse Laplace transform, but not limited to.

[0092] As an optional embodiment, the step of selecting the target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator based on the reference current parameter includes:

[0093] Candidate current parameters are obtained from the reference current parameter range, wherein the candidate current parameters are smaller than the reference current parameters;

[0094] The target current parameter range is constructed by using the candidate current parameter as the target lower limit and the reference current parameter as the target upper limit.

[0095] Optionally, in this embodiment, the candidate current parameter can be a fixed current parameter set within the reference current parameter range, or it can be a current parameter determined based on the value of the reference current parameter, or it can be determined from candidate current parameters and reference current parameters that have a corresponding relationship, or it can be the lower limit of the reference current parameter range directly used as the candidate current parameter. For example, taking the current parameter as the switching frequency of the current, the reference current parameter range is from 0kHz to 10kHz, so a fixed value can be set as the candidate current parameter (such as 1.5kHz, 1.6kHz, etc.), or it can be the ratio of the value of the reference current parameter to the range of the reference current range, and the candidate current parameter is determined based on the ratio (calculate the difference between the lower limit of the reference current range and the reference current parameter as the target range range, calculate the product of the ratio and the target range range, and sum the product and the lower limit of the reference current range as the selected current parameter).

[0096] As an optional embodiment, obtaining the candidate current parameters from the reference current parameter range includes one of the following:

[0097] The lower limit of the reference current parameter range is obtained as the candidate current parameter;

[0098] Calculate the product of the reference current parameter and the target ratio, wherein the target ratio is greater than 0 and less than 1; determine the candidate current parameter by the sum of the product and the lower limit of the reference current parameter range.

[0099] Optionally, in this embodiment, the target ratio value can be a pre-set fixed value, or it can be the ratio between the reference current parameter and the range of the reference current parameter interval.

[0100] As an optional embodiment, the step of sweeping the frequency range of the target current parameters to obtain the target current parameters includes:

[0101] Multiple target frequency sweep intervals and a parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target frequency sweep interval in the target current parameter interval are determined based on the reference current parameter, wherein the closer the parameter sub-interval is to the reference current parameter, the smaller the target frequency sweep interval corresponding to the parameter sub-interval is;

[0102] According to each target frequency sweep interval, current parameters are collected in the parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target frequency sweep interval to obtain multiple initial current parameters;

[0103] The voltage regulator is loaded using the initial current parameters respectively, and the output voltage of the voltage regulator is obtained under each of the multiple initial current parameters.

[0104] The target current parameter is selected from the multiple initial current parameters, and the current parameter whose output voltage condition satisfies the target condition is selected as the target current parameter.

[0105] Optionally, in this embodiment, the sweep frequency interval is different in different reference sub-intervals included in the target current parameter range. The target sweep frequency interval can be determined from sweep frequency interval information and sweep frequency intervals with corresponding relationships. The sweep frequency interval information can be the ratio of the upper limit value of the reference sub-interval to the upper limit value of the target current parameter range, or it can be the upper limit value and lower limit value of the reference sub-interval. For example, the closer the reference sub-interval is to the upper limit value of the target current parameter range, the denser the sweep frequency interval; the farther the reference components are from the upper limit value of the target current parameter range, the sparser the sweep frequency interval. The target sweep frequency interval can be determined from the upper limit value, lower limit value and sweep frequency intervals with corresponding relationships, or it can be calculated by finding the target ratio of the upper limit value of the reference sub-interval to the upper limit value of the target current parameter range, and the target sweep frequency interval corresponding to the target ratio can be determined from the ratio and sweep frequency intervals with corresponding relationships.

[0106] Optionally, in this embodiment, the target condition is used to indicate that the output voltage is greater than the maximum value or less than the minimum value, and the difference between the output voltage and the preset standard extreme voltage (a fixed value set according to the model of the voltage regulator, including the standard maximum voltage and the standard minimum voltage) is less than the target threshold. For example, the maximum value is selected from the output voltage, and the maximum value is compared with the preset standard maximum voltage. When the difference between the maximum value and the standard maximum voltage is greater than 5mV, the current parameter corresponding to the maximum value is determined as the target current parameter.

[0107] The test methods in this application can be applied, but are not limited to, the following scenarios: one is to obtain the target current parameters by performing a pre-sweep before conducting the TransientLL (Transient Load Line) test during normal VCCIN testing; the other is to verify the debugging results during VCCIN debugging. Figure 11 This is a test flowchart of an optional voltage regulator according to an embodiment of this application. It is applied to obtain the target current parameters by pre-sweeping the frequency before performing the TransientLL test during normal VCCIN testing. The test items include six items: Thermal Comp, Static LL, Transient LL Regulation Tuning, Transient LL, Fast Vmode Validation, and Dynamic VID. The first two test conditions are SVSC (Static Voltage Static Current), the last test condition is DVSC (Dynamic Voltage Static Current), and the remaining test conditions are SVDC (Static Voltage Dynamic Current). Because the latter four test items aim to test the response capability to dynamic current or voltage, and all involve loop compensation, they will affect each other. Therefore, the first two test items are performed first. The remaining four test items are all dynamic response capability tests. Additionally, the Jitter and Bode Plot test items are also related to dynamic response capability, so these two test items also need to be covered. Of these six test items, the one with the shortest execution time should be tested first. The test order of the five test items—Fast Vmode Validation, Transient LL Regulation Tuning, Transient LL, Bode Plot, and Dynamic VID—in the diagram is only an example; the actual order of these five test items can vary during the actual testing process. Figure 11 As shown, it includes at least the following steps:

[0108] S1101 tests the voltage regulator by calling test scripts from Thermal Comp and Static LL.

[0109] S1102 performs tests by retrieving the phase-cutting current test script and the jitter script.

[0110] S1103. Using the aforementioned pre-sweep method (i.e., the process described above of selecting the target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range and selecting the target current parameter from the target current parameter range), after determining the target current parameter, the test scripts such as Fast Vmode Validation, Transient LL Regulation Tuning, TransientLL, Bode Plot, and Dynamic VID are run to check if the test can be passed. If it fails, the compensation parameters in the compensation algorithm are adjusted.

[0111] S1104, retrieve the Fast Vmode Validation test script to test the voltage regulator. If the test passes, proceed to step S1105. If the test fails, proceed to steps S1109 and S1103 in sequence.

[0112] S1105, retrieve the Transient LL Regulation Tuning test script to test the voltage regulator. If the test passes, proceed to step S1106. If the test fails, proceed to steps S1109 and S1103 in sequence.

[0113] S1106, retrieve the Transient LL test script to test the voltage regulator. If the test passes, proceed to step S1107. If the test fails, proceed to steps S1109 and S1103 in sequence.

[0114] S1107, retrieve the Bode Plot test script to test the voltage regulator. If the test passes, proceed to step S1108. If the test fails, proceed to steps S1109 and S1103 in sequence.

[0115] S1108: Retrieve the Dynamic VID test script to test the voltage regulator. If the test passes, proceed to step S1110. If the test fails, proceed to steps S1109 and S1103 in sequence.

[0116] S1110, End test, output test results.

[0117] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0118] This embodiment also provides a voltage regulator testing device for implementing the above embodiments and preferred embodiments; details already described will not be repeated. As used below, the term "module" can refer to a combination of software and / or hardware that performs a predetermined function. Although the device described in the following embodiments is preferably implemented in software, hardware implementation, or a combination of software and hardware, is also possible and contemplated.

[0119] Figure 12 This is a structural block diagram of a voltage regulator testing device according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the device includes: a determination module 1202, used to determine a reference current parameter of the voltage regulator based on the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator under test, wherein the voltage regulator is deployed in a server and supplies power to target hardware in the server, and the voltage regulator performs loop compensation on the output voltage in the server simultaneously through the compensation circuit and the compensation algorithm, and the reference current parameter is used to test the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator when loop compensation is performed only through the compensation circuit; a screening module 1204, used to screen a target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator based on the reference current parameter, wherein the reference current parameter range is used to indicate the range of current parameter variation of the target hardware during operation; a frequency sweep module 1206, used to sweep the target current parameter range to obtain the target current parameter; and a test module 1208, used to test the voltage regulator using the target current parameter.

[0120] This application enables a method where, when a voltage regulator performs loop compensation on its output voltage using both a compensation circuit and a compensation algorithm, the compensation circuit determines the reference current parameter for testing the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator when loop compensation is performed solely through the compensation circuit. This reference current parameter is then used to filter out the target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range used to indicate the range of current parameter changes during operation of the target hardware. This narrows down the range of the current parameter range used for frequency sweeping. Consequently, when sweeping the target current parameter range to determine the target current parameter for testing the voltage regulator, the workload of frequency sweeping is reduced. This not only shortens the workload of frequency sweeping during testing but also reduces the testing time for the voltage regulator, solving the problem of low testing efficiency for voltage regulators in related technologies and achieving the effect of improving the testing efficiency of voltage regulators.

[0121] Optionally, the determining module includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring electronic component parameters of the electronic components in the compensation circuit; and a search unit for searching, based on the electronic component parameters, the current parameter of the voltage regulator that makes the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator reach its maximum value as the reference current parameter.

[0122] Optionally, the search unit is configured to: construct a system differential equation for the compensation circuit using the electronic component parameters, wherein the system differential equation indicates the relationship between the output voltage of the voltage regulator and the target voltage compensation value, the target voltage compensation value being the voltage value obtained after the output voltage is compensated by the compensation circuit; and solve the system differential equation with the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator reaching its maximum value as the solution objective, to obtain the reference current parameters.

[0123] Optionally, the search unit is configured to: convert the system differential equation into a target transfer function; calculate the zeros and poles in the target transfer function, wherein the peak-to-peak voltage output by the voltage regulator reaches its maximum value under the current parameters corresponding to the zeros and poles; and convert the zeros and poles into the reference current parameters.

[0124] Optionally, the filtering module includes: an acquisition unit, configured to acquire candidate current parameters from the reference current parameter range, wherein the candidate current parameters are less than the reference current parameters; and a processing unit, configured to construct the target current parameter range by using the candidate current parameters as a target lower limit and the reference current parameters as a target upper limit.

[0125] Optionally, the acquisition unit is configured to perform one of the following operations: acquire the lower limit value of the reference current parameter range as the candidate current parameter; calculate the product of the reference current parameter and the target ratio, wherein the target ratio is greater than 0 and less than 1; and determine the sum of the product and the lower limit value of the reference current parameter range as the candidate current parameter.

[0126] Optionally, the frequency sweep module includes: a determining unit, configured to determine multiple target frequency sweep intervals and a parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target frequency sweep interval in the target current parameter interval based on the reference current parameter, wherein the closer the parameter sub-interval is to the reference current parameter, the smaller the target frequency sweep interval corresponding to the parameter sub-interval; a acquiring unit, configured to acquire current parameters in the parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target frequency sweep interval according to each target frequency sweep interval, to obtain multiple initial current parameters; a loading unit, configured to load the voltage regulator using the initial current parameters respectively, to obtain the output voltage condition of the voltage regulator under each of the multiple initial current parameters; and a filtering unit, configured to filter the current parameters whose output voltage condition meets the target condition from the multiple initial current parameters as the target current parameters.

[0127] It should be noted that the above modules can be implemented by software or hardware. For the latter, they can be implemented in the following ways, but are not limited to: all the above modules are located in the same processor; or, the above modules are located in different processors in any combination.

[0128] Embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is configured to execute the steps in any of the above method embodiments when run.

[0129] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0130] Embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0131] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0132] Specific examples in this embodiment can be found in the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0133] Obviously, those skilled in the art should understand that the modules or steps of this application described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those presented here, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, this application is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0134] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A test method for a voltage regulator, characterized in that, include: The reference current parameters of the voltage regulator are determined based on the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator under test, wherein the voltage regulator is used to be deployed in a server and to power target hardware in the server, and the voltage regulator performs loop compensation on the output voltage in the server simultaneously through the compensation circuit and the compensation algorithm, and the reference current parameters are used to test the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator when loop compensation is performed only through the compensation circuit. The target current parameter range is selected from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator based on the reference current parameter, wherein the reference current parameter range is used to indicate the range of change of the current parameter of the target hardware when it is working. The target current parameters are obtained by sweeping the frequency range of the target current parameters. The voltage regulator was tested using the target current parameters. The step of sweeping the target current parameter range to obtain the target current parameter includes: determining multiple target sweep intervals and parameter sub-intervals corresponding to each target sweep interval in the target current parameter range based on the reference current parameter, wherein the closer the parameter sub-interval is to the reference current parameter, the smaller the target sweep interval corresponding to the parameter sub-interval; collecting current parameters in the parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target sweep interval according to each target sweep interval to obtain multiple initial current parameters; applying the initial current parameters to the voltage regulator to obtain the output voltage of the voltage regulator under each of the multiple initial current parameters; and selecting the current parameter whose output voltage meets the target condition from the multiple initial current parameters as the target current parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the reference current parameters of the voltage regulator based on the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator under test includes: Obtain the electronic component parameters of the electronic components in the compensation circuit; The reference current parameter is the current parameter of the voltage regulator that, based on the electronic component parameters, causes the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator to reach its maximum value.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of searching for the current parameter of the voltage regulator that maximizes the peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator based on the electronic component parameters and using it as the reference current parameter includes: The system differential equation of the compensation circuit is constructed using the parameters of the electronic components, wherein the system differential equation is used to indicate the relationship between the output voltage of the voltage regulator and the target voltage compensation value, the target voltage compensation value being the voltage value obtained after the output voltage is compensated by the compensation circuit; The system differential equation is solved with the goal of achieving the maximum peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator, and the reference current parameters are obtained.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The system differential equation is solved with the goal of achieving the maximum peak-to-peak voltage of the voltage regulator, yielding the reference current parameters, including: The system differential equation is converted into a target transfer function; Calculate the zeros and poles in the target transfer function, wherein the peak-to-peak voltage output by the voltage regulator reaches its maximum value under the current parameters corresponding to the zeros and poles; The zeros and poles are converted into the reference current parameters.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of selecting the target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator based on the reference current parameter includes: Candidate current parameters are obtained from the reference current parameter range, wherein the candidate current parameters are smaller than the reference current parameters; The target current parameter range is constructed by using the candidate current parameter as the target lower limit and the reference current parameter as the target upper limit.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of obtaining candidate current parameters from the reference current parameter range includes one of the following: The lower limit of the reference current parameter range is obtained as the candidate current parameter; Calculate the product of the reference current parameter and the target ratio, wherein the target ratio is greater than 0 and less than 1; determine the candidate current parameter by the sum of the product and the lower limit of the reference current parameter range.

7. A testing device for a voltage regulator, characterized in that, include: A determination module is used to determine a reference current parameter of the voltage regulator based on the compensation circuit used by the voltage regulator under test, wherein the voltage regulator is deployed in a server and supplies power to target hardware in the server, and the voltage regulator performs loop compensation on the output voltage in the server simultaneously through the compensation circuit and the compensation algorithm, and the reference current parameter is used to test the extreme voltage of the voltage regulator when loop compensation is performed only through the compensation circuit; A filtering module is used to filter a target current parameter range from the reference current parameter range of the voltage regulator according to the reference current parameter, wherein the reference current parameter range is used to indicate the range of change of the current parameter of the target hardware when it is working. The frequency sweep module is used to sweep the frequency range of the target current parameters to obtain the target current parameters. A test module is used to test the voltage regulator using the target current parameters; The frequency sweep module includes: a determining unit, configured to determine multiple target frequency sweep intervals and a parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target frequency sweep interval in the target current parameter interval based on the reference current parameter, wherein the closer the parameter sub-interval is to the reference current parameter, the smaller the target frequency sweep interval corresponding to the parameter sub-interval; a acquiring unit, configured to acquire current parameters in the parameter sub-interval corresponding to each target frequency sweep interval according to each target frequency sweep interval, to obtain multiple initial current parameters; a loading unit, configured to load the voltage regulator using the initial current parameters respectively, to obtain the output voltage condition of the voltage regulator under each of the multiple initial current parameters; and a filtering unit, configured to filter the current parameters whose output voltage condition meets the target conditions from the multiple initial current parameters as the target current parameters.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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