Multi-phase power supply and control circuit and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-phase power supply and a control circuit and a control method thereof. The multi-phase power supply includes a multi-phase power conversion circuit. The control circuit comprises a PWM signal generation module used for generating a plurality of PWM signals of the multi-phase power conversion circuit; the PWM control module is used for providing a multi-phase conduction control signal for the PWM signal generation module to set the level states of a plurality of PWM signals so as to control the working state of the multi-phase power conversion circuit, and the PWM control module inquires the working state of a power conversion circuit with a preset phase number in the multi-phase power conversion circuit and controls the working state of the power conversion circuit with the preset phase number in the multi-phase power conversion circuit. And the PWM control module increases the predetermined phase number under the condition that the power conversion circuit of the predetermined phase number is in an unavailable state. According to the multi-phase power supply control circuit, rapid phase increasing is carried out according to the working state query of the power conversion circuit without depending on an analog-to-digital converter, so that the circuit cost of the control circuit can be reduced, and the dynamic response speed can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of switching power supplies, and more specifically, to a multi-phase power supply and a control circuit and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In CPU power supply applications, in order to cope with increasingly complex data processing and logic calculation functions, the CPU requires more and more power from the power supply, and the load current slew rate encountered by the power supply system during operation is also getting higher and higher. In order to respond to the CPU's demand for power supply capacity, multi-phase power supply systems are currently used in CPU power supply systems.

[0003] Multiphase power supply is a technology that connects multiple power conversion circuits in parallel and interleaves them. Each channel has a corresponding power switch tube and inductor, and the switching modulation process is distributed to different phases to achieve the adjustment and control of the power supply. The PWM (pulse width modulation) signals between phases in a multiphase power supply can be the same or staggered by a certain phase, so that the fluctuation frequency seen by the output and input is the product of the switching frequency in each phase and the number of phases, thereby reducing the need for filter capacitors and reducing the current impact on the input, while speeding up the response to load changes.

[0004] In a multi-phase power supply system, the control circuit opens a corresponding number of power conversion circuits according to the load current to share the current provided to the load. When the load current increases, the control circuit needs to increase the phase to open more power conversion circuits. In the existing multi-phase power supply system, the control circuit uses an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to sample the current information of each phase, performs analog-to-digital conversion to obtain the average output current of each phase, and determines whether the load current increases based on the change in the average output current.

[0005] The above-mentioned phase-increasing action of the control circuit is limited by the rate of the analog-to-digital converter, and it is difficult to meet the requirements of high dynamic response capability in the CPU power supply scenario. When facing some extreme load jumps, it may also happen that a phase is still in the open or overcurrent state, and the control circuit still requires the conduction phase to be opened. When the existing control circuit encounters this situation, it usually does not perform additional control, resulting in a decrease in dynamic response speed. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-phase power supply and a control circuit and a control method thereof, which are used to perform fast phase increase without using an analog-to-digital converter, so as to reduce the circuit cost of the control circuit and improve the dynamic response speed.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a control circuit of a multi-phase power supply is provided, which is used to control a multi-phase power conversion circuit, wherein the control circuit comprises: a plurality of PWM signal generating modules, which respectively generate PWM signals of corresponding power conversion circuits in the multi-phase power conversion circuit; and a PWM control module, which is used to provide a conduction control signal to the plurality of PWM signal generating modules, so as to set the level state of the PWM signal, thereby controlling the on or off of the multi-phase power conversion circuit, wherein the PWM control module sequentially queries the working state of the power conversion circuit with a predetermined phase number of M1 phase in the multi-phase power conversion circuit, and when it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the i-th phase power conversion circuit is turned on, and when it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined phase number from M1 phase to M2 phase, so as to improve the output capacity of the multi-phase power supply, wherein, , , i, M1, M2 and N are positive integers, and N is the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power conversion circuit.

[0008] Optionally, when i=1, the PWM control module is further used to sequentially query the working status of the 2nd to M2th phase power conversion circuits after the predetermined number of phases increases from the M1th phase to the M2th phase, and when it is found that the jth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, open the jth phase power conversion circuit, where j is a positive integer. .

[0009] Optionally, when i is greater than 1, the PWM control module is further used to sequentially query the working status of the power conversion circuit from the i+1th phase to the M2th phase and the working status of the power conversion circuit from the 1st phase to the ith phase after the predetermined number of phases increases from the M1th phase to the M2th phase, and when it is found that the qth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, open the qth phase power conversion circuit, where q is a positive integer, .

[0010] Optionally, the unavailable state includes at least one of the following: an occupied state of the power conversion circuit, a phase current overcurrent state of the power conversion circuit, and a transient state of the first phase power conversion circuit.

[0011] Optionally, the PWM control module detects a level state of the PWM signal to determine an occupancy state of the power conversion circuit.

[0012] Optionally, the control circuit also includes: an overcurrent comparison module, used to compare the phase current sampling signal of the multi-phase power conversion circuit with a first current reference signal. When the phase current sampling signal is greater than the first current reference signal, the PWM control module determines that the corresponding power conversion circuit of the multi-phase power conversion circuit is in an overcurrent state of the phase current.

[0013] Optionally, the control circuit also includes: a transient comparison module, used to compare the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit in the multi-phase power conversion circuit with a second current reference signal. When the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit is greater than the second current reference signal, the PWM control module determines that the first phase power conversion circuit is in a transient state.

[0014] Optionally, the control circuit also includes: a trigger modulation module, used to compare the output voltage of the multi-phase power supply with a voltage reference signal to obtain a trigger signal, wherein the PWM control module detects the working state of the power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases at the trigger edge of the trigger signal, and sets the level state of the conduction control signal to turn on the power conversion circuit in an available state.

[0015] Optionally, the PWM control module is also used to abandon the response to the trigger signal and wait for the arrival of the next trigger edge if it is detected at the trigger edge of the trigger signal that all power conversion circuits of the predetermined number of phases are in an unavailable state after the predetermined number of phases increases from M1 phase to M2 phase.

[0016] Optionally, the trigger modulation module includes: a digital-to-analog converter, used to generate the voltage reference signal according to a set digital value; a comparator, used to compare the feedback signal of the output voltage with the voltage reference signal to obtain a comparison signal; and a first monostable trigger, used to generate the trigger signal according to the comparison signal.

[0017] Optionally, the PWM signal generating module includes: a second monostable trigger, used to flip the PWM signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit from an invalid level to a valid level according to the on-control signal, and set the effective level time of the PWM signal to a predetermined on-time according to the off-control signal.

[0018] Optionally, the PWM signal generating module includes: an RS trigger, used to perform a set operation according to the on-control signal, and a reset operation according to the off-control signal, so as to generate a PWM signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit.

[0019] Optionally, it also includes: a phase number control module, used to store the predetermined number of phases, the PWM control module reads the predetermined number of phases from the phase number control module, wherein when the PWM control module increases the predetermined number of phases, the PWM control module sets the maximum number of phases flag to a valid state, and the phase number control module adjusts the predetermined number of phases to the maximum number of phases.

[0020] Optionally, the PWM control module queries the working status of the power conversion circuits of a predetermined number of phases in the multi-phase power conversion circuit in a polling order.

[0021] Optionally, the polling order is to traverse in a loop according to the sequence numbers of the multi-phase power conversion circuits.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a multi-phase power supply is provided, comprising: a multi-phase power conversion circuit, which includes a plurality of switch circuits, the output ends of the plurality of switch circuits are coupled together to supply power to a load; and the control circuit.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, a control method for a multi-phase power supply is provided, which is used to control a multi-phase power conversion circuit, wherein the control method comprises: selecting a power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases of M1 phase in the multi-phase power conversion circuit; sequentially querying the working state of the M1 phase power conversion circuit; and when it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, opening the i-th phase power conversion circuit, and when it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, increasing the predetermined number of phases from M1 phase to M2 phase, so as to improve the output capacity of the multi-phase power supply, wherein, , , i, M1, M2 and N are positive integers, and N is the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power conversion circuit.

[0024] Optionally, when i=1, the control method further comprises, after the predetermined number of phases increases from M phase to N phase, sequentially querying the working status of the 2nd phase to the Nth phase power conversion circuit, and when it is found that the jth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, opening the jth phase power conversion circuit, wherein j is a positive integer, .

[0025] Optionally, when i is greater than 1, the control method further comprises, after the predetermined number of phases increases from M phases to N phases, sequentially querying the working states of the power conversion circuits from the i+1th phase to the Nth phase, and the working states of the power conversion circuits from the 1st phase to the ith phase, and when it is found that the qth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, opening the qth phase power conversion circuit, wherein q is a positive integer, .

[0026] Optionally, the unavailable state includes at least one of the following: an occupied state of the power conversion circuit, a phase current overcurrent state of the power conversion circuit, and a transient state of the first phase power conversion circuit.

[0027] Optionally, the control method further comprises detecting a level state of the PWM signal to determine an occupancy state of the power conversion circuit.

[0028] Optionally, the control method also includes: comparing the phase current sampling signal of the multi-phase power conversion circuit with a first current reference signal, and when the phase current sampling signal is greater than the first current reference signal, determining that the corresponding power conversion circuit of the multi-phase power conversion circuit is in a phase current overcurrent state.

[0029] Optionally, the control method also includes: comparing the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit in the multi-phase power conversion circuit with a second current reference signal, and determining that the first phase power conversion circuit is in a transient state when the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit is greater than the second current reference signal.

[0030] Optionally, the control method also includes: comparing the output voltage of the multi-phase power supply with a voltage reference signal to obtain a trigger signal; and detecting the working state of the power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases at the trigger edge of the trigger signal, and setting the level state of the conduction control signal to turn on the power conversion circuit in an available state.

[0031] Optionally, the control method also includes: after the predetermined number of phases increases from M1 phase to M2 phase, if it is detected at the trigger edge of the trigger signal that the power conversion circuits of the predetermined number of phases are all in an unavailable state, then the response to the trigger signal is abandoned and the next trigger edge is waited for.

[0032] Optionally, comparing the output voltage of the multi-phase power supply with a voltage reference signal to obtain a trigger signal includes: generating the voltage reference signal according to a set digital value; comparing the feedback signal of the output voltage with the voltage reference signal to obtain a comparison signal; and generating the trigger signal according to the comparison signal.

[0033] Optionally, the operating states of power conversion circuits of a predetermined number of phases in the multi-phase power conversion circuit are queried in a polling order.

[0034] Optionally, the polling order is to traverse in a loop according to the sequence numbers of the multi-phase power conversion circuits.

[0035] In summary, the multi-phase power supply control circuit provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes a PWM signal generating module and a PWM control module. The PWM control module provides a multi-phase conduction control signal to the PWM signal generating module to set the level state of multiple PWM signals, thereby controlling the working state of the multi-phase power conversion circuit. The PWM control module inquires about the working state of the power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases in the multi-phase power conversion circuit. When the power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined number of phases. The multi-phase power supply control circuit performs rapid phase increase according to the working state query of the power conversion circuit, without the need to use an analog-to-digital converter, thereby reducing the circuit cost of the control circuit and improving the dynamic response speed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through the following description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0037] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a multi-phase power supply according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0038] Figure 2 A schematic circuit diagram of a trigger modulation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic circuit diagram showing a control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 A schematic waveform diagram of a multi-phase power supply control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0041] Figure 5 A flow chart of a multi-phase power supply control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the accompanying drawings, identical elements are represented by identical or similar reference numerals. For the sake of clarity, the various parts in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale. In addition, some well-known parts may not be shown.

[0043] It should be understood that in the following description, "circuit" refers to a conductive loop composed of at least one element or subcircuit through electrical connection or electromagnetic connection. When an element or circuit is said to be "connected to" another element or an element / circuit is said to be "connected between" two nodes, it can be directly coupled or connected to another element or there can be an intermediate element, and the connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Conversely, when an element is said to be "directly coupled to" or "directly connected to" another element, it means that there is no intermediate element between the two.

[0044] It should be noted that, in this article, the switching device is a transistor that works in a switching mode to provide a current path, including one selected from a bipolar transistor or a field effect transistor. The first end and the second end of the switching device are respectively a high potential end and a low potential end on the current path, and the control end of the switching device is used to receive a drive signal to control the on and off of the transistor. In addition, in the present application, the description of the on and off of the power conversion circuit corresponds to the on and off of the main switching device that receives the input voltage in the power conversion circuit. 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 start to provide power output to the load (that is, generate a corresponding output voltage according to the input voltage); 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 stop providing power output to the load.

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a multi-phase power supply according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The multi-phase power supply according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a multi-phase power supply control circuit and a multi-phase power conversion circuit, the number of phases of the multi-phase power conversion circuit is, for example, N, N is an integer greater than 1, and the multi-phase power supply control circuit is used to control the conduction sequence and charging time of the multi-phase power conversion circuit to jointly provide an output voltage Vout.

[0046] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 The multi-phase power supply 100 includes N-phase parallel-coupled power conversion circuits 101-10N (N is the number of phases set by the multi-phase power supply, and N is an integer greater than 1), a multi-phase power supply control circuit (referred to as the control circuit in this article) 200, and a trigger modulation circuit 300.

[0047] Each phase power conversion circuit includes a driver DRV, a first switch device T1 and a second switch device T2, and an inductor Lx. The first switch device T1 and the second switch device T2 are connected between the input voltage Vin and the reference ground. The first end of the inductor Lx is connected to the middle node of the first switch device T1 and the second switch device 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 drivers in each phase power conversion circuit 101-10N receive the control signal provided by the control circuit 200, that is, the PWM signal PWM1-PWMN, and control the conduction and shutdown of the corresponding switch device according to the received control signal, charge the energy storage element of the current phase for a corresponding period of time, and provide an output current to the output end of the multi-phase power conversion circuit, thereby outputting an output voltage Vout at the output end of the multi-phase power conversion circuit, and driving the load based on the output capacitor Cout.

[0048] It should be noted that although each phase power conversion circuit can refer to Figure 1 The structure of the power conversion circuit 101 in the embodiment can be understood. In this embodiment, each phase inductor corresponding to each phase power conversion circuit in the N-phase power conversion circuit 101-10N can be discrete or mutually coupled (for example, the first phase inductor is coupled with the second phase inductor; the third phase inductor is coupled with the fourth phase inductor, and so on). At the same time, although the power conversion circuit is described as having a buck topology layout (Buck), the technical solution of the present invention can be adopted for any type of layout design, such as boost, flyback, buck-boost, Cuk, Sepic and Zeta.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, phase current sampling signals CS1-CSn are obtained inside the N-phase power conversion circuit 101-10N, wherein the phase current sampling signals CS1-CSn respectively represent the inductor currents in the 1st to Nth phase power conversion circuits. The trigger modulation circuit 300 obtains a feedback signal of the output voltage Vout at the common output terminal of the multi-phase power conversion circuit 101-10N. The trigger modulation circuit 300 is configured to generate a trigger signal FIRE according to the output voltage Vout. The control circuit 200 receives the trigger signal FIRE and the phase current sampling signals CS1-CSn, and generates PWM signals PWM1-PWMn of the N-phase power conversion circuit 101-10N to control the working state of the N-phase power conversion circuit 101-10N.

[0050] The control circuit 200 selects a power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases M1 from the N-phase power conversion circuits 101-10N, where M1<N. At each trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the control circuit 200 sequentially determines whether the power conversion circuits with corresponding serial numbers in the M1-phase power conversion circuits 101-10M1 are in an available state. If the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the pulse width control signal of the i-th phase power conversion circuit is flipped from a low level to a high level, thereby turning on the power conversion circuit; if the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the predetermined number of phases is increased from M1 phase to M2 phase, thereby turning on more power conversion circuits to improve the output capacity of the multi-phase power supply, wherein, , , i, M1, M2 and N are positive integers, and N is the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power conversion circuit.

[0051] Further, the pulse width control signal of the power conversion circuit in the available state flips from a low level to a high level, and the control circuit 200 maintains the high level state for a predetermined time, so that the power conversion circuit in the available state is turned on for a predetermined time. At the continuous triggering edge (e.g., rising edge) of the trigger signal FIRE, the control circuit 200 turns on the M1 phase power conversion circuit in sequence, and then turns off the M1 phase power conversion circuit in sequence. Therefore, the M1 phase power conversion circuit is connected in parallel and staggered to output the output voltage Vout, and drives the load based on the output capacitor Cout.

[0052] In this embodiment, the control circuit 200 determines whether phase addition is required based on the working status of a predetermined number of power conversion circuits. Compared with the existing method of determining whether phase addition is required based on the ADC sampling result of the total inductor current, the control circuit 200 does not need to use ADC to digitize the current sampling signal, nor does it need to perform numerical calculations to obtain the load current, and calculate the number of openings of the multi-phase power conversion circuit based on the load current. Therefore, the multi-phase circuit 100 performs phase addition based on the detection result of the working status, and because it is not limited by the ADC sampling rate, the dynamic response speed when the load current jumps can be improved.

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic circuit diagram of a trigger modulation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The trigger modulation circuit 300 includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 301 , a comparator 302 , and a monostable trigger 303 .

[0054] The digital-to-analog converter 301 is used as a voltage reference signal generator to generate a voltage reference signal Vref according to a set digital value. The non-inverting input terminal of the comparator 302 receives the voltage reference signal Vref, and the inverting input terminal receives the feedback signal of the output voltage Vout. The comparator 302 compares the output voltage Vout with the voltage reference signal Vref to generate a comparison signal. When the output voltage Vout decreases to be less than the voltage reference signal Vref, the comparison signal Vcomp flips from an invalid state to a valid state, for example, from a low level to a high level. The monostable trigger 303 receives the comparison signal Vcomp, and flips from an invalid state to a valid state at an edge (for example, a rising edge) of the comparison signal Vcomp, for example, from a low level to a high level, and after maintaining the valid state for a predetermined time, returns from the valid state to the invalid state, for example, from a high level to a low level.

[0055] When the M1 phase power conversion circuit 101-10M1 is selected in the N phase power conversion circuit 101-10N in the multi-phase power supply 100, the trigger signal FIRE generated by the trigger modulation circuit 300 is used to turn on one phase power conversion circuit in the M phase power conversion circuit 101-10M1. When the load current remains unchanged, if one power conversion circuit is turned off, the output voltage Vout decreases. The trigger modulation circuit 300 detects the change in the output voltage Vout and generates a pulse signal for reopening another power conversion circuit. Therefore, at the continuous trigger edge (for example, the rising edge) of the trigger signal FIRE, the control circuit 200 turns on the M1 phase power conversion circuit in turn, and then the M1 phase power conversion circuit 101-10M1 is turned off in turn, thereby maintaining the output voltage Vout of the multi-phase power supply 100.

[0056] Figure 3 The schematic circuit diagram of the control circuit according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. The control circuit 200 includes N-phase overcurrent comparison modules 2011 - 201N, N-phase PWM signal generation modules 2021 - 202N, a transient comparison module 203 , a PWM control module 204 , and a phase number control module 205 .

[0057] The N-phase overcurrent comparison modules 2011-201N respectively receive the phase current sampling signals CS1-CSn of the N-phase power conversion circuits 101-10N, and the phase current sampling signals CS1-CSn respectively represent the inductor currents in the 1st to Nth phase power conversion circuits. The N-phase overcurrent comparison modules 2011-201N respectively compare the phase current sampling signals CS1-CSn with the first current reference signal Iref1 to obtain the N-phase overcurrent signals OC1-OCn. The effective state of any phase overcurrent signal among the N-phase overcurrent signals OC1-OCn is used to represent the overcurrent state of the power conversion circuit of the corresponding phase.

[0058] The transient comparison module 203 receives the phase current sampling signal CS1 of the first phase power conversion circuit 101, and the phase current sampling signal CS1 represents the inductor current in the first phase power conversion circuit. The transient comparison module 203 compares the phase current sampling signal CS1 with the second current reference signal Iref2 to obtain a transient phase increase flag trans_phase_add. The effective state of the transient phase increase flag trans_phase_add is used to represent that the operating current of the first phase power conversion circuit has not reached the overcurrent threshold but has exceeded the normal working range, and more phases need to be added. For example, the second current reference signal Iref2 is less than the first current reference signal Iref1.

[0059] The PWM control module 204 receives the N-phase PWM signals PWM1-PWMn, the N-phase overcurrent signals OC1-OCn, and the transient phase-add flag trans_phase_add, and can determine the working state of any phase power conversion circuit in the N-phase power conversion circuits 101-10N through logical judgment. The PWM control module 204 generates the N-phase conduction control signals FS1-FSn.

[0060] For any phase power conversion circuit, the PWM control module 204 detects the level of the PWM signal and the logic state of the overcurrent signal. The working state of any phase power conversion circuit includes an available state and an unavailable state. The unavailable state of any power conversion circuit includes at least one of the following working states: the occupied state of the power conversion circuit, the phase current overcurrent state of the power conversion circuit. For the first phase power conversion circuit 101, the PWM control module 204 also detects the valid state of the transient phase increase flag trans_phase_add. The unavailable state of the first phase power conversion circuit also includes the transient state of the first phase power conversion circuit. The available state of any power conversion circuit is the opposite state of the unavailable state, so its available state will not be described separately.

[0061] The PWM control module 204 selects a power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases M1 from the N-phase power conversion circuits 101-10N, where M1<N. The phase number control module 205 is used to store the predetermined number of phases M1. The PWM control module 204 queries the working status of the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 to the M1-phase power conversion circuit 10M1 in a polling order, and after querying the working status of the M1-phase power conversion circuit 10M1, returns to query the working status of the first-phase power conversion circuit 101.

[0062] Furthermore, the PWM control module 204 is used to, during the sequential query process, if the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, open the i-th phase power conversion circuit, and when it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined number of phases from M1 phase to M2 phase to improve the output capacity of the multi-phase power supply, wherein, , , i, M1, M2 and N are positive integers, and N is the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power conversion circuit.

[0063] Further, when i=1, the PWM control module 204 is further used to sequentially query the working status of the 2nd to M2th phase power conversion circuits after the predetermined number of phases increases from the M1th phase to the M2th phase, and to open the jth phase power conversion circuit when it is found that the jth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, wherein j is a positive integer. .

[0064] Further, when i is greater than 1, the PWM control module 204 is further configured to sequentially query the working status of the power conversion circuits from the i+1th phase to the M2th phase after the predetermined number of phases increases from the M1th phase to the M2th phase, and then return to query the working status of the power conversion circuits from the 1st phase to the ith phase, and when it is found that the qth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, open the qth phase power conversion circuit, where q is a positive integer, .

[0065] Taking M1=2 as an example, when each trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE arrives, the PWM control module 204 detects in sequence whether the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 and the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 are in an available state. If they are in an available state, the corresponding conduction control signal provided by the PWM control module 204 is flipped from an invalid state to a valid state to control the operation of the corresponding power conversion circuit in the available state. If it is not in an available state, the PWM control module 204 increases the predetermined number of phases in the phase number control module 205, and increases the predetermined number of phases from M1 phase to M2 phase. Preferably, the PWM control module 204 directly increases the predetermined number of phases in the phase number control module 205 from M1 phase to the maximum number of phases N phase to achieve the maximum current load capacity. Preferably, after the predetermined number of phases in the phase number control module 205 is increased to the maximum number of phases N, the PWM control module 204 detects in sequence whether any one of the first-phase power conversion circuit to the Nth-phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If so, the PWM control module 204 provides a corresponding conduction control signal that is flipped from an invalid state to a valid state. If not, the PWM control module 204 abandons the response to the trigger signal FIRE and waits for the next trigger edge to arrive.

[0066] Furthermore, the PWM control module 204 may have a state counter, and the state counter is used to continuously count the number of power conversion circuits in the N-phase power conversion circuit that are in an unavailable state. For example, whenever a phase power converter is identified as being in an unavailable state, the state counter adds 1 to the internal count value cnt. If a phase power converter is in an available state during the continuous counting process, the state counter clears the internal count value cnt and restarts counting. The PWM control module 204 is also used to abandon the response to the trigger signal FIRE and wait for the arrival of the next trigger edge when the internal count value cnt of the state counter is equal to the maximum number of phases N of the multi-phase power conversion circuit.

[0067] Specifically, taking the predetermined number of phases M1=2 and the maximum number of phases N=4 as an example, when the trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE arrives, the PWM control module queries whether the first phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the first phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined number of phases 2 to the maximum number of phases 4, and queries whether the second phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the second phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module will query whether the third phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the third phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module will query whether the fourth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the fourth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the fourth phase power conversion circuit is turned on. If the fourth phase power conversion circuit is also in an unavailable state, no action is taken when the trigger signal arrives.

[0068] Specifically, in another implementation, taking the predetermined number of phases M1=2 and the maximum number of phases N=4 as an example, when the trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE arrives, the PWM control module queries whether the second-phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the second-phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined number of phases 2 to the maximum number of phases 4, and sequentially queries whether the third-phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the third-phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module will sequentially query whether the fourth-phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the fourth-phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module will sequentially query whether the first-phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. If the first-phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the first-phase power conversion circuit is turned on. If the first-phase power conversion circuit is also in an unavailable state, no action is taken when the trigger signal arrives.

[0069] Specifically, in another implementation mode, taking the predetermined number of phases M1=2 and the maximum number of phases N=4 as an example, when the trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE arrives for the first time, the PWM control module queries whether the first phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, and if the first phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the first phase power conversion circuit is turned on; when the trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE arrives for the second time, the PWM control module queries whether the second phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, and if the second phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the second phase power conversion circuit is turned on; when the trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE arrives for the third time, the PWM control module queries whether the second phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, and if the second phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the second phase power conversion circuit is turned on; When the PWM control module queries whether the 1st phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, since the 1st phase power conversion circuit has been opened, the 1st phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined phase number 2 to the maximum phase number 4, and sequentially queries whether the 2nd phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, since the 2nd phase power conversion circuit has been opened, the 2nd phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, and continues to sequentially query whether the 3rd phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, since the 3rd phase power conversion circuit has not been opened, the 3rd phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, and the 3rd phase power conversion circuit is opened.

[0070] Therefore, for the M-phase power conversion circuit 101-10M in the N-phase power conversion circuit, at the continuous triggering edge (e.g., rising edge) of the trigger signal FIRE, the PWM control module 204 sequentially turns on the M-phase power conversion circuit 101-10M, and then sequentially turns off the M-phase power conversion circuit 101-10M. The M-phase power conversion circuits 101-10M in the N-phase power conversion circuit are staggered in parallel, output the output voltage Vout, and drive the load based on the output capacitor Cout. The remaining power conversion circuits in the N-phase power conversion circuit are always in the off state.

[0071] In this embodiment, the N-phase PWM signal generating modules 2021-202N are RS triggers for example. The set ends of the RS triggers of the N-phase PWM signal generating modules 2021-202N receive the corresponding conduction control signals in the N-phase conduction control signals FS1-FSn, respectively, and the reset ends receive the shutdown control signals Ton, respectively. The shutdown control signal Ton is used to set the conduction time. When a conduction control signal provided by the PWM control module 204 is flipped from an invalid state to a valid state, the RS trigger of the corresponding phase is set, and the PWM signal is flipped from an invalid state to a valid state. After the PWM signal maintains the valid state for a predetermined conduction time, the shutdown control signal Ton is used as a reset signal to reset the RS trigger of the corresponding phase, and the PWM signal is flipped from a valid state to an invalid state. Therefore, at each trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the PWM control module 204 turns on a power conversion circuit in an available state in the M-phase power conversion circuit in a polling order.

[0072] In the above embodiments, the principle of the PWM signal generating module is explained by taking the RS trigger as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the PWM signal generating module is any monostable trigger that generates a pulse signal with a predetermined pulse width according to a trigger signal.

[0073] Figure 4 Schematic waveform diagram of a multi-phase power supply control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 4 For example, the maximum number of phases N of the N-phase power conversion circuits 101 - 10N is 8. In the startup phase of the multi-phase power supply 100 , the predetermined number of phases M1 stored in the phase control module 205 is 2.

[0074] At the first trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE (i.e., time t1), the PWM control module 204 inquires about the working state of the first phase power conversion circuit 101. When the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is in an available state, the conduction control signal FS1 provided by the PWM control module 204 flips from an invalid state to a valid state, and the other conduction control signals FS2-FSn maintain an invalid state, and the PWM signal PWM1 provided by the first phase PWM signal generating module 2021 flips from a low level to a high level, and the other PWM signals PWM2-PWMn maintain a low level. Therefore, the control circuit 200 turns on the first phase power conversion circuit 101. At this time, the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is powered alone.

[0075] At the second trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE (i.e., time t2), the PWM control module 204 queries the working state of the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 in a polling order. When the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 is in an available state, the conduction control signal FS2 provided by the PWM control module 204 flips from an invalid state to a valid state, and the other conduction control signals FS1, FS3-FSn maintain an invalid state, and the PWM signal PWM2 provided by the second-phase PWM signal generating module 2022 flips from a low level to a high level, and the other PWM signals PWM3-PWMn maintain a low level. Therefore, the control circuit 200 turns on the second-phase power conversion circuit 102, and at this time, the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 and the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 are powered in parallel.

[0076] At the third trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE (i.e., time t3), the PWM control module 204 queries the working state of the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 in a polling order. Since the PWM signal PWM1 of the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 is still at a high level, the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 is in an unavailable state. At this time, the count value cnt of the state counter in the PWM control module 204 is 1, and the PWM control module 204 sets the maximum phase number flag phase_add_flag in the phase number control module 205 to a valid state, and adjusts the predetermined phase number M1 in the phase number control module 205 to the maximum phase number N=8. Then the PWM control module 204 sequentially queries the working state of the second-phase power conversion circuit 102. Since the PWM signal PWM2 is still at a high level, the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 is also in an unavailable state, and the count value cnt of the state counter is 2 at this time. Then the PWM control module 204 sequentially inquires the working state of the third-phase power conversion circuit 103. Since the third-phase power conversion circuit 103 is a newly added phase and is in an available state, the conduction control signal FS3 provided by the PWM control module 204 is flipped from an invalid state to a valid state, and the other conduction control signals FS1-FS2, FS4-FSn remain in an invalid state. The PWM signal PWM3 provided by the third-phase PWM signal generation module 2023 is flipped from a low level to a high level, and the other PWM signals PWM4-PWMn remain at a low level. Therefore, the control circuit 200 turns on the third-phase power conversion circuit 103, and the state counter clears the count value cnt. At this time, the first-phase power conversion circuit 101, the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 and the third-phase power conversion circuit 103 are powered in parallel.

[0077] At the subsequent triggering edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the PWM control module 204 queries the working status of the 1st-phase power conversion circuit 101 to the 8th-phase power conversion circuit 108 in a polling order, and turns on a power conversion circuit in an available state among the 8-phase power conversion circuits in a polling order. If all the 8-phase power conversion circuits are in an unavailable state, that is, the count value cnt of the state counter is 8, the PWM control module 204 abandons the response to the trigger signal.

[0078] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a multi-phase power supply control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 The control circuit shown is implemented Figure 5 The various steps of the control method shown below. Figures 1 to 3 right Figure 5 Each step of the control method shown is described in detail.

[0079] In step S01 , among the multi-phase power conversion circuits 101 - 10N of the multi-phase power supply 100 , a power conversion circuit with a predetermined number of phases M1 is selected.

[0080] For example, the maximum phase number N of the N-phase power conversion circuit 101 - 10N is 8. During the startup phase of the multi-phase power supply 100 , the predetermined phase number M1 stored in the phase number control module 205 is 2. The PWM control module 204 reads the phase number control module 205 to obtain the value of the predetermined phase number M1=2.

[0081] In step S02 , the trigger modulation circuit 300 compares the output voltage Vout of the multi-phase power supply 100 with the voltage reference signal Vref to obtain a trigger signal FIRE.

[0082] When the trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE is detected, steps S03 to S07 are executed to query the working status of the power conversion circuits with the predetermined phase number M1 to determine whether there is an unavailable power conversion circuit among the power conversion circuits with the predetermined phase number M1.

[0083] In step S03 , the PWM control module 204 selects a power conversion circuit to be turned on among the power conversion circuits with a predetermined number of phases M1 .

[0084] In this embodiment, the PWM control module 204 queries the working status of the power conversion circuits with a predetermined phase number M1 in the multi-phase power conversion circuit in a polling order, thereby traversing the power conversion circuits with a predetermined phase number M1 to find at least one power conversion circuit in an available state.

[0085] The above-mentioned polling order is to loop through according to the sequence number of the multi-phase power conversion circuit. For example, at the first trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is selected as the power conversion circuit to be turned on. At the second trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the second phase power conversion circuit 102 is selected as the power conversion circuit to be turned on. At the third trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is selected as the power conversion circuit to be turned on. And so on.

[0086] In the power conversion circuit of the predetermined phase number M1, the unavailable state of any power conversion circuit includes at least one of the following working states: the occupied state of the power conversion circuit, the phase current overcurrent state of the power conversion circuit. For the first phase power conversion circuit 101, the PWM control module 204 also detects the valid state of the transient phase increase flag trans_phase_add. The unavailable state of the first phase power conversion circuit also includes the transient state of the first phase power conversion circuit. The available state of any power conversion circuit is the opposite state of the unavailable state.

[0087] At the first triggering edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the PWM control module 204 selects the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 as the power conversion circuit to be turned on.

[0088] In step S04, the PWM control module 204 determines whether the power conversion circuit to be turned on is the first phase power conversion circuit. The PWM control module 204 sequentially executes steps S05, S06 and S07 to determine whether the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is in a transient state, in an occupied state, or in an overcurrent state. Figure 4 At this time, the first phase power conversion circuit is neither in a transient state, nor in an occupied state, nor in an overcurrent state. Therefore, it can be determined that the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is in an available state, and step S08 is continued.

[0089] In step S08, when the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is in an available state, the PWM signal PWM1 generated by the PWM signal generating module 2021 is a pulse signal with a predetermined on-time, thereby turning on the first phase power conversion circuit, and then proceeding to step S09.

[0090] In step S09, the count value of the state counter is cleared to zero, and then the process returns to step S02.

[0091] At the second triggering edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the PWM control module 204 selects the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 as the power conversion circuit to be turned on.

[0092] The PWM control module 204 sequentially executes steps S06 and S07 to determine whether the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 is in an occupied state and whether it is in an overcurrent state. Figure 4 , the second phase power conversion circuit is neither in the occupied state nor in the overcurrent state. Therefore, it is determined that the second phase power conversion circuit 102 is in the available state, and step S08 is continued.

[0093] In step S08, when the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 is in an available state, the PWM signal PWM2 generated by the PWM signal generating module 2022 is a pulse signal with a predetermined on-time, thereby turning on the second-phase power conversion circuit, continuing to execute step S09, and then returning to step S02.

[0094] At the third triggering edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the PWM control module 204 reselects the first-phase power conversion circuit 101 as the power conversion circuit to be turned on.

[0095] The PWM control module 204 sequentially executes steps S05, S06 and S07 to determine whether the first phase power conversion circuit 101 is in a transient state, in an occupied state, or in an overcurrent state. Figure 4 , the first phase power conversion circuit is in an occupied state, therefore, it can be determined that the first phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, and step S10 is continued.

[0096] In step S10, the count value of the state counter is increased by 1. At this time, the count value cnt of the state counter is 1, and step S11 is continued.

[0097] In step S11 , the PWM control module 204 sets the maximum phase number flag phase_add_flag in the phase number control module 205 to a valid state, and adjusts the predetermined phase number M in the phase number control module 205 to the maximum phase number N=8. Then, the process proceeds to step S12 .

[0098] In step S12 , the PWM control module 204 determines whether the count value of the state counter is equal to the value of the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power converter.

[0099] At this time, the count value cnt of the state counter=1, which is less than the maximum number of phases N=8. Therefore, the process returns to step S03, and the PWM control module 204 selects the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 as the power conversion circuit to be turned on.

[0100] The PWM control module 204 sequentially executes steps S06 and S07 to determine whether the second-phase power conversion circuit 102 is in an occupied state and whether it is in an overcurrent state. Figure 4 , the second phase power conversion circuit is in an occupied state, therefore, it can be determined that the second phase power conversion circuit 102 is in an unavailable state, and step S10 is continued.

[0101] In step S10, the count value of the state counter is increased by 1. At this time, the count value cnt of the state counter is 2, and step S11 is continued.

[0102] In step S11 , the PWM control module 204 sets the maximum phase number flag phase_add_flag in the phase number control module 205 to a valid state, and adjusts the predetermined phase number M in the phase number control module 205 to the maximum phase number N=8. Then, the process proceeds to step S12 .

[0103] In step S12 , the PWM control module 204 determines whether the count value of the state counter is equal to the value of the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power converter.

[0104] At this time, the count value cnt of the state counter=2, which is less than the maximum number of phases N=8. Therefore, the process returns to step S03, and the PWM control module 204 selects the third-phase power conversion circuit 103 as the power conversion circuit to be turned on.

[0105] The PWM control module 204 sequentially executes steps S06 and S07 to determine whether the third-phase power conversion circuit 103 is in an occupied state and whether it is in an overcurrent state. Figure 4 , the third-phase power conversion circuit is neither in an occupied state nor in an overcurrent state. Therefore, it is determined that the third-phase power conversion circuit 102 is in an available state, and step S08 is continued.

[0106] In step S08 , when the third-phase power conversion circuit 103 is in an available state, the PWM signal PWM3 generated by the PWM signal generating module 2023 is a pulse signal with a predetermined on-time, thereby turning on the third-phase power conversion circuit, and then proceeding to step S09 .

[0107] In step S09, the count value of the state counter is cleared to zero, and at this time, the count value cnt of the state counter is 0. Then, the process returns to step S02.

[0108] At the subsequent trigger edge of the trigger signal FIRE, the PWM control module 204 queries the working states of the 4th-phase power conversion circuit 104 to the 8th-phase power conversion circuit 108 in a polling order, and opens a power conversion circuit in an available state in the 8-phase power conversion circuit in a polling order. If the 8-phase power conversion circuits are all in an unavailable state, that is, the count value cnt of the state counter=8, the PWM control module 204 abandons the response to the trigger signal. In summary, the multi-phase power supply control circuit provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes a PWM signal generating module and a PWM control module. The PWM control module provides a multi-phase conduction control signal to the PWM signal generating module to set the level state of multiple PWM signals, thereby controlling the working state of the multi-phase power conversion circuit. The PWM control module queries the working state of the power conversion circuit of a predetermined number of phases in the multi-phase power conversion circuit, and when the power conversion circuit of the predetermined number of phases is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined number of phases. The multi-phase power supply control circuit performs rapid phase increase according to the working state query of the power conversion circuit, without using an analog-to-digital converter, thereby reducing the circuit cost of the control circuit and improving the dynamic response speed.

[0109] In the above description, the well-known structural elements and steps are not described in detail. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the corresponding structural elements and steps can be realized by various technical means. In addition, in order to form the same structural elements, those skilled in the art can also design methods that are not completely the same as the methods described above. In addition, although each embodiment is described above respectively, this does not mean that the measures in each embodiment cannot be advantageously used in combination.

[0110] According to the embodiments of the present invention, as described above, these embodiments do not describe all the details in detail, nor do they limit the invention to specific embodiments. Obviously, many modifications and changes can be made based on the above description. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present invention, so that those skilled in the art can make good use of the present invention and the modified use based on the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be based on the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-phase power supply control circuit, used to control a multi-phase power conversion circuit, wherein: The control circuit comprises: A plurality of PWM signal generating modules, respectively generating PWM signals for corresponding power conversion circuits in the multi-phase power conversion circuit; and a PWM control module, used to provide a conduction control signal to the plurality of PWM signal generating modules to set the level state of the PWM signal, thereby controlling the on or off of the multi-phase power conversion circuit; The PWM control module sequentially queries the working status of the power conversion circuit with a predetermined phase number of M1 phase in the multi-phase power conversion circuit, and opens the i-th phase power conversion circuit when it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an available state. When it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the PWM control module increases the predetermined phase number from M1 phase to M2 phase to improve the output capacity of the multi-phase power supply, wherein, , , i, M1, M2 and N are positive integers, and N is the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power conversion circuit.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: When i=1, the PWM control module is further used to sequentially query the working status of the 2nd to M2th phase power conversion circuits after the predetermined number of phases increases from the M1th phase to the M2th phase, and when it is found that the jth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, open the jth phase power conversion circuit, where j is a positive integer. .

3. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: When i is greater than 1, the PWM control module is further used to sequentially query the working status of the power conversion circuits from the i+1th phase to the M2th phase and the working status of the power conversion circuits from the 1st phase to the ith phase after the predetermined number of phases increases from the M1th phase to the M2th phase, and when it is found that the qth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, open the qth phase power conversion circuit, where q is a positive integer, .

4. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The unavailable state includes at least one of the following: an occupied state of the power conversion circuit, a phase current overcurrent state of the power conversion circuit, and a transient state of the first phase power conversion circuit.

5. The control circuit according to claim 4, wherein: The PWM control module detects the level state of the PWM signal to determine the occupation state of the power conversion circuit.

6. The control circuit according to claim 4, wherein: Also includes: An overcurrent comparison module is used to compare the phase current sampling signal of the multi-phase power conversion circuit with a first current reference signal. When the phase current sampling signal is greater than the first current reference signal, the PWM control module determines that the corresponding power conversion circuit of the multi-phase power conversion circuit is in an overcurrent state of the phase current.

7. The control circuit according to claim 4, wherein: Also includes: The transient comparison module is used to compare the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit in the multi-phase power conversion circuit with the second current reference signal. When the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit is greater than the second current reference signal, the PWM control module determines that the first phase power conversion circuit is in a transient state.

8. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: a trigger modulation module, used for comparing the output voltage of the multi-phase power supply with a voltage reference signal to obtain a trigger signal, The PWM control module detects the working state of the power conversion circuit with the predetermined number of phases at the trigger edge of the trigger signal, and sets the level state of the conduction control signal to turn on the power conversion circuit in an available state.

9. The control circuit according to claim 8, wherein: The PWM control module is also used to abandon the response to the trigger signal and wait for the next trigger edge to arrive if it is detected at the trigger edge of the trigger signal that the power conversion circuits of the predetermined number of phases are all in an unavailable state after the predetermined number of phases increases from M1 phase to M2 phase.

10. The control circuit according to claim 8, wherein: The trigger modulation module comprises: A digital-to-analog converter, used for generating the voltage reference signal according to a set digital value; a comparator, configured to compare the feedback signal of the output voltage with the voltage reference signal to obtain a comparison signal; and The first monostable trigger is used to generate the trigger signal according to the comparison signal.

11. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The PWM signal generating module comprises: The second monostable trigger is used to flip the PWM signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit from an invalid level to a valid level according to the conduction control signal, and set the effective level time of the PWM signal to a predetermined conduction time according to the shutdown control signal.

12. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The PWM signal generating module comprises: The RS trigger is used to perform a set operation according to the on control signal and a reset operation according to the off control signal to generate a PWM signal of the corresponding phase power conversion circuit.

13. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: a phase number control module, configured to store the predetermined phase number, the PWM control module reading the predetermined phase number from the phase number control module, When the PWM control module increases the predetermined number of phases, the PWM control module sets the maximum number of phases flag to a valid state, and the phase number control module adjusts the predetermined number of phases to the maximum number of phases.

14. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The PWM control module queries the working status of the power conversion circuits of a predetermined number of phases in the multi-phase power conversion circuit in a polling order. 15 . The control circuit according to claim 14 , wherein the polling sequence is performed in a loop according to the sequence numbers of the multi-phase power conversion circuits.

16. A multiphase power supply comprising: A multi-phase power conversion circuit, comprising a plurality of switch circuits, the output ends of the plurality of switch circuits being coupled together to supply power to a load; as well as A control circuit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A method for controlling a multi-phase power supply, for controlling a multi-phase power conversion circuit, wherein: The control method comprises: In the multi-phase power conversion circuit, a power conversion circuit having a predetermined number of phases being M1 phases is selected; sequentially querying the operating status of the power conversion circuit of the M1 phase; and When it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, the i-th phase power conversion circuit is turned on; when it is found that the i-th phase power conversion circuit is in an unavailable state, the predetermined number of phases is increased from M1 phase to M2 phase to improve the output capacity of the multi-phase power supply, wherein: , , i, M1, M2 and N are positive integers, and N is the maximum number of phases of the multi-phase power conversion circuit.

18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein: When i=1, the control method further includes sequentially querying the working status of the 2nd to Nth phase power conversion circuits after the predetermined number of phases increases from M phases to N phases, and when it is found that the jth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, opening the jth phase power conversion circuit, wherein j is a positive integer, .

19. The control method according to claim 17, wherein: When i is greater than 1, the control method further includes, after the predetermined number of phases increases from M phases to N phases, sequentially querying the working states of the power conversion circuits from the i+1th phase to the Nth phase, and the working states of the power conversion circuits from the 1st phase to the ith phase, and when it is found that the qth phase power conversion circuit is in an available state, opening the qth phase power conversion circuit, wherein q is a positive integer, .

20. The control method according to claim 17, wherein: The unavailable state includes at least one of the following: an occupied state of the power conversion circuit, a phase current overcurrent state of the power conversion circuit, and a transient state of the first phase power conversion circuit.

21. The control method according to claim 20, wherein: The control method further includes detecting a level state of the PWM signal to determine an occupation state of the power conversion circuit.

22. The control method according to claim 20, wherein: The control method also includes: comparing the phase current sampling signal of the multi-phase power conversion circuit with a first current reference signal, and when the phase current sampling signal is greater than the first current reference signal, determining that the corresponding power conversion circuit of the multi-phase power conversion circuit is in an overcurrent state of the phase current.

23. The control method according to claim 20, wherein: The control method also includes: comparing the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit in the multi-phase power conversion circuit with a second current reference signal, and determining that the first phase power conversion circuit is in a transient state when the phase current sampling signal of the first phase power conversion circuit is greater than the second current reference signal.

24. The control method according to claim 17, wherein: The control method further comprises: comparing the output voltage of the multi-phase power supply with a voltage reference signal to obtain a trigger signal; and The operating state of the power conversion circuit of the predetermined number of phases is detected at the trigger edge of the trigger signal, and the level state of the conduction control signal is set to turn on the power conversion circuit in the available state.

25. The control method according to claim 24, wherein: The control method also includes: after the predetermined number of phases increases from M1 phase to M2 phase, if it is detected at the trigger edge of the trigger signal that the power conversion circuits of the predetermined number of phases are all in an unavailable state, then the response to the trigger signal is abandoned and the next trigger edge is waited for.

26. The control method according to claim 24, wherein: The step of comparing the output voltage of the multi-phase power supply with a voltage reference signal to obtain a trigger signal comprises: Generate the voltage reference signal according to the set digital value; comparing the feedback signal of the output voltage with the voltage reference signal to obtain a comparison signal; and The trigger signal is generated according to the comparison signal.

27. The control method according to claim 17, wherein: The working states of the power conversion circuits of a predetermined number of phases in the multi-phase power conversion circuit are queried in a polling order.

28. The control method according to claim 27, wherein the polling sequence is to traverse in a loop according to the sequence numbers of the multi-phase power conversion circuits.

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