Power supply circuit and powered device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a power supply circuit and a power utilization device, relates to the technical field of power supply, and can improve dynamic performance. The power supply circuit comprises one of a first connection end and a second connection end coupled to a direct-current voltage input end, and the other of the first connection end and the second connection end grounded; a first end of a first switch tube is the first connection end, and a second end of the first switch tube is coupled to a first end of a first capacitor; a second end of the first capacitor is coupled to a first end of a second switch tube; a second direct-current voltage conversion unit, an input end of the second direct-current voltage conversion unit being coupled to a second end of the second switch tube, and an output end of the second direct-current voltage conversion unit being coupled to a direct-current voltage output end; a first end of a third switch tube is the second connection end, a second end of the third switch tube is coupled to the first end of the second switch tube, a first end of a first inductor is coupled to the second end of the first switch tube, and a second end of the first inductor is coupled to the direct-current voltage output end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power supply technology, specifically to a power supply circuit and electrical equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Loads on devices such as computer systems typically exhibit high current and high dynamic characteristics. When the load changes, the power supply circuits providing energy to these systems need to respond quickly by adjusting the output voltage; however, limitations in control bandwidth degrade dynamic performance. Increasing the control bandwidth to improve dynamic performance leads to a decrease in efficiency. Therefore, how to improve both dynamic performance and efficiency is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application provides a power supply circuit and electrical equipment that can improve efficiency while enhancing dynamic performance.

[0004] In a first aspect, a power supply circuit is provided, comprising: a first DC-DC voltage conversion unit, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit including a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal, a first switching transistor, a second switching transistor, a third switching transistor, a first inductor, and a first capacitor; one of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal is coupled to a DC voltage input terminal, and the other of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal is grounded; a first terminal of the first switching transistor is the first connection terminal, and a second terminal of the first switching transistor is coupled to a first terminal of the first capacitor; a second terminal of the first capacitor is coupled to a first terminal of the second switching transistor; a second DC-DC voltage conversion unit, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit... The input terminal of the unit is coupled to the second terminal of the second switching transistor, and the output terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal; the first terminal of the third switching transistor is the second connection terminal, the second terminal of the third switching transistor is coupled to the first terminal of the second switching transistor, the first terminal of the first inductor is coupled to the second terminal of the first switching transistor, and the second terminal of the first inductor is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal; or, the first terminal of the first inductor is the second connection terminal, the second terminal of the first inductor is coupled to the first terminal of the second switching transistor, the first terminal of the third switching transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the first switching transistor, and the second terminal of the third switching transistor is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal.

[0005] In the power supply circuit of this application embodiment, on the one hand, the first DC-DC converter unit supplies power to the input terminal of the second DC-DC converter unit; on the other hand, while supplying power to the second DC-DC converter unit, the first DC-DC converter unit also provides a portion of the load current to the load through a device coupled to the DC voltage output terminal, thus achieving current sharing. No single unit needs to bear all the load current. Compared to the series architecture where losses between the two units are completely superimposed, this improves overall efficiency under the same dynamic performance. Furthermore, under the same efficiency, a higher switching frequency can be achieved, thereby improving dynamic performance. In this application embodiment, the first DC-DC converter unit can perform buck conversion, where the first inductor can provide a large voltage regulation ratio and has a relatively wide input voltage range.

[0006] The power supply circuit of this application embodiment has a first DC voltage conversion unit and a second DC voltage conversion unit configured in series and parallel. Compared with a single-stage power supply circuit, due to the buffering of the two-stage units, the switching frequency of each stage unit can be lower when the voltage conversion ratio is large, thereby improving efficiency under the same dynamic performance. Under the same efficiency, a higher switching frequency can be achieved, thereby improving dynamic performance.

[0007] In the power supply circuit of this application embodiment, since a portion of the current from the first DC voltage conversion unit is output to the second DC voltage conversion unit, the input voltage of the second DC voltage conversion unit is determined by the first DC voltage conversion unit. Therefore, the input voltage of the second DC voltage conversion unit does not need to be controlled separately. The voltage of the first capacitor in the first DC voltage conversion unit is periodically charged and discharged during the voltage conversion process. Compared with the parallel architecture scheme, the control is simpler.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the switching frequency of the first DC-DC converter is lower than the switching frequency of the second DC-DC converter.

[0009] The first DC-DC converter operates at a low frequency, allowing for a simpler design and reduced switching losses. It supplies power to the second DC-DC converter, reducing the voltage transfer ratio and improving efficiency. The first DC-DC converter also provides a portion of the load current, thus reducing the power consumption of the second DC-DC converter through partial power transfer and improving overall end-to-end efficiency. The second DC-DC converter operates at a high frequency, providing another portion of the load current. This allows for the use of a smaller inductor design, reducing current stress on the switching transistors. Furthermore, the high frequency provides a high control bandwidth, enabling faster dynamic response. Since a portion of the current from the first DC-DC converter supplies power to the second DC-DC converter, the high-frequency second DC-DC converter can drive the low-frequency first DC-DC converter to respond to the load, improving dynamic performance.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit further includes a second capacitor, with a first terminal coupled to the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit and a second terminal grounded.

[0011] The second capacitor can be used to power the second DC-DC converter unit when the second switch is off. Understandably, if the first DC-DC converter unit does not include the second capacitor, then a corresponding device needs to be included in the second DC-DC converter unit to discharge when the second switch is off, thus requiring the design of the second DC-DC converter unit to depend on the first DC-DC converter unit, and to include a corresponding device in the second DC-DC converter unit to discharge when the second switch is off. Therefore, the second capacitor in the first DC-DC converter unit allows for greater independence between the first and second DC-DC converter units. The second DC-DC converter unit does not need to provide a device for discharging when the second switch is off, thereby reducing the complexity of the circuit design.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the second DC-DC converter unit includes: a fourth switch, a fifth switch, a third inductor, and a third capacitor; the first terminal of the fourth switch is the input terminal of the second DC-DC converter unit; the first terminal of the fifth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the fourth switch, and the second terminal of the fifth switch is grounded; the first terminal of the third inductor is coupled to the second terminal of the fourth switch, and the second terminal of the third inductor is the output terminal of the second DC-DC converter unit; the first terminal of the third capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the third inductor, and the second terminal of the third capacitor is grounded.

[0013] The second DC-DC converter unit in this structure is a buck circuit, which is simple in structure, easy to implement, and can operate at a higher operating frequency to improve dynamic performance. At this time, the first DC-DC converter unit can operate at a lower operating frequency. Since the first DC-DC converter unit directly provides a portion of the current to the load, this combination can improve efficiency under higher dynamic performance.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the second DC-DC converter unit includes: a thirteenth switch, a fourteenth switch, a fifteenth switch, a sixteenth switch, a sixth inductor, a seventh capacitor, and an eighth capacitor; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch is the input terminal of the second DC-DC converter unit; the first terminal of the fourteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch; the first terminal of the fifteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the fourteenth switch; the first terminal of the sixteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the fifteenth switch, and the second terminal of the sixteenth switch is grounded; the first terminal of the seventh capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch, and the second terminal of the seventh capacitor is coupled to the first terminal of the sixteenth switch; the first terminal of the sixth inductor is coupled to the second terminal of the fourteenth switch; the first terminal of the eighth capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the sixth inductor, the first terminal of the eighth capacitor is the output terminal of the second DC-DC converter unit, and the second terminal of the eighth capacitor is grounded.

[0015] The second DC-DC converter in this structure is a resonant switched-capacitor converter, which can reduce ripple and make the output current more stable through the resonance of the capacitor and inductor. Furthermore, the resonant switched-capacitor converter can operate at a higher frequency to improve dynamic performance. In this case, the first DC-DC converter can operate at a lower frequency. Since the first DC-DC converter directly provides a portion of the current to the load, this combination improves efficiency under higher dynamic performance.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit further includes: a seventeenth switch, a ninth capacitor, an eighteenth switch, and a nineteenth switch; the first terminal of the seventeenth switch is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal, and the second terminal of the seventeenth switch is coupled to the second connection terminal; the first terminal of the ninth capacitor is coupled to the second connection terminal; the first terminal of the eighteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the ninth capacitor, and the second terminal of the eighteenth switch is coupled to the first terminal of the second switch; the first terminal of the nineteenth switch is grounded, and the second terminal of the nineteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the ninth capacitor. The seventeenth switch, the ninth capacitor, the eighteenth switch, and the nineteenth switch can work with other components to achieve a step-down conversion function, which can increase the duty cycle adjustment range, i.e., expand the input voltage adjustment range.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit further includes: a 23rd switch, a 24th switch, a 25th switch, and an 11th capacitor; the first terminal of the 24th switch is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal; the first terminal of the 11th capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the 24th switch, and the second terminal of the 11th capacitor is coupled to a second connection terminal; the first terminal of the 23rd switch is coupled to the second terminal of the 24th switch, and the second terminal of the 23rd switch is coupled to the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit; the first terminal of the 25th switch is grounded, and the second terminal of the 25th switch is coupled to the second connection terminal. The 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 11th switches, along with other components, can work together to achieve a step-down conversion function, increasing the duty cycle adjustment range, i.e., expanding the input voltage adjustment range.

[0018] In some possible implementations, there are n first DC-DC converter units and n second DC-DC converter units, where n > 1; the second terminal of the second switch of the i-th first DC-DC converter unit is coupled to the input terminal of the i-th second DC-DC converter unit, where i takes the value 1, 2, ..., n; the first connection terminals of the n first DC-DC converter units are coupled to each other, the second connection terminals of the n first DC-DC converter units are coupled to each other, and the output terminals of the n second DC-DC converter units are coupled to each other. Based on the parallel connection of multiple power supply modules, an interleaved control method can be used. This parallel interleaved control method can increase the equivalent frequency, increase dynamic performance, increase power spread, and reduce ripple.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the inputs of the n second DC-DC converter units are coupled to each other. The ripple reduction effect can be further improved by coupling the intermediate node between two cascaded units between circuits of different phases.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the first inductors of the n first DC-DC converter units are electromagnetically coupled to each other. By electromagnetically coupling the first inductors of different phases to each other, the ripple reduction effect in the first DC-DC converter units can be further improved.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the second DC-DC converter includes a second inductor; the second inductors of the n first DC-DC converters are electromagnetically coupled to each other. By electromagnetically coupling the first inductors of different phases to each other, the ripple reduction effect in the second DC-DC converter can be further improved.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the first DC-DC converter and the second DC-DC converter are integrated into one chip or integrated into different chips to achieve a more flexible layout.

[0023] Secondly, a control method is provided for the aforementioned power supply circuit. The method includes: controlling a first DC-DC voltage conversion unit to operate in alternating first and second stages; in the first stage, controlling a third switch to be turned on and controlling the first and second switches to be turned off; in the second stage, controlling the third switch to be turned off and controlling the first and second switches to be turned on. This method can be used in conjunction with the aforementioned power supply circuit to achieve the corresponding power supply function.

[0024] In some possible implementations, the first DC voltage conversion unit employs closed-loop control, while the second DC voltage conversion unit employs open-loop control.

[0025] The second DC-DC voltage conversion unit adopts an open-loop control method, which is simpler in design and does not need to consider the influence of the controlled variable. However, it cannot achieve precise voltage control. Since the input voltage of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit comes from the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit in this embodiment, the precise control of the overall voltage conversion can be achieved through the closed-loop control of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit. This can reduce the control difficulty of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit while achieving precise control of the overall voltage conversion, thereby reducing costs.

[0026] Thirdly, an electrical device is provided, including the aforementioned power supply circuit, controller, and load; the load is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal of the power supply circuit, the controller is coupled to the power supply circuit, and the controller is used to control the power supply circuit.

[0027] In some possible implementations, the switching frequency of the first DC-DC converter is less than the switching frequency of the second DC-DC converter, and the transmission path distance between the second DC-DC converter and the DC voltage output terminal is less than the transmission path distance between the first DC-DC converter and the DC voltage output terminal.

[0028] The improvement in dynamic performance is mainly achieved by increasing the switching frequency. That is, a high-frequency second DC-DC converter is more conducive to improving the control bandwidth and thus improving dynamic performance compared to a low-frequency first DC-DC converter. However, the greater the transmission path distance, the greater the transmission impedance, and the greater the adverse effect on the improvement of dynamic performance. Therefore, in a limited layout space, the transmission path distance between the second DC-DC converter and the DC voltage output terminal can be set to be smaller than that between the first DC-DC converter and the DC voltage output terminal. In other words, in a limited layout space, the transmission path distance between the high-frequency unit and the load should be minimized as much as possible to improve dynamic performance. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams of two power supply architectures in related technologies;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a hybrid switched capacitor topology in related technologies;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage converter in related technologies;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a power supply circuit according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 8 for Figure 4 Circuit control diagrams at different stages of the circuit;

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 13 for Figure 12 Schematic diagram of current and voltage signals in the circuit structure under different control conditions;

[0043] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 15aThis is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 15b This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram comparing the equivalent circuits of the embodiments of this application with those of the traditional cascaded solutions;

[0047] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of a power supply circuit in a board-level structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of another power supply circuit in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 23 This is another schematic diagram of a power supply circuit in a board-level structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 24 This is another schematic diagram of a power supply circuit in a board-level structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 25 This is another schematic diagram of a power supply circuit in a board-level structure according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0056] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0059] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0060] This application relates to a scenario where a power supply circuit supplies power to a load. The power supply circuit and the load can belong to the same electrical device. For example, a computer device includes both a power supply circuit and a load, where the load includes various processors (XPUs), such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). The power supply circuit receives an external input DC voltage, performs voltage conversion, and outputs a DC voltage to the load. Alternatively, the power supply circuit and the load can belong to different devices. For example, in a data center scenario, the power supply circuit might be an independent Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) device, and the load might be an independent server device. Understandably, the power supply circuit can also be used in any application requiring DC voltage conversion, such as renewable energy systems or electric vehicles. The following description primarily uses a computer device power supply scenario as an example.

[0061] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1The present application presents two different power supply circuit architectures. Power supply circuit 100 adopts a multi-stage power supply architecture. It receives, for example, a 48V DC input voltage at the input terminal, performs voltage conversion, and outputs, for example, a 1V DC voltage to the XPU chip at the output terminal. The multi-stage power supply circuit requires multiple stages of conversion. For example, power supply circuit 100 includes two stages of voltage converters: DC voltage converter 101 and voltage regulator 102 (VR). The efficiency from the input terminal to the output terminal is not only limited by the efficiency of each stage of converter, but also by the path loss of the power delivery network (PDN). The efficiency of power supply circuit 100 is equal to the efficiency of DC voltage converter 101 multiplied by the efficiency of voltage regulator 102. Therefore, the efficiency of power supply circuit 100 is relatively low.

[0062] Figure 1 The power supply circuit 200 shown in the diagram uses a single-stage power supply architecture. Compared to the power supply circuit 100, which uses a multi-stage power supply architecture, although the number of cascaded stages is reduced, the single-stage voltage converter needs to directly convert, for example, 48V to 1V, resulting in a larger voltage conversion ratio and greater switching losses. Increasing the frequency of the switching transistors to improve dynamic performance would further reduce efficiency. Figure 1 Neither of the two power supply circuit architectures can improve efficiency while simultaneously enhancing dynamic performance.

[0063] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This application provides a two-stage voltage regulator hybrid switched-capacitor topology. The scheme consists of two cascaded sections: a front-stage switched-capacitor converter 401 with a fixed turns ratio of 2:1 and a rear-stage two-phase three-level converter 402. The rear-stage two-phase three-level converter 402 provides the entire load current, resulting in high current stress on the output switching transistors and large conduction losses. The additional resonant circuit only enables zero-voltage switching (ZVS) in the front-stage converter 401; the rear-stage converter 402, with its larger number of switching transistors, cannot achieve ZVS, leading to significant switching losses. Furthermore, Figure 3 The illustration only shows a 2:1 switched capacitor converter 401. To achieve a larger voltage conversion ratio, the circuit structure would be more complex and the efficiency would be lower.

[0064] like Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3The present application provides a power supply circuit with a parallel architecture of an open-loop controlled inductor-inductor-capacitor resonant converter (LLC) 301 and a closed-loop controlled Buck converter 302. This power supply circuit architecture can improve dynamic performance and efficiency to a certain extent. However, since the input voltage of the two units is determined by two capacitors connected in series, the voltage of these two capacitors needs to be controlled separately, making the control method relatively complex.

[0065] The embodiments of this application are described below, such as Figures 4 to 7 As shown, this application embodiment provides a power supply circuit, including: a first DC voltage conversion unit 1, the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 including: a first connection terminal V1, a second connection terminal V2, a first switching transistor m1, a second switching transistor m2, a third switching transistor m3, a first inductor L1, and a first capacitor C1; one of the first connection terminal V1 and the second connection terminal V2 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin, and the other of the first connection terminal V1 and the second connection terminal V2 is grounded to GND, for example, in Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the structure shown, the first connection terminal V1 is grounded to GND, and the second connection terminal V2 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin. The DC voltage input terminal Vin can be the input terminal of the power supply circuit, used to input DC voltage to achieve voltage transformation of DC voltage; Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the structure shown, the first connection terminal V1 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin, and the second connection terminal V2 is grounded (GND). The first terminal of the first switching transistor m1 is the first connection terminal V1, and the second terminal of the first switching transistor m1 is coupled to the first terminal of the first capacitor C1. The second terminal of the first capacitor C1 is coupled to the first terminal of the second switching transistor m2. The power supply circuit also includes a second DC voltage conversion unit 2. The input terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 is coupled to the second terminal of the second switching transistor m2, and the output terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal Vo. The DC voltage output terminal Vo can be the output terminal of the power supply circuit, used to output DC voltage to the load. That is, the power supply circuit realizes the power supply to the load by converting the DC voltage. Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the first terminal of the third switch m3 is the second connection terminal V2, the second terminal of the third switch m3 is coupled to the first terminal of the second switch m2, the first terminal of the first inductor L1 is coupled to the second terminal of the first switch m1, and the second terminal of the first inductor L1 is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal Vo; or, as Figure 5 and Figure 7As shown, the first end of the first inductor L1 is the second connection terminal V2, the second end of the first inductor L1 is coupled to the first end of the second switch m2, the first end of the third switch m3 is coupled to the second end of the first switch m1, and the second end of the third switch m3 is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal Vo.

[0066] exist Figures 4 to 7 In the structure shown, the connection node between the first connection terminal V1 and the ground terminal GND is the first node A1; the connection node between the first switch m1 and the first capacitor C1 is the second node A2; the connection node between the first capacitor C1 and the second switch m2 is the fourth node A4; the second connection terminal V2 is coupled to the fifth node A5; and the DC voltage output terminal Vo is coupled to the sixth node A6. That is, the first switch m1 is connected in series between the first node A1 and the second node A2; the first capacitor C1 is connected in series between the second node A2 and the third node A3; the second switch m2 is connected in series between the third node A3 and the fourth node A4; one of the third switch m3 and the first inductor L1 is connected in series between the third node A3 and the fifth node A5; and the other of the third switch m3 and the first inductor L1 is connected in series between the second node A2 and the sixth node A6. For example... Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the third switch m3 is connected in series between the third node A3 and the fifth node A5, and the first inductor L1 is connected in series between the second node A2 and the sixth node A6. For example Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the first inductor L1 is connected in series between the third node A3 and the fifth node A5, and the third switch m3 is connected in series between the second node A2 and the sixth node A6. One of the first node A1 and the fifth node A5 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin, and the other of the first node A1 and the fifth node A5 is grounded to GND. For example Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the first node A1 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin, and the fifth node A5 is grounded to GND. For example... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the fifth node A5 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin, and the first node A1 is grounded to GND. The input terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 is coupled to the fourth node A4, and the output terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 is electrically connected to the sixth node A6.

[0067] In the power supply circuit of this application embodiment, on the one hand, the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 supplies power to the input terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2; on the other hand, while supplying power to the second DC voltage conversion unit 2, the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 also provides a portion of the load current to the load through a device coupled to the DC voltage output terminal Vo, thus achieving current sharing and eliminating the need for any single unit to bear all the load current. Figure 1The power supply circuit 100 and Figure 2 Compared to the illustrated series architecture where losses between the two units are completely superimposed, this approach improves overall efficiency while maintaining the same dynamic performance. Furthermore, it allows for a higher switching frequency at the same efficiency, thus enhancing dynamic performance. In this embodiment, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 can perform buck conversion, and the first inductor L1 can provide a larger voltage regulation ratio. Figure 2 Compared to the series architecture shown, it has a wider input voltage range.

[0068] The power supply circuit of this embodiment includes a first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 and a second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 configured in a series-parallel hybrid arrangement. Figure 1 Compared to the single-stage power supply circuit 200, due to the buffering of two-stage units, the switching frequency of each stage unit can be lower when the voltage transformation ratio is large, thereby improving efficiency under the same dynamic performance. Under the same efficiency, it can have a higher switching frequency, thereby improving dynamic performance.

[0069] In the power supply circuit of this embodiment, since a portion of the current from the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 is output to the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2, the input voltage of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 is determined by the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1. Therefore, the input voltage of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 does not need to be controlled separately. The voltage of the first capacitor C1 in the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 is periodically charged and discharged during the voltage conversion process, and... Figure 3 Compared to the parallel architecture scheme shown, the control is simpler.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first DC-DC converter 1 further includes a second capacitor C2. The first end of the second capacitor C2 is coupled to the input terminal of the second DC-DC converter 1, and the second end of the second capacitor C2 is grounded to GND. That is, the second capacitor C2 is connected in series between the fourth node A4 and the ground terminal GND. The second capacitor C2 can be used to supply power to the second DC-DC converter 2 when the second switch m2 is turned off. It is understood that if the first DC-DC converter 1 does not include the second capacitor C2, then a corresponding device needs to be set in the second DC-DC converter 2 to discharge when the second switch m2 is turned off for use by the second DC-DC converter 2. This makes the design of the second DC-DC converter 2 dependent on the first DC-DC converter 1, requiring the setting of corresponding devices in the second DC-DC converter 2 to discharge when the second switch m2 is turned off. Therefore, the second capacitor C2 in the first DC-DC converter 1 makes the first DC-DC converter 1 and the second DC-DC converter 2 more independent. The second DC-DC converter 2 does not need to provide a device for discharging when the second switch m2 is turned off, thereby reducing the complexity of the circuit design.

[0071] Understandably, if the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 have the same switching frequency, the second capacitor C2 can also be omitted.

[0072] This application also provides a control method for the aforementioned power supply circuit, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 is controlled to operate alternately in a first stage t1 and a second stage t2. In the first stage t1, the third switch m3 is controlled to be turned on, and the first switch m1 and the second switch m2 are controlled to be turned off. In the second stage t2, the third switch m3 is controlled to be turned off, and the first switch m1 and the second switch m2 are controlled to be turned on. The switch in this embodiment includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal. The voltage at the control terminal can control the conduction and cutoff between the first and second terminals. For example, for an N-type switch, when the control terminal is high, the first and second terminals are connected; when the control terminal is low, the first and second terminals are cut off. For a P-type switch, when the control terminal is high, the first and second terminals are cut off; when the control terminal is low, the first and second terminals are connected. The control method can be implemented by a processor or control circuit, by providing a corresponding voltage to the control terminal of the switch to control the switch.

[0073] Specifically, Figure 8 Only indicated Figure 4 The working process of the circuit structure in the middle. Figures 5 to 7 The working process of the circuit structure is similar, so only one example is used here. Figure 8 The following example illustrates the process. In the first stage t1, the current at the DC voltage input terminal Vin charges the first capacitor C1 and the first inductor L1, providing current IL to the load. Simultaneously, the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 provides current IDC / DC to the load, and the output current is Io. In the second stage t2, the first capacitor C1 discharges through the first switch m1 and the second switch m2, and charges the second capacitor C2. The first inductor L1 discharges through the first switch m1 and the load-side circuit. Currents IL and IDC / DC also flow to the load. Assuming 'a' is the voltage conversion ratio of the first DC voltage conversion unit 1, the DC voltage output voltage Vo is Vo, the voltage control of the first capacitor C1 and the second capacitor C2 is aVo, the DC voltage input voltage Vin is Vin, and the duty cycle of the switching transistor of the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 is D, according to the volt-second theorem of inductance, we can obtain D(Vin-αVo-Vo)+(1+D)(-Vo)=0, and thus the ratio of output voltage to input voltage can be obtained as Vo / Vin=(1+D) / (1+αD).

[0074] The control method of this application embodiment can be used in conjunction with the above power supply circuit to realize the corresponding power supply function, so as to improve dynamic performance and efficiency, and the control is relatively simple.

[0075] In this application, the switching frequencies of the first DC-DC converter 1 and the second DC-DC converter 2 are not limited to being the same. In some embodiments, the switching frequency of the first DC-DC converter 1 is lower than that of the second DC-DC converter 2. The first DC-DC converter 1 operates at a low frequency, which allows for a simpler design and reduces switching losses. The first DC-DC converter 1 supplies power to the second DC-DC converter 2, reducing the voltage transfer ratio of the second DC-DC converter 2 and improving efficiency. The first DC-DC converter 1 provides a portion of the load current, thus reducing the power of the second DC-DC converter 2 through partial power transfer and improving overall end-to-end efficiency. The second DC-DC converter 2 operates at a high frequency, providing another portion of the load current, which allows for the use of a smaller inductor design and reduces the current stress on the switching transistor. Furthermore, the high frequency provides a high control bandwidth, enabling faster dynamic response. Since a portion of the current from the first DC-DC converter 1 supplies power to the second DC-DC converter 2, the high-frequency second DC-DC converter 2 can drive the low-frequency first DC-DC converter 1 to respond to the load, thereby improving dynamic performance.

[0076] In some embodiments, at least one of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 is under closed-loop control to achieve more accurate voltage conversion. For example, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 is under closed-loop control and the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 is under open-loop control; or both the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 are under closed-loop control. The control of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 can be linked with the control of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 to achieve better mutual coordination.

[0077] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the power supply circuit includes n first DC-DC converter units 1 and n second DC-DC converter units 2, where n > 1. The second terminal of the second switching transistor m2 of the i-th first DC-DC converter unit 1 is coupled to the input terminal of the i-th second DC-DC converter unit 2, where i takes the value 1, 2, ..., n. The first connection terminals V1 of the n first DC-DC converter units 1 are mutually coupled, the second connection terminals V2 of the n first DC-DC converter units 1 are mutually coupled, and the output terminals of the n second DC-DC converter units 2 are mutually coupled. The first DC-DC converter units 1 and the second DC-DC converter units 2 constitute a power supply module 10, and the power supply circuit includes at least two power supply modules 10. Figure 9Only the specific structure of three power supply modules 10 is illustrated; the number of power supply modules 10 is not limited in this embodiment. Specifically, the i-th first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the i-th second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 constitute the i-th power supply module 10. Each power supply module 10 has corresponding first nodes A1 to sixth nodes A6. The first nodes A1 of any two power supply modules 10 are coupled to each other, the fifth nodes A5 of any two power supply modules 10 are coupled to each other, and the sixth nodes A6 of any two power supply modules 10 are coupled to each other. Based on the parallel connection of multiple power supply modules 10, an interleaved control method can be used. This parallel interleaved control method can increase the equivalent frequency, improve dynamic performance, increase power spread, and reduce ripple.

[0078] It should be noted that, Figure 9 The Interleaved architecture shown couples the inputs of each power supply module 10 together and the outputs together. In other possible embodiments, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the fourth node A4 of each power supply module 10 can also be coupled together, that is, the input terminals of n second DC voltage conversion units 2 are coupled to each other.

[0079] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 As shown, based on the Interleaved architecture, the first inductors L1 of any two power supply modules 10 are electromagnetically coupled to each other. This inductive electromagnetic coupling can be direct electromagnetic coupling or electromagnetic coupling through a trans-inductor voltage regulator (TLVR).

[0080] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11As shown, based on the Interleaved architecture, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 includes a second inductor L2; the second inductors L2 of any two power supply modules 10 are electromagnetically coupled to each other. Most DC-DC voltage conversion units include inductors, which are used to absorb energy to store electricity in some stages and release energy to discharge in other stages, thereby ensuring the continuous transfer of energy during voltage conversion and maintaining the stability of the output voltage. The second inductor L2 in the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 is the inductor used for energy storage and discharge during voltage conversion. Depending on the specific structure of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2, the specific location and connection method of the second inductor L2 are also different. This application embodiment does not limit the specific location and connection method of the second inductor L2. The following content will describe the specific structure of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2. The electromagnetic coupling of the inductor here can be direct electromagnetic coupling or electromagnetic coupling through a trans-inductor voltage regulator (TLVR). It should be noted that in Figure 11 In the case of the first inductor L1 being electromagnetically coupled to the other inductor L2, it is also possible that only one of them is electromagnetically coupled to the other, while the other is not electromagnetically coupled.

[0081] In some embodiments, such as Figure 12 As shown, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 can be a buck circuit. For example, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 includes: a fourth switch m4, a fifth switch m5, a third inductor L3, and a third capacitor C3. The first terminal of the fourth switch m4 is the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2. The first terminal of the fifth switch m5 is coupled to the second terminal of the fourth switch m4, and the second terminal of the fifth switch m5 is grounded to GND. The first terminal of the third inductor L3 is coupled to the second terminal of the fourth switch m4, and the second terminal of the third inductor L3 is the output terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2. The first terminal of the third capacitor C3 is coupled to the second terminal of the third inductor L3, and the second terminal of the third capacitor C3 is grounded to GND. That is, the fourth switch m4 is connected in series between the fourth node A4 and the seventh node A7; the fifth switch m5 is connected in series between the seventh node A7 and the ground terminal GND; the third inductor L3 is connected in series between the seventh node A7 and the sixth node A6; and the third capacitor C3 is connected in series between the sixth node A6 and the ground terminal GND.

[0082] Specifically, the first DC-DC converter 1 can use a simple proportional element to adjust the duty cycle. The relationship between the input voltage Vin at the DC voltage input terminal and the duty cycle D of the first DC-DC converter 1 is D = 1 / (Vin / Vo - α). When Vin changes, D changes accordingly to maintain a fixed output voltage Vo and a fixed input voltage aVo at the second DC-DC converter 2. The high-frequency buck unit provides another portion of the load current, using a smaller inductor to achieve an overall increase in power density. To achieve rapid adjustment of the output voltage, the duty cycle of the first DC-DC converter 1 can be adjusted by adding a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) element to achieve high control bandwidth, or current-type or voltage-type constant on-time control can be used to achieve high bandwidth and improve output dynamic performance. Figure 13 for Figure 12 The circuit structure provides current and voltage drops for each unit under different control conditions. For example, with an input voltage Vin = 12V, αVo = 6V, Vo = 0.9V, the load current is set to increase from 1A to 56A at a jump rate of 200A / µs. Figure 13 In this context, I1 is the current output by the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2, I2 is the current output by the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 to the load, Io is the load current, and Vo is the load voltage after passing through the power supply network PDN. Figure 13 The results reflect the dynamics of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 under open-loop control, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control, and constant on-time (COT) control. It can be seen that voltage conversion unit 2 can employ closed-loop control, and the dynamic performance is improved under closed-loop control of PID and COT.

[0083] In addition, Figure 12 In the structure shown, the third inductor L3 is the same as the second inductor L2 in the above embodiment. That is to say, if Figure 12 The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 shown are configured as n units, and according to... Figure 1 When the structure shown is arranged in parallel, the third inductors L3 of the n second DC voltage conversion units 2 are electromagnetically coupled to each other.

[0084] In some embodiments, such as Figure 14As shown, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 can adopt an open-loop LLC circuit topology. For example, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 includes: a sixth switch M6 connected in series between the fourth node A4 and the eighth node A8; a seventh switch m7 connected in series between the eighth node A8 and the ground terminal GND; a ninth switch m9 connected in series between the fourth node A4 and the ninth node A9; a tenth switch m10 connected in series between the ninth node A9 and the ground terminal GND; a fourth inductor L4 connected in series between the ninth node A9 and the tenth node A10; a fourth capacitor C4 connected in series between the eighth node A8 and the eleventh node A11; and a fourth capacitor C4 connected in series between the tenth node A10 and the eleventh node A11. The fifth inductor L5 between the eleventh node A11; transformer T, the first end of the primary winding of transformer T is electrically connected to the tenth node A10, the second end of the primary winding of transformer T is electrically connected to the eleventh node A11, and the middle tap of the secondary winding of transformer T is electrically connected to the sixth node A6; the eleventh switch m11 is connected in series between the first end of the secondary winding of transformer T and the ground terminal GND; the twelfth switch m12 is connected in series between the second end of the secondary winding of transformer T and the ground terminal GND; the fifth capacitor C5 is connected in series between the sixth node A6 and the ground terminal GND; and the sixth capacitor C6 is connected in series between the sixth node A6 and the ground terminal GND.

[0085] Specifically, the second DC-DC converter 2 operates in open-loop mode, achieving the desired voltage conversion ratio to the output side through the transformer turns ratio and providing part of the load current. Simultaneously, zero-voltage switching (ZVS) can be achieved through resonance, reducing switching losses. Voltage regulation and improved dynamic performance can be achieved through closed-loop voltage regulation added in the first DC-DC converter 1. Furthermore, the first inductor L1 can employ multiphase electromagnetic coupling or TLVR to enhance dynamics. This embodiment is simpler and easier to implement than the Sigma converter control method.

[0086] In some embodiments, such as Figure 15aAs shown, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 can employ a switched capacitor (SC) circuit or a resonant switched-capacitor converter (ReSC). For example, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 includes: a thirteenth switch m13, a fourteenth switch m14, a fifteenth switch m15, a sixteenth switch m16, a sixth inductor L6, a seventh capacitor C7, and an eighth capacitor C8; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m13 is the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2; the first terminal of the fourteenth switch m14 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m13; the first terminal of the fifteenth switch m15 is coupled to the fourteenth switch m16. The second terminal of 4; the first terminal of the sixteenth switch transistor m16 is coupled to the second terminal of the fifteenth switch transistor m15, and the second terminal of the sixteenth switch transistor m16 is grounded; the first terminal of the sixth inductor L6 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch transistor m13; the first terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 is coupled to the second terminal of the sixth inductor L3, and the second terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 is coupled to the first terminal of the sixteenth switch transistor m16; the first terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 is coupled to the second terminal of the fourteenth switch transistor m14, the first terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 is the output terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2, and the second terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 is grounded. The second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 includes: a thirteenth switch m13 connected in series between the fourth node A4 and the twelfth node A12; a fourteenth switch m14 connected in series between the twelfth node A12 and the sixth node A6; a fifteenth switch m15 connected in series between the sixth node A6 and the thirteenth node A13; a sixteenth switch m16 connected in series between the thirteenth node A13 and the ground terminal GND; a sixth inductor L6 and a seventh capacitor C7 connected in series between the twelfth node A12 and the thirteenth node A13; and an eighth capacitor C8 connected in series between the sixth node A6 and the ground terminal GND.

[0087] Specifically, the first DC-DC converter 1 can achieve closed-loop voltage regulation to improve dynamic performance. When the second DC-DC converter 2 adopts a closed-loop controlled ReSC circuit, the first DC-DC converter 1 supplies power to the input of the high-frequency operating second DC-DC converter 2, while also providing a portion of the load current and assisting in improving the load dynamic performance; the high-frequency second DC-DC converter 2 provides another portion of the load current, and the control bandwidth can be increased by designing a compensator to achieve rapid adjustment of the output voltage and improve the output dynamic performance. In addition, the second DC-DC converter 2 can be designed with a smaller inductor. It should be noted that Figure 15 illustrates the second DC-DC converter 2 as a 2:1 ReSC; it can be understood that in other possible embodiments, the second DC-DC converter 2 can also be a ReSC with other voltage conversion ratios.

[0088] In some embodiments, such as Figure 15b As shown, the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 includes: a thirteenth switch m13, a fourteenth switch m14, a fifteenth switch m15, a sixteenth switch m16, a sixth inductor L6, a seventh capacitor C7, and an eighth capacitor C8; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m13 is the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2; the first terminal of the fourteenth switch m14 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m13; the first terminal of the fifteenth switch m15 is coupled to the second terminal of the fourteenth switch m14; the first terminal of the sixteenth switch m16 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m13; the first terminal of the sixteenth switch m16 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m14; the first terminal of the sixteenth switch m16 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m15; the first terminal of the sixteenth switch m16 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m16; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m14 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m15; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m15 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m16; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m15 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m16; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m16 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m14; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m15 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m16; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m15 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m16; the first terminal of the thirteenth switch m16 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch m15; the first terminal of the th One end of the capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the fifteenth switch transistor m15, and the second terminal of the sixteenth switch transistor m16 is grounded; the first terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch transistor m13, and the second terminal of the seventh capacitor C7 is coupled to the first terminal of the sixteenth switch transistor m16; the first terminal of the sixth inductor L6 is coupled to the second terminal of the fourteenth switch transistor m14; the first terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 is coupled to the second terminal of the sixth inductor L6, the first terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 is the output terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2, and the second terminal of the eighth capacitor C8 is grounded. The second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2 includes: a thirteenth switch m13 connected in series between the fourth node A4 and the twelfth node A12; a fourteenth switch m14 connected in series between the twelfth node A12 and the zero node A0; a fifteenth switch m15 connected in series between the zero node A0 and the thirteenth node A13; a sixteenth switch m16 connected in series between the thirteenth node A13 and the ground terminal GND; a seventh capacitor C7 connected in series between the twelfth node A12 and the thirteenth node A13; an eighth capacitor C8 connected in series between the sixth node A6 and the ground terminal GND; and a sixth inductor L6 connected in series between the zero node A0 and the sixth node A6. Figure 15b and Figure 15a The difference lies in the position of the sixth inductor, L6.

[0089] The technical effects of the embodiments of this application will be described below based on efficiency analysis, such as... Figure 16The diagram illustrates a comparison between a conventional cascade scheme and the scheme of this application embodiment. Pin represents the input power, and Pout represents the output power. In the conventional cascade scheme, the efficiencies of the two cascaded units are ηA and ηB, respectively, and the efficiency of the conventional cascade scheme is ηT = Pout / Pin = ηA·ηB. In the scheme of this application embodiment, the first DC-DC converter 1 can be divided into a first part that directly supplies power to the load and a second part that supplies power to the second DC-DC converter 2. PinA represents the input power of the first part, ηA1 represents the efficiency of the first part, PoutA represents the output power of the first part, PoutA = αPout, PinB represents the input power of the second part, ηA2 represents the efficiency of the second part, ηB represents the efficiency of the second DC-DC converter 2, and PoutB represents the output power of the second DC-DC converter 2, PoutB = βPout. The efficiency of the scheme of this application embodiment is: ηT = Pout / Pin = 1 / ((α / ηA1 + β / (ηA2·ηB))). Assuming ηA = ηA1 = ηA2, under the same conditions, the solution in the embodiment of this application is more efficient.

[0090] In some embodiments, such as Figure 17 As shown, the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 further includes a first cascaded section 11, which includes: a seventeenth switch m17, a ninth capacitor C9, an eighteenth switch m18, and a nineteenth switch m19; the first terminal of the seventeenth switch m17 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin, and the second terminal of the seventeenth switch m17 is coupled to the second connection terminal V2; the first terminal of the ninth capacitor C9 is coupled to the second connection terminal V2; the first terminal of the eighteenth switch m18 is coupled to the second terminal of the ninth capacitor C9, and the second terminal of the eighteenth switch m18 is coupled to the first terminal of the second switch m2; the first terminal of the nineteenth switch m19 is grounded to GND, and the second terminal of the nineteenth switch m19 is coupled to the second terminal of the ninth capacitor C9. That is, the first cascaded part 11 includes a seventeenth switch m17 connected in series between the fifth node A5 and the third switch m3, the connection node between the third switch m3 and the seventeenth switch m17 is the fourteenth node A14; a ninth capacitor C9 connected in series between the fourteenth node A14 and the fifteenth node A15; an eighteenth switch m18 connected in series between the third node A3 and the fifteenth node A15; and a nineteenth switch m19 connected in series between the fifteenth node A15 and the ground terminal GND.

[0091] Specifically, Figure 17 The structure shown is similar to Figure 4Compared to the structure shown, the difference lies in the addition of a first cascaded section 11 between the fifth node A5 and the third node A3 of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1. The first cascaded section 11, in conjunction with other sections, performs the step-down conversion function, primarily increasing the duty cycle adjustment range, i.e., expanding the input voltage adjustment range. The working process of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 8 In the first stage t1, the third switch m3 and the nineteenth switch m19 are turned on, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the eighteenth switch m18, and the nineteenth switch m19 are turned off; in the second stage t2, the third switch m3 and the nineteenth switch m19 are turned off, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the eighteenth switch m18, and the nineteenth switch m19 are turned on.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first cascaded portion 11 can be extended with more stages of circuit structure to meet greater input voltage expansion requirements. For example... Figure 18 As shown, for example, the first cascaded part 11 also includes: a twentieth switch m20 connected in series between the fifth node A5 and the seventeenth switch m17, with the connection node between the twentieth switch m20 and the seventeenth switch m17 being the sixteenth node A16; a tenth capacitor C10 connected in series between the sixteenth node A16 and the seventeenth node A17; a twenty-first switch m21 connected in series between the seventeenth node A17 and the fourteenth node A14; and a twenty-second switch m22 connected in series between the seventeenth node A17 and the ground terminal GND.

[0093] Specifically, Figure 18 and Figure 17 Compared to the structure shown, the difference lies in the addition of a cascaded circuit consisting of three switching transistors and one capacitor between the fifth node A5 and the fourteenth node A14 to further extend the input voltage range. Understandably, during the operation of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1, in the first stage t1, the third switch m3, the nineteenth switch m19, the twentieth switch m20, and the twenty-first switch m21 are turned on, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the seventeenth switch m17, the eighteenth switch m18, and the twenty-second switch m22 are turned off; in the second stage t2, the third switch m3, the nineteenth switch m19, the twentieth switch m20, and the twenty-first switch m21 are turned off, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the seventeenth switch m17, the eighteenth switch m18, and the twenty-second switch m22 are turned on. Furthermore, following this pattern, it is possible to continue as needed... Figure 18 Based on the circuit structure shown, cascaded circuits are further added.

[0094] In some embodiments, such as Figure 19 As shown, Figure 19The diagram illustrates another type of cascaded structure. The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 further includes a second cascaded section 12, which includes a twenty-third switch m23, a twenty-fourth switch m24, a twenty-fifth switch m25, and an eleventh capacitor C11. The first terminal of the twenty-fourth switch m24 is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal Vin. The first terminal of the eleventh capacitor C11 is coupled to the second terminal of the twenty-fourth switch m24, and the second terminal of the eleventh capacitor C11 is coupled to the second connection terminal V2. The first terminal of the twenty-third switch m23 is coupled to the second terminal of the twenty-fourth switch m24, and the second terminal of the twenty-third switch m23 is coupled to the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit 2. The first terminal of the twenty-fifth switch m25 is grounded to GND, and the second terminal of the twenty-fifth switch m25 is coupled to the second connection terminal V2. The second cascaded section 12 includes: a 23rd switch m23 connected in series between the fourth node A4 and the eighteenth node A18; a 24th switch m24 connected in series between the fifth node A5 and the eighteenth node A18; a 25th switch m25 connected in series between the third switch m3 and the ground terminal GND, with the connection node between the third switch m3 and the 25th switch m25 being the nineteenth node A19; and an eleventh capacitor C11 connected in series between the eighteenth node A18 and the nineteenth node A19.

[0095] Specifically, Figure 19 The structure shown is Figure 4 Compared to the structure shown, the difference lies in the addition of a second cascaded section 12 between the fifth node A5 and the third node A3 of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1. The first cascaded section 12, in conjunction with other sections, performs the step-down conversion function, primarily increasing the duty cycle adjustment range, i.e., expanding the input voltage adjustment range. The working process of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 8 In the first stage t1, the third switch m3 and the twenty-fourth switch m24 are turned on, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the twenty-third switch m23, and the twenty-fifth switch m25 are turned off; in the second stage t2, the third switch m3 and the twenty-fourth switch m24 are turned off, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the twenty-third switch m23, and the twenty-fifth switch m25 are turned on.

[0096] In some embodiments, the second cascaded portion 12 can be extended with more stages of circuit structure to meet greater input voltage expansion requirements. For example... Figure 20As shown, for example, the second cascaded part 12 also includes: a 26th switch m26 connected in series between the 18th node A18 and the 24th switch m24, with the connection node between the 24th switch m24 and the 26th switch m26 being the 20th node A20; a 12th capacitor C12 connected in series between the 20th node A20 and the 21st node A21; a 27th switch m27 connected in series between the 21st node A21 and the 18th node A18; and a 28th switch m28 connected in series between the 21st node A21 and the ground terminal GND.

[0097] Specifically, Figure 20 and Figure 19 Compared to the structure shown, the difference lies in the addition of a cascaded circuit consisting of three switches and a capacitor between the twenty-fourth switch m24 and the eighteenth node A18 to further extend the input voltage range. Understandably, during the operation of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1, in the first stage t1, the third switch m3, the twenty-seventh switch m27, and the twenty-fourth switch m24 are turned on, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the twenty-third switch m23, the twenty-fifth switch m25, the twenty-sixth switch m26, and the twenty-eighth switch m28 are turned off; in the second stage t2, the third switch m3, the twenty-seventh switch m27, and the twenty-fourth switch m24 are turned off, while the first switch m1, the second switch m2, the twenty-third switch m23, the twenty-fifth switch m25, the twenty-sixth switch m26, and the twenty-eighth switch m28 are turned on. Furthermore, following this pattern, it is possible to continue as needed... Figure 20 Based on the circuit structure shown, cascaded circuits are further added.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 are integrated in one chip or respectively integrated in different chips, that is, the two units of the power supply circuit in this embodiment can adopt a flexible layout.

[0099] In addition, the switching transistor in the embodiments of this application can be various types of switching devices, such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).

[0100] In addition, the front-end of the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 in this embodiment can be extended to connect other circuit structures to improve performance. Furthermore, the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 in this embodiment can be extended to a parallel or cascaded first DC voltage conversion unit 1, and then connected in parallel with the second DC voltage conversion unit 2.

[0101] This application also provides an electrical device, including: a power supply circuit, a controller, and a load as described in any of the above embodiments. The controller is coupled to the power supply circuit and is used to control the power supply circuit. The controller can apply the control method described in the above embodiments. The load is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal of the power supply circuit.

[0102] Specifically, the controller can be implemented by hardware circuitry or by a processor. The controller can be coupled to the control terminals of each switching transistor in the power supply circuit, controlling the on / off states of the transistors by outputting corresponding signals to their control terminals, thereby controlling the power supply circuit. The power device can be a power supply unit, such as a UPS or other load-independent power supply unit. Alternatively, it can be a device that includes a load, such as a smart TV, mobile phone, tablet, personal computer (PC), personal digital assistant (PDA), smartwatch, wearable device, augmented reality (AR) device, virtual reality (VR) device, in-vehicle device, drone device, smart car, smart speaker, robot, smart glasses, and any other product.

[0103] The electrical equipment in this application embodiment is more valuable in scenarios requiring efficient power conversion. For example, it can be used to power computer system loads as a point-of-load (POL) power supply or a power supply in package (PSIP) to achieve, for example, 12V to 0.9V power conversion; or as a secondary power supply module in the power supply architecture of wireless base stations or chassis-type equipment, achieving efficient 48V to 1.8V power conversion in the form of a power brick product. The cascading configuration and number of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit 1 can also be modified to achieve power conversion with a wider input voltage range to supply the load or integrated voltage regulator VR. The power supply circuit and electrical equipment in this application embodiment are not limited to computer load power supply solutions; they can also be used in secondary power supplies for data centers, and in conventional DC-DC power supply fields such as renewable energy systems and electric vehicles.

[0104] In some embodiments, such as Figure 21 and Figure 22 As shown, the electrical equipment also includes: a load 31, a substrate 32, and a main circuit board 33 stacked in sequence. The load 31 is, for example, various types of XPU chips, and the main circuit board 33 can be a printed circuit board (PCB). The load 31 is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal Vo, i.e., the sixth node A6. The electrical energy output by the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 is used to power the load 31. The switching frequency of the first DC voltage conversion unit is less than the switching frequency of the second DC voltage conversion unit. The transmission path distance between the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 and the DC voltage output terminal Vo can be set to be less than the transmission path distance between the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the DC voltage output terminal Vo. That is to say, the transmission path distance between the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 and the load 31 is less than the transmission path distance between the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the load 31.

[0105] Specifically, for example, the third capacitor C3 can be located on the side of the main circuit board 33 closer to the substrate 32, that is, on the top surface of the main circuit board 33; the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 also includes a thirteenth capacitor C13 connected in series between the sixth node A6 and the ground terminal GND; the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 can be located on the side of the main circuit board 33 away from the substrate 32, that is, the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 is located on the bottom surface of the main circuit board 33. The portion of the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 excluding the third capacitor C3 is defined as functional unit 21. Figure 21 In the structure shown, the functional unit 21 can be located on the top surface of the main circuit board 33, and the functional unit 21 can be attached to the substrate 32 or built into the substrate 32. Additionally, in Figure 21 In the middle, functional unit 21 is located in the center of the main circuit board 33 and is covered by substrate 32. In other possible embodiments, such as Figure 23 As shown, the functional unit 21 can also be located outside the substrate 32. Additionally, as... Figure 24 As shown, functional unit 21 can also be located on the bottom surface of the main circuit board 33. Additionally, as... Figure 25As shown, the functional unit 21 can also be located on the side of the main circuit board 33 away from the substrate 32, that is, on the bottom surface of the main circuit board 33, while the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 is located on the side of the main circuit board 33 closer to the substrate 32, that is, on the top surface of the main circuit board 33. The first DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 can be flexibly configured around the load in a discrete or integrated manner. The discrete manner is more conducive to improving the space utilization of the main circuit board 33. For example, the first DC voltage conversion unit 1 and the functional unit 21 can be respectively arranged on opposite sides of the main circuit board 33. Placing the second DC voltage conversion unit 2, which operates at a high frequency, as close to the load as possible can reduce the transmission path distance between the second DC voltage conversion unit 2 and the load 31. The improvement in dynamic performance is mainly achieved by increasing the switching frequency. That is, the high-frequency second DC-DC converter 2 is more conducive to improving the control bandwidth and thus improving the dynamic performance compared with the low-frequency first DC-DC converter 1. However, the greater the transmission path distance, the greater the transmission impedance, and the greater the adverse effect on the improvement of dynamic performance. Therefore, in the limited layout space, the transmission path distance between the second DC-DC converter 2 and the load 31 can be set to be smaller than the transmission path distance between the first DC-DC converter 1 and the load 31 to improve dynamic performance. For example, the functional unit 21 can be placed in the middle of the main circuit board 33 so that the functional unit 21 can be closer to the load 31.

[0106] The control methods in the above embodiments can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk).

[0107] In this application embodiment, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the existence of A alone, the simultaneous existence of A and B, or the existence of B alone. A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" and similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0108] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are 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 spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A power supply circuit, characterized in that, include: The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit includes a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal, a first switching transistor, a second switching transistor, a third switching transistor, a first inductor, and a first capacitor. One of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal, and the other of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal is grounded; The first end of the first switching transistor is the first connection end, and the second end of the first switching transistor is coupled to the first end of the first capacitor. The second terminal of the first capacitor is coupled to the first terminal of the second switching transistor; The second DC-DC voltage conversion unit has its input terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second switching transistor, and its output terminal coupled to the DC voltage output terminal. The first end of the third switch is the second connection end, the second end of the third switch is coupled to the first end of the second switch, the first end of the first inductor is coupled to the second end of the first switch, and the second end of the first inductor is coupled to the DC voltage output end. Alternatively, the first end of the first inductor is the second connection end, the second end of the first inductor is coupled to the first end of the second switching transistor, the first end of the third switching transistor is coupled to the second end of the first switching transistor, and the second end of the third switching transistor is coupled to the DC voltage output end.

2. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switching frequency of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit is lower than the switching frequency of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit.

3. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit further includes a second capacitor, the first end of which is coupled to the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit, and the second end of which is grounded.

4. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second DC-DC voltage conversion unit includes: a fourth switching transistor, a fifth switching transistor, a third inductor, and a third capacitor; The first terminal of the fourth switch is the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit; The first terminal of the fifth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the fourth switch, and the second terminal of the fifth switch is grounded. The first end of the third inductor is coupled to the second end of the fourth switch, and the second end of the third inductor is the output end of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit. The first terminal of the third capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the third inductor, and the second terminal of the third capacitor is grounded.

5. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second DC-DC voltage conversion unit includes: The thirteenth switch, the fourteenth switch, the fifteenth switch, the sixteenth switch, the sixth inductor, the seventh capacitor, and the eighth capacitor; The first terminal of the thirteenth switch is the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit; The first end of the fourteenth switch is coupled to the second end of the thirteenth switch. The first end of the fifteenth switch is coupled to the second end of the fourteenth switch; The first terminal of the sixteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the fifteenth switch, and the second terminal of the sixteenth switch is grounded. The first terminal of the seventh capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the thirteenth switch, and the second terminal of the seventh capacitor is coupled to the first terminal of the sixteenth switch. The first end of the sixth inductor is coupled to the second end of the fourteenth switch. The first terminal of the eighth capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the sixth inductor. The first terminal of the eighth capacitor is the output terminal of the second DC voltage conversion unit, and the second terminal of the eighth capacitor is grounded.

6. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit further includes: a seventeenth switch, a ninth capacitor, an eighteenth switch, and a nineteenth switch; The first terminal of the seventeenth switch is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal, and the second terminal of the seventeenth switch is coupled to the second connection terminal; The first terminal of the ninth capacitor is coupled to the second connection terminal; The first terminal of the eighteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the ninth capacitor, and the second terminal of the eighteenth switch is coupled to the first terminal of the second switch. The first terminal of the nineteenth switch is grounded, and the second terminal of the nineteenth switch is coupled to the second terminal of the ninth capacitor.

7. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit further includes: a 23rd switching transistor, a 24th switching transistor, a 25th switching transistor, and an 11th capacitor; The first terminal of the 24th switching transistor is coupled to the DC voltage input terminal; The first terminal of the eleventh capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the twenty-fourth switch, and the second terminal of the eleventh capacitor is coupled to the second connection terminal. The first terminal of the 23rd switch is coupled to the second terminal of the 24th switch, and the second terminal of the 23rd switch is coupled to the input terminal of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit. The first terminal of the 25th switch is grounded, and the second terminal of the 25th switch is coupled to the second connection terminal.

8. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: n first DC-DC voltage conversion units and n second DC-DC voltage conversion units, where n > 1; The second terminal of the second switch of the i-th first DC-DC voltage conversion unit is coupled to the input terminal of the i-th second DC-DC voltage conversion unit, where i takes the values ​​1, 2, ..., n; The first connection terminals of n first DC voltage conversion units are coupled to each other, the second connection terminals of n first DC voltage conversion units are coupled to each other, and the output terminals of n second DC voltage conversion units are coupled to each other.

9. The power supply circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that, The input terminals of the n second DC voltage conversion units are coupled to each other.

10. The power supply circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first inductors of the n first DC voltage conversion units are electromagnetically coupled to each other.

11. The power supply circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second DC-DC voltage conversion unit includes a second inductor; The second inductors of the n first DC voltage conversion units are electromagnetically coupled to each other.

12. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit and the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit are integrated in one chip or respectively integrated in different chips.

13. A control method, characterized in that, For a power supply circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, the method comprises: The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit is controlled to operate in alternating first and second stages; In the first stage, the third switch is turned on, and the first and second switches are turned off. In the second stage, the third switch is controlled to be turned off, and the first and second switches are controlled to be turned on.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first DC-DC voltage conversion unit uses closed-loop control, while the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit uses open-loop control.

15. An electrical appliance, characterized in that, include: The power supply circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 12; A load, which is coupled to the DC voltage output terminal of the power supply circuit; A controller, coupled to the power supply circuit, is used to control the power supply circuit.

16. The electrical equipment according to claim 15, characterized in that, The switching frequency of the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit is less than the switching frequency of the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit, and the transmission path distance between the second DC-DC voltage conversion unit and the DC voltage output terminal is less than the transmission path distance between the first DC-DC voltage conversion unit and the DC voltage output terminal.

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