Multiphase current balancer

Abstract

This utility model discloses a multiphase current balancer coupled to a multiphase power converter. The multiphase power converter includes multiple power conversion circuits. These circuits convert an input voltage into an output voltage. Each power conversion circuit provides a phase current corresponding to the output voltage. The multiphase current balancer includes multiple current balancing circuits, each corresponding to a power conversion circuit. Each current balancing circuit determines the mismatch resistance value of each power conversion circuit based on its phase current and a reference current, and determines the on-time correction of the upper bridge switch of each power conversion circuit based on its mismatch resistance value and the reference current. The on-time correction of each power conversion circuit is positively correlated with its mismatch resistance value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This case relates to current balancing technology for multiphase power converters, and in particular to a multiphase current balancer. Background Technology

[0002] In voltage regulator (VR) applications, multi-phase power converters (BPCs) are widely used to improve system efficiency and provide higher output current. However, as current increases, PCB trace impedance mismatch between phases can lead to uneven current distribution, causing excessive heat to concentrate in a single phase and affecting component reliability. Therefore, accurately controlling the current balance between phases is a critical challenge in high-current applications.

[0003] Traditional multiphase buck converters typically measure the current in each phase using a current sensing circuit (such as an analog-to-digital converter, ADC), then adjust the on-time of the pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit via a control algorithm, and feed the correction back to the control loop to ultimately regulate the power stage output. However, this method relies on a high-speed and high-precision current ADC, which not only increases system cost but also raises design complexity.

[0004] Furthermore, traditional control algorithms dynamically adjust the increase or decrease of the PWM duty cycle by comparing the relative magnitudes of the currents in each phase. While this method can maintain current balance under steady-state or low-frequency load variations, its low bandwidth characteristic means that the control loop cannot respond instantly to higher-frequency loads, failing to achieve real-time current balance. On the other hand, under light load conditions, the small amplitude of the current signal makes the converted voltage sensing signal susceptible to noise interference, increasing measurement errors and reducing the accuracy of current balance control.

[0005] In summary, traditional multiphase buck converters suffer from insufficient current balance control performance under high-frequency load variations and light-load operation, and urgently need improvement to meet the requirements of modern high-efficiency voltage regulators. Utility Model Content

[0006] In some embodiments, a current balancing method is provided for a multiphase power converter. The multiphase power converter includes multiple power conversion circuits. The power conversion circuits convert an input voltage to an output voltage and provide a phase current corresponding to the output voltage. The current balancing method includes: determining the mismatch resistance value of the power conversion circuit based on the phase current of the power conversion circuit and a reference current; and determining a correction amount for the on-time of the upper bridge switch of the power conversion circuit based on the mismatch resistance value of the power conversion circuit and the reference current. The correction amount for the on-time of the power conversion circuit is positively correlated with the mismatch resistance value of the power conversion circuit.

[0007] In some embodiments, the reference current is the average value of any one or all phase currents.

[0008] In some embodiments, the step of determining the mismatch resistance value includes: calculating the difference between the phase current and the reference current; and determining the mismatch resistance value based on the difference.

[0009] In some embodiments, the step of determining the mismatched resistance value based on the difference includes performing a feedback calculation on the difference.

[0010] In some embodiments, the on-time correction of the power conversion circuit is the reference current multiplied by the mismatch resistance value of the power conversion circuit.

[0011] In some embodiments, a multiphase current balancer is coupled to a multiphase power converter. The multiphase power converter includes multiple power conversion circuits. The multiple power conversion circuits are used to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. Each power conversion circuit is used to provide a phase current corresponding to the output voltage. The multiphase current balancing circuit includes multiple current balancing circuits. Each current balancing circuit corresponds to a power conversion circuit. Each current balancing circuit is used to determine the mismatch resistance value of each power conversion circuit based on the phase current and a reference current, and to determine the on-time correction of the upper bridge switch of each power conversion circuit based on the mismatch resistance value and the reference current. The on-time correction of each power conversion circuit is positively correlated with the mismatch resistance value of each power conversion circuit.

[0012] In some embodiments, the multiphase power converter further includes a current sensing circuit. The current sensing circuit provides a reference current based on the phase current of each power conversion circuit. The reference current is any one of the phase currents or the average of the phase currents.

[0013] In some embodiments, the current balancing circuit includes a subtractor, a compensation circuit, and a multiplier. The subtractor calculates the difference between the phase current and the reference current. The compensation circuit is coupled to the subtractor. The compensation circuit performs feedback calculations on the difference to derive the mismatch resistance value. The multiplier is coupled to the compensation circuit. The multiplier multiplies the reference current by the mismatch resistance value to derive the on-time correction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the compensation circuit includes a filtering unit, a convergence control unit, and a compensation unit. The convergence control unit is coupled to the filtering unit. The compensation unit is coupled to the convergence control unit. The filtering unit filters the difference signal to reduce the error amount of the difference signal. The convergence control unit sets the convergence interval of the difference signal. When the difference signal exceeds the convergence interval, the convergence control unit performs an update operation on the mismatched resistor value. The compensation unit executes the compensation procedure for the current balancing circuit.

[0015] In some embodiments, the filtering unit is a moving average filter. The filtering unit is used to calculate the moving average of the difference signals. The convergence control unit is a filter. The compensation unit is a compensator. The compensation program includes adjusting the compensation parameters of the current balancing circuit through a compensation algorithm.

[0016] The following detailed description of the features and advantages of this invention is sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to understand the technical content of this invention and implement it accordingly. Furthermore, based on the content disclosed in this specification, the scope of the patent application, and the drawings, anyone skilled in the art can easily understand the relevant objectives and advantages of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a voltage regulation module.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a multiphase power converter.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a multiphase current balancing circuit.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a pulse signal waveform.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a multiphase current balancing circuit.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the voltage regulation module.

[0023] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0024] C1: Multiphase current balancer

[0025] C2: Multiphase power converter

[0026] 3: Voltage regulation module

[0027] C11, C12, C13: Current balancing circuit

[0028] C21, C22, C23: Power conversion circuit

[0029] C211, C221, C231: Switching circuit

[0030] C212, C222, C232: Output circuit

[0031] C213, C223, C233: Control circuit

[0032] C311, C312, C313: First current sensing circuit

[0033] C32: Second current sensing circuit

[0034] 11: Subtractor

[0035] 12: Compensation Circuit

[0036] 13: Multiplier

[0037] ΔR: Mismatched resistance value

[0038] ΔT on On-time correction amount

[0039] Sw1: Upper Bridge Switch

[0040] Sw2: Lower bridge switch

[0041] V in Input voltage

[0042] V out Output voltage

[0043] I p Phase current

[0044] S p Pulse signal

[0045] R H Non-ideal equivalent resistance of the upper bridge

[0046] R L Non-ideal equivalent resistance of the lower bridge

[0047] L: Output inductance

[0048] R: Output resistance

[0049] D: Drive

[0050] I ref Reference current

[0051] V ref Reference voltage

[0052] 41: Comparator

[0053] 42: Controller

[0054] 43: Adder

[0055] 44: Pulse signal generation circuit

[0056] T on On-time

[0057] T sw :cycle

[0058] 121: Filtering Unit

[0059] 122: Convergence Control Unit

[0060] 123: Compensation Unit

[0061] 14: Correction Circuit

[0062] 15: Adder

[0063] R_INI: Initial resistance value Detailed Implementation

[0064] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0065] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the voltage regulation module 3. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 The voltage regulation module 3 includes a multiphase power converter C2 and a multiphase current balancer C1. The multiphase power converter C2 is coupled to the multiphase current balancer C1. The multiphase power converter C2 contains three power conversion circuits. The multiphase current balancer C1 contains three current balancing circuits C11, C12, and C13. Each current balancing circuit corresponds to a power conversion circuit.

[0066] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the multiphase power converter C2. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 Same as Figure 1 , Figure 2 The multiphase power converter C2 also contains 3 phases, in other words... Figure 2 The multiphase power converter C2 includes three power conversion circuits, but this invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, the number of phases included in the multiphase power converter C2 is any positive integer, that is, in some embodiments, the number of power conversion circuits included in the multiphase power converter C2 is any positive integer.

[0067] In some embodiments, the multiphase power converter C2 is used to convert the input voltage V in Converted to output voltage V outEach power conversion circuit is used to provide power corresponding to the output voltage V. out Phase current I p .At Figure 2 In this configuration, the multiphase power converter C2 includes power conversion circuits C21, C22, and C23. In some embodiments, the power conversion circuit includes a switching circuit and an output circuit. The switching circuit is coupled to the output circuit. Figure 2 In the circuit, power conversion circuit C21 includes a switching circuit C211 and an output circuit C212; power conversion circuit C22 includes a switching circuit C221 and an output circuit C222; and power conversion circuit C23 includes a switching circuit C231 and an output circuit C232. In some embodiments, the switching circuits of each power conversion circuit are further coupled to the input terminal to obtain the input voltage V from an input voltage source (not shown) coupled to the input terminal. in The output circuits of each power conversion circuit are all coupled to the output terminal to output a common output voltage V. out Please see. Figure 1 and Figure 2 .At Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the multiphase power converter C2, the switching circuits (i.e., switching circuits C211, C221, and C231) of the three power conversion circuits C21, C22, and C23 are all connected to the same input voltage V. in Furthermore, the output circuits of the switching circuits of the three power conversion circuits C21, C22, and C23 of the multiphase power converter C2 are also connected to the same output voltage V. out In some embodiments, the switching circuit may be, but is not limited to, Dr.MOS.

[0068] In some embodiments, each switching circuit includes a driver D, an upper bridge switch Sw1, and a lower bridge switch Sw2. The upper bridge switch Sw1 is coupled to the lower bridge switch Sw2, and the driver D is coupled to both the upper bridge switch Sw1 and the lower bridge switch Sw2. In some embodiments, the driver D is used to respond to a pulse signal S. P Switching the upper bridge switch Sw1 and the lower bridge switch Sw2 allows the multiphase power converter C2 to respond to the input voltage V. in The conversion generates the output voltage V. out In some embodiments, the switching circuit further includes an upper bridge non-ideal equivalent resistance R. H and the non-ideal equivalent resistance R of the lower bridge L In some embodiments, the non-ideal equivalent resistance R of the upper bridge H This is not an actual resistive element, but rather the sum of all non-ideal equivalent resistances of the upper bridge switch Sw1 when it is turned on. Similarly, in some embodiments, the non-ideal equivalent resistance R of the lower bridge... LThis is not an actual resistive element, but rather the sum of all non-ideal equivalent resistances of the lower bridge switch Sw2 when it is turned on. Specifically, ideally, the switching elements (such as MOSFETs, IGBTs, etc.) and other circuit elements (such as inductors, PCB layouts, etc.) that implement the upper bridge switch Sw1 and the lower bridge switch Sw2 should be lossless. That is, when the upper bridge switch Sw1 and the lower bridge switch Sw2 are turned on, their internal resistance should be 0Ω, and there should be no additional voltage drop after turn-on. However, in actual circuits, each component has parasitic resistance, also known as equivalent resistance. These equivalent resistances affect current flow, cause losses, and affect the overall circuit performance.

[0069] It is hereby specifically stated that... Figure 2 In the middle, the non-ideal equivalent resistance R of the upper bridge will be... H and the non-ideal equivalent resistance R of the lower bridge L The purpose of drawing actual resistive elements is solely for ease of understanding and explanation.

[0070] In some embodiments, the output circuit includes an output inductor L and an output resistor R. In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the phase current I p This refers to the current flowing through the output inductor L and the output resistor R.

[0071] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the multiphase current balancer C1. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3 . Figure 3 The multiphase current balancer C1 corresponds to Figure 2 The multiphase power converter C2 contains 3 phases, in other words... Figure 3 The multiphase current balancer C1 includes three current balancing circuits C11, C12, and C13, but this invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, the number of phases included in the multiphase current balancer C1 is any positive integer; that is, in some embodiments, the number of current balancing circuits included in the multiphase current balancer C1 is any positive integer. In some embodiments, the number of phases included in the multiphase current balancer C1 is equal to the number of phases included in the multiphase power converter C2 to which it is coupled. Figure 1 In the diagram, current balancing circuit C11 corresponds to power conversion circuit C21, current balancing circuit C12 corresponds to power conversion circuit C22, and current balancing circuit C13 corresponds to power conversion circuit C23.

[0072] To facilitate the explanation of the behavior of the current balancing circuit, the following description uses current balancing circuit C11 as an example. Since the operation of current balancing circuits C12 and C13 is the same as that of current balancing circuit C11, they will not be described again here. In some embodiments, current balancing circuit C11 is used to adjust the phase current I of its corresponding power conversion circuit C21. p and reference current I ref The mismatch resistance value ΔR of the power conversion circuit C21 is obtained, and based on the mismatch resistance value ΔR of the power conversion circuit C21 and the reference current I... ref The conduction time correction ΔT of the upper bridge switch Sw1 in the power conversion circuit C21 is obtained. on In some embodiments, the on-time correction ΔT of the power conversion circuit C21 on It is positively correlated with the mismatch resistance value ΔR of the power conversion circuit C21.

[0073] In some embodiments, the current balancing circuit C11 includes a subtractor 11, a compensation circuit 12, and a multiplier 13. The subtractor 11 is used to calculate the phase current I. p and reference current I ref The difference. Compensation circuit 12 is coupled to subtractor 11. Compensation circuit 12 is used to perform feedback calculation on the difference to obtain the mismatch resistance value ΔR. Multiplier 13 is coupled to compensation circuit 12. Multiplier 13 is used to multiply the reference current I. ref Multiply by the mismatch resistance value ΔR to obtain the on-time correction ΔT. on In some embodiments, the reference current I ref The phase current I of each power conversion circuit C21, C22 and C23 p Any one of them, or the phase current I of each power conversion circuit C21, C22 and C23 p The average value. Here, we specifically explain how it is derived from the phase current I. p and reference current I ref The mismatch resistance value ΔR is derived as follows: According to the formula V = I × R (where V is the voltage across the phase, I is the current, and R is the resistance), since the voltage across each phase of the multiphase power converter C2 is the same, the larger the measured current value, the smaller the resistance. Therefore, the current I flowing through each phase... p With reference current I ref The difference can be used to deduce the mismatch resistance value ΔR between each phase and the reference phase.

[0074] Please see again Figure 1 In some embodiments, the voltage regulation module 3 further includes a plurality of first current sensing circuits. Each first current sensing circuit corresponds to a power conversion circuit. Figure 1 The number of multiple first current sensing circuits corresponds to Figure 1The number of power conversion circuits is three, but this invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, the number of the plurality of first current sensing circuits is any positive integer. In some embodiments, the number of the plurality of first current sensing circuits is the same as the number of power conversion circuits.

[0075] At Figure 1 In this configuration, multiple first current sensing circuits are designated as first current sensing circuits C311, C312, and C313. First current sensing circuit C311 corresponds to power conversion circuit C21, first current sensing circuit C312 corresponds to power conversion circuit C22, and first current sensing circuit C313 corresponds to power conversion circuit C23. In some embodiments, each first current sensing circuit is coupled to the switching circuit of its corresponding power conversion circuit. Figure 1 As shown, the first current sensing circuit C311 is coupled to the switching circuit C211, the first current sensing circuit C312 is coupled to the switching circuit C221, and the first current sensing circuit C313 is coupled to the switching circuit C231. In some embodiments, each current balancing circuit C11, C12, and C13 corresponds to each of the first current sensing circuits C311, C312, and C313. In some embodiments, each current balancing circuit receives the phase current I from its corresponding first current sensing circuit. p .

[0076] In some embodiments, the first current sensing circuit C311 coupled to the switching circuit of the power conversion circuit C21 may be, but is not limited to, a DCR (Direct Current Resistance) current sensing circuit. In some embodiments, the first current sensing circuit C311 may be, but is not limited to, an ADC.

[0077] Please see again Figure 1 In some embodiments, the voltage regulation module 3 further includes a second current sensing circuit C32. In some embodiments, the second current sensing circuit C32 is used to sense the phase current I of each power conversion circuit. p Any one of them, or the phase current I of each power conversion circuit. p The average value is used as the reference current I ref Output. In some embodiments, each current balancing circuit is connected to the second current sensing circuit C32. In some embodiments, each current balancing circuit receives a reference current I from the second current sensing circuit C32. ref .

[0078] In some embodiments, each power conversion circuit further includes control circuitry. Figure 1In the diagram, power conversion circuit C21 includes control circuit C213, power conversion circuit C22 includes control circuit C223, and power conversion circuit C23 includes control circuit C233. For ease of explanation, power conversion circuit C21 will be used as an example in the following description. Since power conversion circuits C22 and C23 operate in the same way as power conversion circuit C21, they will not be described again here.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control circuit C213 is used to adjust the output voltage V. out and reference voltage V ref Provide pulse signal S P The driver D for the switching circuit is supplied. In some embodiments, the control circuit C213 includes a comparator 41, a controller 42, an adder 43, and a pulse signal generation circuit 44. The comparator 41 is used to generate a pulse signal based on the output voltage V. out and reference voltage V ref A comparison result is obtained. The controller 42 uses this comparison result to calculate the on-time T of the upper bridge switch Sw1 of the power conversion circuit C21. on Adder 43 is used based on the conduction time T. on The conduction time correction ΔT obtained from the current balancing circuit C11 on The summation result is obtained. The pulse signal generation circuit 44 is used to generate a pulse signal S based on this summation result. P The driver D of the switching circuit. That is, in some embodiments, the conduction time correction ΔT obtained by the current balancing circuit C11. on It is the adder 43 of the control circuit C213 that transmits power to the power conversion circuit C21.

[0080] Here, we will use the current balancing circuit C11 as an example to explain how the current balancing circuit operates. Since the current balancing circuit C11 corresponds to the power conversion circuit C21, and the first current sensing circuit C311 also corresponds to the power conversion circuit C21, the current balancing circuit C11 is coupled to the first current sensing circuit C311 and receives the phase current I from the first current sensing circuit C311. p Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the current balancing circuit C11 also receives a reference current I from the second current sensing circuit C32. ref First, the subtractor 11 of the current balancing circuit C11 is based on the phase current I. p and reference current I ref Calculate the difference between the two. Next, the compensation circuit 12 pairs the phase current I... p and reference current I ref The difference is used for feedback calculation to obtain the mismatch resistance value ΔR. Finally, multiplier 13 calculates the reference current I. refMultiply by the mismatch resistance value ΔR to obtain the on-time correction ΔT. on And the conduction time correction amount ΔT on The power is transmitted to the adder 43 of the control circuit C213 of the power conversion circuit C21. Since the operation of the current balancing circuits C12 and C13 is the same as that of the current balancing circuit C11, and they differ only in the corresponding power conversion circuit C21 and the first current sensing circuit C311, they will not be described in detail here.

[0081] Figure 4 For pulse signal S p A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the waveform. Please refer to... Figure 4 .At Figure 4 In the middle, T sw For pulse signal S p The period, T on This refers to the conduction time of the upper bridge switch Sw1 in the power conversion circuit C21 as described above, ΔT. on This refers to the correction amount for the conduction time of the upper bridge switch Sw1 of the power conversion circuit C21 obtained from the current balancing circuit C11 described above. In some embodiments, the conduction time T of the upper bridge switch Sw1 of the power conversion circuit C21... on According to the volt-second equilibrium theorem, we can obtain the following equation.

[0082]

[0083] In some embodiments, the phase current I of each power conversion circuit of the multiphase power converter C2 p The imbalance occurs because of mismatched resistances of different values ​​existing between the power conversion circuits. Therefore, in order to ensure that the current I in each phase is... p To achieve balance, the conduction time T of the upper bridge switch Sw1 in each power conversion circuit... on Need as Figure 4 The additional on-time correction ΔT, obtained from each current balancing circuit, is shown. on And the conduction time correction ΔT on The relative mismatch resistance between the various power conversion circuits must be taken into account. In some embodiments, the on-time correction ΔT on Based on Equation 1 and the relative mismatch resistance between each power conversion circuit, Equation 2 is as follows.

[0084]

[0085] In Equation 2, ΔR A ΔR represents the relative mismatch resistance between the power conversion circuits when the upper bridge switch Sw1 is turned on. BThis represents the relative mismatch resistance between the power conversion circuits when the lower bridge switch Sw2 is turned on. The conduction time correction ΔT in Equation 2... on After expansion, it appears as shown in Formula 3 below.

[0086]

[0087] In some embodiments, due to the non-ideal equivalent resistance R of the upper bridge H The non-ideal equivalent resistance R of the lower bridge L The relative mismatch resistance ΔR between the power conversion circuits when the upper bridge switch Sw1 is turned on. A And the relative mismatch resistance ΔR between the power conversion circuits when the lower bridge switch Sw2 is turned on. B For a small quantity, make I in the denominator of Equation 3 p R H I p R L and I p ΔR B Compared to V in The value is smaller, so that the denominator of Equation 3 can be approximated as V. in 2 And make the molecule of Equation 3 approximately I p ΔR A V in +I p ΔR B V out This leads to the correction amount ΔT for the conduction time in Equation 3. on After approximate expansion, it becomes Equation 4.

[0088]

[0089] In some embodiments, due to the pulse signal S p Period T sw It is consistent between different phases, therefore the pulse signal S can be... p Period T sw The overall correction factor is incorporated, thereby increasing the conduction time correction ΔT in Equation 4. on As shown in Formula 5 below.

[0090]

[0091] In Equation 5, D is the pulse signal S p The duty cycle. In some embodiments, the pulse signal S p The duty cycle D is V out / V in In some embodiments, due to the input voltage V in The voltage is consistent across different phases, therefore the input voltage V can be... inThe overall correction factor is incorporated, thereby adjusting the conduction time correction ΔT in Equation 5. on As shown in Formula 6 below.

[0092] ΔT on ≈I ref ×ΔR (Equation 6)

[0093] In Equation 6, I ref As mentioned above, this refers to the phase current I of each power conversion circuit. p Any one of them, or the phase current I of each power conversion circuit. p The reference current is the average value. ΔR is the mismatch resistance value of the power conversion circuit C21 as described above. The mismatch resistance value ΔR can be regarded as the total mismatch resistance of the power conversion circuit C21, and corresponds to ΔR in Equation 5. A +D×ΔR B And the compensation circuit 12 can be used to compensate for the phase current I. p and reference current I ref The difference is obtained by feedback calculation.

[0094] In equations 5 and 6, the phase current I p and reference current I ref The duty cycle D and input voltage V are considered variables, while the duty cycle D and input voltage V are considered variables. in The mismatch resistance value ΔR is considered a fixed parameter. Since the change in the mismatch resistance value ΔR is small, the voltage regulation module 3 does not need to use the high-sampling-rate first current sensing circuit C311 and second current sensing circuit C32 to track the change in the mismatch resistance value ΔR in real time. The voltage regulation module 3 only needs to use the low-sampling-rate first current sensing circuit C311 and second current sensing circuit C32 to measure the current change, and then use the compensation circuit 12 for feedback calculation to gradually approximate the correct mismatch resistance value ΔR.

[0095] It should be noted here that the so-called mismatch resistance value ΔR refers to the value on the right side of the equation in Equations 4 and 5, excluding the phase current I. p All operations and parameters outside of this, therefore its unit is not simply ohms (Ω). Here, the period T... sw Input voltage V in The duty cycle D and non-ideal resistance are represented by the mismatch resistance value ΔR. This serves two main purposes: First, it clearly defines the object to be derived in the feedback calculation; among them, the "relative non-ideal resistance" is most relevant to current balance control, hence ΔR is collectively referred to as the "mismatch resistance value." Second, because the mismatch resistance value ΔR contains the period T... sw Input voltage V inThe system operating parameters, such as duty cycle D, are taken into account in the feedback control. Therefore, the current balance control method of this invention is not only applicable to steady-state operating systems, but also applicable to "dynamic switching" between different operating systems. The feedback system automatically completes the adjustment to maintain a good current balance effect. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the multiphase current balancer C1. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 In some embodiments, the compensation circuit 12 includes a filtering unit 121, a convergence control unit 122, and a compensation unit 123. The convergence control unit 122 is coupled between the filtering unit 121 and the compensation unit 123. The filtering unit 121 is used to filter the difference signal to reduce noise interference, thereby making the calculation of the mismatch resistance value ΔR more accurate. The convergence control unit 122 is used to set the convergence range of the difference signal. In some embodiments, the convergence control unit 122 only performs the update operation of the mismatch resistance value ΔR when the difference signal exceeds the convergence range, so as to avoid frequent updates of the mismatch resistance value ΔR due to small-range jitter of the difference signal, which would cause instability of the voltage regulation module 3, and exclude the calculation of the mismatch resistance value ΔR under light load, because the detection of the current sensing circuit is unstable under light load. The compensation unit 123 is used to execute the compensation program of the current balancing circuit C11.

[0096] In some embodiments, the filtering unit 121 may be, but is not limited to, a moving average filter. In some embodiments, the filtering unit 121 is used to calculate the moving average of the difference signals. In some embodiments, the convergence control unit 122 may be, but is not limited to, a filter. In some embodiments, the compensation unit 123 may be, but is not limited to, a compensator. In some embodiments, the compensation program includes dynamically adjusting the compensation parameters of the current balancing circuit C11 through a compensation algorithm to balance the current of each current path of the current balancing circuit C11, thereby improving the current stability of the current balancing circuit C11. In some embodiments, the compensation circuit 12 is a PID controller.

[0097] In some embodiments, the current balancing circuit C11 further includes a correction circuit 14 and an adder 15. In some embodiments, the correction circuit 14 is used to correct the conduction time correction amount ΔTon according to the correction coefficient when the power conversion circuit C21 has additional gain requirements, so as to meet the gain requirements. In some embodiments, the adder 15 is used to calculate the initial value R_INI of the mismatch resistance value ΔR (the designer will preset an initial mismatch resistance value ΔR before the multiphase current balancer C1 operates) and the sum of the mismatch resistance values ​​ΔR, so as to accelerate the calculation of the mismatch resistance value ΔR.

[0098] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the voltage regulation module 3. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 6In some embodiments, each first current sensing circuit is coupled to the output circuit of its corresponding power conversion circuit. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the first current sensing circuit C311 is coupled to the output circuit C212, the first current sensing circuit C312 is coupled to the output circuit C222, and the first current sensing circuit C313 is coupled to the output circuit C232. In some embodiments, the first current sensing circuit C311 coupled to the output circuit of the power conversion circuit C21 may be, but is not limited to, an SPS (Smart Power Stage) current sensing circuit.

[0099] In summary, in some embodiments, the voltage regulation module 3 detects the phase current I in real time through multiple first current sensing circuits and second current sensing circuits C32 in the multiphase power converter C2. p The system utilizes multiple compensation circuits in the multiphase current balancer C1 to calculate the mismatch resistance value ΔR of each power conversion circuit, thereby instantly adjusting the conduction time correction amount ΔTon of the upper bridge switch Sw1 in any phase power conversion circuit to achieve current balance control.

[0100] In some embodiments, the voltage regulation module 3 not only improves the current balance convergence under varying and light load conditions, but also reduces the requirement for current detection sampling rate, thereby simplifying the architecture of the first current sensing circuit and the second current sensing circuit C32, reducing chip area and cost. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the voltage regulation module 3 is applicable to multiphase power converters C2 with any number of phases, and the calculated on-time correction ΔTon of the upper bridge switch Sw1 in the power conversion circuit can be directly provided to the control circuit in the power conversion circuit without the need for additional compensation circuitry. Therefore, the voltage regulation module 3 can significantly improve the balance of multiphase current, effectively reduce system power loss, and simultaneously improve overall conversion efficiency and operational stability, making it widely applicable to various load conditions and application scenarios.

[0101] Although the technical content of this case has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit this case. Any modifications and refinements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this case should be included within the scope of this case. Therefore, the scope of protection of this case shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multiphase current balancer, characterized by, Coupled to a multiphase power converter, the multiphase power converter including multiple power conversion circuits for converting an input voltage to an output voltage, each power conversion circuit for providing a phase current corresponding to the output voltage, the multiphase current balancer includes: Multiple current balancing circuits, each current balancing circuit corresponding to each power conversion circuit, each current balancing circuit is used to determine a mismatch resistance value of each power conversion circuit based on the phase current of each power conversion circuit and a reference current, and to determine an on-time correction amount of an upper bridge switch of each power conversion circuit based on the mismatch resistance value of each power conversion circuit and the reference current. The conduction time correction of each power conversion circuit is positively correlated with the mismatch resistance value of each power conversion circuit.

2. The multiphase current balancer of claim 1, wherein, The multiphase power converter further includes a current sensing circuit, which provides a reference current based on the phase current of each power conversion circuit or the average value of the phase currents of each power conversion circuit.

3. The multiphase current balancer of claim 1, wherein, The current balancing circuit includes: A subtractor is used to calculate a difference between the phase current and the reference current; A compensation circuit, coupled to the subtractor, is used to perform a feedback calculation on the difference to obtain the mismatch resistance value. and A multiplier, coupled to the compensation circuit, is used to multiply the reference current by the mismatched resistor value to obtain the on-time correction.

4. The multiphase current balancer of claim 3, wherein, The compensation circuit includes: A filtering unit is used to filter a signal of the difference to reduce an error in the difference; A convergence control unit, coupled to the filter unit, is used to set a convergence interval for the difference. When the difference is not in the convergence interval, the convergence control unit performs an update operation on the mismatched resistor value. and A compensation unit, coupled to the convergence control unit, is used to execute a compensation program of the current balancing circuit.

5. The multiphase current balancer as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The filtering unit is a moving average filter used to calculate a moving average of the signal with the difference. The convergence control unit is a filter, the compensation unit is a compensator, and the compensation program includes adjusting a compensation parameter of the current balancing circuit through a compensation algorithm.

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