DC-DC converter, processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a DC-DC converter capable of using appropriate control according to a situation.SOLUTION: A DC-DC converter includes a predetermined first control circuit that controls a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects a stationary state of the DC-DC converter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a DC-DC converter, a processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Power supplies are used in a variety of fields. Patent Document 1 discloses a related technology relating to a switching power supply. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-085365 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the field of power supplies related to Patent Document 1, there is a demand for technology that can use appropriate control depending on the situation.

[0005] One of the objectives of each aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a DC-DC converter, a processing method, and a program that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a DC-DC converter includes a predetermined first control circuit that controls the DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects that the DC-DC converter is in a steady state.

[0007] To achieve the above object, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a processing method includes causing a predetermined first control circuit to control a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects a steady state of the DC-DC converter.

[0008] To achieve the above object, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a program causes a computer to execute a predetermined first control circuit to control a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects a steady state of the DC-DC converter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to each aspect of the present disclosure, appropriate control can be used depending on the situation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a time chart of a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. <Embodiment> (DC-DC converter configuration) A DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The DC-DC converter 1 is a system that operates a voltage mode control circuit 100 (described later) in a steady state, and switches operation to a COT (Constant On Time) control circuit 90 (described later) when a sudden change in load is detected.

[0012] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a DC-DC converter 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the DC-DC converter 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an input power supply 10, FETs (Field Effect Transistors) 20 and 30, an inductor 40, a capacitor 50, a load 60, a switch 70, a driver 80, a COT control circuit 90, a voltage mode control circuit 100, and a current detection unit 110.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the COT control circuit 90 includes resistors 901 and 902, a comparator 903, a power supply 904, and an on-pulse generator 905.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the voltage mode control circuit 100 includes capacitors 1001, 1005, and 1007, resistors 1002, 1003, 1004, and 1006, an error amplifier 1008, a power supply 1009, a comparator 1010, and a signal generator 1011.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the current detection unit 110 includes a shunt resistor 1101, an amplifier circuit 1102, a differentiation circuit 1103, a comparator 1104, and a power supply 1105.

[0016] The input voltage and output voltage of the DC-DC converter 1 are defined as Vin and Vout(t), respectively. t represents time. An input power supply 10 supplies an input voltage Vin to the DC-DC converter 1. An FET 20 is a high-side FET of the DC-DC converter 1. An FET 30 is a low-side FET of the DC-DC converter 1. The gate voltage of the FET 20 is defined as Vg(t).

[0017] The inductor 40 is the output inductor of the DC-DC converter 1. The inductor current flowing through the inductor 40 is defined as iL(t). The capacitor 50 is the output capacitor of the DC-DC converter 1. The load 60 is the load of the DC-DC converter 1. The load current flowing through the load 60 is defined as iR(t). The switch 70 is a switch that switches between the COT control circuit 90 and the voltage mode control circuit 100. The driver 80 is a gate drive circuit (i.e., a circuit that drives the FETs 20 and 30).

[0018] Resistors 901 and 902 are voltage dividing resistors for detecting the output voltage of the COT control circuit 90. A comparator 903 compares the voltage obtained by dividing the output voltage Vout(t) by the resistors 901 and 902 with the voltage output by a power supply 904. The comparator 903 then outputs a voltage according to the comparison result. The power supply 904 outputs a set voltage Vref. An on-pulse generator 905 generates a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal based on the output of the comparator 903.

[0019] Capacitors 1001, 1005, and 1007 are capacitors used for phase compensation of the voltage mode control circuit 100. Resistors 1002, 1003, 1004, and 1006 are resistors used for phase compensation of the voltage mode control circuit 100. An error amplifier 1008 outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference between the voltage obtained by dividing the output voltage Vout(t) by the capacitor 1001 and the resistors 1002, 1003, and 1004 and the voltage output by a power supply 1009. The power supply 1009 outputs a set voltage Vref. A comparator 1010 compares the voltage output by the error amplifier 1008 with the voltage output by a signal generator 1011. The comparator 1010 then outputs a voltage corresponding to the comparison result. The signal generator 1011 generates a sawtooth wave Vramp. The signal generator 1011 then outputs the generated sawtooth wave Vramp. That is, the comparator 1010 generates a PWM signal by comparing the voltage output by the error amplifier 1008 with the sawtooth wave Vramp.

[0020] A shunt resistor 1101 is connected in series to the power supply line between the capacitor 50 and the load 60. The shunt resistor 1101 detects the current flowing through the power supply line. An amplifier circuit 1102 amplifies the potential difference across the shunt resistor 1101. This amplified voltage is defined as Vdet(t). The voltage Vdet(t) is proportional to the load current iR(t). Therefore, if the amplification factor of the amplifier circuit 1102 is A, the voltage Vdet(t) can be expressed as shown in equation (1).

[0021]

number

[0022] The differentiating circuit 1103 extracts the fluctuation of the voltage Vdet(t). The voltage extracted by this differentiating circuit 1103 is defined as Vdiff(t), and the voltage Vdiff(t) = dVdet(t) / dt. The comparator 1104 compares the voltage Vdiff(t) with the set voltage Vref. If Vdiff(t) > Vref, the comparator 1104 switches the switch 70 to the COT control circuit 90 side for a certain period of time. The voltage value of the voltage Vref is set to a value that prevents Vdiff(t) from exceeding Vref in a steady state or when there is a sudden change in the load 60.

[0023] The above-described processing performed by the DC-DC converter 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is merely an example, and the DC-DC converter 1 is not limited to the above-described processing. For example, the DC-DC converter 1 may perform the processing described below.

[0024] (Processing performed by DC-DC converter) 2 is a diagram showing an example of a time chart of the DC-DC converter 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The process performed by the DC-DC converter 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0025] (at steady state) First, we will explain the operation of the DC-DC converter 1 in a steady state where the load current iR(t) is a steady current. When the load current iR(t) is a steady current, there is almost no current fluctuation in the load current iR(t). Therefore, the output voltage Vdiff(t) of the differentiating circuit 1103 is approximately 0 V. As a result, the output voltage Vdiff(t) of the differentiating circuit 1103 is less than the set voltage Vref. Therefore, the switch 70 is connected to the voltage-mode control circuit 100 side. In other words, the driver 80 controls the switching of the FETs 20 and 30 in response to the PWM signal output by the voltage-mode control circuit 100.

[0026] (When the load changes suddenly) Next, we will explain the operation of the DC-DC converter 1 when the load current iR(t) suddenly increases. When the load current iR(t) suddenly increases, dVdet(t) / dt increases, and the voltage Vdiff(t) becomes higher. Therefore, Vdiff(t) > Vref holds, and the switch 70 is connected to the COT control circuit 90 side for a certain period of time.

[0027] (advantage) The above describes a DC-DC converter 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The DC-DC converter 1 includes a voltage mode control circuit 100 (an example of a predetermined first control circuit). The voltage mode control circuit 100 controls the DC-DC converter 1 when a current detection unit 110 (an example of a current detection circuit) detects that the DC-DC converter 1 is in a steady state.

[0028] This DC-DC converter 1 can detect that the DC-DC converter 1 is in a steady state, and then control the DC-DC converter 1 using the voltage mode control circuit 100. In other words, this DC-DC converter 1 can use appropriate control depending on the situation.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, voltage-mode control and COT control are combined. However, in another embodiment of the present disclosure, current-mode control and COT control may be combined. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DC-DC converter 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Comparing FIG. 3 with FIG. 1, the voltage-mode control circuit 100 in FIG. 1 is replaced with a current-mode control circuit 120 in FIG. 3.

[0030] Capacitors 1201, 1206, and 1208 are capacitors for phase compensation of the current mode control circuit 120. Resistors 1202, 1203, and 1207 are resistors for phase compensation of the current mode control circuit 120. An error amplifier 1204 outputs a current corresponding to the difference between the voltage obtained by dividing the output voltage Vout(t) by the capacitor 1201 and the resistors 1202 and 1203 and the voltage output by the power supply 1205. An amplifier circuit 130 amplifies the detected value of the inductor current flowing through the inductor 40. The power supply 1205 outputs a set voltage Vref. A comparator 1209 compares the current output by the error amplifier 1204 with the current output by the amplifier circuit 130. The comparator 1209 then outputs a voltage corresponding to the comparison result. A switch 70 switches the PWM signal input to the driver 80.

[0031] The processing performed by the DC-DC converter 1 will be described below. First, the operation of the DC-DC converter 1 will be described when the load current iR(t) is in a steady state where it is a steady current. When the load current iR(t) is a steady current, there is almost no current fluctuation in the load current iR(t). Therefore, the output voltage Vdiff(t) of the differentiation circuit 1103 is approximately 0 V. As a result, the output voltage Vdiff(t) of the differentiation circuit 1103 is less than the set voltage Vref. Therefore, the switch 70 is connected to the current-mode control circuit 120. That is, the driver 80 controls the switching of the FETs 20 and 30 in response to the PWM signal output by the voltage-mode control circuit 100. Next, the operation of the DC-DC converter 1 when the load current iR(t) suddenly increases will be described. When the load current iR(t) suddenly increases, dVdet(t) / dt increases, and the voltage Vdiff(t) becomes higher. Therefore, Vdiff(t) > Vref holds, and the switch 70 is connected to the COT control circuit 90 for a certain period of time. The control method for DC-DC converter 1 in steady state is current mode control, which makes phase compensation easier than with voltage mode control. However, current mode control has the disadvantage of being vulnerable to noise. For this reason, it is necessary to use either current mode control or voltage mode control depending on the application of DC-DC converter 1.

[0032] (advantage) The DC-DC converter 1 can use a current mode control circuit 120 that allows easier phase compensation than the voltage mode control circuit 100.

[0033] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the switching of the switch 70 may be performed by a computer.

[0034] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a DC-DC converter 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the DC-DC converter 1 includes a predetermined first control circuit 301 that controls a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects that the DC-DC converter is in a steady state.

[0035] The predetermined first control circuit 301 can be realized, for example, by using the functions of the voltage mode control circuit 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 or the current mode control circuit 120 illustrated in FIG.

[0036] Next, a process performed by the DC-DC converter 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow of the DC-DC converter 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Here, the process of the DC-DC converter 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0037] In the DC-DC converter 1, a predetermined first control circuit 301 controls the DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter 1 when a current detection circuit detects that the DC-DC converter 1 is in a steady state (step S101).

[0038] The DC-DC converter 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure has been described above. This DC-DC converter 1 allows appropriate control to be used depending on the situation.

[0039] The order of the processes in each embodiment of the present disclosure may be changed as long as the processes are performed appropriately.

[0040] Each embodiment of the present disclosure has been described, but the DC-DC converter 1 and other control devices may have a computer system built therein. The above-described processing steps are stored in the form of a program on a computer-readable recording medium, and the computer reads and executes this program to perform the above processing. Specific examples of computers are shown below.

[0041] 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the computer 5 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 6, a main memory 7, a storage 8, and an interface 9.

[0042] For example, the above-described DC-DC converter 1 and other control devices are implemented in a computer 5. The operations of the above-described processing units are stored in the form of a program in a storage 8. A CPU 6 reads the program from the storage 8, loads it into the main memory 7, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. The CPU 6 also allocates storage areas in the main memory 7 corresponding to the above-described storage units in accordance with the program.

[0043] Examples of storage 8 include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and a semiconductor memory. Storage 8 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of computer 5, or an external medium connected to computer 5 via interface 9 or a communication line. In addition, when this program is distributed to computer 5 via a communication line, computer 5 that receives the program may load the program into main memory 7 and execute the above-mentioned processing. In at least one embodiment, storage 8 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

[0044] The program may also implement some of the functions described above. Furthermore, the program may be a file that can implement the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, a so-called differential file (differential program).

[0045] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, these embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0046] Note that part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0047] (Appendix 1) a predetermined first control circuit for controlling a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects a steady state of the DC-DC converter; A DC-DC converter comprising:

[0048] (Appendix 2) a second control circuit which is a COT (Constant On Time) control circuit that controls the DC-DC converter; a switching unit that switches from the first control circuit to the second control circuit when the current detection circuit detects a sudden change in the load of the DC-DC converter; 2. The DC-DC converter according to claim 1, comprising:

[0049] (Appendix 3) The first control circuit is A voltage mode control circuit, 1. A DC-DC converter as defined in claim 1 or 2.

[0050] (Appendix 4) The voltage mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output voltage of the error amplifier with a sawtooth wave voltage and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; 4. The DC-DC converter according to claim 3, comprising:

[0051] (Appendix 5) The first control circuit is A current mode control circuit, 1. A DC-DC converter as defined in claim 1 or 2.

[0052] (Appendix 6) The current mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a current corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output current of the error amplifier with the current flowing through an output inductor of the DC-DC converter and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; 6. The DC-DC converter according to claim 5, comprising:

[0053] (Appendix 7) causing a predetermined first control circuit to control a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects that the DC-DC converter is in a steady state; A processing method comprising:

[0054] (Appendix 8) When the current detection circuit detects a sudden change in the load of the DC-DC converter, a control circuit that controls the DC-DC converter is switched from the first control circuit to a second control circuit that is a COT (Constant On Time) control circuit that controls the DC-DC converter. Attachment 7, a processing method comprising:

[0055] (Appendix 9) The first control circuit is A voltage mode control circuit, A processing method as described in Appendix 7 or Appendix 8.

[0056] (Appendix 10) The voltage mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output voltage of the error amplifier with a sawtooth wave voltage and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; 10. The processing method of claim 9, comprising:

[0057] (Appendix 11) The first control circuit is A current mode control circuit, A processing method as described in Appendix 7 or Appendix 8.

[0058] (Appendix 12) The current mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a current corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output current of the error amplifier with the current flowing through an output inductor of the DC-DC converter and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; 12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

[0059] (Appendix 13) On the computer, causing a predetermined first control circuit to control a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects that the DC-DC converter is in a steady state; A program that executes the following.

[0060] (Appendix 14) When the current detection circuit detects a sudden change in the load of the DC-DC converter, switching is made from the first control circuit to a second control circuit which is a COT (Constant On Time) control circuit that controls the DC-DC converter; 14. The program according to claim 13, which causes the computer to execute the above steps.

[0061] (Appendix 15) The first control circuit is A voltage mode control circuit, 15. The program of claim 13 or 14.

[0062] (Appendix 16) The voltage mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output voltage of the error amplifier with a sawtooth wave voltage and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; 16. The program of claim 15, comprising:

[0063] (Appendix 17) The first control circuit is A current mode control circuit, 15. The program of claim 13 or 14.

[0064] (Appendix 18) The current mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a current corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output current of the error amplifier with the current flowing through an output inductor of the DC-DC converter and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; 18. The program of claim 17, comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. DC-DC converter 5. Computer 6 CPU 7. Main memory 8. Storage 9. Interface 10 Input power supply 20, 30...FET 40...Inductor 50, 1001, 1005, 1007... Capacitors 60...load 70···Switch 80...Driver 90 COT control circuit 100 Voltage mode control circuit 110 Current detection unit 120...Current mode control circuit 901, 902, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1006... Resistors 903, 1104... Comparator 904...Power supply 905···On Pulse Generator 1008 Error amplifier 1009, 1105...Power supply 1010···Comparator 1011 Signal Generator 1101···Shunt resistor 1102 Amplifier circuit 1103···Differential Circuit

Claims

1. a predetermined first control circuit that controls a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when a current detection circuit detects that the DC-DC converter is in a steady state; A DC-DC converter comprising:

2. a second control circuit which is a COT (Constant On Time) control circuit that controls the DC-DC converter; a switching unit that switches from the first control circuit to the second control circuit when the current detection circuit detects a sudden change in the load of the DC-DC converter; The DC-DC converter according to claim 1 , comprising:

3. The first control circuit A voltage mode control circuit, 3. The DC-DC converter according to claim 1.

4. The voltage mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output voltage of the error amplifier with a sawtooth wave voltage and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; The DC-DC converter according to claim 3 , comprising:

5. The first control circuit A current mode control circuit, 3. The DC-DC converter according to claim 1.

6. The current mode control circuit an error amplifier that outputs a current corresponding to the difference between the output voltage of the DC-DC converter and a set voltage; a comparator that compares the output current of the error amplifier with the current flowing through the output inductor of the DC-DC converter and outputs a voltage according to the comparison result; The DC-DC converter according to claim 5 , comprising:

7. causing a predetermined first control circuit to control a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when the current detection circuit detects a steady state of the DC-DC converter; A processing method comprising:

8. On the computer, causing a predetermined first control circuit to control a DC-DC (Direct Current to Direct Current) converter when the current detection circuit detects a steady state of the DC-DC converter; A program that executes the following.

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