Adaptive DC-DC Converter Precision for Lower Power Draw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional DC-DC converters face high power consumption due to the continuous operation of fine pulse width control circuitry, even when high precision is not required, leading to inefficient energy use, especially when dealing with varying input voltages.
Innovation Solution
The precision of the DC-DC converter is adaptively controlled by enabling or disabling the fine pulse width tuning circuitry based on the necessary precision, reducing power consumption by powering down or eliminating the clock to the fine pulse width adjust circuit when lower precision is sufficient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fine pulse width tuning circuitry is continuously operated to maintain high precision, then DC output voltage precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between fine pulse width tuning modes based on operating conditions. The system activates the digital delay line and fine tuning circuitry only when high precision is required (when duty cycle < setpoint), and disables them when lower precision suffices (when duty cycle >= setpoint), making the precision level adaptive rather than static
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the precision parameter dynamically by modifying the operation state of the fine pulse width tuning circuitry. When the duty cycle exceeds the setpoint, the system transitions from high-precision mode to lower-precision mode by powering down or eliminating the clock to the fine tuning circuit, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining adequate performance
2Measurement precision
If fine pulse width adjust circuit is activated to improve precision, then DC output voltage precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pulse width adjustment function is segmented into two independent parts: coarse adjustment (always active) and fine adjustment (conditionally active). The fine adjustment section includes the digital delay line and associated circuitry that can be independently enabled or disabled based on operating conditions, separating the precision enhancement function from the basic operation
Data Source
AI summary
A direct current (DC) to DC (DC-DC) converter includes a comparator configured to set a pulse width of a signal pulse, the pulse width corresponding to a voltage level of an output voltage of the DC-DC converter; a digital delay line (DDL) operatively coupled to the comparator, the DDL configured increase the pulse width of the signal pulse by linearly introducing delays to the signal pulse; a multiplexer operatively coupled to the DDL, the multiplexer configured to selectively output a delayed version of the signal pulse; and a logic control circuit operatively coupled to the multiplexer and the DDL, the logic control circuit configured to adaptively adjust a precision of the DC-DC converter in accordance with a duty cycle of the DC-DC converter and a setpoint of the DC-DC converter.