Configurable Power Supply IC Using Digital Control Matrix
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply integrated circuits face challenges in efficiently generating regulated DC voltage from unregulated DC supplies, as both PWM and Linear Regulators often require complex feedback loops and lack flexibility in configuring output voltages to meet diverse system needs.
Innovation Solution
A power integrated circuit with multiple controllers, pulse-width generators, and a configuration matrix that uses feedback signals and reference signals to generate control signals, allowing for selective coupling of pulse-width modulated signals to output stages, and includes a digital control block with an analog-to-digital converter, digital control engine, and digital-to-analog converter to adjust output voltages dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate regulators are used to generate different output voltages, then voltage regulation capability is improved, but device complexity and die size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single regulator IC that can generate multiple different output voltages by configuring different combinations of output stages through a configuration matrix. This multi-functional approach allows one device to replace multiple separate regulators, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatile voltage regulation capability across different output channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a configuration matrix that dynamically connects controllers to different output stages based on required output voltages. This dynamic reconfiguration capability allows the same controller and output stage hardware to serve multiple voltage regulation functions, reducing the need for dedicated hardware for each voltage level and thereby reducing device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate regulators are used to generate different output voltages, then voltage regulation capability is improved, but die size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single regulator IC that can generate multiple different output voltages by configuring different combinations of output stages through a configuration matrix. This multi-functional approach allows one device to replace multiple separate regulators, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining versatile voltage regulation capability across different output channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple output stages and controllers into a single integrated circuit die. By merging these components and using a configuration matrix to selectively connect them, the patent achieves multiple voltage regulation functions in one compact device, significantly reducing the total die size compared to using separate regulator ICs for each voltage level.
3Measurement precision
If complex feedback loops are used in PWM and Linear Regulators, then voltage regulation precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback loops in each controller that receive feedback signals from output stages and compare them against reference signals. This feedback mechanism maintains precise voltage regulation by automatically adjusting control signals to keep output voltages within predefined tolerances of reference values, ensuring high precision without requiring overly complex external circuitry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a configuration matrix that dynamically connects controllers to different output stages based on required output voltages. This dynamic reconfiguration capability allows the same controller and output stage hardware to serve multiple voltage regulation functions, reducing the need for dedicated hardware for each voltage level and thereby reducing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A power integrated circuit includes, in part, a multitude of controllers, a multitude of pulse-width generators, a multitude of output stages and a configuration matrix. Each controller is adapted to be responsive to a feedback signal and a reference signal to generate a control signal carrying pulse width information. Each control signal causes a difference between an associated output voltage feedback signal and the reference signal to be less than a predefined value. Each pulse-width generator is associated with and responsive to a different one of the controllers to generate a pulse-width modulated signal in response. The configuration matrix selectively couples the plurality of pulse-width generators to the output stages.