Voltage Regulator Fault Reporting via PGOOD Pin Encoding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fault reporting techniques in voltage regulators are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and require specialized software and hardware to diagnose faults, leading to delays that can result in catastrophic component failures, especially when remote debugging is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A fault reporting circuit that utilizes a PGOOD pin to convey fault information through a combination of voltage levels and data signals, allowing operators to quickly identify fault causes using an oscilloscope and lookup tables, enabling immediate diagnosis of faults in voltage regulators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing fault reporting techniques are used, then fault information can be obtained, but the process is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and requires specialized software and hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts fault information reporting from complex communication bus protocols and specialized registers to a simple dedicated PGOOD pin output. The fault data is pulled out from internal registers and presented externally as voltage level patterns that can be read with basic equipment like oscilloscopes, eliminating the need for specialized debugging software and hardware interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage regulator performs self-diagnosis and automatically reports fault information through the PGOOD pin without requiring external specialized equipment. The device serves itself by encoding fault data in the voltage levels it already outputs for power good indication, making the fault reporting process as simple as monitoring an existing signal with standard equipment.
2Reliability
If existing fault reporting techniques are used, then fault information can be retrieved, but substantial time delays occur leading to catastrophic component failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares fault information for immediate access by continuously monitoring system parameters and encoding fault data in the PGOOD pin voltage levels in real-time. When a fault occurs, the information is already prepared and immediately available on the PGOOD pin, eliminating the time delay of post-fault analysis and enabling instant diagnosis before catastrophic failures occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring voltage levels on the PGOOD pin to detect fault conditions in real-time. The voltage regulator provides ongoing feedback about system health through the PGOOD pin, allowing operators to immediately identify and respond to faults, preventing them from escalating to catastrophic failures.
3Ease of operation
If remote debugging is performed using existing techniques, then fault information can be obtained, but the process is inefficient and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the PGOOD pin as an intermediary that translates complex internal fault conditions into simple, universally readable voltage level patterns. This intermediary interface allows any operator with basic equipment like an oscilloscope to access fault information locally without requiring remote debugging capabilities, specialized software, or manufacturer facilities, making fault diagnosis accessible and efficient.
4Loss of information
If communication bus protocols are used for fault reporting, then fault information can be retrieved, but specialized software and personnel training are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex communication bus protocols and specialized debugging software with a simple, inexpensive voltage level encoding scheme on the PGOOD pin. Instead of requiring costly specialized equipment and trained personnel, the system uses basic voltage patterns that can be read with inexpensive, widely available equipment like oscilloscopes, making fault information accessible without specialized resources.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic system, voltage regulator, controller and fault reporting method and circuit for a voltage regulator or other type of DC-DC converter are disclosed. For example, a fault reporting circuit is disclosed. The fault reporting circuit includes a first transistor device configured to generate a first signal indicating an occurrence of a fault in an associated circuit, a second transistor device coupled to the first transistor device, the second transistor device configured to generate at least one data signal indicating an identity of the fault in the associated circuit, and an output coupled to the first transistor device and the second transistor device, wherein the output is configured to receive the first signal and the at least one data signal. In some implementations, the fault reporting circuit is in a controller for a voltage regulator circuit formed on one or more semiconductor ICs, wafers, chips or dies.