Synchronous Supply Awareness Circuit for SMPS Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing switched mode power supply (SMPS) systems face challenges in accurately controlling power converters due to asynchronous supply awareness, which can result in metastable values and clock domain crossing violations, degrading performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a synchronous supply awareness system that synchronizes the comparison result of a reference voltage and feedback voltage into a clock domain, using a synchronization circuit and controller to determine and provide gate control signals for the power converter, thereby reducing delay and mitigating glitches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If asynchronous supply awareness is used in SMPS systems, then the system can operate without synchronization circuitry, but metastable values and clock domain crossing violations occur degrading performance
Solution Approach 1:
A synchronization circuit is introduced as an intermediary component between the asynchronous sensing circuitry and the controller. This circuit mediates the interface by synchronizing the comparison results to the clock domain, preventing metastable values and clock domain crossing violations while maintaining system reliability.
2Reliability
If synchronous supply awareness is implemented, then performance is enhanced with accurate and timely control signals, but additional synchronization circuitry is required
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization circuit performs preliminary synchronization of the comparison results before they are processed by the controller. By pre-synchronizing the signals to the clock domain, the system ensures accurate and timely control signals are generated, enhancing performance while managing the added complexity through proactive signal conditioning.
3Device complexity
If clock domain crossing is not synchronized, then the system operates simpler without synchronization, but clock domain crossing violations degrade performance
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization circuit converts the potential harm of clock domain crossing violations into a benefit by deliberately synchronizing signals across clock domains. This controlled synchronization process transforms what would be harmful asynchronous transitions into reliable, timed signals that enhance system performance.
4Loss of time
If asynchronous comparison results are used directly, then delay is reduced, but metastable values occur degrading control accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization circuit performs preliminary synchronization of comparison results before they are used for control decisions. This pre-processing step ensures that signals are properly aligned to the clock domain, eliminating metastable values and ensuring measurement precision is maintained while minimizing additional delay through efficient synchronization design.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a circuit includes sensing circuitry, a synchronization circuit, and a controller. The sensing circuitry is configured to provide a comparison result based on a comparison between a reference voltage and a feedback voltage. The synchronization circuit is configured to synchronize the comparison result into a clock domain to form a synchronous comparison result. The controller is configured to receive the synchronous comparison result, determine a predicted gate control signal based on the synchronous comparison result, determine a gate control signal based on the synchronous comparison result, provide the predicted gate control signal to the sensing circuitry as the feedback voltage, and provide the gate control signal for controlling a power converter.