Power converter calibration method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10483847-B2
Application number	US-201514601401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2010
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a power regulator according to various aspects of the present invention may comprise a sensor adapted to generate a measurement of a voltage or a current. A memory may store a correction parameter that corresponds to the measurement, and a correction system may be adapted to adjust the measurement according to the correction parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power regulator, comprising:
a sensor configured to generate a first measurement comprising at least one of a voltage measurement and a current measurement;
a memory configured to store a correction parameter associated with the first measurement;
a correction system configured to adjust the first measurement according to the correction parameter;
a power stage;
a controller configured to regulate an output of the power regulator according to the adjusted first measurement, wherein the controller comprises a PWM (pulse width modulation) circuit configured to provide, to the power stage, a duty cycle based upon the adjusted first measurement.

2. The power regulator of claim 1 , further comprising a test interface configured to receive the correction parameter from a test system and to write the correction parameter to the memory.

3. The power regulator of claim 2 , wherein the test interface is configured to allow the test system to control the output of the power regulator.

4. The power regulator of claim 2 , wherein the test interface is configured to transmit the first measurement to the test system.

5. The power regulator of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to operate in an operating mode which comprises:
a normal mode; and
a test mode.

6. The power regulator of claim 5 , wherein the test interface is further configured to receive an operating mode signal from the test system and place the power regulator into a corresponding operating mode.

7. The power regulator of claim 6 , wherein the correction parameter comprises a first correction parameter for a first operating mode and a second correction parameter for a second operating mode.

8. The power regulator of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a current sensor associated with an error, and wherein the correction parameter is adapted to compensate for the error.

9. The power regulator of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage sensor associated with an error, wherein the correction parameter is adapted to compensate for the error.

10. The power regulator of claim 1 , wherein the correction parameter comprises a voltage sense offset.

11. The power regulator of claim 1 , wherein the correction parameter comprises a current sense offset and a gain adjustment for each mode of operation.

12. The power regulator of claim 1 , wherein the correction parameter comprises an offset and a gain adjustment for the power stage and an additional offset and an additional gain adjustment for an additional power stage of the power regulator.

13. The power regulator of claim 1 , wherein the correction parameter comprises a look up table comprising a plurality of non-linear corrections of a current sense transfer function.

14. The power regulator of claim 1 , wherein the power regulator comprises a buck converter.

15. The power regulator of claim 1 , wherein the power stage of the power regulator comprises a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

16. The power regulator of claim 8 , further comprising an output inductor, wherein the current sensor is a direct-current resistance (DCR) sensor that uses a voltage across the output inductor to sense a current in the output inductor.

17. The power regulator of claim 8 , wherein the power stage further comprises a transistor, and the current sensor uses a voltage across a drain and a source terminal of the transistor to measure a current in the transistor.

18. The power regulator of claim 8 , wherein the power stage further comprises a transistor, and the current sensor comprises a current mirror of the transistor.

19. The power regulator of claim 8 , further comprising a resistor coupled to an input, the output, or a ground return of the power regulator, and the current sensor uses a voltage across the resistor to determine the first measurement.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Austria Ag

Inventors

• Tang Benjamim
• Lin Chun-Yen
• Samsi Rohan
• Guo Jinghong
• Ng Tim M
• Pierson Richard C

Classifications

• B23K26/351

  for trimming or tuning of electrical components · CPC title

• H02M3/1584

  with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel · CPC title

• H02M3/156 Primary

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• G01R31/40

  Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) · CPC title

• G01R19/00

  Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof (G01R5/00 takes precedence; for measuring bioelectric currents or voltages A61B5/24) · CPC title