Fault detector for voltage converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11025164-B2
Application number	US-202016927881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2020
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Various embodiments of a fault detector for a voltage converter are described. In one example embodiment, briefly, the fault detector is capable to detect one or more fault events during operation of a voltage converter. Likewise, the fault detector is capable to generate one or more fault signals with respect to the one or more to be detected fault events. The one or more fault signals, in the example embodiment, to signal a disconnect switch of the voltage converter to electrically disconnect or otherwise via a high impedance state to limit current flow through at least one switch of a set of switches of the voltage converter. In another example embodiment, the fault detector, responsive to the one or more fault signals, capable to generate a bus interrupt signal on a pin out, such as of an integrated circuit (IC) for use with the voltage converter, or capable to toggle a fault indicator pin out of the IC. Other additional embodiments are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit (IC) for use with a voltage converter, the voltage converter to comprise at least a set of switches and a set of capacitors arranged to form a switching configuration such that at least some of the switches operate in a manner to form an electrical connection of at least some of the capacitors to respective alternate voltages in successive stages of operation of the voltage converter and the voltage converter to comprise a disconnect switch to have a drain-to-source (DS) voltage rating greater than a DS voltage rating of at least one switch in the set of switches, the IC comprising: a fault detector;
the fault detector capable to detect one or more fault events during operation of the voltage converter and the fault detector capable to generate one or more fault signals with respect to the one or more to be detected fault events;
the one or more fault signals to signal the disconnect switch to electrically disconnect or otherwise via a high impedance state to limit current flow through at least one switch of the set of switches.

2. The IC of claim 1 , wherein the respective alternate voltages comprise ground and an output voltage level.

3. The IC of claim 1 , wherein the successive stages of operation of the voltage converter to comprise two alternating clocked phases of operation of the voltage converter to be driven in a non-overlapping manner.

4. The IC of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fault events comprising at least one of the following to be detected by the fault detector at a terminal or at a node of the voltage converter: a voltage above an overvoltage threshold, a voltage below an undervoltage threshold and/or a current above an overcurrent threshold.

5. The IC of claim 4 , wherein the overvoltage threshold, the undervoltage threshold and/or the overcurrent threshold comprise programmable settings.

6. The IC of claim 4 , wherein the fault detector comprises a voltage comparator and/or a current comparator to detect at least one of the following: the voltage above the overvoltage threshold, the voltage below the undervoltage threshold and/or the current above the overcurrent threshold.

7. The IC of claim 6 , wherein the fault detector includes a logical fault indicator to generate the one or more fault signals based at least in part on one or more signals from the voltage comparator and/or the current comparator.

8. The IC of claim 7 , wherein the DS voltage ratings comprise DS voltage breakdown ratings.

9. An apparatus comprising:
a voltage converter and a fault detector;
the voltage converter to comprise at least a set of switches and a set of capacitors arranged to form a switching configuration such that at least some of the switches operate in a manner to form an electrical connection of at least some of the capacitors to respective alternate voltages in successive stages of operation of the voltage converter and the voltage converter to comprise a disconnect switch to have a drain-to-source (DS) voltage rating greater than a DS voltage rating of at least one switch in the set of switches;
the fault detector capable to detect one or more fault events during operation of the voltage converter and the fault detector capable to generate one or more fault signals with respect to the one or more to be detected fault events;
the one or more fault signals to signal the disconnect switch to electrically disconnect or otherwise via a high impedance state to limit current flow through at least one switch of the set of switches.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the DS voltage ratings comprise DS voltage breakdown ratings.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the respective alternate voltage levels comprise ground and an output voltage level and wherein the successive stages of operation of the voltage converter to comprise two alternating clocked phases of operation of the voltage converter to be driven in a non-overlapping manner.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the one or more fault events comprising at least one of the following to be detected by the fault detector at a terminal or at a node of the voltage converter: a voltage above an overvoltage threshold, a voltage below an undervoltage threshold and/or a current above an overcurrent threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the overvoltage threshold, the undervoltage level and/or the overcurrent threshold comprise programmable settings.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the fault detector comprises a voltage comparator and/or a current comparator to detect at least one of the following: the voltage above the overvoltage threshold, the voltage below the undervoltage threshold and/or the current above the overcurrent threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the fault detector includes a logical fault indicator to generate the one or more fault signals based at least in part on one or more signals from the voltage comparator and/or the current comparator.

Assignees

• Psemi Corp

Inventors

• Low Aichen
• Giuliano David M
• Szczeszynski Gregory
• Summit Jeff
• Blyde Oscar

Classifications

• H02H7/1213

  for DC-DC converters · CPC title

• H02H7/1206

  specially adapted to conversion cells composed of a plurality of parallel or serial connected elements · CPC title

• H02M1/32 Primary

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02M3/073

  Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type · CPC title

• H02M3/07 Primary

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title