Techniques for reducing switching noise and improving transient response in voltage regulators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016006350-A1
Application number	US-201414325310-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2014
Priority date	Jul 7, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to reducing switching noise and improving transient response in voltage regulators are described. In an embodiment, one or more pulses are inserted into an output waveform of a voltage regulator. The one or more pulses introduce multiple frequencies into the output waveform of the voltage regulator (e.g., to reduce acoustic noise). In another embodiment, the output voltage of a voltage regulator is modified in response to comparison of the output voltage with at least one of a plurality of threshold values. The plurality of threshold values includes an upper trigger point voltage value and a lower trigger point voltage value. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising:
logic, at least a portion of which is in hardware, to insert one or more pulses into an output waveform of a voltage regulator, wherein the one or more pulses are to introduce multiple frequencies into the output waveform of the voltage regulator.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is to randomly or pseudo-randomly vary a time period between successive insertion of the one or more pulses.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising logic to generate random bits, wherein the logic to insert the one or more pulses is to randomly or pseudo-randomly vary a time period between successive insertion of the one or more pulses based on the random bits.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the logic to generate the random bits is to comprise a linear feedback shift register.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first register to store a lower trigger point value and a second register to store an upper trigger point value, wherein the logic is to vary the duration of the one or more pulses based on values stored in the first register and the second register.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first register to store a lower trigger point value and a second register to store an upper trigger point value, wherein the upper and lower trigger point values are to be changed randomly within limits to reduce noise.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pulses are minimum duration pulses.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is to insert the one or more pulses in a spread spectrum.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the voltage regulator is to comprise one of: a buck voltage regulator, a boost voltage regulator, a buck-boost voltage regulator, or a Cuk voltage regulator.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of: the logic, a processor, and memory are on a single integrated circuit.

11 . An apparatus comprising:
logic, at least a portion of which is in hardware, to cause a modification to an output voltage of a voltage regulator in response to comparison of the output voltage with at least one of a plurality of threshold values, wherein the plurality of threshold values is to comprise an upper trigger point voltage value and a lower trigger point voltage value.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the logic is to cause maintenance of the modification to the output voltage of the voltage regulator for a duration based on the comparison of the output voltage and the at least one of the plurality of the threshold values.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the logic is to cause the modification to the output voltage of the voltage regulator by causing a change to a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 comprising logic to cause a discharge of a capacitor of the voltage regulator in response to a determination that the PWM signal has maintained a same value for a period of time.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , comprising logic to detect a change in the output voltage in response to transient changes to be caused by an electrical load coupled to the voltage regulator.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the voltage regulator is to comprise one of: a buck voltage regulator, a boost voltage regulator, a buck-boost voltage regulator, or a Cuk voltage regulator.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein one or more of: the logic, a processor, and memory are on a single integrated circuit.

18 . A computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on a processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations to:
insert one or more pulses into an output waveform of a voltage regulator, wherein the one or more pulses are to introduce multiple frequencies into the output waveform of the voltage regulator.

19 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed on the processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations to randomly or pseudo-randomly vary a time period between successive insertion of the one or more pulses.

20 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed on the processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations to generate random bits, wherein the processor is to randomly or pseudo-randomly vary a time period between successive insertion of the one or more pulses based on the random bits.

21 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the one or more pulses are minimum duration pulses.

22 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed on the processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations to insert the one or more pulses in a spread spectrum.

23 . A computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on a processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations to:
cause a modification to an output voltage of a voltage regulator in response to comparison of the output voltage with at least one of a plurality of threshold values, wherein the plurality of threshold values is to comprise an upper trigger point voltage value and a lower trigger point voltage value.

24 . The computer-readable medium of claim 23 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed on the processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations to cause maintenance of the modification to the output voltage of the voltage regulator for a duration based on the comparison of the output voltage and the at least one of the plurality of the threshold values.

25 . The computer-readable medium of claim 23 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed on the processor configure the processor to perform one or more operations to cause the modification to the output voltage of the voltage regulator by causing a change to a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Matthew George E
• Gullbrand Jessica
• Ravichandran Krishnan
• Beltman Willem M
• Sankaranarayanan Karthik
• Weng Sheldon
• Proefrock Wayne L
• Krishnamurthy Harish K
• Kumar Pavan

Classifications

• H02M3/1582

  Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• H02M3/005

  using Cuk converters · CPC title

• H02M1/44 Primary

  Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters · CPC title

• H02M3/1566

  with means for compensating against rapid load changes, e.g. with auxiliary current source, with dual mode control or with inductance variation · CPC title