Integrated circuit with configurable control and power switches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190926-A1
Application number	US-201514976539-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed examples include integrated circuits configurable according to sensed circuit conditions to provide configurable power converter topologies with externally connected circuitry to implement buck, boost, buck-boost, low dropout and/or hot-swap power converters. The ICs include one or more sets of series connected high and low side transistors connected with corresponding IC pads to allow connection to external circuitry to form a particular power converter configuration. The IC includes a control circuit and a configuration circuit to sense a circuit condition of the IC and to configure the control circuit to provide switching control signals to the transistors to implement one of a plurality of power converter topologies.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1 . An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
a switch circuit, including:
a first transistor with a first terminal connected to a first pad of the IC, a second terminal connected to a second pad of the IC, and a control terminal to receive a first switch control signal, and
a second transistor with a first terminal connected to the second pad, a second terminal connected to a third pad of the IC, and a control terminal to receive a second switch control signal;
a control circuit configurable according to a mode control signal to operate in one of a plurality of modes to provide the first and second switch control signals to implement a power converter using an external circuit connected to at least one of the first, second, and third pads; and a configuration circuit to sense a circuit condition of the IC, and to provide the mode control signal to configure the control circuit according to the sensed circuit condition.

2 . The IC of claim 1 ,
wherein the configuration circuit includes a logic circuit to selectively provide the mode control signal to set the control circuit in a test mode while the configuration circuit senses the circuit condition of the IC; and wherein the logic circuit is operative according to the sensed circuit condition to provide the mode control signal to selectively set the control circuit in either a first control mode to configure the control circuit to implement a low dropout or hot-swap power converter to provide the first switch control signal in a generally continuous fashion, or a second control mode to configure the control circuit to implement a switching power converter to provide the first switch control signal using pulse width modulation.

3 . The IC of claim 2 , wherein the logic circuit is operative according to the sensed circuit condition to:
set the control circuit in the first control mode to implement a low dropout power converter to provide the first switch control signal in a generally continuous fashion according to a feedback signal and a reference signal, or set the control circuit in a third control mode to implement a hot-swap power converter to provide the first switch control signal in a generally continuous fashion according to a sensed current signal.

4 . The IC of claim 2 , comprising a comparator circuit, including a first input to sense an output voltage of the power converter, a second input to sense an input voltage of the power converter, and an output to provide a comparator signal to the logic circuit;
wherein the logic circuit is operative according to the comparator signal to selectively set the control circuit in the second control mode to configure the control circuit to provide the first switch control signal and the second switch control signal using pulse width modulation to implement a buck converter or a boost converter.

5 . The IC of claim 4 , wherein the logic circuit is operative, when the comparator signal indicates that the output voltage of the power converter is less than the input voltage, to set the control circuit in the second control mode to provide the first switch control signal as a high side control signal, and to provide the second switch control signal as a low side control signal to implement a buck converter.

6 . The IC of claim 4 , wherein the logic circuit is operative, when the comparator signal indicates that the output voltage of the power converter is greater than the input voltage, to set the control circuit in the second control mode to provide the first switch control signal as a low side control signal, and to provide the second switch control signal as a high side control signal to implement a boost converter.

7 . The IC of claim 1 , comprising:
a second switch circuit, including:
a third transistor with a first terminal connected to a fourth pad of the IC, a second terminal connected to a fifth pad of the IC, and a control terminal to receive a third switch control signal, and
a fourth transistor with a first terminal connected to the fifth pad, a second terminal connected to a sixth pad of the IC, and a control terminal to receive a fourth switch control signal; and
wherein the control circuit is configurable according to the mode control signal to operate in one of the plurality of modes to provide the third and fourth switch control signals to implement at least one power converter using a second external circuit connected to at least one of the fourth, fifth, and sixth pads.

8 . The IC of claim 7 ,
wherein the configuration circuit includes a logic circuit to selectively provide the mode control signal to set the control circuit in a test mode while the configuration circuit senses the circuit condition of the IC; and wherein the logic circuit is operative according to the sensed circuit condition to provide the mode control signal to selectively set the control circuit in either a first control mode to configure the control circuit to implement at least one low dropout or hot-swap power converter to provide at least one of the switch control signals in a generally continuous fashion, or a second control mode to configure the control circuit to implement at least one switching power converter to provide the at least one of the switch control signals using pulse width modulation.

9 . The IC of claim 8 , wherein the logic circuit is operative according to the sensed circuit condition to:
set the control circuit in the first control mode to implement a low dropout power converter to provide the at least one of the switch control signals in a generally continuous fashion according to a feedback signal and a reference signal, or set the control circuit in a third control mode to implement a hot-swap power converter to provide the at least one of the switch control signals in a generally continuous fashion according to a sensed current signal.

10 . The IC of claim 8 , comprising a comparator circuit, including a first input to sense an output voltage of the power converter, a second input to sense an input voltage of the power converter, and an output to provide a comparator signal to the logic circuit;
wherein the logic circuit is operative according to the comparator signal to selectively set the control circuit in the second control mode to configure the control circuit to provide the at least one of the switch control signals using pulse width modulation to implement a buck converter or a boost converter.

11 . The IC of claim 10 , wherein the logic circuit is operative, when the comparator signal indicates that the output voltage of the power converter is less than the input voltage, to set the control circuit in the second control mode to provide at least one of the first and third switch control signals as a high side control signal, and to provide at least one of the second and fourth switch control signals as a low side control signal to implement a buck converter.

12 . The IC of claim 10 , wherein the logic circuit is operative, when the comparator signal indicates that the output voltage of the power converter is greater than the input voltage, to set the control circuit in the second control mode to provide at least one of the first and third switch control signals as a low side control signal, and to provide at least one of the second and fourth switch control signals as a high side control signal to implement a boost converter.

13 . The IC of claim 7 ,
wherein the logic circuit is operative according to the sensed circuit condition to provide at least one of the first and second switch control signals using pulse width modulation to implement one of a first buck converter and

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Ni Chuan
• Pauletti Timothy P

Classifications

• G05F1/56

  using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices (G05F1/461 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

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

• H02M1/0025

  Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter · CPC title