Configurable and power-optimized integrated gate-driver for USB power-delivery and type-C SoCs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9727123-B1
Application number	US-201615200538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Techniques for power Field Effect Transistor (power-FET) gate drivers are described herein. In an example embodiment, a device comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) subsystem that is disposed in a monolithic integrated circuit (IC). The USB subsystem comprises a gate-driver circuit configured to selectively control an external N-channel power-FET or an external P-channel power-FET.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising a Universal Serial Bus (USB) subsystem, wherein the USB subsystem is disposed in a single integrated circuit (IC), and wherein the USB subsystem comprises a gate-driver circuit configured to selectively control an external N-channel power-Field Effect Transistor (power-FET) or an external P-channel power-FET.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the USB subsystem is a USB-Power Delivery (USB-PD) subsystem.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the USB subsystem is a USB Type-C subsystem.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gate-driver circuit is configured to control the external N-channel power-FET or the external P-channel power-FET based on control signals from the USB subsystem.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gate-driver circuit is configured to control the external N-channel power-FET on one or more outputs of the single IC, and wherein the gate-driver circuit is configured to control the external P-channel power-FET on the same one or more outputs of the single IC.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the USB subsystem is configured to determine whether the external N-channel power-FET or the external P-channel power-FET is coupled to the gate-driver circuit.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gate-driver circuit is configured to provide an output signal at a positive threshold voltage, at a zero voltage, and at a high impedance.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gate-driver circuit includes one output configured to control two power-FETs that are coupled on an external power path, wherein the two power-FETs include the external N-channel power-FET or the external P-channel power-FET.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gate-driver circuit includes two separate outputs configured to independently control two separate power-FETs that are coupled on an external power path, wherein the two separate power-FETs include the external N-channel power-FET or the external P-channel power-FET.

10. A method for a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-enabled device comprising an integrated circuit (IC) controller, the method comprising:
determining, by the IC controller, whether an external N-channel power-Field Effect Transistor (power-FET) or an external P-channel power-FET is coupled to the IC controller;
controlling the external N-channel power-FET by a gate-driver circuit of the IC controller, when the external N-channel power-FET is determined as being coupled to the IC controller; and
controlling the external P-channel power-FET by the gate-driver circuit of the IC controller, when the external P-channel power-FET is determined as being coupled to the IC controller.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the external N-channel power-FET or the external P-channel power-FET is coupled to the IC controller comprises receiving a signal on an input of the IC controller.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the external N-channel power-FET or the external P-channel power-FET is coupled to the IC controller comprises uploading a firmware setting in the IC controller.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the external N-channel power-FET or the external P-channel power-FET is coupled to the IC controller comprises performing voltage detection on one or more outputs of the gate-driver circuit.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining a voltage level for an output signal of the gate-driver circuit.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein controlling the external N-channel power-FET comprises:
outputting, by the gate-driver circuit, a positive threshold voltage to turn ON the external N-channel power-FET; and
outputting, by the gate-driver circuit, a zero voltage to turn OFF the external N-channel power-FET.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein controlling the external P-channel power-FET comprises:
outputting, by the gate-driver circuit, a zero voltage to turn ON the external P-channel power-FET; and
outputting, by the gate-driver circuit, a high impedance to turn OFF the external P-channel power-FET.

17. A Universal Serial Bus (USB)-enabled system, the system comprising:
a power path;
an integrated circuit (IC) controller coupled to control the power path, wherein the power path is external to the IC controller and the IC controller is configured at least to:
determine whether an N-channel power-Field Effect Transistor (power-FET) or a P-channel power-FET is coupled in the power path;
control the N-channel power-FET when the N-channel power-FET is determined as being coupled in the power path; and
control the P-channel power-FET when the P-channel power-FET is determined as being coupled in the power path.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the power path is one of a power-consumer path and a power-provider path.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the IC controller comprises a USB-Power Delivery (USB-PD) subsystem.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the IC controller comprises a USB Type-C subsystem.

Assignees

• Cypress Semiconductor Corp

Inventors

• Nayak Anup
• Venigalla Ramakrishna

Classifications

• G06F1/266 Primary

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• G06F2213/0042

  Universal serial bus [USB] · CPC title

• G06F13/385

  for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F13/4072

  Drivers or receivers (G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002) · CPC title

• G06F13/4282

  on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247) · CPC title