DC-to-DC converters capable of communicating information between a slave circuit and a master controller, and associated devices and methods
Granted: July 5, 2016
Patent Number:
9385608
A slave circuit for a DC-to-DC converter includes a switching circuit adapted to repeatedly switch a switching node between two different voltage levels, a slave control adapted to control switching of the switching circuit based at least in part on control signals from a master controller, a communication port, and a communication module. The communication module is adapted to (a) generate an analog slave communication signal at the communication port, where the analog slave…
Systems and methods for DC-to-DC converter control
Granted: June 21, 2016
Patent Number:
9374003
A regulated, power supply system is described using multiphase DC-DC converters with dynamic fast-turnon, slow-turnoff phase shedding, early phase turn-on, and both load-voltage and drive-transistor feedback to pulsewidth modulators to provide fast response to load transients. In an embodiment, a system master can automatically determine whether all, or only some, slave phase units are fully populated. The programmable system includes fault detection with current and voltage sensing,…
Coupled inductor arrays and associated methods
Granted: June 21, 2016
Patent Number:
9373438
A coupled inductor array has length, width, and height. The coupled inductor array includes a monolithic magnetic core formed of a magnetic material having a distributed gap, and a plurality of windings embedded in the monolithic magnetic core. Each winding forms a respective winding loop of one or more turns around a respective winding axis, and each winding axis extends in the height direction. Areas of the monolithic magnetic core enclosed by the winding loops are greater than areas…
Testing of LDMOS device
Granted: June 7, 2016
Patent Number:
9362388
A method for testing an LDMOS transistor by measuring leakage current between the source and drain in the presence of a bias voltage. The leakage current is indicative of defects in the structure of the transistor.
Multi-row coupled inductors and associated systems and methods
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9336941
A multi-row coupled inductor has length, width, and height and includes a magnetic core including (1) opposing first and second plates separated from each other in the height direction, and (2) one or more pairs of coupling teeth. Each of the one or more pairs is separated from each other in the widthwise direction, and each of the one or more pairs includes a first coupling tooth and a second coupling tooth separated from and opposing each other in the lengthwise direction. The…
System, method, module, and energy exchanger for optimizing output of series-connected photovoltaic and electrochemical devices
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9331499
An energy transfer device for solar power systems operates to draw power from high-producing photovoltaic devices and apply that power across low-producing photovoltaic devices. An embodiment is a self-regulating energy exchanger using bidirectional DC-DC converters that operates to maintain uniform voltage across each series-connected photovoltaic device. An alternative embodiment is an energy exchanger that is controlled to maintain each of several series-connected photovoltaic devices…
Switching circuits for extracting power from an electric power source and associated methods
Granted: April 12, 2016
Patent Number:
9312769
An electric power system includes N electric power sources and N switching circuits, where N is an integer greater than one. Each switching circuit includes an input port electrically coupled to a respective one of the N electric power sources, an output port, and a first switching device adapted to switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to transfer power from the input port to the output port. The output ports of the N switching circuits are electrically coupled in…
LDMOS with no reverse recovery
Granted: March 22, 2016
Patent Number:
9293577
A transistor includes a source region including a first impurity region implanted into a substrate, a drain region including a second impurity region implanted into the substrate, and a gate including an oxide layer formed over the substrate and a conductive material formed over the oxide layer, the oxide layer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side formed over a portion of the first impurity region and the second side formed over a portion of the second impurity…
Coupled inductors with non-uniform winding terminal distributions
Granted: March 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9287038
A coupled inductor includes a ladder magnetic core including two opposing rails extending in a lengthwise direction and joined by a plurality of rungs. The coupled inductor further includes a respective winding wound around each of the plurality of rungs. The plurality of rungs are divided into at least two groups of rungs, and a lengthwise separation distance between adjacent rungs in each group of rungs is less than a lengthwise separation distance between adjacent rungs of different…
Voltage regulator control using information from a load
Granted: March 8, 2016
Patent Number:
9281747
Disclosed are devices, apparatus, circuitry, components, mechanisms, modules, systems, and processes for controlling a voltage regulator in response to information from a load. In some implementations, transient minimizer circuitry is coupled to receive a notification signal indicating a change or an anticipated change in an electrical characteristic of the load. The transient minimizer circuitry is configured to generate a state command signal responsive to the notification signal. The…
Bridge magnetic devices and associated systems and methods
Granted: March 8, 2016
Patent Number:
9281739
An electrical assembly includes a substrate, a bridge magnetic device disposed on an outer surface of the substrate, and at least one electrical component. The bridge magnetic device includes (1) a magnetic core disposed over and offset from a first portion of the outer surface of the substrate, (2) N windings wound around at least a portion of the magnetic core and electrically coupled to conductors of the substrate, where N is an integer greater than zero, and (3) a ground return…
Multi-turn inductors
Granted: March 8, 2016
Patent Number:
9281115
A multi-winding inductor includes a first foil winding and a second foil winding. One end of the first foil winding extends from a first side of the core and wraps under the core to form a solder tab under the core. One end of the second foil winding extends from a second side of the core and wraps under the core to form another solder tab under the core. Respective portions of each solder tab are laterally adjacent under the magnetic core. A coupled inductor includes a magnetic core…
DC-to-DC converter controllers including clamping or boosting subsystems, and associated methods
Granted: March 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9276471
A DC-to-DC converter includes one or more switching circuits, a respective energy storage inductor electrically coupled to each of the one or more switching circuits, and a controller. The controller includes a current deficit signal generator, an integration subsystem, one or more modulators, and a clamping subsystem. The current deficit signal generator is adapted to generate a current deficit signal. The integration subsystem is adapted to integrate the current deficit signal to…
Pin inductors and associated systems and methods
Granted: February 16, 2016
Patent Number:
9263177
A magnetic device includes a magnetic core and N windings wound at least partially around respective portions of the magnetic core. Each of the N windings has opposing first and second ends. Each first end forms a first connector, and each second end forms a second connector. Each first connector is adapted for coupling to a first substrate in a first plane, and each second connector is adapted for coupling to a second substrate in a second plane, where the second plane is different from…
DC-to-DC converter controllers including oscillation prevention subsystems, and associated systems and methods
Granted: February 2, 2016
Patent Number:
9250640
A controller for a DC-to-DC converter includes a control signal generator and an oscillation prevention subsystem. The control signal generator is adapted to control one or more switching circuits of the DC-to-DC converter such that the DC-to-DC converter transfers power from an input power source to a load. The oscillation prevention subsystem is adapted to shift a switching frequency of the DC-to-DC converter away from a frequency of an alternating current component of a load current…
Method of fabricating power transistor with protected channel
Granted: December 29, 2015
Patent Number:
9224603
A transistor includes a substrate, a well formed in the substrate, a drain including a first impurity region implanted in the well, a source including a second impurity region implanted in the well and spaced apart from the first impurity region, a channel for current flow from the drain to the source, and a gate to control a depletion region between the source and the drain. The channel has an intrinsic breakdown voltage, and the well, drain and source are configured to provide an…
Feedback for controlling the switching frequency of a voltage regulator
Granted: December 1, 2015
Patent Number:
9203301
Disclosed are devices, apparatus, circuitry, components, mechanisms, modules, units, systems, and processes for controlling the switching frequency of a voltage regulator. Frequency monitoring and adjustment circuitry is coupled to sense a switching frequency of a power switch coupled to an output filter of the voltage regulator. The frequency monitoring and adjustment circuitry is configured to provide a frequency adjustment signal based on the sensed switching frequency. Power switch…
Virtual output voltage sensing for feed-forward control of a voltage regulator
Granted: November 24, 2015
Patent Number:
9195246
Disclosed are devices, apparatus, circuitry, components, mechanisms, modules, systems, and methods for virtual output voltage sensing for feed-forward control of a voltage regulator. A buffer has an input coupled to sense a monitored signal indicating a duty cycle of switch circuitry coupled to an output filter of the voltage regulator. The buffer is configured to provide at an output, responsive to the monitored signal, a buffer output signal having a high reference voltage for a high…
Voltage regulators with load-dependent bias
Granted: November 3, 2015
Patent Number:
9178408
This document describes systems and techniques related to voltage regulators. The subject matter of this document can be embodied in a method that includes measuring an output current of a switching regulator. The switching regulator includes a high-side transistor and a low side-transistor wherein the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor are driven using a first gate voltage and a second, different gate voltage, respectively. The method also includes adjusting a…
Vertical gate LDMOS device
Granted: October 13, 2015
Patent Number:
9159804
Described here are transistors and fabrication methods thereof. In one implementation, a transistor includes an n-well region implanted into a surface of a substrate, and a trench in the n-well region. The trench extends from the surface to a first depth. The trench includes a gate of conductive material in the trench, and dielectric material filling a volume of the trench not filled by the conductive material. The transistor also includes a p-type material in a first region extending…
