US-12627230-B2 - Power converter and power controller

Abstract

A power controller includes a compensation circuit and a control circuit. The compensation circuit is coupled to a power output circuit of a power converter and configured to receive a ramp signal, a voltage feedback signal and a driving feedback signal to generate a control-compensation signal. The driving feedback signal is associated with a phase node voltage at a phase node in the power output circuit. The control circuit is configured to compare the voltage feedback signal with the control-compensation signal to generate a comparison signal. The control circuit is further configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to the power output circuit according to the comparison signal and a clock signal. The pulse width modulation signal has a duty cycle. The control circuit is further configured to set the duty cycle according to the comparison signal and reset the duty cycle according to the clock signal.

Inventors

• Yueh Lung KUO

Assignees

• POWERX SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240620

Priority Date

20231228

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A power controller, applied to a power converter, wherein the power converter comprises the power controller, a power output circuit and an energy storage circuit, the power output circuit is coupled between the power controller and the energy storage circuit and configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage, and the power controller comprises: a compensation circuit, coupled to the power output circuit and configured to receive a ramp signal, a voltage feedback signal and a driving feedback signal of the power output circuit to generate a control-compensation signal, wherein the voltage feedback signal is generated according to the output voltage, and the driving feedback signal is associated with a phase node voltage at a phase node in the power output circuit; and a control circuit, coupled between the compensation circuit and the power output circuit and configured to compare the voltage feedback signal with the control-compensation signal to generate a comparison signal, wherein the control circuit is further configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to the power output circuit according to the comparison signal and a clock signal, wherein the pulse width modulation signal has a duty cycle, and the control circuit is further configured to set the duty cycle according to the comparison signal and reset the duty cycle according to the clock signal.
2. 2 . The power controller of claim 1 , wherein the ramp signal has a fixed slope.
3. 3 . The power controller of claim 1 , wherein the compensation circuit further generates the control-compensation signal according to an error signal, and the error signal is generated according to the voltage feedback signal.
4. 4 . The power controller of claim 3 , wherein the compensation circuit comprises: an error detection circuit, configured to generate the error signal according to the voltage feedback signal and a voltage reference signal; and an operational circuit, coupled to the error detection circuit and configured to generate the control-compensation signal according to the error signal, the ramp signal and the driving feedback signal.
5. 5 . The power controller of claim 1 , wherein the power output circuit comprises a driving circuit, a high-side switch and a low-side switch, the energy storage circuit comprises an inductor, the high-side switch and the low-side switch are coupled to the control circuit, the phase node is coupled between the high-side switch and the low-side switch, one terminal of the inductor is coupled to the phase node, and the power output circuit is configured to alternately turn on the high-side switch and the low-side switch to output the output voltage at the other terminal of the inductor.
6. 6 . The power controller of claim 5 , further comprising: a feedback circuit, coupled between the phase node of the power output circuit and the compensation circuit and configured to generate a driving current signal according to the phase node voltage as the driving feedback signal.
7. 7 . The power controller of claim 6 , wherein the feedback circuit comprises: a comparison circuit, configured to generate a driving voltage signal according to the phase node voltage and a ground voltage; and a current source, coupled to the comparison circuit and configured to generate the driving current signal according to the driving voltage signal.
8. 8 . The power controller of claim 6 , wherein the feedback circuit comprises: a filter circuit, configured to generate a plurality of filter signals according to the phase node voltage; and a comparison circuit, coupled to the filter circuit and configured to generate a driving voltage signal according to the filter signals, wherein the driving voltage signal is provided to generate the driving feedback signal.
9. 9 . The power controller of claim 8 , wherein the filter circuit is a second-order filter and is configured to generate a first-order filter signal and a second-order filter signal according to the phase node voltage, and the comparison circuit is configured to compare the first-order filter signal with the second-order filter signal to generate the driving voltage signal.
10. 10 . The power controller of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit comprises: a signal comparator, having a first input terminal and a second input terminal, wherein the first input terminal is configured to receive the control-compensation signal, and the second input terminal is configured to receive the voltage feedback signal to generate the comparison signal; and a signal register, coupled to the signal comparator and the power output circuit and configured to receive the comparison signal to output the pulse width modulation signal.
11. 11 . A power converter, comprising: a power output circuit, comprising a high-side switch, a low-side switch and a driving circuit, and configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage; an energy storage circuit, coupled to the power output circuit and configured to receive the output voltage; a compensation circuit, coupled to the power output circuit and configured to receive a ramp signal, a voltage feedback signal and a driving feedback signal of the power output circuit to generate a control-compensation signal, wherein the voltage feedback signal is generated according to the output voltage, and the driving feedback signal is associated with a phase node voltage at a phase node in the power output circuit; and a control circuit, coupled between the compensation circuit and the power output circuit and configured to compare the voltage feedback signal with the control-compensation signal to generate a comparison signal, wherein the control circuit is further configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to the power output circuit according to the comparison signal and a clock signal, wherein the pulse width modulation signal has a duty cycle, and the control circuit is further configured to set the duty cycle according to the comparison signal and reset the duty cycle according to the clock signal.
12. 12 . The power converter of claim 11 , wherein the ramp signal has a fixed slope.
13. 13 . The power converter of claim 11 , wherein the compensation circuit further generates the control-compensation signal according to an error signal, and the error signal is generated according to the voltage feedback signal.
14. 14 . The power converter of claim 13 , wherein the compensation circuit comprises: an error detection circuit, configured to generate the error signal according to the voltage feedback signal and a voltage reference signal; and an operational circuit, coupled to the error detection circuit and configured to generate the control-compensation signal according to the error signal, the ramp signal and the driving feedback signal.
15. 15 . The power converter of claim 11 , wherein the energy storage circuit comprises an inductor, the high-side switch and the low-side switch are coupled to the control circuit, the phase node is coupled between the high-side switch and the low-side switch, one terminal of the inductor is coupled to the phase node, and the power output circuit is configured to alternately turn on the high-side switch and the low-side switch to output the output voltage at the other terminal of the inductor.
16. 16 . The power converter of claim 15 , further comprising: a feedback circuit, coupled between the phase node of the power output circuit and the compensation circuit and configured to generate a driving current signal according to the phase node voltage, as the driving feedback signal.
17. 17 . The power converter of claim 16 , wherein the feedback circuit comprises: a comparison circuit, configured to generate a driving voltage signal according to the phase node voltage and a ground voltage; and a current source, coupled to the comparison circuit and configured to generate the driving current signal according to the driving voltage signal.
18. 18 . The power converter of claim 16 , wherein the feedback circuit comprises: a filter circuit, configured to generate a plurality of filter signals according to the phase node voltage; and a comparison circuit, coupled to the filter circuit and configured to generate a driving voltage signal according to the filter signals, wherein the driving voltage signal is provided to generate the driving feedback signal.
19. 19 . The power converter of claim 18 , wherein the filter circuit is a second-order filter and is configured to generate a first-order filter signal and a second-order filter signal according to the phase node voltage, and the comparison circuit is configured to compare the first-order filter signal with the second-order filter signal to generate the driving voltage signal.
20. 20 . The power converter of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit comprises: a signal comparator, having a first input terminal and a second input terminal, wherein the first input terminal is configured to receive the control-compensation signal, and the second input terminal is configured to receive the voltage feedback signal to generate the comparison signal; and a signal register, coupled to the signal comparator and the power output circuit and configured to receive the comparison signal to output the pulse width modulation signal.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 112151456, filed Dec. 28, 2023, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND Technical Field The present disclosure relates to power control, in particular a power converter and a power controller. Description of Related Art A DC-to-DC converter is an electromechanical device for conversion of electric energy, and is configured to convert the voltage of a DC power supply. DC-to-DC converters are extensively applied to low-power devices (e.g., batteries) or high-power devices (e.g., industrial machines). Since the electric power required by the loads of the DC-to-DC converter may vary anytime according to different operation states, it is imperative to ensure the power supply stability of the DC-to-DC converter. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to a power controller applied to a power converter. The power converter comprises a power controller, a power output circuit and an energy storage circuit. The power output circuit is coupled between the power controller and the energy storage circuit and configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The power controller comprises a compensation circuit and a control circuit. The compensation circuit is coupled to the power output circuit and configured to receive a ramp signal, a voltage feedback signal and a driving feedback signal of the power output circuit to generate a control-compensation signal. The voltage feedback signal is generated according to the output voltage, and the driving feedback signal is associated with a phase node voltage at a phase node in the power output circuit. The control circuit is coupled between the compensation circuit and the power output circuit and configured to compare the voltage feedback signal with the control-compensation signal to generate a comparison signal. The control circuit is further configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to a driving circuit according to the comparison signal and a clock signal. The pulse width modulation signal has a duty cycle, and the control circuit is further configured to set the duty cycle according to the comparison signal and reset the duty cycle according to the clock signal. The present disclosure also relates to a power converter, including a power output circuit, an energy storage circuit, a compensation circuit and a control circuit. The power output circuit comprises a high-side switch, a low-side switch and a driving circuit, and is configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The energy storage circuit is coupled to the power output circuit and configured to receive the output voltage. The compensation circuit is coupled to the power output circuit and configured to receive a ramp signal, a voltage feedback signal and a driving feedback signal of the power output circuit to generate a control-compensation signal. The voltage feedback signal is generated according to the output voltage, and the driving feedback signal is associated with a phase node voltage at a phase node in the power output circuit. The control circuit is coupled between the compensation circuit and the power output circuit and configured to compare the voltage feedback signal with the control-compensation signal to generate a comparison signal. The control circuit is further configured to output a pulse width modulation signal to a driving circuit according to the comparison signal and a clock signal. The pulse width modulation signal has a duty cycle, and the control circuit is further configured to set the duty cycle according to the comparison signal and reset the duty cycle according to the clock signal. Therefore, by taking the “driving feedback signal associated with the phase node voltage” as the control-compensation signal and generating the control-compensation signal by means of negative feedback, the power converter will be able to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal according to the load conditions, thereby improving the power supply stability. Meanwhile, the application bandwidth and transient response of the power converter can also be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows: FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a power converter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a feedback circuit and a compensation circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a power converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a power converter according to another embodiment of th