A voltage regulator is provided. The voltage regulator includes an output terminal, a transistor, a primary driving circuit, and a secondary driving circuit. The output terminal is adapted to output an output voltage. The primary driving circuit is coupled to a control terminal of the transistor. The secondary driving circuit is coupled between the control terminal of the transistor and a predetermined voltage terminal. When the voltage regulator operates in a start-up mode, the transistor is driven by the primary driving circuit and the secondary driving circuit, and the control terminal of the transistor and the predetermined voltage terminal are electrically coupled by the secondary driving circuit. When the voltage regulator operates in a normal mode, the transistor is driven by the primary driving circuit, and an electrical coupling between the control terminal of the transistor and the predetermined voltage terminal is disconnected by the secondary driving circuit.

A method and apparatuses for power regulation using an extended current limit are disclosed. The power regulator detects an occurrence of an output current of the regulator exceeding a first current limit, triggers an extended current limit timer based on the detected occurrence, regulates the output current according to a second current limit higher than the first current limit based on a duration of the extended current limit timer, and regulates the output current according to the first current limit based on an expiration of the duration of the extended current limit timer.

A power control device includes: an output voltage controller configured to control an output voltage based on a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage; and an overvoltage protector configured to continue or stop the operation of the output voltage controller based on a first detection result of whether the output voltage has exceeded an output voltage threshold value and a second detection result of whether the feedback voltage has fallen to or below a feedback voltage threshold value.

A power control device includes: an output voltage controller configured to control an output voltage based on a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage; and an overvoltage protector configured to continue or stop the operation of the output voltage controller based on a first detection result of whether the output voltage has exceeded an output voltage threshold value and a second detection result of whether the feedback voltage has fallen to or below a feedback voltage threshold value.

Methods, systems and apparatuses may provide for technology that includes a system on chip (SoC) having an integrated voltage regulator and a power management controller, and a first communication path coupled to the power management controller, wherein the first communication path is to carry power error information to the power management controller. The technology may also include a second communication path coupled to an error pin of the SoC, wherein the second communication path is to carry the power error information to the error pin, and wherein the power error information is associated with the integrated voltage regulator.

A method to bypass a voltage regulator of a system on a chip (SOC) comprising powering a first power domain using a voltage regulator; powering a second power domain using the voltage regulator; coupling a third power domain with an external voltage source; raising an external voltage supply from the external voltage source above a threshold level of the voltage regulator; coupling the first second power domains to the external voltage source; turning OFF the voltage regulator of the SOC after coupling the first power domain of the SOC and the second power domain of the SOC to the external voltage source; and powering the first power domain of the SOC, the second power domain of the SOC, and the third power domain of the SOC with the external voltage source, the external voltage source bypassing the voltage regulator.

A voltage regulator is provided. The voltage regulator includes an output terminal, a transistor, a primary driving circuit, and a secondary driving circuit. The output terminal is adapted to output an output voltage. The primary driving circuit is coupled to a control terminal of the transistor. The secondary driving circuit is coupled between the control terminal of the transistor and a predetermined voltage terminal. When the voltage regulator operates in a start-up mode, the transistor is driven by the primary driving circuit and the secondary driving circuit, and the control terminal of the transistor and the predetermined voltage terminal are electrically coupled by the secondary driving circuit. When the voltage regulator operates in a normal mode, the transistor is driven by the primary driving circuit, and an electrical coupling between the control terminal of the transistor and the predetermined voltage terminal is disconnected by the secondary driving circuit.

A power control device includes: an output voltage controller configured to control an output voltage based on a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage; and an overvoltage protector configured to continue or stop the operation of the output voltage controller based on a first detection result of whether the output voltage has exceeded an output voltage threshold value and a second detection result of whether the feedback voltage has fallen to or below a feedback voltage threshold value.

A system may include an integrated circuit comprising an on-chip power supply and an internal power rail, a gate-controlled supply switch configured to be coupled between the on-chip power supply and an external power supply such that the internal power rail is regulated by the on-chip power supply when the gate-controlled supply switch is open and the internal power rail is regulated by the external power supply when the gate-controlled supply switch is closed, and a control circuit configured to monitor conditions associated with the on-chip power supply when the gate-controlled supply switch is transitioning between switch states and based on the conditions, control a rate of charging or discharging of a capacitance coupled to a gate of the gate-controlled supply switch.

An adaptive gate driver for a driving a power MOSFET to switch is disclosed. The adaptive gate driver includes a load sense circuit to sense a current through the power MOSFET. A controller coupled to the load sense circuit compares the sensed current to a threshold to determine if the load on the power MOSFET is a normal load or a heavy load. Based on the comparison, the controller controls the gate driver to drive the power MOSFET with a first strength level when a normal load determined and at second strength level when a heavy load is determined. The driving strength in the heavy-load condition is lower than the normal-load condition and by lowering the driving strength of the gate driver during the heavy-load condition a voltage across the power MOSFET may be prevented from exceeding a threshold related to a breakdown condition during a switching period.