During diode emulation mode, a controller controls a magnitude of current supplied by an inductor of a power converter to produce an output voltage that powers a dynamic load. In response to detecting that a magnitude of the current crosses a threshold level, the controller: i) deactivates a first switch such as a low-side switch of the power converter, and ii) starts a timer. The controller monitors a magnitude of the output voltage following deactivation of the first switch. Via the timer, the controller measures a time duration between a time of starting the timer and a trigger event of the output voltage falling below a setpoint reference voltage. In response to the output voltage falling below the setpoint reference, the controller i) selects a setting of a pulse width as a function of the time duration, and ii) activates a second switch, such as a high-side switch of the power converter, for the selected pulse width.

The present disclosure provides a technique for sensing a peak through current sensing in a buck-boost DC/DC converter and estimating a turn-off time of a switch using the peak to perform a discontinuous current mode (DCM) operation.

A buck voltage converter is disclosed. The buck voltage generator includes a controller configured to generate one or more pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, and a plurality of serially connected switches configured to receive the PWM signals and to generate an output voltage signal at an output terminal based on the received PWM signals. The output voltage signal has an average voltage corresponding with a duty cycle of the PWM signals, a first switch of the plurality of serially connected switches has a first breakdown voltage and a second switch of the plurality of serially connected switches has a second breakdown voltage, and the first breakdown voltage is less than the second breakdown voltage.

A semiconductor rectifying device and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor rectifying device includes: a substrate of a first conductivity type (100), an epitaxial layer of a first conductivity type (200) formed on the substrate of the first conductivity type (100), wherein the epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type (200) defines a plurality of trenches (310) thereon; a filling structure (300) comprising an insulating material formed on the inner surface of the trench (310) and a conductive material filled in the trench (310); a doped region of a second conductivity type (400) formed in the surface of the epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type (200) located between the filling structures (300); an upper electrode (600) formed on a surface of the epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type (200); a guard ring (700) formed in the surface layer of the epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type (200); and a guard layer (800).

An apparatus includes a current emulator and a controller. The emulator receives a reference output current value representing a measured average amount of output current delivered by the voltage converter to the load for a first portion of a power delivery cycle during which high side switch circuitry and low side switch circuitry in the voltage converter are activated at different times to produce the output current. The power delivery cycle includes a second portion during which the high side switch circuitry and the low side switch circuitry of the voltage converter are deactivated. Via trial and error, the emulator derives an average output current value delivered to the load for the power delivery cycle based on the reference output current value and repeated adjustments to the estimation of the average output current. The controller controls operation of the voltage converter based on the derived average output current value.

Provided is an electronic device which can easily measure a standby current of an internal circuit of an electronic device after burn-in. The electronic device includes: a power source terminal; a regulator that generates a predetermined voltage from a voltage of the power source terminal; an internal circuit that is operated by an output voltage of the regulator; and a standby terminal through which the regulator and the internal circuit are set to a low power consumption state.

A controller controls a bi-directional converter which includes: a first input/output terminal and a second input/output terminal for receiving and outputting a voltage stepped up by a step-up operation and a voltage stepped down by a step-down operation; a first switching element; a second switching element; and an inductor. The controller includes: a first driver which controls the first switching element via a first resistance circuit; a second driver which controls the second switching element via a second resistance circuit; and an operation mode setter which selects one of the step-up operation and the step-down operation, wherein at least one of the first resistance circuit and the second resistance circuit is a variable resistance circuit which has a resistance value that varies for the step-up operation and the step-down operation, in accordance with selection made by the operation mode setter.

A resonant or semi-resonant voltage converter includes a synchronous rectification (SR) switch through which a current having a half-cycle sinusoidal-like shape is conducted when the SR switch is active. The current through the SR switch is modelled, and estimates of the SR switch current are generated by a digital estimator based on the model. The SR switch current estimates are updated at a fairly fast rate, as may be needed by a controller of the voltage converter. Analog converters are run at a slower rate, and generate error signals that are fed back into the digital estimator in order to improve future SR switch current estimates. Because the analog converters run at a fairly slow rate, power usage is minimal. However, the SR switch current estimates are updated at a rate that is fast enough to provide adequate control for the voltage converter.

A pulse modulator generates a pulse signal, such that an output signal of a DC/DC converter approaches a target value. When a detection value of a coil current of the DC/DC converter crosses a threshold for zero crossing, a reverse flow detection circuit asserts a reverse flow detection signal and turns off a synchronous rectification transistor of the DC/DC converter. An optimizer controls an operation parameter of the reverse flow detection circuit, on the basis of a cycle of the pulse signal.

A direct charging method is provided that alerts a mobile device when a switching power converter is operating in a constant-current mode to alert the mobile device of an output current without the use of a secondary-side current sense resistor.