A switched-capacitor power stage includes a first sub-power stage. The first sub-power stage includes a first inductor, a first high switch, a first low switch, and a first set of switched-capacitor networks. The first inductor is coupled to an input terminal. The first high switch is coupled between the first inductor and an output terminal. The first low switch is coupled between the first inductor and a first transition node. The first set of switched-capacitor networks is coupled between the first transition node and the output terminal.

A load driving device includes a synchronous rectifier circuit having a driving-side switching element and a reflux-side switching element; a driver control circuit controls the synchronous rectifier circuit; and a voltage monitor circuit that monitors whether the voltage of an output terminal of the synchronous rectifier circuit is within a predetermined voltage range; where the driver control circuit, upon receiving a diagnosis command, performs control so that when the driving-side switching element is switched from ON to OFF, the reflux-Side switching element is also switched to OFF; and the voltage monitor circuit detects a normal state when the voltage to be monitored is within a normal level during a period in which both the driving-side switching element and the reflux-side switching element are turned OFF.

A switching regulator clamping the power or ground of the power switch driver is introduced. In a buck regulator, the first power switch is coupled between the input terminal of the buck regulator and the first terminal of an inductor. The second terminal of the inductor is coupled to the output terminal of the buck regulator. The second power switch is coupled between the first terminal of the inductor and an internal ground of the buck regulator. There is a driver power clamp configured to clamp the power terminal of the driver of the second power switch when the first power switch is turned off. In a boost regulator, a driver power clamp is configured to clamp the ground terminal of the driver of the power switch that couples the input inductor to an output terminal of the boost regulator when another power switch is turned off.

In a voltage converter, a blocking transistor has a conduction path between a power terminal and a converter terminal. A body diode of the blocking transistor: conducts current from the power terminal to the converter terminal; and blocks current from the converter terminal to the power terminal. A first switching transistor has a conduction path between the converter terminal and a switching terminal. A second switching transistor has a conduction path between the switching terminal and a ground terminal. A first gate driver has an output coupled to a control terminal of the first switching transistor. A second gate driver has an output coupled to a control terminal of the second switching transistor. A driver circuit has an output coupled to a control terminal of the blocking transistor. A bootstrap terminal of the driver circuit is coupled to a bias input of the first gate driver.

A semiconductor device includes a transistor, a semiconductor layer, an active region and a conductive layer. The active region is in the semiconductor layer. The conductive layer is configured to maintain a channel in the active region when the transistor is triggered to be conducted.

A buck-boost converter includes a voltage input terminal, a voltage output terminal, a first switch, a second switch, an inductor, a third switch, and an auxiliary capacitor. The first switch includes a first terminal coupled to the voltage input terminal, and a second terminal. The second switch includes a first terminal coupled to the voltage output terminal, and a second terminal. The inductor is coupled between the second terminal of the first switch and the second terminal of the second switch. The third switch includes a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second switch, and a second terminal. The auxiliary capacitor is coupled to the second terminal of the third switch.

A power supply circuit that outputs an electric power input from a vibration-driven energy harvesting element to an external load includes a rectifying circuit that rectifies an alternating current power input from the vibration-driven energy harvesting element; a first capacitor that accumulates a power output from the rectifying circuit; a chopper circuit that has a switching element controlling a chopper timing and has an input terminal connected to the first capacitor; and a control signal generation unit that supplies a control signal to the switching element, wherein: the control signal generation unit generates the control signal without referring to a voltage of the first capacitor.

During a first mode of operation, a zero current detect (ZCD) signal is asserted in response to detecting a zero current condition at a switch node of a power converter. The power converter enters a light load mode of operation when the ZCD signal is asserted between a beginning point and a trigger point of a period of a PWM signal. A compensator voltage is generated based on a feedback voltage indicative of an output voltage. The compensator voltage is compared to a threshold voltage that represents a limit for the compensator voltage during the light load mode of operation determined over a range of the output voltage. The power converter exits the light load mode back to the first mode of operation in response to the compensator voltage being beyond the threshold voltage.

A power transistor is switched on and off with an on-time that is held constant and an off-time that is varied. When the off-time is detected to be less than a threshold value that is greater than a minimum off-time limit, the on-time is extended. Then the power transistor is switched on and off with the extended on-time that is held constant and the off-time that varies.

An apparatus includes a high-pass filter circuit configured to receive a drain-source voltage from a drain node of a synchronous rectifier switch at a secondary-side of a power converter and to generate a filtered drain-source voltage using the received drain-source voltage. A current comparison circuit of the apparatus is configured to receive a current indicative of a current through the synchronous rectifier switch and to generate a current comparison signal using the received current. An auto-tuning controller of the apparatus is configured to turn the synchronous rectifier switch on upon determining a body diode conduction of the synchronous rectifier switch, commence an auto-tuned delay upon determining that the current through the synchronous rectifier switch has changed direction, turn the synchronous rectifier switch off upon expiration of the auto-tuned delay, and update, during a detection window of time, a duration of the auto-tuned delay based on the filtered drain-source voltage.