In a power supply device, a voltage controller includes: a reference voltage circuit that generates a reference voltage based on an input voltage; a voltage control circuit that generates ate output voltage of the voltage controller based on the input voltage by controlling an output current of the voltage controller so that the output voltage of the voltage controller corresponds to the reference voltage; and a first current detector circuit that detects the output current of the voltage controller, and generates a first current detection signal corresponding to the output current thereof. A current controller includes: a second current detector circuit that detects an output current of the current controller, and generates a second current detection signal corresponding to the output current thereof; and a current control circuit controls the output current of the current controller so that the second current detection signal corresponds to the first current detection signal.

A DLDO has a configuration that mitigates performance degradation associated with limit cycle oscillation (LCO). The DLDO comprises a clocked comparator, an array of power transistors, a digital controller and a clock pulsewidth reduction circuit. The digital controller comprises control logic configured to generate control signals that cause the power transistors to be turned ON or OFF in accordance with a preselected activation/deactivation control scheme. The clock pulsewidth reduction circuit receives an input clock signal having a first pulsewidth and generates the DLDO clock signal having the preselected pulsewidth that is narrower that the first pulsewidth, which is then delivered to the clock terminals of the clocked comparator and the digital controller. The narrower pulsewidth of the DLDO clock reduces the LCO mode to mitigate performance degradation caused by LCO.

A circuit for stealing power from an external system without interfering with a communication protocol may include wiring connectors configured to receive wires from the external system; a first voltage regulator to regulate a voltage on the plurality of wiring connectors at a plurality of voltage levels to encode a first multi-bit binary message according to the communication protocol to be sent to the external system; a current monitor to measure a plurality of current levels received through the plurality of wiring connectors and decode the plurality of current levels to determine a second multi-bit binary message sent from the external system according to the communication protocol; and a power converter that adjusts an amount of power stolen from the plurality of wiring connectors based at least in part on the voltage on the plurality of wiring connectors.

A DLDO has a configuration that mitigates performance degradation associated with limit cycle oscillation (LCO). The DLDO comprises a clocked comparator, an array of power transistors, a digital controller and a clock pulsewidth reduction circuit. The digital controller comprises control logic configured to generate control signals that cause the power transistors to be turned ON or OFF in accordance with a preselected activation/deactivation control scheme. The clock pulsewidth reduction circuit receives an input clock signal having a first pulsewidth and generates the DLDO clock signal having the preselected pulsewidth that is narrower that the first pulsewidth, which is then delivered to the clock terminals of the clocked comparator and the digital controller. The narrower pulsewidth of the DLDO clock reduces the LCO mode to mitigate performance degradation caused by LCO.

A circuit for stealing power from an external system without interfering with a communication protocol includes a plurality of wiring connectors configured to receive a plurality of wires, where the plurality of wiring connectors receive a plurality of current levels set by the external system according to the communication protocol; a first voltage regulator to regulate a voltage on the plurality of wiring connectors at a plurality of voltage levels according to the communication protocol; a current monitor to measure the plurality of current levels received through the plurality of wiring connectors; a second voltage regulator that provides a current-limiting output; and a power converter that optimizes an amount of power stolen from the plurality of wiring connectors based on the current-limiting output.

In a power supply device, a voltage controller includes: a reference voltage circuit that generates a reference voltage based on an input voltage; a voltage control circuit that generates an output voltage of the voltage controller based on the input voltage by controlling an output current of the voltage controller so that the output voltage of the voltage controller corresponds to the reference voltage; and a first current detector circuit that detects the output current of the voltage controller, and generates a first current detection signal corresponding to the output current thereof. A current controller includes: a second current detector circuit that detects an output current of the current controller, and generates a second current detection signal corresponding to the output current thereof; and a current control circuit controls the output current of the current controller so that the second current detection signal corresponds to the first current detection signal.

In a power supply device, a voltage controller includes: a reference voltage circuit that generates a reference voltage based on an input voltage; a voltage control circuit that generates an output voltage of the voltage controller based on the input voltage by controlling an output current of the voltage controller so that the output voltage of the voltage controller corresponds to the reference voltage; and a first current detector circuit that detects the output current of the voltage controller, and generates a first current detection signal corresponding to the output current thereof. A current controller includes: a second current detector circuit that detects an output current of the current controller, and generates a second current detection signal corresponding to the output current thereof; and a current control circuit controls the output current of the current controller so that the second current detection signal corresponds to the first current detection signal.

A low-dropout regulator (LDO) capable of providing high power-supply rejection ratio (PSRR) and good reverse isolation. The LDO may include a core circuitry and a reverse isolation circuitry. The core circuitry may include a PSRR circuitry coupled to an output node and configured to provide high PSRR at the output node. The reverse isolation circuitry may be configured to provide good reverse isolation at the output node by, for example, providing current in response to ripples at the output node. The reverse isolation circuitry may be configured with bandwidth higher than that of the core circuitry such that it can provide fast transient response. The reverse isolation circuitry may be configurable and/or reconfigurable for a desirable reverse isolation performance. The reverse isolation circuitry may be configurable and/or reconfigurable to trade off between power consumed by the reverse isolation circuitry and a leakage current flowing through the core circuitry.

A power supply comprises an output stage configured to provide a supply current, in order to obtain a supply voltage. The power supply also comprises a digital regulator configured to receive a reference voltage information and a measured voltage information and to provide a control signal. The power supply further comprises an inner analog control loop, wherein the inner analog control loop is configured to provide an analog feedback signal, which is based on the supply voltage, to the output stage, to make an analog regulation contribution to a regulation of the supply voltage. A method for supplying power to a load is also disclosed.

A voltage regulator apparatus includes operational amplifier, first resistor, second resistor, driving transistor, amplifier circuit, and output circuit. The operational amplifier has first input terminal coupled to reference voltage, second input terminal, and output terminal. The first resistor has first terminal coupled to second input terminal. The second resistor is coupled between first resistor and ground level. The driving transistor has control terminal coupled to output terminal of operational amplifier and first terminal coupled to second terminal of first resistor. The amplifier circuit is coupled to output terminal of operational amplifier and configured to sense output voltage of voltage regulator apparatus to amplify the sensed voltage with specific gain to regulate a transistor of output circuit. The transistor has control terminal controlled by amplifier circuit. The output voltage is generated at first terminal of the transistor.