US 11,837,956 B2
Short detection for inductive switching converters
Hasnain Akram, Austin, TX (US); Graeme G. Mackay, Austin, TX (US); Lingli Zhang, Austin, TX (US); Ruoxin Jiang, Austin, TX (US); Sakkarapani Balagopal, Austin, TX (US); and Theodore M. Burk, Cedar Park, TX (US)
Assigned to Cirrus Logic Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd., Edinburgh (GB)
Filed on Sep. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/478,433.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/139,562, filed on Jan. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0231603 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. H02M 1/32 (2007.01); H02M 3/158 (2006.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 3/158 (2013.01) [H02M 1/0009 (2021.05); H02M 1/32 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining if an inductor coupled to a switching network has been electrically shorted, comprising:
applying a voltage across the inductor for a predetermined period of time;
controlling an impedance of a switch in an electrical path of a voltage source generating the voltage and the inductor while the switch is activated in order to limit an inductor current through the inductor during the predetermined period of time;
sensing the inductor current;
comparing the inductor current with a predetermined current threshold; and
determining whether the inductor has been electrically shorted based on the inductor current, the predetermined current threshold, and the predetermined period of time.