US 12,341,421 B2
Power converter control module
Emanuele Moretti, Milan (IT); Ivan Floriani, Milan (IT); and Giulia Altamura, Cusago (IT)
Assigned to STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed by STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (IT)
Filed on Feb. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/171,946.
Claims priority of application No. 102022000004283 (IT), filed on Mar. 7, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0283168 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. H02M 1/32 (2007.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01); H02M 3/158 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 1/32 (2013.01) [H02M 1/0009 (2021.05); H02M 3/1582 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control module for a switching buck-boost converter comprising an input node configured to receive an input voltage, an output node configured to couple to a load, an inductor, a capacitor, a first top switch, a second top switch, a first bottom switch, and a second bottom switch, the first top switch and the first bottom switch being connected in series so as to form a first internal node, the second top switch and the second bottom switch being connected in series so as to form a second internal node, the inductor being coupled to the first and second internal nodes, the first and second top switches being coupled, respectively, to the input node and to the output node, the capacitor being coupled to the output node, the switching buck-boost converter further comprising a diode coupled to conduction terminals of the second top switch and configured to prevent discharging of the capacitor through the second internal node, when the second top switch is open, the control module comprising:
a controller configured to operate, when coupled to the switching buck-boost converter, in a low-power operating mode during which the controller causes the switching buck-boost converter to alternate between first time periods and second time periods, wherein
during the first time periods, the controller is configured to cause the second top switch to be open, and is configured to control the first top switch, the first bottom switch, and the second bottom switch to execute cycles of charge and discharge of the inductor, during which the inductor is traversed by a current, wherein the current traverses the diode during each discharge cycle of the inductor and charges the capacitor in a manner that causes a voltage on the output node to increase from a low threshold value to a high threshold value, and
during the second time periods, the controller is configured to cause the first top switch and the second top switch to be open, to cause the first bottom switch and the second bottom switch to be closed during which the current in the inductor recirculates through the first and second bottom switches and the capacitor is discharged by a current that flows in the load in a manner that causes the voltage on the output node to decrease from the high threshold value to the low threshold value;
an acquisition circuit configured to generate a digital signal indicative of durations of the second time periods; and
an overcurrent-detection circuit configured to receive the digital signal and comprising a first comparison circuit configured to compare the duration of each second time period with a first limit duration and to indicate an occurrence of an overcurrent when the duration of the second time period is shorter than the first limit duration.