阅读说明：本技术 时钟产生电路和多相开关电路 (Clock generation circuit and multiphase switch circuit ) 是由 徐爱民 周逊伟 于 2020-05-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种时钟产生电路和多相开关电路,产生Mmax路时钟,包括Mmax个延时电路和延时锁定环,第k延时电路包括：第一端：接收第k时钟；第二端：根据第一端的第k时钟,产生第k+1时钟；第三端：接收所述延时锁定环的输出电压,调节时钟输出信号相对于时钟输入信号的延时；所述延时锁定环接收所述第一时钟到所述第M+1时钟,通过调节所述延时电路的时钟输出信号相对于时钟输入信号的延时,使得第M+1时钟和下一个第一时钟接近。(The invention discloses a clock generating circuit and a multiphase switch circuit, which generate Mmax path clock, comprising Mmax time delay circuits and a time delay locking ring, wherein the kth time delay circuit comprises: a first end: receiving a kth clock; a second end: generating a (k +1) th clock according to the (k) th clock at the first end; a third end: receiving the output voltage of the delay locked loop and adjusting the delay of a clock output signal relative to a clock input signal; the delay locked loop receives the first clock to the M +1 clock, and the M +1 clock is close to the next first clock by adjusting the delay of the clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to the clock input signal.)

1. A clock generation circuit, characterized by: generating an Mmax path clock, wherein the Mmax path clock comprises Mmax delay circuits and a delay locking loop, and the kth delay circuit comprises:

a first end: receiving a kth clock;

a second end: generating a (k +1) th clock according to the (k) th clock at the first end;

a third end: receiving the output voltage of the delay locked loop and adjusting the delay of a clock output signal relative to a clock input signal;

the delay locked loop receives the first clock to the M +1 clock, and the M +1 clock is close to the next first clock by adjusting the delay of the clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to the clock input signal;

wherein Mmax is a natural number not less than 2, M is a natural number not more than Mmax, and k is a natural number from 1 to M.

2. The clock circuit of claim 1, wherein: and when the kth clock is effective, triggering and enabling the sequential comparison of the M +1 th clock and the next first clock.

3. The clock circuit of claim 2, wherein: when M is an even number, the (M +2)/2 th clock is an intermediate clock; when M is odd, the (M +1)/2 clock is an intermediate clock; and when the intermediate clock is effective, triggering the sequential comparison of the M +1 th clock and the next first clock.

4. The clock circuit of claim 3, wherein: the delay locked loop comprises a logic circuit, the logic circuit receives the first clock, the M +1 th clock and the intermediate clock, and the intermediate clock triggers to enable the logic circuit to compare the sequence of the M +1 th clock and the next first clock; the logic circuit causes the (M +1) th clock and the next first clock to approach by adjusting the current to the delay circuit.

5. The clock circuit of claim 4, wherein: the delay locked loop includes a first selection circuit and a second selection circuit; the first selection circuit receives the second clock to the Mmax clock, also receives the M value and outputs an intermediate clock; the second selection circuit receives the second clock to the Mmax +1 th clock, also receives the M value and outputs the M +1 th clock.

6. The clock circuit of claim 1, wherein: when the frequency of the first clock jumps from low to high, the delay locked loop adjusts the delay of the clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to the clock input signal to reset to the minimum value, and then adjusts to the steady state.

7. A multi-phase switching circuit, characterized by: the clock generation circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the M clocks are clock signals of a multiphase switch circuit.

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of power electronics, in particular to a clock generation circuit and a multiphase switch circuit.

Background

The multi-phase switch circuit is connected in parallel, so that the power supply current level can be conveniently improved to meet the requirement of large current, such as a processor. Meanwhile, each phase of switch circuit is conducted in a staggered mode by controlling the driving signals, the inductance of the single-phase switch circuit can be reduced, input and output current ripples can be reduced, and input and output capacitors can be effectively reduced. The reduction of the inductance not only reduces the size of the inductor and the number of the capacitors and improves the power density, but also improves the dynamic response speed of the voltage regulator. The conventional multiphase switch circuit has the following structures: the first is that all inductors are coupled; the second one is inductive coupling between the switching currents of each two phases with even number of phases; the third is that all inductors are discrete inductors. The two structures have low conversion efficiency and complex control when the load is light; the third structure has poor current balance effect and poor dynamic response among all phases because of no coupling inductance.

In multiphase switching circuits, phase shifted clocks are also required. In the prior art, a system generates a high frequency clock, and the high frequency clock performs frequency division to generate a plurality of relatively low frequency phase-shifted clocks. The method needs large working current, and the design of the phase-shifting frequency divider is relatively complex.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, the present invention provides a multi-phase switch circuit, which includes N-phase switch circuits, wherein the common input terminal of each phase switch circuit forms the input terminal of the multi-phase switch circuit; in each phase of switching circuit, the input end of the multi-phase switching circuit is connected to an inductor through a main switching tube; each inductor is connected to an output of the multi-phase switching circuit; when N is an even number, the inductance of the two-phase switch circuit is a discrete inductance, and the inductances of the other two-phase switch circuits are coupled; when N is an odd number, the inductance of one phase of the switch circuit is a discrete inductance, and the inductances of the other two phase of the switch circuits are coupled.

Optionally, the inductance value of the discrete inductor is greater than or equal to the leakage inductance value of the coupling inductor.

Optionally, a main switching tube of the inductively coupled two-phase switching circuit is switched by 180 degrees in a staggered manner;

when N is an even number, the first phase switch circuit and the second phase switch circuit are discrete inductors and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered phase manner; the m phase and the m +1 phase are inductively coupled and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode; the (m +2) th phase delays the switching of the 360/N degree compared with the main switching tube of the m-th phase, and m is an odd number which is more than 2 and less than N;

when N is an odd number, the first phase is a discrete inductor; the n phase and the n +1 phase are inductively coupled and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode; the N +2 th phase is switched by 360/(N +1) degrees later than the main switching tube of the N-th phase, and N is an even number smaller than N.

Optionally, when N is an even number, the main switching tube of the inductively coupled two-phase switching circuit is switched by 180 degrees in a staggered manner; the first phase and the second phase switch circuit are discrete inductors and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered phase manner; the m phase and the m +1 phase are inductively coupled and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode; the (m +2) th phase delays the switching of the 360/N degree compared with the m-th phase main switching tube, and m is an odd number smaller than N;

when N is an odd number, the first phase is a discrete inductor; inductively coupling the nth phase and the N +1 th phase, and switching by 180 x (N-1)/N degrees; the second phase is delayed by 360/N degrees compared with the first phase, the N +2 phase is delayed by 360/N degrees compared with the main switching tube of the nth phase, and N is an even number smaller than N.

Optionally, as the load is reduced, the inductively coupled switching circuits sequentially enter an off state from a switching state, and the inductively coupled two-phase switching circuits are simultaneously in the switching state or the off state; when N is an even number, when the switch circuits of the inductive coupling are in an off state, the switch circuits of the two discrete inductors are in the off state along with the lightening of the load; when N is an odd number, the switching circuit of the discrete inductor is always kept in the switching state.

Optionally, as the load is increased, the coupling inductors are paired and sequentially switched from the off state to the on state, and the two-phase switch circuit coupled by the inductors is simultaneously in the on state or the off state; the switching circuit with at least one discrete inductor is always kept in a switching state; when N is an even number, when the inductively coupled switching circuits are both in the off state, the switching circuits of the two discrete inductors change from one in the off state to both in the on state as the load is increased.

Another technical solution of the present invention is to provide a clock generation circuit, including: generating an Mmax path clock, wherein the Mmax path clock comprises Mmax delay circuits and a delay locking loop, and the kth delay circuit comprises:

a first end: receiving a kth clock;

a second end: generating a (k +1) th clock according to the (k) th clock at the first end;

a third end: receiving the output voltage of the delay locked loop and adjusting the delay of a clock output signal relative to a clock input signal;

the delay locked loop receives the first clock to the M +1 clock, and the M +1 clock is close to the next first clock by adjusting the delay of the clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to the clock input signal;

wherein Mmax is a natural number not less than 2, M is a natural number not more than Mmax, and k is a natural number from 1 to M.

Optionally, when the kth clock is valid, the sequential timing comparison between the M +1 th clock and the next first clock is triggered and enabled.

Alternatively, when M is an even number, the (M +2)/2 th clock is an intermediate clock; when M is odd, the (M +1)/2 clock is an intermediate clock; and when the intermediate clock is effective, triggering the sequential comparison of the M +1 th clock and the next first clock.

Optionally, the delay locked loop includes a logic circuit, the logic circuit receives the first clock, the M +1 th clock and the intermediate clock, and the intermediate clock triggers the logic circuit to compare the sequence of the M +1 th clock and the next first clock; the logic circuit causes the (M +1) th clock and the next first clock to approach by adjusting the current to the delay circuit.

Optionally, the delay locked loop includes a first selection circuit and a second selection circuit; the first selection circuit receives the second clock to the Mmax clock, also receives the M value and outputs an intermediate clock; the second selection circuit receives the second clock to the Mmax +1 th clock, also receives the M value and outputs the M +1 th clock.

Optionally, when the frequency of the first clock transitions from low to high, the delay locked loop adjusts the delay of the clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to the clock input signal to reset to a minimum value, and then adjusts to a steady state.

The present invention also provides a multiphase switch circuit, characterized in that: the M paths of clocks are respectively clock signals of the multiphase switch circuit.

Compared with the prior art, the circuit structure and the method have the following advantages that: the system efficiency is improved when the light load is carried, and the realization is easy.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a circuit schematic of a multi-phase switching circuit of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram of the inductor current and switching signal for each phase of a three-phase switching circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram of the inductor current and switching signal for each phase of a four-phase switching circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of switching signal phases in a five-phase switching circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of switching signal phases for a six-phase switching circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of switching signal phases in another embodiment of the five-phase switching circuit of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a clock circuit according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a timing diagram of the first clock, the intermediate clock, and the (M +1) th clock when the M +1 th clock is earlier than the next first clock in the clock circuit of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a timing diagram of the first clock, the intermediate clock, and the (M +1) th clock when the M +1 th clock is later than the next first clock in the clock circuit of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a timing diagram of the first clock, the intermediate clock, and the (M +1) th clock when the M +1 th clock and the next first clock are close in the clock circuit of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to only these embodiments. The invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, equivalents and alternatives which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

The invention is described in more detail in the following paragraphs by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale, which is only used for convenience and clarity to assist in describing the embodiments of the present invention.

The technical scheme of the invention is that the invention provides a multi-phase switch circuit, which comprises N-phase switch circuits, wherein the common input end of each phase of switch circuit forms the input end of the multi-phase switch circuit; in each phase of switching circuit, the input end of the multi-phase switching circuit is connected to an inductor through a main switching tube; each inductor is connected to an output of the multi-phase switching circuit; when N is an even number, the inductance of the two-phase switch circuit is a discrete inductance, and the inductances of the other two-phase switch circuits are coupled; when N is an odd number, the inductance of one phase of the switch circuit is a discrete inductance, and the inductances of the other two phase of the switch circuits are coupled. Fig. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a multi-phase switch circuit when N is an odd number. The inductance of the first phase switching circuit is discrete.

Since the larger the inductance value, the smaller the ripple on the inductor and the smaller the loss of the inductor and the power transistor, it is preferable to set the inductance value of the discrete inductor to be equal to or greater than the leakage inductance value of the coupling inductor.

In one embodiment, the main switching tube of the inductively coupled two-phase switching circuit is switched 180 degrees out of phase; when N is an even number, the first phase switch circuit and the second phase switch circuit are discrete inductors and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered phase manner; the m phase and the m +1 phase are inductively coupled and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode; the (m +2) th phase delays the switching of the 360/N degree compared with the main switching tube of the m-th phase, and m is an odd number which is more than 2 and less than N; when N is an odd number, the first phase is a discrete inductor; the n phase and the n +1 phase are inductively coupled and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode; the N +2 th phase is switched by 360/(N +1) degrees later than the main switching tube of the N-th phase, and N is an even number smaller than N.

Fig. 2 is a waveform diagram of the inductor current and the switching signal of each phase of the three-phase switching circuit according to the present invention. The second phase and the third phase are inductively coupled, and the main switching tubes of the second phase and the third phase are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode, and the first phase is switched by 90 degrees later than the main switching tube of the second phase. In another embodiment, the main switching tubes of the second phase and the third phase can also be switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode, and the switching of the second phase is delayed by 90 degrees compared with the switching of the main switching tube of the first phase.

Fig. 3 is a waveform diagram of the inductor current and the switching signal of each phase of the four-phase switching circuit according to the present invention. The first phase and the second phase switch circuit are discrete inductors and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered phase manner; the third phase and the fourth phase are inductively coupled, and 180-degree switches are switched in a phase-staggered manner; the third phase is switched 90 degrees later than the main switching tube of the first phase.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing switching signal phases of a five-phase switching circuit according to an embodiment of the invention; the second phase is inductively coupled with the third phase, the fourth phase is inductively coupled with the fifth phase, the second phase and the third phase main switching tube are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode, the fourth phase and the fifth phase main switching tube are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode, and the first phase is switched by 60 degrees ahead of the second phase main switching tube.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing switching signal phases of a six-phase switching circuit according to an embodiment of the invention; the first phase and the second phase switch circuit are discrete inductors and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered phase manner; the third phase and the fourth phase are inductively coupled, and 180-degree switches are switched in a phase-staggered manner; the fifth phase and the sixth phase are inductively coupled and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode; the third phase is switched by 60 degrees later than the main switching tube of the first phase, and the fifth phase is switched by 60 degrees later than the main switching tube of the third phase.

In another embodiment, when N is an even number, the main switch tube of the inductively coupled two-phase switch circuit is switched by 180 degrees in a staggered manner; the first phase and the second phase switch circuit are discrete inductors and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered phase manner; the m phase and the m +1 phase are inductively coupled and are switched by 180 degrees in a staggered mode; the (m +2) th phase delays the switching of the 360/N degree compared with the m-th phase main switching tube, and m is an odd number smaller than N; when N is an odd number, the first phase is a discrete inductor; inductively coupling the nth phase and the N +1 th phase, and switching by 180 x (N-1)/N degrees; the second phase is delayed by 360/N degrees compared with the first phase, the N +2 phase is delayed by 360/N degrees compared with the main switching tube of the nth phase, and N is an even number smaller than N. That is, when N is an even number, as in the previous embodiment, it is different when N is an odd number. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing switching signal phases of a five-phase switching circuit according to an embodiment of the invention; the five-phase switch is divided equally, the first phase is a discrete inductor, the second phase is coupled with the third phase, and the phase-staggered switch is a 144-degree switch; the fourth phase and the fifth phase are coupled, and the phase dislocation is carried out by 144-degree switching; the second phase is switched 72 degrees later than the first phase; the fourth phase is switched 72 degrees delayed from the second phase.

With the reduction of the load, the switch circuits of the inductive coupling sequentially enter a turn-off state from a switch state, and the two-phase switch circuits of the inductive coupling are simultaneously in the switch state or the turn-off state; when N is an even number, when the switch circuits of the inductive coupling are in an off state, the switch circuits of the two discrete inductors are in the off state along with the lightening of the load; when N is an odd number, the switching circuit of the discrete inductor is always kept in the switching state.

By adopting the circuit of the invention, when light load is carried out, only one phase of the switch circuit is in the on-off state, and the rest phases of the switch circuit are in the off state, so that the control mode is very simple.

With the load being heavier, the coupled inductors are paired and sequentially enter a switching state from an off state, and the two-phase switching circuit coupled by the inductors is in the switching state or the off state at the same time; the switching circuit with at least one discrete inductor is always kept in a switching state; when N is an even number, when the inductively coupled switching circuits are both in the off state, the switching circuits of the two discrete inductors change from one in the off state to both in the on state as the load is increased.

In the multiphase switch circuit, the clock generation mode is as shown in fig. 7, the clock generation circuit generates Mmax clocks, and includes Mmax delay circuits 110 and a delay locked loop 120, the kth delay circuit includes:

a first end: receiving a kth clock;

a second end: generating a (k +1) th clock according to the (k) th clock at the first end;

a third end: receiving the output voltage of the delay locked loop and adjusting the delay of a clock output signal relative to a clock input signal;

the delay locked loop receives the first clock to the M +1 clock, and the M +1 clock is close to the next first clock by adjusting the delay of the clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to the clock input signal. Ideally, the M +1 th clock coincides with the next first clock, and in practice, when the time difference between the M +1 th clock and the next first clock is less than a certain value, it is considered to be coincident. Therefore, the M +1 th clock and the next first clock are used close together here.

Wherein Mmax is a natural number not less than 2, M is a natural number not more than Mmax, and k is a natural number from 1 to M.

The clock generating circuit is suitable for a multi-phase switch circuit, and when the phase number M changes, the delay locking ring can conveniently adjust the delay of a clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to a clock input signal. The number of phases M here corresponds to the number of phases N mentioned above.

It should be noted that the clock generation circuit is not limited to be used in the multi-phase switch circuit of the present invention, and may also be used in various multi-phase switch circuits or other switch circuits requiring multiple clocks. Generally, in a multiphase switch circuit, there is a maximum number of phases, which corresponds to Mmax. The number of phases M actually operated is equal to or less than the maximum number of phases Mmax. For example, in a 16-phase switching circuit, only a 10-phase switching circuit may be operated, or an 8-phase switching circuit may be operated, and so on. The clock generation circuit of the invention is therefore particularly suitable for the regulation of the number of phases in a multiphase switching circuit.

Generally, before the M +1 th clock, an enable signal is needed to trigger the sequential timing comparison between the enabled M +1 th clock and the next first clock; one of the clock signals may be selected as an enable signal. Preferably, the clock signal is a short pulse.

A simple way is to select an intermediate clock and trigger a sequential comparison of the (M +1) th clock and the next first clock. When M is an even number, the (M +2)/2 th clock is an intermediate clock; when M is odd, the (M +1)/2 clock is an intermediate clock; and when the intermediate clock is effective, triggering the sequential comparison of the M +1 th clock and the next first clock. FIG. 8 is a timing diagram of the first clock, the intermediate clock, and the (M +1) th clock when the M +1 th clock is earlier than the next first clock in the clock circuit of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a timing diagram of the first clock, the intermediate clock, and the (M +1) th clock when the M +1 th clock is later than the next first clock in the clock circuit of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a timing diagram of the first clock, the intermediate clock, and the (M +1) th clock when the M +1 th clock and the next first clock are close in the clock circuit of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 7, the delay locked loop includes a logic circuit 121, the logic circuit 121 receives the first clock C L K1, the M +1 th clock C L K (M +1), and the intermediate clock C L K _ mid, the intermediate clock C L K _ mid triggers enabling of the logic circuit to compare the sequential timing of the M +1 th clock C L K (M +1) and the next first clock C L K1, and the logic circuit 121 adjusts the current to the delay circuit 110 to enable the M +1 th clock C L K (M +1) and the next first clock C L K1 to be close to each other.

In one embodiment, the delay locked loop further includes a current source I121, a switch K122, a capacitor C121, a switch M121, a resistor R121, and a current mirror composed of M122, M131, M132, M133, and other switch tubes. Take the example that the larger the current to the delay circuit 110, the smaller the delay of the clock output signal relative to the clock input signal. When the (M +1) th clock is later than the next first clock, the UP signal of the logic circuit controls the switch K121 to be switched on, the DOWN signal controls the switch K122 to be switched off, the voltage on the capacitor C122 is increased, the current of the current mirror M122 is increased, the current for the delay circuit 110 is increased, and the delay is reduced; when the (M +1) th clock is earlier than the next first clock, the UP signal of the logic circuit controls the switch K121 to be turned off, the DOWN signal controls the switch K122 to be turned on, the voltage on the capacitor C122 becomes smaller, the current of the current mirror M122 becomes smaller, the current for the delay circuit 110 becomes smaller, and the delay time is increased.

With continued reference to FIG. 7, the intermediate clock C L K _ mid and the M +1 th clock C L K (M +1) received by the logic circuit 121 are generated by the delay locked loop including a first selection circuit 122 and a second selection circuit 123, the first selection circuit 122 receives the second clock C L K2 to the Mmax clock C L KMmax and also receives the M value and outputs the intermediate clock C L K _ mid, and the second selection circuit 123 receives the second clock C L K2 to the Mmax +1 th clock C L K (Mmax +1) and also receives the M value and outputs the M +1 th clock C L K (M + 1).

When the frequency of the first clock jumps from low to high, the delay locked loop adjusts the delay of the clock output signal of the delay circuit relative to the clock input signal to the minimum value and then adjusts the clock output signal to the steady state.

Although the embodiments have been described and illustrated separately, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some common techniques may be substituted and integrated between the embodiments, and reference may be made to one of the embodiments not explicitly described, or to another embodiment described.

The above-described embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the above-described embodiments should be included in the protection scope of the technical solution.