Patent ID: 7932754
Filing Date: 2011-04-26
Classification: H02M,H03K,Y02B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for adaptively adjusting a gate charge modulation (GCM) signal level in a switching converter that is responsive to an input signal to drive a load from a power supply, the apparatus comprising: a gate control circuit that is arranged to generate a gate control signal in response to the input signal, wherein the gate control circuit is further arranged such that a signal swing associated with the gate control signal has a voltage amplitude that is adjustably controlled in response to a feedback control signal, wherein the gate control circuit comprises a limit adjustment circuit and a driver circuit, wherein the driver circuit is arranged to provide the gate control signal using the power supply and a local power supply, and wherein the limit adjustment circuit is arranged to dynamically change a voltage level associated with the local power supply; a gate controlled switch circuit that is arranged to drive current to the load with a current magnitude that is determined in response to the voltage amplitude of the gate control signal, wherein an output of the gate controlled switch circuit has an associated voltage drop relative to the power supply that is at least partially dependent upon the load, wherein the gate controlled switch circuit comprises a p-type field effect transistor and an n-type field effect transistor that are configured to drive the load; an error amplifier circuit that is arranged to adjust an error signal in response to a differential comparison between a reference signal and the voltage drop associated with the gate controlled switch circuit, wherein the error amplifier circuit comprises a differential amplifier that is arranged to provide the error signal responsive to a first drain to source voltage associated with at least one of the field effect transistors; and a loop compensation circuit arranged to generate the feedback control signal in response to the error signal.