Patent ID: 6590369
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
A voltage regulator having an input terminal to be coupled to an input voltage source and an output terminal to be coupled to a load, comprising:a switching circuit fabricated on a first IC chip to intermittently couple the input terminal and the output terminal; a filter fabricated on the first IC chip to provide a generally DC output voltage at the output terminal; a sensor fabricated on the first IC chip to generate a first digital feedback signal representing an electrical characteristic of the voltage regulator on a first feedback line; a digital controller coupled to the first feedback line which receives and uses the digital feedback signal to generate the digital control signal, the digital controller configured to maintain the output voltage at the output terminal at a substantially constant level, the digital controller fabricated on a second, separate IC chip; and an interpreter fabricated on the first IC chip, the interpreter receiving the digital control signal and converting the digital control signal into a command to switch the switching circuit.