Patent ID: 6995483

Claim:
A synchronous DC-DC regulator, adapted to receive a high side pulsed signal and a low side pulsed signal that is substantially the inverse of the high side pulsed signal, comprising: an inductor; a capacitor having one port connected to ground, and having a second port providing an output voltage of the DC-DC regulator; a driver for driving pulses of current to the inductor when the high side pulsed signal is asserted; a switch and a diode adapted to provide a path for the inductor to drive current to charge the capacitor when the high side pulsed signal is not asserted; an undercurrent sense circuit adapted to sense a driving current flowing through the driver and to assert a disable signal when the driving current is less than a predetermined amount; and an enable/disable circuit adapted to enable the low side pulsed signal to turn the switch on when the disable signal is not asserted, and to selectively disable the low side pulsed signal from turning the switch on, while allowing the driver to continue to drive pulses, when the disable signal is asserted.