Patent ID: 8385030

Claim:
A component fault detection circuit for use with a two-phase DC-DC converter that includes a pulse width modulator adapted to output a first pulse width modulated signal (PWM 1 out) and a second pulse width modulated signal (PWM 2 out) that is substantially 180 degrees out of phase from the first pulse width modulated signal (PWM 1 out), a first channel including a first driver MOSFET stage (DrMOS 1 ) having an input and an output, and a first inductor (L 1 ) having a terminal that is driven in dependence on the output of the first driver MOSFET stage (DrMOS 1 ), a second channel including a second driver MOSFET stage (DrMOS 2 ) having an input and an output, and a second inductor (L 2 ) having a terminal that is driven in dependence on the output of the second driver MOSFET stage (DrMOS 2 ), wherein the component fault detection circuit comprises: a way out of balance (WOB) detector adapted to detect WOB conditions within the two-phase DC-DC converter; and a component fault detector adapted to detect a fault in dependence on how often one of the WOB conditions detected by the WOB detector occurs relative to another one of the WOB conditions.