Patent ID: 7042207

Claim:
A method for measuring a parameter associated with an inductor in a circuit, the method comprising: charging the inductor with an input voltage; monitoring voltages that are associated with the inductor; determining an inductor current and an inductor voltage from monitored voltages; and calculating the parameter that is associated with the inductor from at least one of the time rate of change of the inductor current and the time rate of change of the inductor voltage; wherein calculating the parameter that is associated with the inductor further comprises at least one of: adjusting a current limit for the inductor, calculating an on-time for a switching device, filtering noise from the monitored voltages, discarding anomalies from the monitored voltages, determining, an inductance value associated with the inductor, determining a resistance value associated with the inductor, determining an inductor type that is associated with the inductor, adjusting switching times in a switched mode power-supply, determining a saturation point in the inductor, and adjusting a compensation that is associated with the circuit.