Trans-inductor voltage regulator using a nonlinear compensation inductor

摘要

A trans-inductor voltage regulator (TLVR) includes at least two voltage converter phases configured to receive a common input voltage and to provide an output voltage on an output of the voltage converter, an associated coupled inductor, and a compensation inductor. Each coupled inductor includes a primary winding magnetically coupled to a secondary winding. For each primary winding, a first terminal is coupled to the output of the associated voltage converter, and a second terminal of the primary winding is coupled to a load. A first terminal of the compensation inductor is coupled to a ground plane, and each secondary winding is coupled in series with the compensation inductor, with a last secondary being coupled to the ground plane. The compensation inductor is a nonlinear inductor exhibiting a first inductance level at a first current level, and a second inductance level different from the first inductance level at a second current level different from the first current level.