Hybrid Single Inductor Multiple-Output Boost DCDC Converter with Digital Adaptive Inductor Peak Current Control

Increasing system-on-chip (SOC) complexity necessitates multiple power supplies per individual block. An essential component is the Power Management Unit (PMU), which ensures efficient and autonomous power distribution across the entire SOC. A PMU mainly consists of multiple regulators with system control. This paper introduces a novel hybrid single-inductor multiple-output boost DC-DC converter capable of generating two output voltages, 3 V and 5 V, from a 1V input supply while driving 26 mA each. The proposed converter facilitates multiple independent boosted outputs without additional drain-to-source voltage over-stress protection mechanisms. Notably, it enhances power efficiency by minimizing inductor current via a hybrid core topology. The key focus is on the control scheme for multiple-output, which includes a hysteretic inductor peak current synthesized digital control loop operating with a system clock of 20 MHz. This control scheme enables independent output regulation and programmability, rapid response, peak current programmability, regulation states (power up and per output regulation) peak current automatic adaptation, and low cross-regulation. Post-layout simulation results show the converter peak efficiency of 85.5% and a maximum output current of 26 mA per each output. The design, layout, and verification occur in standard 65nm CMOS technology.