BACKGROUND

Technical Field

This disclosure relates to power management in computer systems and more particularly to voltage regulator circuit operation.

Description of the Related Art

Modern computer systems may include multiple circuits blocks designed to perform various functions. For example, such circuit blocks may include processors, processor cores configured to executed execute software or program instructions. Additionally, the circuit blocks may include memory circuits, mixed-signal or analog circuits, and the like.

In some computer systems, the circuit blocks may be designed to operate at different power supply voltage levels. Power management circuits may be included in such computer systems to generate and monitor varying power supply voltage levels for the different circuit blocks.

Power management circuits often include one or more power converter circuits configured to generated regulator voltage levels on respective power supply signals using a voltage level of an input power supply signal. Such regulator circuits may employ multiple passive circuit elements, such as inductors, capacitors, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Various embodiments for generating a regulator power supply voltage level are disclosed. Broadly speaking, a voltage regulator circuit including a capacitor, a plurality of devices, and a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor/The voltage regulator circuit may be configured to couple the switch node to the capacitor using a first set of the plurality of devices that are selected based on one or more control signals and charge the capacitor by coupling the capacitor to an input power supply signal using a second set of the plurality of devices that are selected based on the one or more control signals. A control circuit may be configured to select a particular one of a plurality of switching sequences based on a ratio of a voltage level of the regulated power supply node and a voltage level of the input power supply signal, and generate the one or more control signals based on the particular one of a plurality of switching sequences.

