A Single-Inductor Switching DC–DC Converter With Five Outputs and Ordered Power-Distributive Control

An integrated five-output single-inductor multiple-output dc-dc converter with ordered power-distributive control (OPDC) in a 0.5 $\mu\hbox{m}$ Bi-CMOS process is presented. The converter has four main positive boost outputs programmable from $+$5 V to $+$12 V and one dependent negative output ranged from $-$12 V to $-$5 V. A maximum efficiency of 80.8% is achieved at a total output power of 450 mW, with a switching frequency of 700 kHz. The performance of the converter as a commercial product is successfully verified with a new control method and proposed circuits, including a full-waveform inductor-current sensing circuit, a variation-free frequency generator, and an in-rush-current-free soft-start method. With simplicity, flexibility, and reliability, the design enables shorter time-to-market in future extensions with more outputs and different operation requirements.