T09.8 - Compensation-Winding-Current-Based Constant On-Time Control of Trans-Inductor Voltage Regulators (TLVRs)

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

11:20 AM - 11:40 AM CT

Location: 214A

Technical Lecture Presenter(s)

Shuyu Zhang (she/her/hers)

University of California, Berkeley

Co-Author(s)

Yicheng Zhu (he/him/his)

The University of Texas at Austin
NB

Nathan Biesterfield

University of California, Berkeley
RP

Robert C.N. Pilawa-Podgurski

UC Berkeley

This paper proposes a compensation-winding-current (iLc-based constant on-time (COT) control strategy for trans-inductor voltage regulators (TLVRs) used in data center applications. Compared with conventional current-mode COT control of TLVRs, which requires high-bandwidth current sensing for each phase, the proposed approach achieves equivalent transient performance by sensing only iLc, thereby significantly reducing the system complexity. The high-pass filter nature of iLc-based current sensing and the corresponding preservation of the high-frequency current ripple needed for COT control derived analytically and verified through circuit simulation. Then, the proposed iLc-based COT control is introduced. Finally, the proposed control strategy is experimentally validated on a six-phase, 500 kHz, 12 V-to-1 V, 240 A TLVR prototype, demonstrating robust load regulation under a 6A/ns load step generated by a custom on-board GaN-based load stepper.