A system and method measures parameters associated with an inductor such as in
a switching converter. The inductance value can be determined by monitoring voltages
and currents associated with the inductor when a measurement mode is activated.
In one example, the measurement is provided by a signal processing system that
includes an analog differentiator. In another example, the measurement is provided
by a signal processing system that converts the analog measurement voltages into
digital quantities that are analyzed in the digital domain. The value of the inductance
value is determined by calculating of VL and IL/t.
The saturation point in the inductance is located by measuring the change in slew
rate of the inductance during the measurement mode. Average values for the inductor
and the slew rate can be determined using digital techniques. Other parameters
such as current limit and on-time of the inductor can be adjusted by this methodology.