Closed loop foldback control
Granted: March 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10951121
A controller for use in a power converter comprising a comparator, request control, and foldback control. The comparator configured to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter and a first regulation reference representative of a target value for the output, and in response to the comparison of the feedback signal and the first regulation reference, generate a first regulation signal. Request control configured to receive the first regulation reference,…
Synchronizing multiple controllers in a power converter
Granted: February 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10931203
A controller configured for use in a power converter includes a multiplexer that receives a startup clock signal and a request clock signal. The multiplexer selects the startup signal or the request clock signal to generate a clock signal. A startup clock generates the startup clock signal to control a switching frequency of a primary switching circuit during a startup condition. A request clock generates the request clock signal in response to a request signal to control the switching…
High side signal interface in a power converter
Granted: February 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10931202
A method to control a high side switch of a motor drive includes sinking a current of an ON signal to communicate a turn ON of the high side switch. A first current signal, a second current signal, a third current signal, a fourth current signal and a common mode rejection signal are generated in response to the ON signal. The ON signal in a presence of common mode noise is determined by comparing the first current signal and the second current signal. A first output signal is generated…
Multiple stage gate drive for cascode current sensing
Granted: February 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10924028
A power converter comprising an energy transfer element is coupled between an input of the power converter and an output of the power converter. A cascode circuit generates a first sense signal and a second sense signal. A controller controls the switching of the cascode circuit to transfer energy from the input of the power converter to the output of the power converter. The controller comprising a current sense circuit generates a current limit signal and an overcurrent signal in…
Half-bridge inverter modules with advanced protection through high-side to low-side control block communication
Granted: January 26, 2021
Patent Number:
10903774
A communication system for use in a switching module includes a low-side control block coupled to control switching of a low-side switch of the switching module. The low-side control block is further coupled to be referenced with a low-side reference system ground. A high-side control block is coupled to control switching of a high-side switch of the switching module. The high-side control block is further coupled to be referenced with a floating node of the switching module. During…
Apparatus and methods for controlling a switch mode power converter using a duty cycle state machine
Granted: January 26, 2021
Patent Number:
10903747
A power conversion system includes a switch mode power converter including a switch coupled to regulate an output voltage to a regulation value in response to a feedback signal. A controller is coupled to deliver a gate drive signal to the switch during an enabled control condition. The controller is further coupled to inhibit the gate drive signal to the switch during an inhibited control condition. A duty cycle state machine included in controller is coupled to adjust a duty cycle of…
Introducing jitter to a switching frequency by way of modulating current limit
Granted: January 12, 2021
Patent Number:
10892679
A controller includes a current limit generator that generates a current limit threshold. A switch controller receives the current limit threshold, an enable signal, and a current sense signal representative of a current through a power switch. The switch controller generates a drive signal to control switching of the power switch to control the transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to an output of the power converter in response to the enable signal and the current…
Single-wire bus multi-group fault communication for half-bridge inverter modules
Granted: January 5, 2021
Patent Number:
10886870
A fault communication system includes a system controller and a plurality of devices. Each one of the plurality of devices includes a single fault terminal. A fault bus consisting of only a single wire coupled to the system controller and the plurality of devices is also included. The fault bus is coupled to provide multidirectional multi-fault group communication between the plurality of devices and the system controller. The single fault terminal of each one of the plurality of devices…
Power converter with current matching
Granted: December 8, 2020
Patent Number:
10863600
A current matching circuit includes a plurality of LED driver circuits. A current to voltage converter circuit is coupled to the plurality of LED driver circuits to generate a plurality of voltage signals. Each one of the plurality of voltage signals is representative of a respective output current through a corresponding one of the plurality of LED driver circuits. A comparison circuit is coupled to the current to voltage converter circuit to compare the plurality of voltage signals. An…
Controller for multi-output single magnetic component converter with independent regulation of constant current and constant voltage outputs
Granted: December 1, 2020
Patent Number:
10855191
A power converter includes a primary winding and multiple output windings to provide multiple independently controlled and regulated outputs with a common return line. The outputs are coupled to independently regulate constant current, constant voltage, or both constant current and constant voltage outputs. A secondary control block is coupled to control a synchronous rectifier switch coupled to the common return line to synchronize switching with a primary side power switch to provide…
Magnetically coupled galvanically isolated communication using lead frame
Granted: November 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10833590
An integrated circuit package includes a lead frame and an encapsulation that substantially encloses the lead frame. The lead frame further includes a first conductor comprising a first conductive loop and a second conductor galvanically isolated from the first conductor, proximate to and magnetically coupled to the first conductive loop to provide a communication link between the first and second conductor. The second conductor includes a first conductive portion, a second conductive…
Apparatus and methods for sensing a variable amplitude switching signal from a secondary winding in a power conversion system
Granted: November 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10826398
Apparatus and methods for sensing a variable amplitude switching signal from a secondary winding in a power conversion system are disclosed herein. By using a comparator with an adaptable reference, variable amplitude secondary winding signals in phase with primary winding signals may be detected in the presence of ringing. Detection of the in phase secondary winding signals, in turn, allows for secondary side control with power factor correction and discontinuous mode operation.
Frequency jitter for a power converter
Granted: November 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10826375
A controller for use in a power converter comprising a request control circuit coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. The request control circuit is coupled to generate a request signal for controlling a power switch. The request signal can include a synchronization signal in response to the feedback signal and a jitter average signal. The synchronization signal is generated by the request transmitter circuit and corresponds to an average…
Electronic circuit for fast temperature sensing of a power switching device
Granted: October 27, 2020
Patent Number:
10819102
An electronic circuit for sensing a temperature rise in a power transistor device, the temperature rise caused by a current flow in the power transistor device. The power transistor device and a sense-FET are disposed on a substrate. The sense-FET senses a fractional portion of the current flow and outputs a current signal. A JFET has its drain connected to the drain of the power transistor device. The gate of the JFET is connected to the source of the power transistor device, such that…
Switched mode power converter controller with ramp time modulation
Granted: October 20, 2020
Patent Number:
10811977
A controller to regulate a power converter includes a terminal coupled to receive an enable signal including enable events representative of an output of the power converter. A drive circuit is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to the output of the power converter. The drive circuit is coupled to turn on the power switch when an enable event is received in the enable signal. A…
Power converter fault detection by counting request pulses
Granted: October 20, 2020
Patent Number:
10811956
A controller for a multiple output power converter, including an error amplifier configured to generate an error signal based on a difference between an output signal of a multiple output power converter and a reference signal. A switch request circuit is configured to generate a request signal in response to the error signal. The switch request circuit is further configured to control a switching of a power switch of the multiple output power converter to transfer energy from an input…
Controller with limit control to change switching period or switching frequency of power converter and methods thereof
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10797606
A power converter controller includes a control loop clock generator that generates a switching frequency signal in response to a sense signal representative of a characteristic of the power converter, a load signal responsive to an output load, and a limit signal representative of a maximum length of a current half cycle of the switching frequency signal. A comparator generates an enable signal in response to the load signal and a load threshold. A limit control generates the limit…
Controller with variable sampling generator
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10797602
A controller for use in a power converter includes a comparator configured to compare a sense signal representative of an amount of energy delivered to an output of the power converter, to a target value. An update clock generator configured to receive the sense signal and to generate a clock signal having a clock frequency in response to the sense signal. A request control coupled to the comparator and to the update clock generator, the request control configured to generate a request…
Secondary winding sense for hard switch detection
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10797583
A controller for use in a power converter includes a control loop clock generator that is coupled to generate a switching frequency signal in response to a sense signal representative of a characteristic of the power converter, a load signal responsive to an output load of the power converter, and a hard switch sense output. A hard switch sense circuit is coupled to generate the hard switch sense output in response to the switching frequency signal and a rectifier conduction signal that…
Controlled power circuit with adjusted voltage feedback to regulate the output power
Granted: September 29, 2020
Patent Number:
10790755
A controller to regulate an output voltage of a power converter comprising a feedback reference circuit to generate a drive signal to control a power switch in response to the feedback signal and an output power control circuit configured to generate an adjust signal in response to an output current of the power converter and a desired value of an output power of the power converter, the adjust signal adjusts the feedback signal such that the controller regulates the output voltage to…
