FAST TURN-ON PROTECTION OF A CASCODE SWITCH
Granted: November 14, 2024
Application Number:
20240380395
Fast turn-on protection of a cascode switch is presented herein. A cascode circuit includes a depletion mode field effect transistor and an enhancement mode field effect transistor electrically coupled in cascode. During turn-on, a protection circuit detects an overcurrent fault by observing a plateau of a cascode node voltage. An overcurrent fault may be detected in response to the plateau existing for greater than a threshold time duration.
HOUSING AND HOUSING GRASPING FEATURES USABLE WITH A HEAT DISSIPATING DEVICE
Granted: November 7, 2024
Application Number:
20240373599
A housing or surface of a housing containing at least one heat dissipating device configured to be grasped or otherwise held by a user. The housing includes a first housing wall portion with a plurality of grasping features that protrude from the first housing wall portion and a second housing wall portion with a second plurality of grasping features that protrude from the second housing wall portion. The first plurality of grasping features and second plurality of grasping features…
ENERGY TRANSFER ELEMENT MAGNETIZED AFTER ASSEMBLY
Granted: October 17, 2024
Application Number:
20240347271
An energy transfer element comprises a magnetic core having a gap in a magnetic path. Magnetizable material producing an initial flux density is positioned in the gap. One or more power windings is wrapped around the magnetic path. When the magnetizable material is magnetized the flux density produced by the magnetized material is offset from the initial flux density. The core is a toroid magnetic core or is comprised of two core pieces. The magnetizable material is an unmagnetized…
ENERGY TRANSFER ELEMENT MAGNETIZED AFTER ASSEMBLY
Granted: September 5, 2024
Application Number:
20240296993
An energy transfer element comprises a magnetic core having a gap in a magnetic path. Magnetizable material producing an initial flux density is positioned in the gap. One or more power windings is wrapped around the magnetic path. When the magnetizable material is magnetized the flux density produced by the magnetized material is offset from the initial flux density. The core is a toroid magnetic core or is comprised of two core pieces. The magnetizable material is an unmagnetized…
MOTOR ALIGNMENT CONTROL
Granted: August 29, 2024
Application Number:
20240291406
A method for aligning a motor to a goal alignment position, comprising beginning an alignment sequence, receiving a phase current of the motor, sampling the received phase current, and comparing a sample of the received phase current to a previous sample of the received phase current. The method further comprises tracking a maximum value of the phase current in response to comparing the sample of the received phase current to the previous sample of the received phase current, comparing…
CROSS CONDUCTION PREVENTION IN POWER CONVERTERS
Granted: August 22, 2024
Application Number:
20240283369
A controller for a power converter includes a primary controller and a secondary controller. The primary controller is coupled to a primary winding of the energy transfer element and a primary switch of the power converter. The secondary controller is coupled to a secondary winding of the energy transfer element and a secondary switch, e.g., a synchronous rectifier, of the power converter. The secondary controller has a synchronous rectifier control/drive circuit, a control logic…
DETECTING SIGNALS FROM CASCODE POWER DEVICES
Granted: August 22, 2024
Application Number:
20240283351
Detecting signals from cascode power devices is described herein. By sensing a gate signal from the high-voltage device, drain waveform characteristics may be monitored. In this manner a power switch may be controlled to avail enhanced performance in a power converter comprising a cascode power device.
ZERO VOLTAGE SWITCHING IN A BUCK CONVERTER
Granted: August 8, 2024
Application Number:
20240266956
Zero voltage switching in a BUCK converter is disclosed herein. A current reversing path is electrically coupled in parallel with a freewheeling diode. The current reversing path may be configured to reverse energize the inductor during a subinterval of the switching cycle.
POWER CONVERTER CONTROLLER WITH BRANCH SWITCH
Granted: July 25, 2024
Application Number:
20240250615
A controller for a power converter comprising a driver configured to provide a drive signal to control a power switch, wherein the power switch includes a first switch and a second switch, and a terminal configured to receive operating power for the controller. The controller comprises a branch switch coupled to the second switch, a branch control configured to turn ON the branch switch in response to a comparison of a voltage at the terminal with a reference to conduct a branch current…
AUXILIARY POWER SUPPLIES USING MOTOR WINDING INDUCTANCE
Granted: June 27, 2024
Application Number:
20240213903
A motor driver couples to an auxiliary power supply and to a motor having a winding. The motor driver comprises a switching circuit that has an auxiliary node coupled to the auxiliary power supply and a winding node coupled to the winding. The switching circuit is configured to store energy in the inductance of the motor winding and to deliver energy the auxiliary power supply. To store energy, the switching circuit and the winding are coupled to establish a current in the winding. To…
ENABLE CIRCUIT WITH WINDING SIGNAL DETECTION
Granted: June 20, 2024
Application Number:
20240204678
A controller for use in a power converter comprising a control circuit coupled to generate a secondary drive signal to control a secondary switch. An enable circuit coupled to generate an enable signal to enable or disable the control circuit from generating the secondary drive signal. The enable circuit further comprising a winding signal detection circuit coupled to receive a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) signal representative of a determination that the secondary switch has…
SWITCHED INDUCTIVE STORAGE ELEMENT TO ENHANCE GATE DRIVE AT TURN-OFF
Granted: June 13, 2024
Application Number:
20240195404
A switched inductive storage element to enhance gate drive at turn-off is described herein. An inductive storage element (e.g., an inductor) may be switched between a supply node and a gate node of a gated device (e.g., a low-side device and/or a high-side device). While coupled to the supply node, the inductive storage element may be energized; and subsequently, while coupled to the gate node of the gated device, the inductive storage element may drive the gate node (i.e., the gate of…
POWER CONVERTER CONTROLLER WITH BIAS DRIVE CIRCUIT FOR BIAS SUPPLY
Granted: June 6, 2024
Application Number:
20240186903
A power converter controller with a bias drive circuit for bias supply is provided herein. The controller includes a primary drive circuit configured to control operation of a primary switch coupled to a primary winding associated with the energy transfer element. The primary drive circuit can cause the primary switch to transition between a conducting state during a first portion of a switching cycle and a nonconducting state during a second portion of the switching cycle. The…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CONDUCTION MODE OPERATION OF A MUTLI-OUTPUT POWER CONVERTER
Granted: May 2, 2024
Application Number:
20240146203
Methods and apparatus for continuous conduction mode operation in multi-output power converters are described herein. During a switching cycle, secondary current may be delivered via a diode to a secondary output. Prior to beginning a subsequent switching cycle, a diverting current may be provided to a lower voltage secondary output on a parallel path. In this way diode current may be reduced to substantially zero prior to the subsequent switching cycle.
PROTECTIVE INSULATOR FOR HFET DEVICES
Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number:
20240030337
An HFET includes a first and second semiconductor material. A first composite passivation layer includes a first insulation layer and a first passivation layer, and the first passivation layer is disposed between the first insulation layer and the second semiconductor material. The HFET includes a second passivation layer, where the first insulation layer is disposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer. A gate dielectric is disposed between the second…
SELECTIVE DAMPING OF RINGING IN A POWER CONVERTER
Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number:
20240030809
A power converter includes a damping circuit coupled to the dissipative element for dissipating energy corresponding to a resonant ringing produced by a magnetic inductance of the energy transfer element and by the switch capacitance when the power converter is in discontinuous conduction mode.
Active Reduced Voltage Switching using a Supplemental Switch
Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number:
20240030801
A controller includes a primary controller and a secondary controller to control switching of a power switch and a supplemental switch, respectively, coupled to an energy transfer element, e.g. an energy transfer element of a power converter. A ZV drive circuit are coupled to generate a ZVS signal that enables a ZV switch to store energy in the energy transfer element. The energy stored in the energy transfer element is coupled to reduce a switch voltage across the power switch prior to…
PROTECTIVE INSULATOR FOR HFET DEVICES
Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number:
20240030337
An HFET includes a first and second semiconductor material. A first composite passivation layer includes a first insulation layer and a first passivation layer, and the first passivation layer is disposed between the first insulation layer and the second semiconductor material. The HFET includes a second passivation layer, where the first insulation layer is disposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer. A gate dielectric is disposed between the second…
SELECTIVE DAMPING OF RINGING IN A POWER CONVERTER
Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number:
20240030809
A power converter includes a damping circuit coupled to the dissipative element for dissipating energy corresponding to a resonant ringing produced by a magnetic inductance of the energy transfer element and by the switch capacitance when the power converter is in discontinuous conduction mode.
Active Reduced Voltage Switching using a Supplemental Switch
Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number:
20240030801
A controller includes a primary controller and a secondary controller to control switching of a power switch and a supplemental switch, respectively, coupled to an energy transfer element, e.g. an energy transfer element of a power converter. A ZV drive circuit are coupled to generate a ZVS signal that enables a ZV switch to store energy in the energy transfer element. The energy stored in the energy transfer element is coupled to reduce a switch voltage across the power switch prior to…
