METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A POWER SUPPLY CONTROLLER RESPONSIVE TO A FEEDFORWARD SIGNAL
Granted: July 9, 2009
Application Number:
20090175058
An apparatus and method of switching a switch of a power supply in response to an input voltage signal are disclosed. According to aspects of the present invention, a power supply controller includes a switch duty cycle controller coupled to receive a feedback signal and a duty cycle adjust signal. The switch duty cycle controller is coupled to generate a drive signal coupled to control switching of a switch, which is coupled to an energy transfer element, to regulate energy delivered…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CONTROL A POWER SUPPLY FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY
Granted: June 25, 2009
Application Number:
20090160415
A power supply control circuit is disclosed. In one aspect, a power supply control circuit includes a controller to be coupled to a switch to regulate an output of a power supply in response to a feedback signal and a parameter change signal. A parameter response circuit is coupled to generate the parameter change signal in response to a difference between a first value of a parameter measured before an event and a second value of the parameter measured after the event. The difference…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TIME-DIFFERENTIAL COMPARISON OF AN ANALOG SIGNAL
Granted: June 25, 2009
Application Number:
20090160489
A time-differential analog comparator is disclosed. An example apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes a source of a variable frequency signal having a frequency responsive to an analog input. A counting circuit is coupled to count cycles of the variable frequency signal. The counting circuit is coupled to count in a first direction for a first time interval and is coupled to count in a second direction opposite to the first direction for a second time interval…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ENERGY IN A POWER CONVERTER CIRCUIT
Granted: June 18, 2009
Application Number:
20090153285
A reduced cost energy transfer element for power converter circuits. In one embodiment, an energy transfer element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a magnetic element having an external surface with at least a first winding and a second winding wound around the external surface of the magnetic element without a bobbin. As such, energy to be received from a power converter circuit input is to be transferred from the first winding to the second winding through a…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT
Granted: June 4, 2009
Application Number:
20090140710
A high voltage power supply method and apparatus is disclosed. An example power supply circuit includes a rectifier circuit coupled to receive an AC input voltage. A switchmode power converter circuit is coupled to the rectifier circuit to receive a rectified input voltage to generate a regulated output voltage. A switch is coupled between the rectifier circuit and the switchmode power converter circuit. A sense circuit is coupled to detect the AC input voltage. The sense circuit is…
Segmented pillar layout for a high-voltage vertical transistor
Granted: May 28, 2009
Application Number:
20090134457
In one embodiment, a transistor fabricated on a semiconductor die includes a first section of transistor segments disposed in a first area of the semiconductor die, and a second section of transistor segments disposed in a second area of the semiconductor die adjacent the first area. Each of the transistor segments in the first and second sections includes a pillar of a semiconductor material that extends in a vertical direction. First and second dielectric regions are disposed on…
DC CONVERTER WITH INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED OUTPUTS
Granted: May 28, 2009
Application Number:
20090134702
A DC converter comprises a single primary circuit which is coupled to each of a plurality of output circuits in respective time periods, the coupling being provided by switching in the output circuits. Each output circuit produces a respective output voltage and a respective feedback signal which is coupled as a control signal to the primary circuit during the respective time periods, so that each output voltage is regulated substantially independently of each other output voltage. The…
POWER SUPPLY OUTPUT VOLTAGE TRIMMING
Granted: May 21, 2009
Application Number:
20090128114
A power supply trim control signal is produced by integrating differences between monitored and target values of the output voltage of a power supply. Register storage requirements are reduced by producing the target value from a nominal voltage value and one of a plurality of margin offsets selected in accordance with control data. The control data also selects between open and closed loop trim control. Stability is enhanced by changing the target value slowly in response to any change…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A CIRCUIT WITH A HIGH VOLTAGE SENSE DEVICE
Granted: May 14, 2009
Application Number:
20090121779
A control circuit with a high voltage sense device. In one embodiment, a circuit includes a first transistor disposed in a first substrate having first, second and third terminals. A first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an external voltage. A voltage provided at a third terminal of the first transistor is substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REDUCE THE VOLUME REQUIRED FOR BULK CAPACITANCE IN A POWER SUPPLY
Granted: April 23, 2009
Application Number:
20090103337
A driver circuit included in a power supply having a rectifier coupled to a single phase AC input voltage is disclosed. An example driver circuit includes a drive signal generator to generate a drive signal to be coupled to a variable impedance element. A voltage sensor is coupled to the drive signal generator and is to be coupled to sense a voltage across a high voltage capacitance. The driver circuit is to be coupled to control the variable impedance element in response to the voltage…
Package for a power semiconductor device
Granted: April 16, 2009
Application Number:
20090096072
A package for a semiconductor die includes a die attach pad that provides an attachment surface area for the semiconductor die, and tie bars connected to the die attach pad. The die attach pad is disposed in a first general plane and the tie bars are disposed in a second general plane offset with respect to the first general plane. A molding compound encapsulates the semiconductor die in a form having first, second, third and fourth lateral sides, a top and a bottom. The tie bars are…
OFF-LINE CONVERTER WITH DIGITAL CONTROL
Granted: April 9, 2009
Application Number:
20090091309
A regulation circuit for use in DC to DC converter is disclosed. One such regulation circuit includes a feedback circuit to be coupled an energy transfer element output to receive a feedback signal to indicate whether the energy transfer element output is above or below a threshold level. A control circuit is included that is to be coupled to a switch that is coupled to an energy transfer element input. The control circuit is further coupled to the feedback circuit to generate a drive…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SIMPLIFYING THE CONTROL OF A SWITCH
Granted: April 2, 2009
Application Number:
20090085615
A technique for simplifying the control of a switch is presented. In one embodiment, a method of controlling a switch as a function of the voltage across the switch is presented. In one embodiment a method of controlling a switch as a function of the slope of the voltage across the switch is present. In one embodiment a switching is switched on for an on time period that is substantially fixed in response to a voltage across the switch while the switch is off. In one embodiment a switch…
Gate metal routing for transistor with checkerboarded layout
Granted: March 19, 2009
Application Number:
20090072302
In one embodiment, a transistor fabricated on a semiconductor die is arranged into sections of elongated transistor segments. The sections are arranged in rows and columns substantially across the semiconductor die. Adjacent sections in a row or a column are oriented such that the length of the transistor segments in a first one of the adjacent sections extends in a first direction, and the length of the transistor segments in a second one of the adjacent sections extends in a second…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REDUCE AUDIO FREQUENCIES IN A SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY
Granted: March 19, 2009
Application Number:
20090073733
A controller for use in a power supply regulator is disclosed. One controller includes a feedback circuit coupled to generate an equivalent switching frequency signal in response to a sense signal from a power supply regulator output. A comparator is coupled to compare the equivalent switching frequency signal with a reference signal. A period modulation circuit is coupled to the feedback circuit to generate a period modulation switching signal in response to the equivalent switching…
High-voltage vertical transistor with a multi-gradient drain doping profile
Granted: March 5, 2009
Application Number:
20090061585
A high-voltage transistor includes first and second trenches that define a mesa in a semiconductor substrate. First and second field plate members are respectively disposed in the first and second trenches, with each of the first and second field plate members being separated from the mesa by a dielectric layer. The mesa includes a plurality of sections, each section having a substantially constant doping concentration gradient, the gradient of one section being at least 10% greater than…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE POWER CAPABILITY OF A POWER SUPPLY
Granted: February 12, 2009
Application Number:
20090040795
Techniques are disclosed to extend an on time period of switch to regulate a transfer of energy from an input of a power supply to an output of a power supply. One example integrated circuit includes an energy transfer element coupled between an input and an output of the power supply. A switch is coupled to the input of the energy transfer element. A controller is coupled to the switch to control switching of the switch to regulate a transfer of energy from the input of the power supply…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT
Granted: February 5, 2009
Application Number:
20090033307
A control circuit for use in a power supply is disclosed. An example control circuit according to aspects of the present invention includes a signal generator coupled to generate an output signal to control switching of a power switch to be coupled to the control circuit. A feedback circuit is coupled to receive a feedback signal, which is representative of an output of the power supply during a feedback portion of an off time of the power switch. The signal generator generates the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING A DIODE CONDUCTION DUTY CYCLE
Granted: February 5, 2009
Application Number:
20090033393
A power converter control method and apparatus is disclosed. A control circuit for use in a power converter according to aspects of the present invention includes a clock signal generator coupled to generate a clock signal to control switching of a power switch to be coupled to the control circuit. Feedback circuitry is coupled to receive a feedback signal, which is representative of an output of a power converter during a feedback portion of an off time of the power switch. The feedback…
GRAPHICAL INTERFACE FOR CONFIGURING A POWER SUPPLY CONTROLLER
Granted: February 5, 2009
Application Number:
20090037030
Information for configuring control apparatus for a power system including a plurality of controlled power supplies is produced using a graphical interface which displays the topology and sequencing of the power supplies in the power system. A database is used to select power supplies to add in determining the power system topology. Sequencing is represented by displacing icons representing the power supplies along lines representing their input and output voltages, and arrows…
