Input and output overvoltage protection in a power converter
Granted: February 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9584017
A controller for use in a power converter includes a gate drive circuit coupled to generate a control signal to switch a power switch of the power converter. A zero current detection circuit is coupled to a multifunction pin coupled to receive a multifunction signal that is representative of an input voltage of the power converter when the power switch is on, and representative of an output voltage of the power converter when the power switch is off. The zero current detection circuit is…
Bleeder protection using thermal foldback
Granted: February 14, 2017
Patent Number:
9572224
Thermally protected bleeder circuits for maintaining an input current of a power converter above a dimmer circuit holding current are disclosed. In one example, a bleeder control circuit may generate a bleeder control signal to control a bleeder current of the bleeder circuit based on an input current signal and a temperature signal. The bleeder control circuit may cause the bleeder current to be substantially equal to zero in response to the input current signal being greater than or…
Programming controller parameters through external terminals of a power converter
Granted: February 14, 2017
Patent Number:
9570988
This relates to systems and processes for programming parameters of a controller of a power converter. In one example, a predetermined signal may be applied to the input or output terminals of the power converter to unlock the controller and cause the controller to enter a programming mode. While in the programming mode, one or more additional predetermined signals may be applied to the terminals of the power converter to program one or more parameters of the controller. Once the desired…
Generating a control signal based on leading edge dimming detection for maintaining input current of a power converter
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9543845
A power converter includes an energy transfer element, a power switch, a controller and a leading edge dimming detection circuit. The controller is coupled to control switching of the power switch to regulate the output of the power converter by controlling a transfer of energy through the energy transfer element. The leading edge dimming detection circuit is coupled to generate a control signal in response to detecting leading edge dimming at the input of the power converter. In one…
Method and apparatus for sensing multiple voltage values from a single terminal of a power converter controller
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9543840
A controller includes a switching control coupled to switch a power switch of a power converter to regulate an output of the power converter. A sensor is coupled to receive a signal from a single terminal of the controller. The signal from the single terminal is representative of a line input voltage of the power converter during at least a portion of an on time of the power switch, and an output voltage of the power converter during at least a portion of an off time of the power switch.…
MOSFET driver with pulse timing pattern fault detection and adaptive safe operating area mode of operation
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9543821
A Safe Operating Area (SOA) adaptive gate driver for a switch mode power converter is disclosed. In response to a detection of a fault condition, the SOA adaptive gate driver may limit the peak current in a power transistor (e.g., power MOSFET) of the power converter by limiting the voltage applied to the gate of the power MOSFET or by limiting the current injected into the gate of the power MOSFET. The limited gate voltage or current may increase the margin between an SOA border and the…
Integrated high performance lateral schottky diode
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9543402
A diode includes a two-dimensional electron gas formed in a heterojunction defined between first and second semiconductor material layers. First and second layers of insulating material are disposed on the second semiconductor layer. First and second electrodes are disposed in the second layer of insulating material. The first electrode is coupled to the second semiconductor material layer. The second electrode is coupled to the heterojunction. Third and fourth layers of insulating…
Vertical transistor device structure with cylindrically-shaped regions
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9543396
A vertical power transistor device includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, with a plurality of cylindrically-shaped dielectric regions disposed in the semiconductor layer. The cylindrically-shaped dielectric regions extend in a vertical direction from a top surface of the semiconductor layer downward. Adjacent ones of the cylindrically-shaped dielectric regions being laterally separated along a common diametrical axis by a narrow region of the semiconductor layer…
Power converter with power foldback
Granted: January 3, 2017
Patent Number:
9537405
A controller for use in a power converter includes a drive circuit coupled to control switching of a power switch of the power converter to regulate the output of the power converter. A limit sense circuit is coupled to output a limit sense signal in response to a condition of the power converter. The drive circuit is coupled to operate in a first operation mode if there is a no limit condition. The first operation mode includes regulating the output of the power converter with a…
Power supply controller with minimum-sum multi-cycle modulation
Granted: December 27, 2016
Patent Number:
9531279
An example power supply controller includes a signal separator circuit that generates a feedback signal. An error signal generator generates an error signal in response to the feedback signal. A control circuit generates a drive signal in response to the error signal. The drive signal controls switching of a switch. A multi-cycle modulation circuit is included in the control circuit and generates a skip signal in response to a start skip signal, a stop skip signal and a skip mask signal.…
Auxiliary recharge
Granted: December 27, 2016
Patent Number:
9531264
The present invention generally relates to powering a switching controller of a switch mode power converter (SMPC), and more particularly to a method of providing power to a switching controller of a SMPC, to a charging circuit for supplying charge to a charge store for providing power to a switching controller of a SMPC, and to an SMPC comprising such a circuit. A method of providing power to a switching controller of a switch mode power converter (SMPC), the SMPC having: an inductive…
BJT driver with dynamic adjustment of storage time versus input line voltage variations
Granted: December 20, 2016
Patent Number:
9525333
A power converter controller includes a storage time reference circuit to generate a storage time reference signal in response to an input voltage signal. A first comparator generates a collector off signal in response to a current sense signal of a BJT and a collector off reference threshold signal. A storage time regulator circuit generates a base off reference threshold signal in response to the storage time reference signal and the collector off signal. A second comparator generates…
High-electron-mobility transistors
Granted: December 20, 2016
Patent Number:
9525055
High-electron-mobility transistors that include field plates are described. In a first implementation, a HEMT includes a first and a second semiconductor material disposed to form a heterojunction at which a two-dimensional electron gas arises and source, a drain, and gate electrodes. The gate electrode is disposed to regulate conduction in the heterojunction between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The gate has a drain-side edge. A gate-connected field plate is disposed…
Transformer communication system
Granted: November 22, 2016
Patent Number:
9502985
A switched mode power converter (SMPC) has an isolation transformer for power transfer and a communication circuit for data communication between the primary side and the secondary side. The SMPC includes a primary switch controller configured to transfer power from a primary side to a secondary side by controlling a primary switch ON for an ON time period and then controlling the primary switch OFF for an OFF time period. The primary switch controller controls the ON time period of the…
Power supply controller with input voltage compensation for efficiency and maximum power output
Granted: November 8, 2016
Patent Number:
9490706
An apparatus includes an ON/OFF controller for regulating an output of a switched mode power supply by selectively enabling current conduction by a power switch within enabled switching cycles and disabling current conduction by the power switch within disabled switching cycles. The controller includes a logic block and a time-to-frequency converter. The logic block generates a drive signal that enables the current conduction by the power switch within respective enabled switching cycles…
Enable circuit for lighting drivers
Granted: November 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9485825
This relates to an enable driver circuit for an LED drive. In some examples, the enable driver circuit may sense an input of the LED driver and enable the LED driver when a conduction angle of the input is greater than a threshold value after a set amount of line cycles of the input of the LED driver have occurred. If the conduction angle is not greater than the threshold after the set amount of line cycles, the enable driver circuit may not enable the LED driver and power may not be…
Method and apparatus for digital control of a switching regulator
Granted: November 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9484824
An on/off controller device includes a control circuit to generate a control signal to switch a power switch between an on state and an off state to transfer energy from a primary side to a secondary side of a switched mode power supply. A comparator is coupled to generate an enable signal that enables and disables the switching of the power switch by the control circuit. The comparator compares a feedback signal with a variable threshold and switches the enable signal between enabling…
Method and apparatus for implementing an unregulated dormant mode with an event counter in a power converter
Granted: November 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9484822
A control circuit for use in a power converter includes a drive signal generator coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a switch to regulate an output of the power converter. An event detection circuit is coupled to the drive signal generator to indicate if a switching period of one switching cycle of the drive signal exceeds a threshold switching period. An event counter circuit is coupled to the event detection circuit to render dormant the drive signal generator if…
Power converter controller with analog controlled variable current circuit
Granted: November 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9484814
A bleeder controller for controlling a magnitude of a variable current conducted by bleeder circuitry between input terminals of a device is disclosed. The magnitude of the variable current is controllable in response to a control signal. The bleeder controller includes a dimming detector to classify a half line cycle as leading-edge-dimmed or a trailing-edge-dimmed in response to at least one of an input current sense signal and an input voltage sense signal.
Controller supply terminal boosting
Granted: October 25, 2016
Patent Number:
9479065
A power conversion device includes a power switch a first main terminal coupled to a higher potential portion, a second main terminal coupled to a lower potential portion, and a tap coupled to the first main terminal to provide a current for charging a supply terminal capacitor. A controller is coupled to a control terminal of the power switch to control switching of the power switch to produce a regulated output. A supply terminal is to be coupled to a supply terminal capacitor to store…
