Noise cancellation for a magnetically coupled communication link utilizing a lead frame
Granted: May 24, 2016
Patent Number:
9349717
An integrated circuit package includes an encapsulation and a lead frame with a portion of the lead frame disposed within the encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor having a first conductive loop and a third conductive loop disposed within the encapsulation. The third conductive loop is wound in a direction relative to the first conductive loop such that the first conductive loop is coupled out of phase with the third conductive loop. The lead frame also includes a…
Method and apparatus for a control circuit with multiple operating modes
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9343978
A controller for use in a power converter includes an oscillator that generates a first signal that determines a duration of a switching cycle period of a switch included in the power converter. The controller also includes a logic circuit that generates a second signal to control switching of the switch in response to a feedback signal and in response to the first signal. The logic circuit generates the second signal to control a peak switch current of the switch during each switching…
Pre-distortion of sensed current in a power factor correction circuit
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9343953
An example controller includes a power factor enhancer, an on-time controller, and a switching signal generator. The power factor enhancer is coupled to generate a pre-distortion signal each half-line cycle of an ac input voltage of a PFC converter. The on-time controller ends an on-time of a PFC switch in response to a sensed PFC switch current of the PFC converter multiplied by the pre-distortion signal. The switching signal generator controls an input current waveform of the PFC…
Method of fabricating GaN high voltage HFET with passivation plus gate dielectric multilayer structure
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9343541
A method of fabricating a multi-layer structure for a power transistor device includes performing, within a reaction chamber, a nitrogen plasma strike, resulting in the formation of a nitride layer directly on a nitride-based active semiconductor layer. A top surface of the nitride layer is then exposed to a second source. A subsequent nitrogen-oxygen plasma strike results in the formation of an oxy-nitride layer directly on the nitride layer. The nitride layer comprises a passivation…
Magnetically coupled galvanically isolated communication using lead frame
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9331004
An integrated circuit package includes an encapsulation and a lead frame. A portion of the lead frame is disposed within the encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor forming a first conductive loop. A second conductor is galvanically isolated from the first conductor. The second conductor forms a second conductive loop proximate to and magnetically coupled to the first conductive loop to provide a magnetic communication link between the first and second conductors. A…
LED driver circuit with open load detection
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9332614
Various examples directed to LED driver circuits capable of detecting the removal of an LED load are disclosed. In one example, the LED driver circuit may include a bleeder and load disconnect detection circuit having a bleeder circuit and a bleeder controller coupled to control the bleeder circuit. The bleeder controller may cause the bleeder circuit to draw a bleeder current that functions to supplement a load current drawn by an LED load to cause an input current of the LED driver…
Current limiter with active damping
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9332613
This relates to a current limiter circuit that can be used in a power conversion system having a triac dimmer. In one example, the power conversion system may be used in an off-line LED driver. The current limiter circuit may be coupled to a power converter of the power conversion system and may operate to reduce the current that the power converter receives from an input line in the event of a power line surge. The current limiter circuit may also be coupled to the triac dimmer and may…
Latching comparator
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9331597
A latching comparator includes a switching logic circuit coupled to receive a first signal from a first signal circuit, and a second signal from a second signal circuit. The switching logic circuit is further coupled to receive a latching signal that is a rectangular pulse waveform in either a first or a second state. An output circuit having an input terminal is coupled to the switching logic circuit. The input terminal of the output circuit is coupled to receive both the first and…
Power converter controller with multiple power sources
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9331587
A controller includes a bypass terminal, a first power circuit, a second power circuit, and a charging control circuit. The bypass terminal is to be coupled to a bypass capacitor coupled to a secondary side of an isolated power converter. The first power circuit is coupled to the bypass terminal and a first terminal to be coupled to a first node of the secondary side. The first power circuit transfers charge from the first terminal to the bypass terminal for storage on the bypass…
Sampling for dimmer edge detection in power converter
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9331586
A controller and a method for controlling a power converter includes a sample block coupled to generate a first, second, and third sample by sampling an input sense signal that is representative of an input voltage of the power converter. An enable signal is asserted when a first difference between the first sample and the second sample exceeds a first threshold. An edge signal is asserted when both the enable signal is asserted and a second difference between the first sample and the…
Energy transfer assembly with tuned leakage inductance and common mode noise compensation
Granted: May 3, 2016
Patent Number:
9330837
An energy transfer assembly includes first and second windings wound around a bobbin. The first winding has a first number of layers proximate to a first end and a second number of layers proximate to a second end of the bobbin. The second winding has a third number of layers proximate to the first end and a fourth number of layers proximate to the second end. At least a portion of one of the first and second windings overlaps at least a portion of the other one of the first and second…
Dimming control for a switching power supply
Granted: April 19, 2016
Patent Number:
9320091
An example controller includes a measurement block and a drive block. The measurement block determines an amount of time that a dimmer circuit, that is coupled to an input of a power supply, disconnects an ac input voltage. The drive block generates a drive signal to control switching of a switch included in the power supply. The drive block operates a closed loop dimming control when the amount of time is less than or equal to a threshold and operates an open loop dimming control when…
Synchronous rectification
Granted: April 12, 2016
Patent Number:
9312777
This invention generally relates to synchronous rectifier controllers for an SMPS. One controller comprises: a sensor to sense a signal on a secondary side, to detect turn off of the switch; a charge source to, in response to a said detection, charge a control terminal of the rectifier to a voltage beyond a threshold voltage of the synchronous rectifier to allow the synchronous rectifier to conduct current of the secondary winding; and a linear amplifier having an output to sink current…
High-electron-mobility transistors
Granted: April 5, 2016
Patent Number:
9306014
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…
Method and apparatus for integrated cable drop compensation of a power converter
Granted: March 22, 2016
Patent Number:
9293996
An integrated circuit controller includes a switching control circuit coupled to output a drive signal to control switching of a switch to regulate an output power of a power converter to be coupled to a distribution network. An oscillator is coupled to output a clock signal coupled to be received by the switching control circuit. The switching control circuit is coupled to output the drive signal in response to the clock signal. A cable drop compensator is coupled to output a…
On time sampling prevention
Granted: March 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9287787
An example controller circuit includes a feedback sampling circuit, an oscillator, a drive logic, and a false sampling prevention circuit. The feedback sampling circuit generates a sample signal in response to a sampling of a feedback signal. The oscillator generates an on-time signal that transitions from a first logic state to a second logic state during each period of the on-time signal. The drive logic controls a switch to regulate the output of a power converter. The drive logic…
Method and apparatus for programming a power converter controller with an external programming terminal having multiple functions
Granted: March 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9287786
A power converter includes an energy transfer element and a power switch coupled the energy transfer element and an input of the power converter. A control circuit is coupled to generate a switching signal to control switching of the power switch in response to a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. A programming interface circuit is coupled to the control circuit and a coupling switcher coupled to the programming interface circuit. A programming terminal…
Adaptive biasing for integrated circuits
Granted: March 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9287784
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for generating an adjustable bias current. The value of the adjustable bias current may be determined based in part on an error signal representative of a difference between an actual output value and a desired output value of a power converter. When the error signal is below a lower threshold voltage, the adjustable bias current may be set to a first value. When the error signal is above an upper threshold voltage, the adjustable bias current may be…
Light driver control system
Granted: March 8, 2016
Patent Number:
9282602
A system for controlling a light source includes a control circuit to be coupled to an ac source to receive an ac signal. The control circuit includes an input controller coupled to receive an input control signal and dimming command circuitry coupled to the input controller and coupled to receive the ac signal. The dimming command circuitry is coupled to remove one or more portions of a predetermined duration from the ac signal followed by a substantially full ac signal in response to…
Switch mode power converters using magnetically coupled galvanically isolated lead frame communication
Granted: March 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9275946
An integrated circuit package for use in a switch mode power converter includes a portion of a lead frame disposed within an encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor having an inner conductive loop disposed within the encapsulation, and a second conductor galvanically isolated from the first conductor having an outer conductive loop disposed within the encapsulation and magnetically coupled to the first conductive loop to provide a communication link between the first and…
