AC voltage sensor with low power consumption
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9071146
A power converter controller includes an input sense circuit to receive an input sense signal representative of an input of a power converter. A zero-crossing detector is coupled to the input sense circuit to be responsive to the input sense signal falling below a first zero-crossing threshold and rising above a second zero-crossing threshold to determine zero-crossing intervals. A timer circuit is coupled to the zero-crossing detector to determine peak intervals and to synchronize an…
Method and apparatus for integrated cable drop compensation of a power converter
Granted: June 23, 2015
Patent Number:
9065346
An integrated circuit controller for a power converter to be coupled to a distribution network is disclosed. An example integrated circuit controller according to aspects of the present invention includes a switching control circuit that outputs a drive signal to control switching of a switch to regulate an output of the power converter. The integrated circuit controller also includes a cable drop compensator that outputs a compensated reference voltage signal to the switching control…
Method and apparatus for implementing a power converter input terminal voltage discharge circuit
Granted: June 23, 2015
Patent Number:
9065340
A circuit includes a control circuit coupled to detect whether an electrical energy source is coupled to an input of a power converter. A switch is coupled to the control circuit to transfer energy from the input of the power converter to an output of the power converter during a first operating mode. The control circuit is coupled to drive the switch in the first operating mode when the electrical energy source is coupled to the input of the power converter. The control circuit is…
Programming of an integrated circuit on a multi-function terminal
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9036369
Methods and apparatuses for programming a parameter value in an IC (e.g., any power electronic device, such as a controller of a power converter) are disclosed. The parameter can be selected/programmed by selecting a clamp using an external optional (selectively inserted) diode coupled to a multi-function programming terminal. In particular, a controller IC for a power converter can be externally programmed via one or more multiple function terminals during startup of the converter to…
Feedback protection from adjacent terminal shorts
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9036310
This relates to detecting unwanted couplings between a protected terminal and an adjacent terminal of an IC controller of a power supply. The voltages across adjacent terminals are monitored. If the voltage difference between the terminals falls below a minimum threshold for greater than a first duration of time, an internal current source injects current into one of the terminals. If, within a second duration of time, the injected current pulls the voltage of the injected terminal to a…
Digital peak detector with follower mode
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9035636
Circuits and processes for detecting a peak value of an input signal are disclosed. In one example, a peak detector circuit may sample a line sense signal, determine the peak value of the line sense signal during a search window, and output a peak detection signal representative of the determined peak value. In a first mode, the peak detector circuit may cause the peak detection signal to be representative of the determined peak value from an immediately preceding search window. In a…
Magnetically coupled galvanically isolated communication using lead frame
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9035435
An integrated circuit package includes an encapsulation and a lead frame. A portion of the lead frame is disposed within encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor having a first conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation. The lead frame also includes a second conductor that is galvanically isolated from the first conductor. The second conductor includes a second conductive loop that is substantially disposed within the encapsulation proximate to and…
Power converter output voltage clamp and supply terminal
Granted: April 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9019728
A secondary control circuit includes a voltage regulator circuit to be coupled to an output of a power converter to provide a regulated power supply. One or more switched loads is coupled between a first terminal to be coupled to the output of the power converter and an output ground terminal. One or more comparator circuits is coupled to a second terminal coupled to receive an output sense signal. Each one of the one or more comparator circuits is coupled to receive a respective one of…
Gate driver for enhancement-mode and depletion-mode wide bandgap semiconductor JFETs
Granted: April 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9019001
A DC-coupled two-stage gate driver circuit for driving a junction field effect transistor (JFET) is provided. The JFET can be a wide bandgap junction field effect transistor (JFET) such as a SiC JFET. The driver includes a first turn-on circuit, a second turn-on circuit and a pull-down circuit. The driver is configured to accept an input pulse-width modulation (PWM) control signal and generate an output driver signal for driving the gate of the JFET.
Bleeder circuit having current sense with edge detection
Granted: April 7, 2015
Patent Number:
9000683
A bleeder circuit for use in a power converter of a lighting system includes a current sense circuit coupled between first and second terminals of an input of a driver circuit to be coupled to drive a load. The current sense circuit is coupled to output a current sense signal in response to an input current through an input of the power converter coupled to the input of the driver circuit. An edge detection circuit is coupled between the first and second terminals to output an edge…
Smooth mode transition plateau for a power supply controller
Granted: March 31, 2015
Patent Number:
8994351
A power supply includes a drive signal generator to generate a drive signal to control a switching of power switch. A feedback circuit is coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of the output to generate a control signal. An oscillator circuit is coupled to generate an oscillating signal in response to the control signal, from which the drive signal is generated in response. A frequency of the oscillating signal increases from a first frequency to a second frequency with…
Switch mode power converters using magnetically coupled galvanically isolated lead frame communication
Granted: March 10, 2015
Patent Number:
8976561
An integrated circuit package for use in a switch mode power converter comprises an encapsulation and a lead frame. A portion of the lead frame is disposed within the encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor having a first conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation. The lead frame also includes a second conductor galvanically isolated from the first conductor. The second conductor includes a second conductive loop disposed substantially within the…
Operational amplifier with selective input
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8970302
An operational amplifier includes a selective differential stage including a first current mirror and a current distribution circuit. First and second legs of the first current mirror are responsive to current in first and second paths of the current distribution circuit, which distributes a tail current in response to a first signal received by a first input of the operational amplifier. Current in a first path of a selection circuit in the second path of the current distribution…
Method and apparatus for implementing slew rate control using bypass capacitor
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8970290
An example circuit includes a capacitance circuit, a regulator circuit, and a slew rate control circuit. The capacitance circuit is coupled between a first node and a second node. The regulator circuit is coupled to the capacitance circuit to regulate a supply voltage across the capacitance circuit with a charge current during a normal operation mode of the circuit. The slew rate control circuit is coupled to the capacitance circuit and the regulator circuit. The slew rate control…
Split current mirror line sensing
Granted: February 24, 2015
Patent Number:
8964412
Apparatus and methods for filtering the transients of an input signal of an integrated circuit while maintaining a constant voltage at an input terminal of the integrated circuit are disclosed. In one example, the integrated circuit can be a controller of a switched-mode power supply. The controller can include a line sensing circuit coupled to receive an input signal representative of the line voltage and operable produce an output signal that can be used by other circuits within the…
Enhancement-mode HFET circuit arrangement having high power and a high threshold voltage
Granted: February 24, 2015
Patent Number:
8963209
A circuit includes input drain, source and gate nodes. The circuit also includes a group III nitride enhancement-mode HFET having a source, drain and gate and a voltage shifter having a first terminal connected to the gate of the enhancement mode HFET at a common junction. The circuit also includes a load resistive element connected to the common junction. The drain of the enhancement-mode HFET serves as the input drain node, the source of the enhancement-mode HFET serves as the input…
Composite wafer for fabrication of semiconductor devices
Granted: January 27, 2015
Patent Number:
8940620
A composite wafer includes a first substrate having a first vertical thickness and a top surface, the top surface being prepared in a state for subsequent semiconductor material epitaxial deposition. A carrier substrate is disposed beneath the first substrate. The carrier substrate has a second vertical thickness greater than the first vertical thickness. An interlayer bonds the first substrate to the carrier substrate.
Method of fabricating a high-voltage transistor with an extended drain structure
Granted: January 27, 2015
Patent Number:
8940605
A method for fabricating a high-voltage transistor with an extended drain region includes forming in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, first and second trenches that define a mesa having respective first and second sidewalls; then partially filling each of the trenches with a dielectric material that covers the first and second sidewalls. The remaining portions of the trenches are then filled with a conductive material to form first and second field plates. Source…
Power converter having a switch coupled between windings
Granted: January 13, 2015
Patent Number:
8933649
An example power converter includes a first winding, a second winding, a switch, a controller and an output circuit. The second winding is magnetically coupled to the first winding and the controller includes a feedback terminal and a common terminal. The controller is coupled to control the switch to regulate an output of the power converter in response to a feedback voltage received at the feedback terminal. The output circuit is coupled between the common terminal of the controller…
Vertical junction field effect transistors and diodes having graded doped regions and methods of making
Granted: January 6, 2015
Patent Number:
8928074
Semiconductor devices and methods of making the devices are described. The devices can be junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) or diodes such as junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes or PiN diodes. The devices have graded p-type semiconductor layers and/or regions formed by epitaxial growth. The methods do not require ion implantation. The devices can be made from a wide-bandgap semiconductor material such as silicon carbide (SiC) and can be used in high temperature and high power…
