Method and apparatus for digital control of a switching regulator
Granted: November 9, 2010
Patent Number:
7830678
Various techniques directed to the digital control of a switching regulator are disclosed. In one aspect, a power supply regulator includes a compare circuit to be coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output level of a power supply. This causes a feedback state signal to be generated having a first feedback state that represents an output level of the power supply that is above a threshold level and a second feedback state that represents an output level of the power…
Integrated switch with internally adjusted conduction time
Granted: October 26, 2010
Patent Number:
7821241
An apparatus and method of providing a pulse width modulated signal that is responsive to a current are disclosed. An integrated circuit according to aspects of the present invention regulates an output of a power supply and includes a switch coupled to receive an external current. The integrated circuit also includes a controller coupled to the switch to control a switching of the external current by the switch in response to an external control signal and an internal current sense…
Segmented pillar layout for a high-voltage vertical transistor
Granted: October 19, 2010
Patent Number:
7816731
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…
Method and apparatus for an in-rush current limiting circuit
Granted: October 12, 2010
Patent Number:
7813098
An in-rush current limiting circuit is disclosed. An apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes a power switch having a first, second and third terminals. A capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal is also included. The second terminal of the capacitor is coupled to the first terminal of a current source. The second terminal of the current source is coupled to a second input terminal of the in-rush current limit circuit. A power switch is also…
Compensation for parameter variations in a feedback circuit
Granted: October 12, 2010
Patent Number:
7813150
Techniques to compensate for parameter variations in a feedback circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, a regulator circuit includes an energy source coupled to output a generated current in response to a control current. A feedback resistor is coupled to an output of the regulator circuit. The feedback resistor is coupled to conduct a feedback current responsive to the output of the regulator circuit. A current amplifier is coupled to the feedback resistor to generate the control…
Method and apparatus for mode selection for high voltage integrated circuits
Granted: September 28, 2010
Patent Number:
7804202
A method is disclosed to add functionality to a terminal of a high voltage integrated circuit without the penalty of additional high voltage circuitry. The benefit is that alternative modes of operation can be selected for testing, trimming parameters of the integrated circuit, or any other purpose without the cost of an additional terminal. In one embodiment, ordinary low voltage circuitry monitors the voltage on the terminal that normally is exposed to high voltage. The configuration…
Method and apparatus to select a parameter/mode using a capacitor of a feedback loop of the power supply
Granted: September 28, 2010
Patent Number:
7804305
Techniques are disclosed to select functional parameters and/or operating modes of a circuit based on a time measurement are disclosed. One example integrated circuit includes a threshold detection and timing circuit that is coupled to measure a signal during an initialization period of the integrated circuit from a multifunction capacitor that is to be coupled to a first terminal of the integrated circuit. A selection circuit is coupled to the threshold detection and timing circuit to…
High-voltage vertical transistor with a multi-gradient drain doping profile
Granted: September 7, 2010
Patent Number:
7791132
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…
High-voltage vertical transistor with edge termination structure
Granted: August 31, 2010
Patent Number:
7786533
A high-voltage transistor includes a drain, a source, and one or more drift regions extending from the drain toward the source. A field plate member laterally surrounds the drift regions and is insulated from the drift regions by a dielectric layer. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the…
DC converter with independently controlled outputs
Granted: August 24, 2010
Patent Number:
7782635
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…
Fault condition protection
Granted: August 10, 2010
Patent Number:
7773350
A power converter controller circuit is disclosed. In one aspect, a power converter controller circuit includes a control circuit to generate a switching signal to be coupled to a power switch to control power delivered to an output of a power converter. A timing circuit is to be coupled to the power switch and coupled to receive a feedback signal and the switching signal. The timing circuit is to disable the power switch from receiving the switching signal in response to the feedback…
Method and apparatus for substantially reducing electrical earth displacement current flow generated by wound components without requiring additional windings
Granted: August 3, 2010
Patent Number:
7768369
Apparatus for reducing electrical earth displacement current flow generated by wound components is disclosed. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a plurality of layers of an input winding wound around an energy transfer element core. An outer layer of the plurality of layers of the input winding is wound with a number of turns different than the number of turns in substantially each of the inner layers of the plurality of layers of the input winding. An output winding is wound around…
Method and apparatus for on/off control of a power converter
Granted: July 27, 2010
Patent Number:
7764520
A power converter control method and apparatus is disclosed. An example power converter controller according to aspects of the present invention includes feedback sampling circuitry to be coupled to an output of a power converter. The feedback sampling circuitry is to generate feedback signal samples after a conduction of a power switch is terminated during enabled switching cycles. Switch conduction control circuitry is coupled to the feedback sampling circuitry. The switch conduction…
Method and apparatus for power conversion and regulation of two output voltages
Granted: July 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7759914
A power supply converter is disclosed. An apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes a power supply converter having an energy transfer element coupled between a power converter input and first and second power converter outputs. A switch is coupled between the power converter input and the energy transfer element. A control circuit is coupled to the switch to control switching of the switch to generate a first output voltage at the first power converter output and…
Method and apparatus to provide temporary peak power from a switching regulator
Granted: July 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7759922
Various techniques directed to providing temporary peak power from a switching regulator are disclosed. In one aspect, a switching regulator includes a switch that is to be coupled between a power supply input and an energy transfer element of the power supply. A controller is coupled to be responsive to a feedback signal to be received from an output of the power supply. The controller is coupled to switch the switch in response to the feedback signal to regulate the output of the power…
Method and apparatus for fault detection in a switching power supply
Granted: July 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7760518
Techniques are disclosed to detect a fault in the feedback circuit of a switching power supply while the power supply operates in a mode where the output is below its regulated value. The power supply delivers maximum power at a given switching frequency without a feedback signal while the output is below its regulated value. A fault protection circuit substantially reduces the average output power if there is no feedback signal for the duration of a fault time. When there is no feedback…
Method and apparatus to improve regulation of a power supply
Granted: July 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7760523
Techniques are disclosed to regulate a power supply with a compensation signal generation circuit. One example regulated power supply includes a sense circuit coupled to sense an output voltage of the regulated power supply. The regulated power supply also includes a switching power converter circuit, which includes a switch coupled to be switched in response to a control signal received from the sense circuit to regulate the output voltage of the regulated power supply. The regulated…
Method and apparatus to reduce the volume required for bulk capacitance in a power supply
Granted: July 20, 2010
Patent Number:
7760524
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…
Modulation of a feedback signal used in a digital control of a switching regulator
Granted: July 13, 2010
Patent Number:
7755917
Digital control of a switching regulator in one aspect includes a compare circuit to be coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output level of a power supply. A feedback state signal is generated having a first feedback state and a second feedback state. An adjustment circuit is coupled to the compare circuit to adjust the feedback state signal in response to at least one of adjusting the threshold level or adjusting the feedback signal. The adjusted feedback state…
Method of fabricating a high-voltage transistor with an extended drain structure
Granted: June 29, 2010
Patent Number:
7745291
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 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 and…
