Method and apparatus for a voltage triggered current sink circuit
Granted: December 1, 2009
Patent Number:
7626373
A current sink circuit is disclosed. An apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes a sensing element, a pass element coupled to the sensing element and a setting element coupled to the pass element. The setting element provides both a voltage threshold level and a current regulation reference. The pass element is to pass current conducted through the current sink circuit in response to the setting element. The current conducted through the current sink circuit is…
Method for feedback circuit design
Granted: November 24, 2009
Patent Number:
7624360
A method and system for feedback circuit design are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of feedback circuit design includes simulating a reference circuit design having a feedback stage at a target crossover frequency, determining an initial phase margin at the target crossover frequency, and adding an impedance network to the feedback stage if the initial phase margin is less than a threshold phase margin. The design of the impedance network is determined such that the initial phase…
Method and apparatus to limit maximum switch current in a switch of a switching power supply
Granted: November 3, 2009
Patent Number:
7613019
Techniques are disclosed to limit the current in a switch of a switching power supply. An example switching regulator circuit includes a switch to be coupled to an energy transfer element. A controller is coupled to the switch to control switching of the switch. A current sensor is included in the controller. The current sensor includes first and second comparators coupled to compare a current in the switch with first and second current limits, respectively. The controller is to open the…
Method and apparatus for providing input EMI filtering in power supplies
Granted: October 27, 2009
Patent Number:
7609535
A power supply electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter circuit and technique. In one embodiment, a method of filtering EMI in a power supply includes rectifying an AC signal from an AC source, smoothing the rectified AC signal with a bulk storage capacitor to provide a DC output as an input to a power conversion circuit and filtering the EMI generated by the power conversion circuit from reaching the AC source by using the bulk capacitor and one or more inductors in combination with…
Gate pullback at ends of high-voltage vertical transistor structure
Granted: September 29, 2009
Patent Number:
7595523
In one embodiment, a transistor includes a pillar of semiconductor material arranged in a racetrack-shaped layout having a substantially linear section that extends in a first lateral direction and rounded sections at each end of the substantially linear section. First and second dielectric regions are disposed on opposite sides of the pillar. First and second field plates are respectively disposed in the first and second dielectric regions. First and second gate members respectively…
Method and apparatus providing a multi-function terminal for a power supply controller
Granted: September 29, 2009
Patent Number:
7596005
A power supply controller circuit in one embodiment comprises a power switch, a multifunction circuit, and a control circuit. The power switch comprises a source and a drain respectively coupled to first and second terminals of the power supply controller circuit. The multifunction circuit comprises a first input that is coupled to a third terminal of the controller circuit, wherein the third terminal is to receive a first current control signal, and wherein the multifunction circuit is…
Comparator with complementary differential input stages
Granted: September 22, 2009
Patent Number:
7592844
A comparator comprises complementary (e.g. NMOS and PMOS) comparator cells having overlapping common mode input voltage ranges which together extend approximately from rail to rail. A digital logic arrangement, including edge detectors, gates, and a latch, is responsive to transitions at the outputs of the comparator cells to set the latch in response to the earliest rising edge and to reset the latch in response to the earliest falling edge. An output of the latch constitutes an output…
Thermal conduit
Granted: September 22, 2009
Patent Number:
7593235
A thermal conduit to extract heat from an electrical component on a circuit board is disclosed. An electronic assembly according to aspects of the present invention includes an integrated circuit mounted on a circuit board and a thermal conduit having a first and a second portion. The first portion of the thermal conduit is thermally coupled to one or more electrical terminals of the integrated circuit through an opening defined in the circuit board while the second portion of the…
Method and apparatus to limit maximum switch current in a switching power supply
Granted: September 22, 2009
Patent Number:
7593245
Techniques are disclosed to limit the current in a switch of a switching power supply. An example switching regulator circuit includes a power switch to be coupled to an energy transfer element of a power supply. A controller to generate a drive signal is coupled to be received by the power switch to control the switching of the power switch. A short on time detector is included in the controller. The short on time detector is to detect an occurrence of a threshold number of one or more…
Integrated circuit with multi-length output transistor segments
Granted: September 8, 2009
Patent Number:
7585719
A monolithic integrated circuit fabricated on a semiconductor die includes a control circuit and a first output transistor having segments substantially equal to a first length. A second output transistor has segments substantially equal to a second length. The first and second output transistors occupy an L-shaped area of the semiconductor die, the L-shaped area having first and second inner sides that are respectively disposed adjacent first and second sides of the control circuit. At…
Control circuit responsive to an impedance
Granted: August 18, 2009
Patent Number:
7576528
A power supply controller measuring impedance includes a sense circuit coupled to a sense terminal. A regulation circuit is coupled to the sense circuit and is also coupled to regulate the sense terminal to a first voltage level when a current flowing through the sense terminal is less than a first threshold current level. The regulation circuit is further coupled to regulate the sense terminal to a second voltage level when the current flowing through the sense terminal reaches the…
Method and apparatus to improve regulation of a power supply
Granted: August 4, 2009
Patent Number:
7570500
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…
Integrated switch with internally adjusted conduction time
Granted: July 28, 2009
Patent Number:
7567066
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…
Method and apparatus to limit output power in a switching power supply
Granted: July 28, 2009
Patent Number:
7567070
Techniques are disclosed to adjust a current limit in a switching regulator. One example switching regulator includes a comparator having first and second inputs and an output. The first input of the comparator is adapted to sense a current flow through a switch and the second input of the comparator is adapted to sense a variable current limit value. A controller is coupled to the output of the comparator and to the switch to control switching of the switch to regulate an output of a…
Apparatus and method for winding an energy transfer element core
Granted: July 28, 2009
Patent Number:
7567162
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 power conversion and regulation in a power converter having a plurality of outputs
Granted: July 21, 2009
Patent Number:
7564229
Techniques are disclosed to control a power converter with multiple output voltages. One example regulated power converter includes a 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 such that switching of the switch causes a first output voltage to be generated at the first power converter output and a second output voltage to be generated…
Method and apparatus for substantially reducing electrical earth displacement current flow generated by wound components
Granted: July 21, 2009
Patent Number:
7564334
A transformer having input and output windings. A sample transformer includes an input winding wound around a core. The input winding has a first end and a second end. An output winding is also wound around the core. The output winding has a first end and a second end. The input winding is capacitively coupled to the output winding to provide a transfer of energy from the input winding to the output winding. A balancing winding is also wound around the core. The balancing winding has a…
Method and apparatus for regulating an output current from a power converter
Granted: July 21, 2009
Patent Number:
7564701
Techniques are disclosed to control a current through a load to be coupled to an output of a power converter. In one aspect, a power converter includes an energy transfer element coupled between an input of the power converter and an output of the power converter. A power converter controller is coupled to the energy transfer element to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to the output of the power converter. A current source is coupled to the output of the…
Segmented pillar layout for a high-voltage vertical transistor
Granted: July 7, 2009
Patent Number:
7557406
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 adjusting a reference
Granted: June 30, 2009
Patent Number:
7554315
A circuit includes a current divider to divide a current from a current source into a first current and a reference current. The circuit also includes a current mirror coupled to the current divider to receive the first current from the current divider and to receive an adjustment current. The adjustment current is to set the reference current.
