Method and apparatus for implementing a power converter input terminal voltage discharge circuit
Granted: March 31, 2020
Patent Number:
10608525
A circuit for use in a power converter includes a control circuit capable of detecting whether an AC voltage source is coupled to an input of the power converter, and whether the AC voltage source is uncoupled from the input within a first period of time. A control circuit is coupled to drive a switch in a first operating mode when the control circuit detects that the AC voltage source is coupled to the input, and drive the switch in a second operating mode when the control circuit…
Current damping circuit
Granted: March 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10587186
A circuit for shaping an input current of a switching power converter. The circuit is a power factor circuit comprising an input to be coupled to receive a rectified line signal, an output, a resistance coupled to resist a flow of current from the input to the output. The resistance has a first value and a switch coupled in parallel with the resistance and coupled to switch from a less conductive state into a more conductive state in response to the flow of current through the input, and…
Modulating jitter frequency as switching frequency approaches jitter frequency
Granted: March 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10585444
A controller for use in a power converter including a jitter generator circuit coupled to receive a drive signal from a switch controller and generate a jitter signal. The jitter signal is a modulated jitter signal when the drive signal is below a first threshold frequency. The switch controller is coupled to a power switch coupled to an energy transfer element. The switch controller is coupled to receive a current sense signal representative of a current through the power switch. The…
Communications using an inductive coupling
Granted: February 25, 2020
Patent Number:
10574302
A controller for a semiconductor switch is described that includes a transmitter and a receiver that communicate across galvanic isolation using an inductive coupling. An example controller includes first circuitry referenced to a first reference potential, second circuitry referenced to a second reference potential and galvanically isolated from the first circuitry, and an inductive coupling galvanically isolating the first circuitry and the second circuitry. The inductive coupling…
BJT driver with dynamic adjustment of storage time versus input line voltage variations
Granted: February 25, 2020
Patent Number:
10574145
A method of dynamically adjusting a storage time of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) in a switched mode power converter during a switching cycle includes generating a storage time reference signal responsive to an input voltage signal. A collector off signal is generated responsive to a comparison of a current sense signal to a collector off reference threshold signal. The current sense signal is representative of a switch current of the BJT. A base off reference threshold signal is…
Control of secondary switches based on secondary winding voltage in a power converter
Granted: February 4, 2020
Patent Number:
10554136
A secondary controller including a control circuit coupled to a secondary switch of a power converter. The control circuit is coupled to receive a secondary switch voltage signal representative of the secondary switch, and turns ON the secondary in response in response to how many times the secondary switch voltage signal crosses below a turn on threshold to a limit set in a last half period. The control circuit turns OFF the secondary switch when the secondary switch voltage signal…
Idle ring detection for a multi-output power converter
Granted: February 4, 2020
Patent Number:
10554134
A controller for use in a power converter with multiple outputs includes a discharge detect circuit coupled to receive a voltage signal from a transformer winding of the power converter to output a discharge signal in response to the voltage signal. A multi-output signal process and interface block is coupled to output request signals to the output selection drive and idle ring visibility logic circuit. An output selection drive and idle ring visibility logic circuit is coupled to…
Apparatus and methods for controlling a switch mode power converter using a duty cycle state machine
Granted: December 10, 2019
Patent Number:
10505458
A power conversion system includes a switch mode power converter including a switch coupled to regulate an output voltage to a regulation value in response to a feedback signal. A controller is coupled to deliver a gate drive signal to the switch during an enabled control condition. The controller is further coupled to inhibit the gate drive signal to the switch during an inhibited control condition. A duty cycle state machine included in controller is coupled to adjust a duty cycle of…
High side signal interface in a power converter
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10498244
A controller for use in a power converter of a motor drive includes a control circuit configured to turn ON a high side switch by sinking a current of an ON signal. A high side signal interface circuit is coupled to receive the ON signal to generate a drive signal to control switching of the high side switch in a presence of a common mode signal caused by slewing at a half bridge node. The high side signal interface circuit includes a common mode cancellation circuit coupled to provide a…
Voltage-to-current transconductance operational amplifier with adaptive biasing
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10498300
An IC for power conversion includes bias circuitry that generates one or more bias voltages. An adaptive biasing circuit adaptively shifts an input signal having a negative value to a positive value. An operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) receives a supply bias current and the first and second bias voltages. The OTA has first and second input terminals coupled to the input signal and ground, respectively. The OTA has first and second transistors coupled to the first and second…
Closed loop foldback control
Granted: November 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10491126
A controller for use in a power converter includes comparator coupled to generate a regulation signal in response to a regulation reference and an output sense signal. The output sense signal is representative of an output of the power converter. A drive signal generator is coupled to the comparator to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch of the power converter in response to the regulation signal. The drive signal generator is further coupled to generate an…
Integrated resistor for semiconductor device
Granted: November 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10490548
A heterostructure semiconductor device includes first and second active areas, each electrically isolated from one another, and each including first and second active layers with an electrical charge disposed therebetween. A power transistor is formed in the first active area, and an integrated gate resistor is formed in the second active area. A gate array laterally extends over the first active area of the power transistor. First and second ohmic contacts are respectively disposed at…
Clamp for a hybrid switch
Granted: October 29, 2019
Patent Number:
10461740
A switch having a drain terminal, a source terminal and a control terminal. The switch comprises a normally-on device including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, a normally-off device including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, and a clamp circuit. The first terminal of the normally-on device is the drain terminal of the switch and the control terminal of the normally-on device is coupled to the source terminal of the switch. The…
Paralleling power switches using a differential mode choke in the gate drive loop
Granted: October 29, 2019
Patent Number:
10461733
In one aspect, a device includes a first power switch having a first gate, a second power switch paralleled with the first power switch and having a second gate, a gate driver to output a gate drive signal to drive both the first gate and the second gate, a first conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the first gate, a second conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the second gate, and a distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal to the first and second…
Method and apparatus for a control circuit with multiple operating modes
Granted: October 29, 2019
Patent Number:
10461647
A controller includes an oscillator coupled to a switch to determine a time at which the switch is turned on. The oscillator includes a capacitor, a charging current source and a discharging current source coupled to charge and discharge the capacitor. A time period for the capacitor to charge and discharge between first and second voltage levels is a time period of a switching cycle. A duty cycle mode control circuit is coupled to operate in a first duty control mode in response to a…
Introducing jitter to a switching frequency by way of modulating current limit
Granted: October 15, 2019
Patent Number:
10447149
A controller includes a switch controller, a current limit generator, a jitter modulator, and an arithmetic operator circuit. The switch controller is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch in response to a current sense signal and a modulated current limit signal to control a transfer of energy from an input of a power converter to an output of the power converter. The current limit generator is coupled to generate a current limit signal. The jitter…
Heterostructure power transistor with AlSiN passivation layer
Granted: October 15, 2019
Patent Number:
10446676
A heterostructure semiconductor device includes a first active layer and a second active layer disposed on the first active layer. A two-dimensional electron gas layer is formed between the first and second active layers. An AlSiN passivation layer is disposed on the second active layer. First and second ohmic contacts electrically connect to the second active layer. The first and second ohmic contacts are laterally spaced-apart, with a gate being disposed between the first and second…
Controlled power circuit with adjusted voltage feedback to regulate the output power
Granted: October 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10432103
A controller for use in a power converter comprising a feedback reference circuit coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output voltage of the power converter. A feedback reference circuit generates a drive signal in response to the feedback signal and the drive signal is used to control switching of a power switch of the power converter to regulate the output voltage. The controller further comprises an output power control circuit coupled to receive a current sense…
Method and apparatus for sensing multiple voltage values from a single terminal of a power converter controller
Granted: October 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10432095
A controller for a power converter includes a switching control coupled to switch a power switch to regulate an output of the power converter. A sensor is coupled to receive a signal from a terminal of the controller that represents a line input voltage 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. The sensor is coupled to sample the signal from the terminal during…
Controller with variable sampling generator
Granted: September 17, 2019
Patent Number:
10418908
A controller for use in a switched mode power converter includes a comparator coupled to compare an output sense signal representative of an output of the switched mode power converter to a target value. An update clock generator is coupled to generate a clock signal having a clock frequency in response to the output sense signal. A request control is coupled to generate a request signal having a request frequency in response to an output of the comparator and the clock signal to control…
