Threshold detection with tap

• US 10,135,357 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Balakrishnan, Balu, LeBlanc, David G. R., Matthews, David Michael Hugh, Mayell, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Emily P
• Application Number:
  US15/698,492
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3353 having at least two simultaneously operating switches on the input side, e.g. "double forward" or "double (switched) flyback" converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A controller for use in a power converter includes a power switch including a drain, a source, a control input, and a tap. The power switch includes a first transistor coupled to a second transistor, a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the drain of the power switch and the source of the first transistor is coupled to the tap. A tap sense circuit is coupled to the tap. A drive circuit is coupled to receive an indicator signal from the tap sense circuit. The indicator signal is indicative of a voltage at the tap or the current through the first transistor. The drive circuit is coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output quantity of the power converter. The drive circuit is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of the power switch in response to the indicator signal and the feedback signal.

Claims

1. A controller for use in a power converter, comprising:

a power switch including a drain, a source, a control input, and a tap, wherein the power switch further includes a first transistor coupled to a second transistor, wherein a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the drain of the power switch, wherein a source of the first transistor is coupled to the tap, wherein a source current at the source of the first transistor is responsive to a drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is less than a pinch off voltage of the first transistor, and wherein the source current at the source of the first transistor is substantially equal to a maximum current when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is greater than the pinch off voltage;

a tap sense circuit coupled to the tap of the power switch, wherein the tap sense circuit provides an indicator signal indicative of a voltage at the tap or a current through the first transistor; and

a drive circuit coupled to receive the indicator signal from the tap sense circuit, wherein the drive circuit is further coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output quantity at an output of the power converter, wherein the drive circuit is coupled to generate a drive signal coupled to control switching of the power switch to regulate a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to the output of the power converter in response to the indicator signal and in response to the feedback signal.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to an input return, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the drain of the power switch, wherein a gate of the second transistor is coupled to the control input coupled to receive the drive signal, and wherein a source of the second transistor is coupled to the source of the power switch.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to an input return, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the tap of the power switch, wherein a gate of the second transistor is coupled to the control input coupled to receive the drive signal, and wherein a source of the second transistor is coupled to the source of the power switch.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first transistor comprises a junction field effect transistor (JFET).

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first transistor comprises a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT).

6. The controller of claim 1, wherein the second transistor comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein a source voltage at the source of the first transistor follows the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is less than the pinch off voltage of the first transistor, wherein the source voltage at the source of the first transistor is equal to the pinch off voltage of the first transistor when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is greater than the pinch off voltage.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the tap sense circuit comprises a comparator coupled to generate the indicator signal to indicate that the voltage at the tap has fallen below a voltage threshold value.

9. The controller of claim 8, wherein the drive circuit is coupled not to turn on the power switch until the voltage at the tap has fallen below the voltage threshold value.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the drive circuit is coupled not to turn on the power switch until the voltage at the tap has fallen to approximately zero volts.

11. The controller of claim 1, wherein the tap sense circuit comprises a comparator coupled to generate the indicator signal to indicate that the current through the first transistor has fallen below a current threshold value.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the drive circuit is coupled not to turn on the power switch until the current through the first transistor has fallen below the current threshold value.

13. The controller of claim 12, wherein the drive circuit is coupled not to turn on the power switch until the current through the first transistor has fallen to approximately zero amps.

14. The controller of claim 1, wherein the power converter has a flyback topology.

15. The controller of claim 1, wherein the drive signal is a low side drive signal and wherein the power switch is a low side switch, wherein the drive circuit is further coupled to generate a high side drive signal coupled to control switching of a high side switch coupled to the low side switch to regulate the transfer of energy from the input of the power converter to the output of the power converter in response to the indicator signal and in response to the feedback signal.

16. The controller of claim 15, wherein the power converter is a resonant power converter.

17. A power converter, comprising:

an energy transfer element coupled between an input of the power converter and an output of the power converter;

a power switch coupled to the energy transfer element and the input of the power converter, wherein the power switch includes a drain, a source, a control input, and a tap, wherein the power switch further includes a first transistor coupled to a second transistor, wherein a drain of the first transistor is coupled to the drain of the power switch, wherein a source of the first transistor is coupled to the tap, wherein a source current at the source of the first transistor is responsive to a drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is less than a pinch off voltage of the first transistor, and wherein the source current at the source of the first transistor is substantially equal to a maximum current when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is greater than the pinch off voltage; and

a controller coupled to control the power switch, wherein the controller includes;

a tap sense circuit coupled to sense the tap of the power switch, wherein the tap sense circuit is coupled to generate an indicator signal that is indicative of a voltage at the tap of the power switch or a current from the tap of the power switch; and

a drive circuit coupled to receive the indicator signal from the tap sense circuit, wherein the drive circuit is further coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output quantity at the output of the power converter, wherein the drive circuit is coupled to generate a drive signal coupled to control switching of the power switch to regulate a transfer of energy from the input of the power converter to the output of the power converter in response to the indicator signal and in response to the feedback signal.

18. The power converter of claim 17, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to an input return, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the drain of the power switch, wherein a gate of the second transistor is coupled to the control input coupled to receive the drive signal, and wherein a source of the second transistor is coupled to the source of the power switch.

19. The power converter of claim 17, wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to an input return, wherein a drain of the second transistor is coupled to the tap of the power switch, wherein a gate of the second transistor is coupled to the control input coupled to receive the drive signal, and wherein a source of the second transistor is coupled to the source of the power switch.

20. The power converter of claim 17, wherein the first transistor comprises a junction field effect transistor (JFET), and wherein the second transistor comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

21. The power converter of claim 17, wherein the first transistor comprises a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), and wherein the second transistor comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

22. The power converter of claim 17, wherein a source voltage at the source of the first transistor follows the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is less than the pinch off voltage of the first transistor, wherein the source voltage at the source of the first transistor is equal to the pinch off voltage of the first transistor when the drain voltage at the drain of the first transistor is greater than the pinch off voltage.

23. The power converter of claim 17, wherein the tap sense circuit comprises a comparator coupled to generate the indicator signal to indicate that the voltage at the tap or the current from the tap has fallen below a threshold value.

24. The power converter of claim 23, wherein the drive circuit is coupled not to turn on the power switch until the voltage at the tap or the current from the tap has fallen below the threshold value.

25. The power converter of claim 17, wherein the power converter has a flyback topology.

26. The power converter of claim 17, wherein the power converter is a resonant power converter.