Method and apparatus for a control circuit with multiple operating modes

• US 10,211,743 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Baurle, Stefan, Pham, Giao
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehari, Yemane
• Application Number:
  US15/709,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20180026542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 363 16, 363 2101, 363 2112, 363 2113, 363 2117, 363131
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33515 with digital control

Abstract

A method for controlling a power converter switch includes operating the power converter switch in first, second, and third duty cycle control modes in response to a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. The first duty cycle control mode includes modulating a peak switch current of the power converter switch in response to the feedback signal, and switching the power converter switch at a substantially fixed first switching frequency value. The second duty cycle control mode includes modulating the switching frequency in response to the feedback signal, and maintaining the peak switch current substantially at a peak switch current threshold value. The third duty cycle control mode includes modulating the peak switch current of the power converter switch in response to the feedback signal, and switching the power converter switch at a substantially fixed second switching frequency value.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a power converter switch to regulate power delivered to an output of a power converter, comprising:

operating the power converter switch in a first duty cycle control mode in response to a feedback signal representative of the output of the power converter being between a first feedback signal value and a second feedback signal value, wherein said first duty cycle control mode includes modulating a peak switch current of the power converter switch in response to the feedback signal, and switching the power converter switch at a substantially fixed first switching frequency value;

operating the power converter switch in a second duty cycle control mode in response to the feedback signal being between the second feedback signal value and a third feedback signal value, wherein said second duty cycle control mode includes modulating the switching frequency in response to the feedback signal, and maintaining the peak switch current substantially at a peak switch current threshold value; and

operating the power converter switch in a third duty cycle control mode in response to the feedback signal being between the third feedback signal value and a fourth feedback signal value, wherein said third duty cycle control mode includes modulating the peak switch current of the power converter switch in response to the feedback signal, and switching the power converter switch at a substantially fixed second switching frequency value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a substantially constant overall control loop gain of the power converter in response to transitioning between the first duty cycle control mode and the second duty cycle control mode, and in response to transitioning between the second duty cycle control mode and the third duty cycle control mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transitioning from the first duty cycle control mode to the second duty cycle control mode in response to the peak switch current reaching the peak switch current threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transitioning from the second duty cycle control mode to the third duty cycle control mode in response to the switching frequency reaching the second switching frequency value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transitioning from the third duty cycle control mode to the second duty cycle control mode in response to the peak switch current reaching the peak switch current threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transitioning from the second duty cycle control mode to the first duty cycle control mode in response to the switching frequency reaching the first switching frequency value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching the power converter switch at a maximum duty cycle, at a 100% peak switch current, and at a 100% switching frequency in response to the feedback signal being outside of a range between the first feedback signal value and the fourth feedback signal value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said switching the power converter switch at the maximum duty cycle, at the 100% peak switch current, and at the 100% switching frequency occurs during a start-up condition.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said switching the power converter switch at the maximum duty cycle, at the 100% peak switch current, and at the 100% switching frequency occurs during a fault condition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first switching frequency value is a maximum switching frequency, and wherein the second switching frequency value is a minimum switching frequency.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second switching frequency value is just above an audible frequency range.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak switch current threshold value is less than a 100% peak switch current limit of the power converter switch.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first duty cycle control mode is a voltage control mode in which the power converter switch on-time is regulated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said second duty cycle control mode comprises varying a switching cycle time of the power converter switch.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said third duty cycle control mode is a voltage control mode in which the power converter switch on-time is regulated.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first switching frequency value is greater than the second switching frequency value.

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

an oscillator to be coupled to a switch of the power converter to determine a time at which the switch is turned on at a beginning of a switching cycle of the switch, wherein the oscillator includes a capacitor, a charging current source coupled to charge the capacitor, and a discharging current source coupled to discharge the capacitor, wherein a time period for the capacitor to charge and discharge between first and second voltage levels is a time period of the switching cycle of the switch;

a circuit coupled to the oscillator and coupled to capture an oscillator voltage across the capacitor at an end of the time at which the switch is turned on, wherein a value of the discharge current of the discharging current source is responsive to the captured oscillator voltage; and

a logic circuit to be coupled to the switch to determine the end of the time at which the switch is turned on in response to a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter and a signal representative of current through the switch to regulate power delivered to the output of the power converter.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller includes first and second duty cycle control modes responsive to a magnitude of a feedback signal to regulate the power delivered to the output of the power converter, wherein during the first duty cycle control mode the oscillator is coupled to generate an output signal to switch the power converter switch at a substantially fixed first switching frequency value, and wherein during the second duty cycle control mode the oscillator is coupled to generate the output signal to vary the time period of the switching cycle of the switch.

19. The controller of claim 18, wherein the controller further includes a third duty cycle control mode responsive to the magnitude of the feedback signal to regulate the power delivered to the output of the power converter, wherein during the third duty cycle control mode the oscillator is coupled to generate the output signal to switch the power converter switch at a substantially fixed second switching frequency value.

20. The controller of claim 19, wherein the controller is further coupled to modulate a peak switch current representative of an output load of the power converter in response to the feedback signal during the first and third duty cycle control modes, and wherein the controller is further coupled to maintain a peak switch current substantially at a peak switch current threshold value during the second duty cycle control mode.

21. The controller of claim 19, wherein the first switching frequency value is greater than the second switching frequency value.

22. The controller of claim 19, wherein the controller is further coupled to maintain a substantially constant overall control loop gain of the power converter in response to transitioning between the first duty cycle control mode and the second duty cycle control mode, and in response to transitioning between the second duty cycle control mode and the third duty cycle control mode.

23. The controller of claim 19, wherein the controller is further coupled to transition from the first duty cycle control mode to the second duty cycle control mode in response to the peak switch current reaching the peak switch current threshold value.

24. The controller of claim 19, wherein the controller is further coupled to transition from the second duty cycle control mode to the third duty cycle control mode in response to the switching frequency reaching the second switching frequency value.

25. The controller of claim 19, wherein the controller is further coupled to transition from the third duty cycle control mode to the second duty cycle control mode in response to the peak switch current reaching the peak switch current threshold value.

26. The controller of claim 19, wherein the controller is further coupled to transition from the second duty cycle control mode to the first duty cycle control mode in response to the switching frequency reaching the first switching frequency value.