Switching power supply

• US 20030039129A1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Hiroshi, Hirokawa, Masahiko, Matsuura, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 6,717,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/26
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33576 having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer

Abstract

The switching power supply comprises a main circuit having a switching circuit for converting a DC input voltage to an AC voltage and an output circuit for rectifying the AC voltage to generate a DC output voltage, a control circuit for controlling the operation of the main circuit, and an abrupt load change detector circuit for detecting an abrupt change in the load current supplied from the main circuit, characterized in that the abrupt load change detector circuit comprises a first filter and a second filter for receiving the output voltage and detection signal generating means for generating an abrupt load change detection signal based on the outputs of the first filter and the second filter. This eliminates a power loss or operation delay caused when a resistor or a current transformer is used to directly detect the output current. Proper use of an abrupt load change detection signal allows dramatic improvement in transient response.

Claims

1. A switching power supply comprising:

a main circuit having a switching circuit for converting a DC input voltage to an AC voltage and an output circuit for rectifying the AC voltage to generate a DC output voltage;

a control circuit for controlling the operation of the main circuit; and

an abrupt load change detector circuit for detecting an abrupt change in the load current supplied from the main circuit, and abrupt load change detector circuit which includes;

a first filter and a second filter for receiving the output voltage, a time constant of the first filter being different from that of the second filters; and

detection signal generating means for generating an abrupt load change detection signal based on the outputs of the first and second filters, the detection signal generating means which includes a comparator for receiving an output of the first filter at one input terminal and of the second filter at the other input terminal.

2. The switching power supply according to claim 1, where the first and second filters are either low-pass filters or high-pass filters.

3. The switching power supply according to claim 1, where output voltage levels of the first and second filters in normal state differ from each other.

4. The switching power supply according to claim 1, wherein the detection signal generating means comprises an operational amplifier for amplifying the difference between output voltage levels of the first and second filters and a comparator for activating the abrupt load change detection signal in response to the output of the operational amplifier exceeding a predetermined threshold voltage.

5. The switching power supply according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined threshold voltage is associated with the output voltage.

6. The switching power supply according to claim 4, wherein the output voltage level of the first filter in normal state is substantially equal to that of the second filter.

7. The switching power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control circuit has an amplifier for receiving the output voltage or a voltage associated with the output voltage at its input terminal and,

wherein the abrupt load change detector circuit further comprises means for varying the level at the input terminal of the amplifier in response to activation of the abrupt load change detection signal.

8. The switching power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control circuit has a variable amplifier for receiving the output voltage or a voltage associated with the output voltage at its input terminal, a characteristics of the variable amplifier switched based on the abrupt load change detection signal.

9. The switching power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control circuit comprises:

several amplifiers having different characteristics for receiving the output voltage or a voltage associated with the output voltage at the respective input terminal, several PWM control circuits for generating corresponding control signal groups based on the outputs of the corresponding amplifiers, and a selector for selecting one of the control signal groups based on the abrupt load change detection signal, thereby controlling the operation of the main circuit based on the selected control signal group.

10. The switching power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control circuit comprises:

several amplifiers having different characteristics for receiving the output voltage or a voltage associated with the output voltage at the respective input terminal, a selector for selecting one of the outputs of the several amplifiers based on the abrupt load change detection signal, and PWM control circuits for generating control signal groups based on the selected output, thereby controlling the operation of the main circuit based on the control signal group.

11. The switching power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control circuit forcibly places the output circuit of the main circuit in a synchronous rectification state or in a synchronous rectification halt state in response to the abrupt load change detection signal being active.

12. The switching power supply comprising:

a main circuit having a switching circuit for converting a DC input voltage to an AC voltage and an output circuit for rectifying the AC voltage to generate a DC output voltage;

a control circuit for controlling the operation of the main circuit; and

an abrupt load change detector circuit for detecting an abrupt change in the load current supplied from the main circuit, the abrupt load change detector circuit which includes;

a first to third filters for receiving the output voltage;

a first comparator for receiving the output of the first filter at one input terminal and the output of the second filter at the other input terminal thus generating a first abrupt load change detection signal based on these outputs; and

a second comparator for receiving the output of the first filter at one input terminal and the output of the third filter at the other input terminal thus generating a second abrupt load change detection signal based on these outputs.

13. The switching power supply according to claim 12, wherein the output voltage levels of the first and second filters in normal state differ from each other and the output voltage levels of the first and third filters in normal state differ from each other.

14. The switching power supply according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the control circuit includes an amplifier for receiving the output voltage or a voltage associated with the output voltage at its input terminal and

wherein the abrupt load change detector circuit further comprises means for varying the level at the input terminal of the amplifier in one direction in response to activation of the first abrupt load change detection signal and varying the level at the input terminal of the amplifier in the opposite of the one direction in response to activation of the second abrupt load change detection signal.

15. The switching power supply comprising:

a main circuit having a switching circuit for converting a DC input voltage to an AC voltage and an output circuit for rectifying the AC voltage to generate a DC output voltage;

a control circuit for controlling the operation of the main circuit; and

an abrupt load change detector circuit for detecting an abrupt change in the load current supplied from the main circuit, the abrupt load change detector circuit which includes;

a first filter and a second filter for receiving the output voltage;

an operational amplifier for amplifying the output voltage level difference between the first and second filters;

a first comparator for activating the first abrupt load change detection signal in response to the output of the operational amplifier which exceeds the first threshold voltage; and

a second comparator for activating the second abrupt load change detection signal in response to the output of the operational amplifier which exceeds the second threshold voltage.

16. The switching power supply according to claim 15, wherein both of the first and second threshold voltages are associated with the output voltage.

17. The switching power supply according to claim 15, wherein the first threshold voltage is higher than the output voltage level of the operational amplifier in the low-level normal state and the second threshold voltage is lower than the output voltage level of the operational amplifier in the high-level normal state.

18. The switching power supply according to claim 16, wherein the first threshold voltage is higher than the output voltage level of the operational amplifier in the low-level normal state and the second threshold voltage is lower than the output voltage level of the operational amplifier in the high-level normal state.

19. The switching power supply according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the control circuit has an amplifier for receiving the output voltage or a voltage associated with the output voltage at its input terminal and that the abrupt load change detector circuit further comprises means for varying the level at the input terminal of the amplifier in one direction in response to activation of the first abrupt load change detection signal and varying the level at the input terminal of the amplifier in the opposite of the one direction in response to activation of the second abrupt load change detection signal.

20. The switching power supply according to claim 15, wherein the first and second threshold voltages are either lower or higher than the output voltage level of the operational amplifier in normal state.

21. The switching power supply according to claim 16, wherein the first and second threshold voltages are either lower or higher than the output voltage level of the operational amplifier in normal state.

22. The switching power supply according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the control circuit has at least an amplifier for receiving the output voltage or a voltage associated with the output voltage at its input terminal and that the abrupt load change detector circuit further comprises means for varying the level at the input terminal of the amplifier at a first rate in one direction in response to activation of the first abrupt load change detection signal and varying the level at the input terminal of the amplifier at a second rate in the one direction in response to activation of the second abrupt load change detection signal.