Programmable Hardware Element Pre-Regulator

• US 20070185590A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Castro, Gustavo Jesus, Reindel, Kenneth A., Topala, George C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0012 Control circuits using digital or numerical techniques in DC/DC converters H02M3/157, H02M3/33515; in DC-AC converters H02M7/53873
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 with digital control

Abstract

System and method for providing a programmable power supply. The programmable power supply may include a programmable hardware element (PHE) that couples to a power supply (DC-DC converter) and which in turn couples to a linear regulator. The PHE may implement a PID control algorithm that receives a measurement of the output power and may use PID and/or non-linear control to ensure that the power supply and the linear regulator maintain similar power levels. The PHE may be configured based on a graphical program, thus enabling fast and efficient modifications to the programmable power supply.

Claims

10. A method for providing programmable power, the method comprising:

receiving input specifying a desired output power; and

generating an output signal to control a power supply in response to the input specifying the desired output power and a feedback signal, wherein the feedback signal is generated based on a measurement of an output of the power supply, wherein said generating uses a combination of proportional integral derivative (PID) and non-linear control techniques.

1. A programmable power supply system, comprising:

a programmable hardware element (PHE) having an input for receiving a signal specifying a desired output power, wherein the PHE generates a PHE output signal;

a power supply coupled to the PHE operable to receive the PHE output signal from the PHE and generate a power signal;

a linear regulator coupled to receive the power signal output from the power supply;

voltage measurement logic for measuring the power signal output from at least one of the power supply or the linear regulator;

at least one analog to digital converter (ADC) for converting the measured power signal into a digital signal;

wherein the PHE is operable to receive the digital signal and implement PID (proportional integral derivative) control to adjust the PHE output signal to maintain stability of the power signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the PHE is configured according to a graphical program, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the PHE acts as a pre-regulator for the linear regulator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power supply receives power from a power source, and wherein the power supply is operable to use the received PHE output signal and the power source to generate the power signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the PHE comprises a field-programmable hardware element (FPGA).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the PHE comprises a programmable gate array.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the output signal is usable to minimize power dissipated by the power supply and maximize power delivered by the power supply.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the PHE is operable to generate the PHE output signal and receive the digital signal a plurality of times to maintain stability of the power signal over time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the PHE is further operable to implement non-linear control to adjust the PHE output signal to maintain stability of the power signal, and wherein the PHE is operable to determine whether to use PID control or non-linear control based on the received signal and/or the digital signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving and said generating are performed by a programmable hardware element (PHE).

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the PHE is configured according to a graphical program, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the PHE comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving and said generating are performed in accordance with a graphical program, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

the power supply modulating power received from a power source in response to said generating the output signal.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the power supply providing power to a linear regulator; and

the linear regulator providing the power to a device in response to the power supply providing the power to the linear regulator.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving and said generating are performed by a pre-regulator.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating is performed a plurality of times to control the power supply.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating comprises generating the output signal according to PID or non-linear control techniques based on the received input and the feedback signal.

15-1. The method of claim 10, wherein the output signal operates to minimize power dissipated by the power supply and maximize power delivered by the power supply.

20. A system for providing programmable power comprising:

means for receiving input specifying a desired output power; and

means for generating an output signal to control a power supply in response to the input specifying the desired output power and a feedback signal, wherein the feedback signal is generated based on a measurement of an output of the power supply, wherein said generating uses a combination of proportional integral derivative (PID) and non-linear control techniques.