Secondary side constant voltage and constant current controller

• US 20090016086A1
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Active-Semi International, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grant, Matthew, Kunst, David J., Huynh, Steven, Tao, Zhibo
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/80
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop

Abstract

A low-cost integrated circuit is used as a secondary side constant voltage and constant current controller. The integrated circuit has four terminals and two amplifier circuits. A first amplifier circuit is used to sense a voltage on a FB terminal and in response to cause a first current to flow through an OPTO terminal. A second amplifier circuit is used to sense a voltage between a SENSE terminal and a SOURCE terminal and in response to cause a second current to flow through the same OPTO terminal. The FB terminal is used for output voltage feedback and is also used to supply power onto the integrated circuit. The SOURCE terminal is used for output current feedback and is also used as power supply return for the integrated circuit. The cost of the integrated circuit is reduced by having only four terminals.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a third terminal;

a fourth terminal;

a first amplifier circuit that senses an overvoltage condition on the first terminal and in response causes a first current to flow through the fourth terminal; and

a second amplifier circuit that senses a voltage difference between a voltage on the second terminal and a voltage on the third terminal and causes a second current to flow through the fourth terminal if the voltage difference is above a predetermined voltage, wherein the first and second amplifier circuits are powered by a supply current received onto the integrated circuit through the first terminal.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the overvoltage condition is a condition in which a voltage on the first terminal is greater than a predetermined voltage.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is disposed in an integrated circuit package, and wherein the integrated circuit package has no more than four terminals.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first amplifier circuit draws the first current through the fourth terminal by coupling the fourth terminal to another terminal of the integrated circuit, and wherein the second amplifier circuit draws the second current through the fourth terminal to said another terminal of the integrated circuit.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein said another terminal is the third terminal.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first amplifier circuit comprises:

a first error amplifier;

a voltage reference circuit, wherein the voltage reference circuit supplies a reference voltage onto a first differential input lead of the first error amplifier; and

a voltage divider network that is coupled to the first terminal, wherein a fraction of a voltage on the first terminal is supplied by the voltage divider network onto a second differential input lead of the first error amplifier.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the first amplifier circuit further comprises:

an under-voltage-lock-out (UVLO) circuit that disables the first error amplifier if the voltage on the first terminal is below a UVLO threshold voltage.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the second amplifier circuit comprises:

a second error amplifier, wherein the second terminal is coupled to a first differential input lead of the second error amplifier; and

a voltage reference circuit having a first node and a second node, wherein the first node is coupled to the third terminal, wherein the second node is coupled to a second differential input node of the second error amplifier.

9. A method, comprising:

using a first terminal on an integrated circuit package to sense a first voltage in a voltage control feedback loop, wherein the first voltage is sensed by a first error amplifier that is part of an integrated circuit that is packaged in the package; and

using the first terminal to receive power onto the integrated circuit and to power the first error amplifier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

using a second terminal and a third terminal on the integrated circuit package to sense a second voltage between a voltage on the second terminal and a voltage on the third terminal in a current control feedback loop, wherein the second voltage is sensed by a second error amplifier that is part of the integrated circuit, wherein the first terminal is also used to power the second error amplifier.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

using a fourth terminal on the integrated circuit package to provide a common current sink output in the voltage control feedback loop and the current control feedback loop, wherein the common current sink output flows from the forth terminal to the third terminal, and wherein the third terminal is also used as power supply return for the integrated circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit package has no more than four terminals.

13. A power supply device having a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal, wherein an output voltage is present between the first and second power supply terminals, and wherein the power supply device supplies an output current through the first power supply terminal, the power supply device comprising:

a primary side controller;

an optocoupler that provides a feedback signal to the primary side controller; and

a secondary side constant voltage and constant current controller disposed in an integrated circuit package having no more than four terminals, wherein the secondary side controller is part of a voltage control feedback loop that provides feedback to the optocoupler to regulate the output voltage in a constant voltage (CV) mode, and wherein the secondary side controller is part of a current control feedback loop that provides feedback to the optocoupler to regulate the output current in constant current (CC) mode.

14. The power supply device of claim 13, wherein a voltage divider network is coupled to the first and second power supply terminals and has a tap, wherein the voltage control feedback loop extends from the tap, through a first terminal of the integrated circuit package, through a first amplifier circuit of the secondary side controller, through a second terminal of the integrated circuit package, through the optocoupler, and to the primary side controller.

15. The power supply device of claim 14, wherein a sense resistor is coupled between a third terminal and a fourth terminal of the integrated circuit package, wherein the current control feedback loop extends from one of the terminals coupled to the sense resistor, through a second amplifier circuit of the secondary side controller, through the second terminal of the integrated circuit package, through the optocoupler, and to the primary side controller.

16. The power supply device of claim 15, wherein the first and second amplifier circuits are powered by a supply current received onto the integrated circuit package through the first terminal.

17. The power supply of claim 14, wherein the secondary side controller is operable in a constant voltage (CV) mode or a constant current (CC) mode.

18. A constant voltage (CV) and constant current (CC) controller integrated circuit, comprising:

a voltage control loop amplifier that causes a first current to flow through a first terminal if a voltage on a second terminal exceeds a first predetermined voltage in a constant voltage operating mode of the integrated circuit;

a current control loop amplifier that causes a second current to flow through the first terminal if a voltage between a third terminal and a fourth terminal exceeds a second predetermined voltage in a constant current operating mode of the integrated circuit, wherein the first terminal, second terminal, third terminal and fourth terminals are terminals of the integrated circuit; and

means for powering the voltage control loop amplifier and the current control loop amplifier by receiving a supply current through the second terminal.

19. The constant voltage (CV) and constant current (CC) controller integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the means is a connection from the second terminal to a power supply input lead of the voltage control loop amplifier and to a power supply input lead of the current control loop amplifier.

20. The constant voltage (CV) and constant current (CC) controller integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the integrated circuit is packaged in an integrated circuit package, and wherein the integrated circuit package has no more than four terminals.