METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CURRENT SENSING

• US 20090146620A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Primarion Incorporated (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Ostrom, Kenneth, Guo, Jinghong, NG, TIMOTHY M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,143,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/222
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for current sensing according to various aspects of the present invention operate in conjunction with a current sensor adapted to sense the current provided to a load via a transistor. In one embodiment, a power supply includes the current sensor, and supplies the current through a series combination of an inductor and the transistor. The current sensor is adapted to generate the inductor current signal according to a sensed current in the inductor, and may comprise a series combination of a first resistor and a second resistor. The resistive series combination is adapted to be connected in parallel to the series combination of the inductor and the transistor.

Claims

1. A power supply for supplying a current through series combination of an inductor and a transistor, comprising:

a control system adapted to control the current according to an inductor current signal; and

a current sensor connected to the control system, wherein the current sensor;

is adapted to generate an inductor current signal according to a sensed current in the inductor; and

comprises a series combination of a first resistor and a second resistor, wherein the series combination is adapted to be connected in parallel to the series combination of the inductor and the transistor.

2. A power supply according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a resistance of the first resistor to a resistance of the second resistor substantially matches a ratio of a lead inductance of the transistor to an inductance of the inductor.

3. A power supply according to claim 1, wherein the current sensor further comprises a third resistor comprising a first terminal adapted to be connected to a terminal of the transistor and a second terminal connected to the control system, wherein a resistance of the third resistor is selected according to a selected range of inductor current signal values to represent a selected range of sensed currents.

4. A power Supply according to claim 1, further comprising a differential amplifier comprising:

a first input adapted to be connected to a node between the inductor and the transistor;

a second input connected to a node between the first resistor and the second resistor.

5. A power supply according to claim 4, wherein the current sensor further comprises a third resistor, wherein:

the first input of the amplifier is adapted to be connected to the node between the inductor and the transistor via the third resistor; and

a resistance of the third resistor is selected according to a scaled range of output signals corresponding to a selected range of sensed current.

6. A power supply according to claim 4, further comprising a second transistor having a first terminal connected to an output of the amplifier, wherein the second transistor is adapted to generate the inductor current signal according to a signal from the amplifier.

7. A power supply according to claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a PWM controller.

8. A power supply according to claim 1, wherein a voltage V_P at a node between the first resistor and the second resistor is configured to be:

9. A power supply according to claim 1, wherein a voltage V_N at a node between the inductor and the transistor is configured to be:

10. A power supply according to claim 1, wherein the inductor current signal is proportional to the sensed current independent of an absolute value of the inductor and an absolute value of a lead inductance of the transistor.

11. A power supply according to claim 1, wherein the inductor current signal is proportional to the sensed current independent of a regulated output voltage of the power supply.

12. A current sensor for providing an inductor current signal corresponding to a sensed current in a series combination of an inductor and a synchronous MOSFET during an ON state of the MOSFET, comprising:

a first resistor comprising a first terminal connected to a source terminal of the MOSFET;

a second resistor having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of the first resistor and a second terminal connected to the inductor; and

a differential amplifier comprising;

a first input connected to a node between the first resistor and the second resistor; and

a second input adapted to be connected to a drain terminal of the MOSFET.

13. A current sensor according to claim 12, wherein a ratio of a resistance of the first resistor to a resistance of the second resistor substantially matches a ratio of a lead inductance associated with the MOSFET to an inductance of the inductor.

14. A current sensor according to claim 12, wherein the current sensor further comprises a third resistor comprising a first terminal adapted to be connected to the drain terminal of the MOSFET, wherein a resistance of the third resistor is selected according to a selected range of inductor current signal values to represent a selected range of sensed currents.

15. A current sensor according to claim 12, wherein the current sensor further comprises a third resistor, wherein:

the first input of the amplifier is adapted to be connected to the drain terminal of the MOSFET via the third resistor; and

a resistance of the third resistor is selected according to a scaled range of output signals corresponding to a selected range of sensed current.

16. A current sensor according to claim 15, further comprising a transistor having a control terminal connected to an output of the amplifier, wherein the transistor is adapted to generate the inductor current signal according to a signal from the amplifier.

17. A current sensor according to claim 12, wherein a voltage V_P at the node between the first resistor and the second resistor is configured to be:

18. A current sensor according to claim 12, wherein a voltage V_N at the drain terminal of the MOSFET is configured to be:

19. A current sensor according to claim 12, wherein the inductor current signal is proportional to the sensed current independent of an absolute value of the inductor and an absolute value of a lead inductance of the MOSFET.

20. A method of generating an inductor current signal corresponding to a current in a series combination of an inductor and a transistor, comprising:

connecting a series combination of a first resistor and a second resistor in parallel with the series combination of the inductor and the transistor; and

selecting resistance values for the first resistor and the second resistor according to a lead inductance associated with the transistor and an inductance of the inductor, wherein a ratio of a resistance of the first resistor to a resistance of the second resistor substantially matches a ratio of the lead inductance of the transistor to the inductance of the inductor.

21. A method of generating an inductor current signal according to claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a first signal at an amplifier from a node between the first resistor and the second resistor;

receiving a second signal at the amplifier from a node between the inductor and the transistor; and

generating the inductor current signal according to a difference between the first signal and the second signal.