INTEGRATED MULTI-TRANSFORMER

• US 20090230776A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsemi Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Asic Advantage Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wittenbreder, Ernest Henry JR., Ochi, Sam Seiichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,956,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 19/00 Fixed transformers or mutual inductances of the signal type H01F36/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/38 Auxiliary core members; Auxiliary coils or windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 30/12 Two-phase, three-phase or polyphase transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for integrating multiple transformers on a shared core, while avoiding interference between the transformers and other potentially undesirable effects of the integration. In one embodiment, multiple transformers are wound on a shared core. Each transformer is wound on the core, so that its primary and secondary windings are magnetically coupled to each other through the core without being coupled to the windings of other transformers sharing the core. The multiple integrated transformers may then be provided in a circuit arrangement by placing only a single core element in the arrangement.

Claims

1. An integrated multi-transformer, comprising:

a core made of magnetic material;

a plurality of transformers magnetically coupled with the core, including;

a first transformer comprising a first primary winding and a first secondary winding, the first primary winding being configured to receive a first primary current and to couple the first primary current to the core to generate a first core flux, and the first secondary winding being configured so that at least a portion of the first core flux is coupled from the core to induce a first secondary current in the first secondary winding; and

a second transformer comprising a second primary winding and a second secondary winding, the second primary winding being configured to receive a second primary current and to couple the second primary current to the core to generate a second core flux, and the second secondary winding being configured so that at least a portion of the second core flux is coupled from the core to induce a second secondary current in the second secondary winding,

wherein the first core flux induces substantially no current in the second transformer and the second core flux induces substantially no current in the first transformer.

2. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1, wherein:

the core is an “

E”

core, comprising a first leg, a second leg, and a third leg, wherein the first leg and the third leg have substantially equivalent cross-sectional areas;

the first primary winding is wound on the first leg and the third leg;

the first secondary winding is wound on the first leg and the third leg; and

the second primary winding and the second secondary winding are wound on the second leg.

3. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 2,

wherein the second leg has substantially double the cross-sectional area of the first leg.

4. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1,

wherein the core comprises a number of legs, the number of legs being one greater than the number of transformers coupled with the core.

5. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1,

wherein one of the first transformer or the second transformer is a power transformer and the other of first transformer or the second transformer is a pulse transformer.

6. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1,

wherein the second transformer is wound substantially orthogonally with respect to the first transformer.

7. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 6, wherein the plurality of transformers further includes:

a third transformer wound on the core substantially orthogonally with respect to the first transformer.

8. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transformers further includes:

a third transformer wound on the core substantially orthogonally with respect to at least one of the first transformer or the second transformer.

9. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1, wherein:

the first transformer is wound substantially orthogonally with respect to the second transformer; and

the plurality of transformers further includes a third transformer wound on the core substantially orthogonally with respect to both the first transformer or the second transformer.

10. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1,

wherein at least a portion of the core is circular and the first transformer is formed toroidally around the core.

11. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1, wherein:

the first transformer is selected from the group consisting of;

a power transformer, a pulse transformers, a signal transformer, and a current sense transformer.

12. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 1, further comprising:

packaging configured to be placed in a circuit arrangement and to house at least a portion of the core and the plurality of transformers magnetically coupled with the core.

13. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 12,

wherein the packaging is further configured to provide at least partial physical, electrical, or electromagnetic isolation.

14. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 12,

wherein the packaging comprises a plurality of interface regions, including:

a first interface region coupled with the first primary winding;

a second interface region coupled with the first secondary winding;

a third interface region coupled with the second primary winding; and

a fourth interface region coupled with the second secondary winding.

15. The integrated multi-transformer of claim 12,

wherein the packaging comprises a core interface region coupled with the core.

16. A system for handling multiple signals using an integrated multi-transformer, the system comprising:

a first signal generation module configured to generate a first generated signal;

a second signal generation module configured to generate a second generated signal;

a first signal utilization module configured to utilize a first transformed signal;

a second signal utilization module configured to utilize a second transformed signal; and

a multi-transformer, comprising core, a first transformer, and a second transformer, the first transformer being wound on the core and configured to generate a first magnetic flux in the core, and the second transformer being wound on the core and configured to generate a second magnetic flux in the core, the second magnetic flux being decoupled from the first magnetic flux,

wherein the first transformer is configured to receive the first generated signal from the first signal generation module, generate the first transformed signal as a function of the first generated signal, and communicate the first transformed signal with the first signal utilization module, and

wherein the second transformer is configured to receive the second generated signal from the second signal generation module, generate the second transformed signal as a function of the second generated signal, and communicate the second transformed signal with the second signal utilization module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the first signal generation module comprises a sensor arrangement configured to receive a sensory input and to generate the first generated signal as a function of the sensory input.

18. The system of claim 17,

wherein the first signal utilization module comprises a decoder arrangement configured to receive the first transformed signal and to derive information relating to the sensory input as a function of the first transformed signal, and

wherein the first transformer is further configured to electrically isolate the decoder arrangement from the sensor arrangement.

19. A method for producing an integrated multi-transformer device, the method comprising:

winding a first transformer on a core made of a magnetic material, the first transformer comprising a first primary winding and a first secondary winding, the first primary winding being configured to receive a first primary current and to couple the first primary current to the core to generate a first core flux, and the first secondary winding being configured so that at least a portion of the first core flux is coupled from the core to induce a first secondary current in the first secondary winding; and

winding a second transformer on the core, the second transformer comprising a second primary winding and a second secondary winding, the second primary winding being configured to receive a second primary current and to couple the second primary current to the core to generate a second core flux, and the second secondary winding being configured so that at least a portion of the second core flux is coupled from the core to induce a second secondary current in the second secondary winding,

wherein the second transformer is wound on the core so that the first core flux induces substantially no current in the second secondary winding and the second core flux induces substantially no current in the first secondary winding.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein winding the first transformer on the core comprises winding the first primary winding and the first secondary winding in a first plane, and

wherein winding the second transformer on the core comprises winding the second primary winding and the second secondary winding in a second plane, the second plane being substantially orthogonal to the first plane.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

packaging at least a portion of the core, the first transformer, and the second transformer into an integrated circuit component; and

placing the integrated circuit component into a circuit arrangement.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing the first primary current to the first primary winding of the first transformer;

providing the second primary current to the second primary winding of the second transformer, wherein a portion of the second primary current is provided substantially contemporaneously with a portion of the first primary current.