Switching Power Controller and System

• US 20110096574A1
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Giantec Semiconductor Ltd. Inc.
• Original Assignee: Giantec Semiconductor Ltd. Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Yu Mei
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/21.18
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop

Abstract

A switching power controller circuit comprises a first terminal pin for a high potential of a power supply for the controller circuit, a second terminal pin for providing output of switch drive signals and for receiving feedback signals, and a third terminal pin for receiving external current signals and for a low potential of the power supply. The switching power controller further comprises a clock generator, a pulse width modulation (PWM) generator, a reference generator, a power switch driver, a feedback signal sampler, a PWM comparator and a floating sampler.

Claims

1. A switching power controller circuit comprising:

a first terminal pin for a high potential of a power supply for the controller circuit, a second terminal pin for providing output of switch drive signals and for receiving feedback signals, and a third terminal pin for receiving external current signals and for a low potential of the power supply;

wherein said switching power controller further comprises a clock generator, a pulse width modulation (PWM) generator, a power switch driver, a feedback signal sampler, a reference generator, a PWM comparator and a floating sampler;

said clock generator provides clock signals;

said PWM comparator outputs PWM triggering signals;

a first input of the PWM generator is coupled to the clock generator to receive the clock signals and a second input of the PWM generator is coupled to the PWM comparator to receive the PWM triggering signals from the PWM comparator;

inputs of the power switch driver are coupled to the PWM generator to receive PWM signals and an output of the power switch driver provides switch driving signals to the second terminal pin;

a first input of the feedback signal sampler receives a feedback signal from the second terminal pin;

a first input of the feedback signal processor is coupled to the output of the feedback signal sampler to receive sampled feedback signals, a second input of the feedback signal processor receives a reference voltage or reference current from the reference generator, and a first output of the feedback signal processor is coupled to the floating sampler and provides a threshold voltage signal therein;

a first input of the PWM comparator is coupled to the third terminal pin and a second input of the PWM comparator is coupled to the floating sampler;

the floating sampler comprises a switch and a holding capacitor;

the switch is connected between the output of the feedback signal processor and the second input of the PWM comparator, wherein when the switch is on, the feedback signal processor provides the threshold voltage signal to the second input of the PWM comparator and charges the holding capacitor until the signal level of the switch driving signal output from the power switch driver changes to high;

the holding capacitor is connected between the high potential of the power supply and the second input port of the PWM comparator to hold the threshold voltage when the switch is off;

Wherein the output of the power switch driver is set to a high-impedance state at least for a period when the feedback signal sampler is receiving feedback signal.

2. The switching power controller circuit of claim 1, wherein the first terminal pin is coupled to a system ground through a capacitor.

3. The switching power controller circuit of claim 1, wherein the third terminal pin is coupled to a system ground at least through a resistor.

4. The switching power controller circuit of claim 1, wherein the PWM signal includes a first PWM signal, PWM_P, and a second PWM signal, PWM_N;

the logic level of the first PWM signal and the logic level of the second PWM signal are different from each other except when both of them are logic low;

the power switch driver is controlled to provide driving signals to the second terminal pin when the logic level of the first PWM signal is high;

the feedback signal sampler is controlled to receive feedback signals from the second terminal pin when the logic levels of both the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal are low.

5. The switching power controller circuit of claim 4, wherein the feedback signal sampler receives a control signal from a third output of the PWM generator.

6. The switching power controller circuit of claim 1, wherein the PWM signals include a first PWM signal;

the power switch driver is controlled to provide driving signals to the second terminal pin when the logic level of the first PWM signal is high;

the clock generator provides a first sampling signal to control the switch;

the frequency of the first sampling signal is synchronous with the first PWM signal;

when the logic level of the first sampling signal changes from high to low, the logic level of the first PWM signal changes from low to high;

7. The switching power controller circuit of claim 1, wherein a second output of the feedback signal processor outputs a modulation signal to the clock generator to modulate frequency of the PWM signals.

8. The switching power controller circuit of claim 1, wherein the switching power controller circuit is an integrated circuit chip (IC).

9. A switching mode power supply system (SMPS) comprising:

the switching power controller circuit of claim 1, a switching power converter, and a feedback network;

wherein the switching power converter comprises a power input port, a power output port, a current signal output port, and a switching signal input port;

wherein the current signal output port connects to the third terminal pin of the switching power controller and coupled to system ground at least through a resistor;

the switching signal input port connects to the second terminal pin of the switching power controller;

an input of the feedback network connects to the power output port;

an output of the feedback network connects to the second terminal pin of the switching power controller.