METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROGRAMMING A POWER CONVERTER CONTROLLER WITH AN EXTERNAL PROGRAMMING TERMINAL HAVING MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS

• US 20120320640A1
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Bäurle, Stefan, Mao, Mingming, Zhang, Guangchao Darson
• Granted Patent: US 8,630,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/21.17
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0025 Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter
• 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 3/33515 with digital control

Abstract

A power converter controller is disclosed. An example controller includes a control circuit coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. The control circuit coupled to control a switching of a power switch of the power converter in response to the feedback signal to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to the output of the power converter. An internal programming interface circuit is coupled to the control circuit. A coupling switcher is coupled to the internal programming interface circuit. An external programming terminal is selectively coupled to the internal programming interface circuit through the coupling switcher. An external programming circuit coupled to the external programming terminal is coupled to the internal programming interface circuit through the coupling switcher during a startup programming condition and during a fault condition of the power converter. The external programming circuit that is coupled to the external programming terminal is decoupled from the internal programming interface circuit by the coupling switcher during a normal operating condition of the power converter.

Claims

1. A controller for use in a power converter, comprising:

a control circuit coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter, the control circuit coupled to control a switching of a power switch of the power converter in response to the feedback signal to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to the output of the power converter;

an internal programming interface circuit coupled to the control circuit;

a coupling switcher coupled to the internal programming interface circuit;

an external programming terminal selectively coupled to the internal programming interface circuit through the coupling switcher, wherein an external programming circuit coupled to the external programming terminal is coupled to the internal programming interface circuit through the coupling switcher during a startup programming condition and during a fault condition of the power converter, wherein the external programming circuit coupled to the external programming terminal is decoupled from the internal programming interface circuit by the coupling switcher during a normal operating condition of the power converter.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein substantially no power is consumed through the external programming terminal when the external programming circuit coupled to the external programming terminal is decoupled from the internal programming interface circuit by the coupling switcher.

3. The controller of claim 1 wherein the internal programming interface circuit includes a decoder coupled to the control circuit to select a programmable characteristic of the controller in response to a programming current through the external programming terminal during the startup programming condition of the power converter.

4. The controller of claim 3 wherein the decoder comprises a variable current source coupled to generate a decoder current representative of the programming current through the external programming terminal during the startup programming condition of the power converter, wherein the control circuit selects the programmable characteristic of the controller in response to the decoder current.

5. The controller of claim 4 wherein the decoder current is responsive to a programming impedance included in the external programming circuit coupled to the external programming terminal.

6. The controller of claim 4 wherein the variable current source comprises a plurality of switched current sources to generate the decoder current representative of the programming current through the external programming terminal during the startup programming condition of the power converter.

7. The controller of claim 3 wherein the programmable characteristic of the controller includes a current limit characteristic of the controller.

8. The controller of claim 3 wherein the programmable characteristic of the controller includes switching frequency characteristic of the power converter.

9. The controller of claim 3 wherein the coupling switcher comprises a startup switch coupled to be activated to provide the programming current during the startup programming condition of the power converter.

10. The controller of claim 3 wherein the coupling switcher comprises a programming comparator coupled to a programming threshold to regulate the programming current through the external programming terminal in response to the programming threshold during the startup programming condition of the power converter.

11. The controller of claim 1 wherein the internal programming interface circuit includes a timing circuit coupled to the external programming terminal through the coupling switcher during the fault condition of the power converter.

12. The controller of claim 11 wherein the timing circuit is coupled to provide a programmable delay time of an extended shutdown delay during an open loop fault detection condition of the power converter.

13. The controller of claim 11 wherein the controller is coupled to cause repeated cycles of an auto restart mode in response to a detection of the fault condition, wherein switching of the power switch stops for a shutdown off-interval in response to the controller receiving of a shutdown signal and restarts and continues for a restart on-interval during the fault condition.

14. The controller of claim 11 wherein the timing circuit is coupled to provide a programmable delay time of a switch on-interval extension in each cycle of an auto restart mode of the power converter.

15. The controller of claim 11 wherein the coupling switcher comprises a fault switch coupled to be activated to couple the timing circuit to the external programming terminal during the fault condition of the power converter.

16. The controller of claim 11 wherein the timing circuit is coupled to provide a programmable delay in response to an RC time constant of the external programming circuit coupled to the external programming terminal.

17. The controller of claim 16 wherein the timing circuit comprises a set-reset latch coupled to activate and deactivate an application of a charging current to the external programming circuit through the external programming terminal to provide the programmable delay during the fault condition of the power converter.

18. The controller of claim 17 wherein the timing circuit further comprises a first comparator coupled to a lower threshold and the external programming terminal, wherein the first comparator is coupled to cause the set-reset latch to activate the application of the charging current to the external programming circuit through the external programming terminal in response a voltage at the external programming terminal being substantially equal to the lower threshold.

19. The controller of claim 18 wherein the timing circuit further comprises a second comparator coupled to an upper threshold and the external programming terminal, wherein the second comparator is coupled to cause the set-reset latch to deactivate the application of the charging current to the external programming circuit through the external programming terminal in response to a voltage at the external programming terminal being substantially equal to the upper threshold.

20. The controller of claim 17 wherein the timing circuit is coupled to provide the programmable delay in response to a predetermined number of cycles of activations and deactivations of the application of the charging current to the external programming circuit through the external programming terminal.

21. The controller of claim 20 wherein the timing circuit further comprises a counter coupled to count the predetermined number of cycles of activations and deactivations to provide the programmable delay.

22. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a remote off comparator coupled to a remote off threshold and the external programming terminal, wherein the remote off comparator is coupled to activate a remote off function of the controller in response to a voltage at the external programming terminal being substantially equal to the remote off threshold.

23. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a latch reset comparator coupled to latch reset threshold and the external programming terminal, wherein the latch reset comparator is coupled to activate a latch reset operation of the controller in response to a voltage at the external programming terminal being substantially equal to the latch reset threshold.

24. A method of controlling a power converter, comprising:

activating a programming current through an external programming terminal of a power converter controller coupled to an external programming circuit during a startup programming condition of the power converter controller;

selecting a programmable characteristic of the power converter controller in response to the programming current through the external programming terminal of the power converter controller, wherein the programmable characteristic of the power converter controller is selected in response to programming resistance included in the programming circuit;

deactivating the programming current through the external programming terminal after the startup programming condition of the power converter controller such that substantially no power is consumed through external programming terminal during a normal operating condition of the power converter; and

activating and deactivating an application of a charging current through the external programming terminal of the power converter controller and through the external programming circuit during a fault condition of the power converter controller, wherein a delay time provided by the activating and deactivating of the application of the charging current is responsive to an RC time constant of the programming circuit.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein selecting the programmable characteristic of the power converter controller comprises selecting a current limit characteristic of the power converter controller.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein selecting the programmable characteristic of the power converter controller comprises selecting a switching frequency characteristic of the power converter controller.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising counting a predetermined number of cycles of activations and deactivations of the application of the charging current through the external programming terminal of the power converter controller and through the external programming circuit to provide an extended shutdown delay during an open loop fault detection condition of the power converter.

28. The method of claim 24 further comprising counting a predetermined number of cycles of activations and deactivations of the application of the charging current through the external programming terminal of the power converter controller and through the external programming circuit to provide an on-time extension in each cycle of an auto restart mode of the power converter.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein selecting the programmable characteristic of the power converter controller in response to the programming current through the external programming terminal of the power converter controller comprises regulating the programming current until a voltage at the external programming terminal of the power converter controller reaches a programming threshold.

30. The method of claim 24 further comprising activating a remote off function of the power converter controller in response to a voltage at the external programming terminal of the power converter controller reaching a remote off threshold.

31. The method of claim 24 further comprising activating a latch reset operation of the power converter controller in response to a voltage at the external programming terminal reaching an ac reset threshold.