Programmable Overcurrent Protection for a Switch

• US 20190319445A1
• Filed: 10/01/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silanna Asia Pte. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Silanna Asia Pte. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ye, Guanghua
• Granted Patent: US 10,938,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0007 concerning the detecting means in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/05 with means for increasing reliability, e.g. redundancy arrangements for logic circuits H03K19/003
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/327 against abnormal temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/129 there being a feedback over the complete amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45116 Feedback coupled to the input of the differential amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0822 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/145 in field-effect transistor switches

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure include a switch having an on-state resistance that varies based on a temperature coefficient of the switch and an overcurrent protection circuit coupled to the switch and having an adjustable overcurrent threshold level determined based on an adjustable voltage generated by the overcurrent protection circuit, the adjustable voltage generated based on the temperature coefficient of the switch.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a switch having an on-state resistance that varies based on a temperature coefficient of the switch; and

an overcurrent protection circuit coupled to the switch and having an adjustable overcurrent threshold level determined based on an adjustable voltage generated by the overcurrent protection circuit, the adjustable voltage generated based on the temperature coefficient of the switch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch-mode power supply circuit coupled to and controlled by the overcurrent protection circuit, wherein the switch-mode power supply circuit includes the switch.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adjustable voltage has an adjustable temperature coefficient, and wherein the overcurrent protection circuit is configured to adjust the adjustable temperature coefficient to substantially match the temperature coefficient of the switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a programmable scaling resistor coupled to the overcurrent protection circuit, wherein the adjustable voltage is determined based on a value of the programmable scaling resistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the overcurrent protection circuit further comprises:

an adjustable voltage generator circuit configured to generate the adjustable voltage based on the temperature coefficient of the switch; and

a detection circuit coupled to the adjustable voltage generator circuit and to the switch-mode power supply circuit, the detection circuit configured to adjust a current supplied to the switch-mode power supply circuit based on (a) the adjustable voltage, and (b) a voltage corresponding to the switch received from the switch-mode power supply circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the adjustable voltage generator circuit comprises:

a voltage-to-current generator circuit having a negative temperature coefficient and configured to generate a first voltage based on a received reference voltage; and

a current-to-voltage circuit coupled to the voltage-to-current generator circuit, the current-to-voltage circuit having a positive temperature coefficient and configured to generate, based on the first voltage, a second voltage having a net positive temperature coefficient.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the voltage-to-current generator circuit includes a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) having a base, an emitter and a collector, wherein the received reference voltage is received at the base of the BJT.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the received reference voltage substantially matches the temperature coefficient of the switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the current-to-voltage circuit comprises:

a first resistor coupled to the voltage-to-current generator circuit configured to receive the first voltage; and

a variable resistor coupled in series to the first resistor via a common node, wherein the second voltage is outputted from the common node.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the adjustable voltage generator circuit further comprises:

a current mirror circuit configured to output a threshold current based on (a) the second voltage and (b) a value of a scaling resistor coupled to the overcurrent protection circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the adjustable voltage generator circuit further comprises:

a trim resistor coupled to the current mirror circuit, wherein the adjustable voltage generator circuit is configured to generate the adjustable voltage based on the threshold current and the trim resistor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the trim resistor has a temperature coefficient substantially equal to zero.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the trim resistor is a variable resistor.

14. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detection circuit comprises:

an operational amplifier configured to generate a third voltage based on the adjustable voltage received from the adjustable voltage generator circuit; and

a resistor-divider network comprising a plurality of series-connected resistors configured to receive the third voltage and the voltage corresponding to the switch received from the switch-mode power supply circuit;

wherein the adjustable overcurrent threshold level is based on an output voltage of the resistor-divider network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the third voltage is substantially equal to the adjustable voltage.

16. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the overcurrent protection circuit is configured to adjust the current supplied to the switch-mode power supply circuit independently of temperature changes in the switch-mode power supply circuit.

17. A method comprising:

generating, in an overcurrent protection circuit coupled to a switch, an adjustable voltage based on a temperature coefficient of the switch, the adjustable voltage having a positive temperature coefficient; and

determining an overcurrent threshold level in the overcurrent protection circuit based on the adjustable voltage.