Feedback control loop in a power supply circuit

• US 5,581,450 A
• Filed: 04/28/1994
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Advance Power Ltd (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Walne, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US08/234,266
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 363/19, 363/21, 363/23, 363/25, 323/222, 323/282
• US Class Current: 323/222
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Abstract

A feedback loop in a power supply operating in a switched mode has a dual response controller which provides slow response to superimposed ripple on the power supply output by two impedances in series, and when there is transient deviation on the output diode, switching brings in a further impedance in parallel with one of the two impedences to reduce the overall impedence and provide a faster response for the control of the switching mode.

Claims

1. In a power supply circuit comprising an input and an output, and a feedback control loop for improving the quality of the input current waveform dependent upon conditions at the output, and wherein the output is susceptible to undesireable superimposed ripple in steady state condition and transient deviations from said steady state conditions;

the improvement that in the feedback control loop there is provided an impedance circuit comprising a parallel combination of first and second impedances, and a third impedance in series with said parallel combination, and a switching means isolating the first impedance under steady state conditions so that the impedance circuit provides high attenuation to said ripple, and in transient deviations said switching means switching in the first impedance so that the impedance circuit provides a faster response than when the first impedance is isolated.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said switching means includes bi-directional switches which are respectively operated depending upon the direction of deviation of the transient from the steady state condition.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said switches comprise oppositely biased diodes.

4. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said first impedance comprises first and second elements of different values respectively connected in series with said switches so that the response in transient deviation conditions will be different depending upon the direction of such deviations from the steady state conditions.

5. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the output is connected to one input of an operational amplifier to the other input of which as connected for comparison a reference signal, and the output of the operational amplifier is connected to said impedence circuit.

6. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein the output is applied to the operational amplifier through a divider so that a fraction of said output is applied to the operational amplifier.

7. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein the reference signal is applied via a divider such that the normal superimposed ripple does not forward bias the diodes.

8. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the power supply is an off line switched mode power supply.

9. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the output comprises a storage capacitor.

10. In a power supply circuit comprising an input and an output and an operational amplifier feedback control loop for improving the quality of the input current waveform dependent upon conditions at the output, and wherein the output is susceptible to undesirable superimposed ripple in steady state conditions and transient deviations from said steady state conditions;

the improvement that an operational amplifier, which is to compare the output with reference, acts in a dual response mode in that its output is connected to an impedence circuit and including switch means switching the impedence circuit between a slow response condition and a fast response condition, and setting means which sets the amplifier such that the normal ripple on the amplifier input is insufficient to cause the amplifier output to switch the impedence circuit into fast response mode but deviations of the output beyond normal ripple are sufficient to cause the amplifier output to switch the impedance circuit into fast response mode.

11. A feedback control loop in a power supply circuit, comprising:

a first impedance;

a second impedance;

a switch operative to selectively couple the first impedance to the second impedance in a parallel combination; and

a third impedance coupled in series to the second impedance;

wherein the first impedance is isolated from the second impedance by opening the switch during steady state conditions; and

wherein the first impedance is coupled in parallel to the second impedance by closing the switch during transient deviations from the steady state conditions.

12. The feedback control loop of claim 11, wherein the switch comprises:

bi-directional switches which are respectively operated depending upon the direction of deviation of the transient from the steady state condition.

13. The feedback control loop of claim 12, wherein the bi-directional switches comprise oppositely biased diodes.

14. The feedback control loop of claim 12, wherein the first impedance comprises first and second elements of different values respectively connected in series with said switches so that the response in transient deviation conditions will be different depending upon the direction of such deviations from the steady state conditions.

15. The feedback control loop of claim 11, wherein the power supply circuit is an off-line switched mode power supply.