Switching regulator

• US 5,770,940 A
• Filed: 08/09/1995
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MMC Bidding, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Switch Power Inc.
• Inventors: Goder, Dimitry
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US08/512,974
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 323/282, 323/284-287, 363/21, 363/23, 363/25
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/565 sensing a condition of the system or its load in addition to means responsive to deviations in the output of the system, e.g. current, voltage, power factor G05F1/563 takes precedence
• 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 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1563 without using an external clock H02M3/158 takes precedence

Abstract

A switching regulator and a method of regulating voltage by means of a switching regulator, includes a regulator switch, a smoothing filter, and a first voltage feedback loop from an output of he regulator to a control line of the switch. The first feedback loop may include a hysteresis comparator or a comparator and a frequency reference connected to the control line of the switch. The first feedback loop uses the A.C. ripples at the output of the smoothing filter as a ramp signal feedback to substantially instantaneously correct output voltage. A second voltage feedback is further employed to stabilize the output voltage. The smoothing filter employs an LC circuit and the regulator is provided with means for providing an inductor current path when the switch is opened. The regulator may, further, include a current feedback loop.

Claims

1. A switching regulator comprising:

a first switch, having an input, an output and a control line;

a low pass filter connected to an output of the regulator;

a first voltage feedback loop from an output of the regulator to the control line of the switch, wherein the feedback loop includes a comparator having an output, a first input connected to the output of the regulator, and a reference voltage input, the feedback loop further including a frequency reference connected to the control line of the switch for regulating the switching of the switch; and

a second feedback loop from the output of the regulator, the second feedback loop including an amplifier having a DC voltage input, and an output which is connected to the reference voltage input of the comparator.

2. A regulator of claim 1, further comprising a free wheeling diode connected to ground and providing a current path for the inductor when the first switch is opened.

3. A regulator of claim 1, further comprising a second switch connected to ground to provide a current path for the inductor when the first switch is opened, the second switch being controlled by a signal that is inverted relative to the signal switching the first switch, to insure that only one of the switches is open at any one time.

4. A regulator of claim 1, wherein the frequency reference comprises an oscillator and a flip flop, wherein the oscillator is connected to a first input of the flip flop, and the output of the comparator is connected to a reset input of the flip flop, an output of the flip flop being connected to the control line of the switch.

5. A regulator of claim 1, wherein the frequency reference comprises a one shot connected between the output of the comparator and the control line of the switch.

6. A regulator of claim 1, further comprising a transformer, wherein the voltage across a primary winding of the transformer is controlled by the switch, and wherein a secondary winding is connected to the lowpass filter.

7. A switching regulator comprising:

a first switch having an input, an output and a control line;

a low pass filter connected to an output of the regulator;

a first voltage feedback from an output of the regulator to the control line of the switch, including a comparator having first and second inputs, and an output which is connected to the control line of the switch, the first voltage feedback being AC coupled to the second input of said comparator; and

a second, voltage feedback from the output of the regulator, wherein the second, voltage feedback includes an amplifier having a reference voltage input and an output connected to the first input of the comparator.

8. A regulator of claim 7, further comprising current feedback that is DC coupled to the second input of the comparator.

9. A switching regulator for supplying a stable output voltage to an output terminal from a supplied input source, comprising:

a switch selectively switching the input source to an output terminal thereof to form a modulated switch output under control of a control line, the modulated switch output being composed of a D.C. offset voltage with a superimposed ripple voltage;

a low pass filter connected between the output of said switch and the output terminal of said regulator and smoothing the modulated switch output to develop said output voltage;

a pulse modulator supplying a pulse train to the control line of said switch to selectively connect said switch;

a first voltage feedback loop comparing the D.C. output voltage of said switching regulator to a desired voltage reference to develop a voltage error signal; and

a second voltage feedback loop, operatively connected to said pulse modulator and supplying the ripple voltage to said pulse modulator;

said pulse modulator varying the duty cycle of said switch based on said ripple voltage to quickly control the output voltage of said switching regulator;

variations in the load or voltage of said output developing a substantially instantaneous variation in said ripple voltage to stabilize said output voltage by quickly correct errors sensed therein.

10. The regulator of claim 9, further comprising a transformer, wherein the voltage across a primary winding of the transformer is controlled by the switch, and wherein a secondary winding is connected to the low pass filter.

11. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said switch switches the input source to the output terminal thereof at a switch frequency, said ripple voltage being related to said switch frequency.

12. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said first voltage feedback loop stabilizes the output voltage of said switching regulator.

13. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said first voltage feedback loop monitors the D.C. offset voltage at said output terminal.

14. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said first voltage feedback loop monitors the output voltage of said switching regulator remote from said switching regulator.

15. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said pulse modulator comprises a comparator comparing the ripple voltage with an error voltage, the ripple voltage further supplying a ramp signal to said pulse modulator.

16. The switching regulator of claim 15 wherein said first feedback loop comprises an error amplifier receiving a reference voltage at one input thereof and the D.C. output voltage of said switching regulator as a second input thereof to produce said error voltage.

17. The switching regulator of claim 16 wherein said error amplifier includes an integrating feedback path.

18. The switching regulator of claim 16 wherein said switch includes first and second switch devices each having a switch control terminal, one of said switch devices having its control terminal directly connected to said control line while the other of said switch devices being connected to said control line through an inverter.

19. The switching regulator of claim 16 further comprising a current feedback path monitoring output current at said output terminal and providing inherent current limiting to said switching regulator.

20. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said low pass filter includes an inductor serially connected between said switch and said output terminal and a capacitor connected between said output terminal and ground.

21. The regulator of claim 20, further comprising a free wheeling diode connected to ground and providing a current path for the inductor when the first switch is opened.

22. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said pulse modulator includes,

a flip flop having a set terminal and a reset terminal and being connected to said control line of said switch,

an oscillator for setting the flip flop at a controlled frequency, and

a comparator comparing the ripple voltage with an error voltage, the ripple voltage further supplying a ramp signal to the reset terminal of said flip flop.

23. The switching regulator of claim 9 wherein said pulse modulator includes,

a one shot producing a constant duration pulse and being connected to said control line of said switch, and

a comparator comparing the ripple voltage with an error voltage, the ripple voltage further supplying a ramp signal to the one shot at a periodically varying interval.

24. A method of converting an input voltage into a stable output voltage supplied to an output terminal from a supplied input source, comprising:

a) selectively switching the input source to form a modulated switch output composed of a D.C. offset voltage with a superimposed ripple voltage using a switch having a pulse modulatable control line;

b) smoothing the modulated switch output to develop said output voltage;

c) supplying a pulse train to the control line of said switch to selectively connect said switch;

d) comparing the D.C. output voltage to a desired voltage reference to develop a voltage error signal in a first voltage feedback loop; and

e) supplying the ripple voltage to said pulse modulator in a second voltage feedback loop to aid in the development of said pulse train;

said step c) of supplying varying the duty cycle of said switch based on said ripple voltage to quickly control the output voltage of said switching regulator;

variations in the load or voltage of said output developing a substantially instantaneous variation in said ripple voltage to stabilize said output voltage by quickly correcting errors sensed therein.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said pulse train is supplied by said step c) of supplying at the output of a comparator comparing the ripple voltage with a second voltage.

26. A method of claim 25, wherein the comparator has built-in hysteresis.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said step e) of supplying compares the D.C. output voltage to a reference voltage in a differential amplifier and supplies the difference to the second input of the comparator of said step c).

28. A method of claim 27, wherein the reference voltage is a DC reference voltage.