Switch with programmable delay

• US 5,955,910 A
• Filed: 08/11/1998
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cherry Semiconductor Corp. (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sanzo, Christopher J., Theroux, Arthur R., Schuellein, George E., Levin, Gedaly
• Primary Examiner(s): Cunningham, Terry D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLUND, TERRY LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/132,511
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 327/27, 327/113, 327/24, 327/266, 327/276, 327/278, 327/280, 327/393, 323/266, 363/89
• US Class Current: 327/393
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/009 having two or more independently controlled outputs for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33561 having more than one ouput with independent control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08126 in bipolar transitor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/284 in field effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6877 the control circuit comprising active elements different from those used in the output circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A programmable delay circuit employs a comparator to control an output driver. The comparator compares a ramp signal to an error control signal derived from an error amplifier or in the alternative to a disable signal. The output of the comparator is latched on until a reset signal is received. The reset signal is produced when the ramp signal is discharged below a predetermined level. The programmable delay circuit is useful in a secondary side post regulator to control a totem pole driver. The totem pole driver in turn controls a switching device coupled to a voltage on a secondary winding.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

an error amplifier, connected to receive a voltage sense signal and a reference signal, so as to produce an error control signal;

a ramp node for providing a periodic ramp signal;

a reset signal generator arranged so as to produce a reset signal;

a comparator connected to receive the error control signal and the ramp signal for generating a first state signal or a second state signal depending upon a comparison between the error control signal and the ramp signal;

a latch circuit coupled to said reset signal generator and to said comparator in order to latch the first state signal until the reset signal is received; and

an output driver, connected to a first terminal and a second terminal, switched in response to the first and second state signals to drive an output signal on the first terminal in response to the first state signal and to provide a low impedance path between the first terminal and the second terminal in response to the second state signal.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising a current source and a discharge transistor coupled to said ramp node.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising a conductive line for receiving a sync signal corresponding to a voltage on a secondary winding and wherein said reset signal generator produces the reset signal when the ramp signal is below a first predetermined level and the sync signal is below a second predetermined level.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 3 wherein the ramp signal begins to rise in response to a leading edge of the sync signal.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein said output driver comprises a totem pole driver, having a top output transistor and a bottom output transistor, to drive the output signal on the first terminal with the top output transistor on and the bottom output transistor off and to provide the low impedance path through the bottom output transistor between the first terminal and the second terminal.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising a current sense amplifier, connected to receive a current sense signal and a current limit reference signal and having an output coupled to said error amplifier, for sinking current from said error amplifier when an overcurrent condition is detected so as to cause the error control signal to rise above the ramp signal.

7. A switch with programmable delay comprising:

an error amplifier, connected to receive a voltage sense signal and a reference signal, for producing an error output signal;

buffer circuitry connected to receive the error output signal and produce an error control signal;

a current source and a discharge transistor for producing a periodic ramp signal;

a comparator connected to receive the error control signal and the ramp signal for generating a first state signal or a second state signal depending upon a comparison between the error control signal and the ramp signal;

a latch circuit connected to said comparator in order to latch the first state signal until a reset signal is received;

a current sense amplifier, connected to receive a current sense signal and a current limit reference signal and having an output coupled to said error amplifier, for causing, when an overcurrent condition is detected, said buffer circuitry to produce the error control signal relative to the ramp signal that causes said comparator to generate the second state signal; and

an output driver, connected to a first terminal and a second terminal, switched in response to the first and second state signals to drive an output signal on the first terminal in response to the first state signal and to provide a low impedance path between the first terminal and the second terminal in response to the second state signal.

8. The switch of claim 7 further comprising a diode connected between said current sense amplifier and said error amplifier to isolate said current sense amplifier from the error output signal when the current sense signal is below the overcurrent condition.

9. The switch of claim 7 wherein said output driver comprises a totem pole driver, having a top output transistor and a bottom output transistor, to drive the output signal on the first terminal with the top output transistor on and the bottom output transistor off and to provide the low impedance path through the bottom output transistor between the first terminal and the second terminal.

10. The switch of claim 7 further comprising a reset signal generator to produce the reset signal when the ramp signal is below a first predetermined level.

11. The switch of claim 7 further comprising a conductive line for receiving a sync signal corresponding to a voltage on a secondary winding and a reset signal generator to produce the reset signal when the ramp signal is below a first predetermined level and the sync signal is below a second predetermined level.

12. A switch with programmable delay comprising:

Vcc means for receiving a supply voltage;

a regulator connected to said supply voltage for generating a regulated voltage;

an error amplifier, connected to receive a voltage sense signal and a reference signal, for producing an error control signal;

a current source and a discharge transistor for producing a periodic ramp signal;

a comparator connected to receive a voltage from the error control signal and the ramp signal for generating a first state signal or a second state signal depending upon a comparison between the voltage from the error control signal and the ramp signal;

VregOK means for disabling said comparator when the regulated voltage is below a predetermined threshold;

a latch circuit connected to said comparator in order to latch the first state signal until a reset signal is received; and

an output driver, connected to a first terminal and a second terminal, switched in response to the first and second state signals to drive an output signal on the first terminal in response to the first state signal and to provide a low impedance path between the first terminal and the second terminal in response to the second state signal.

13. The switch of claim 12 further comprising an undervoltage lockout circuit for enabling said regulator when the supply voltage rises above an enable threshold and for disabling said regulator when the supply voltage falls below a disable threshold lower than the enable threshold.

14. The switch of claim 12 further comprising a sleep terminal and a sleep switch, coupled to said sleep terminal and said undervoltage lockout circuit, for causing said undervoltage lockout circuit to disable said regulator when said sleep terminal is below a predetermined sleep threshold.

15. The switch of claim 12 wherein said VregOK means comprises means for activating said discharge transistor.

16. The switch of claim 12 further comprising means for activating said discharge transistor in response to the supply voltage falling below the regulated voltage.

17. The switch of claim 12 further comprising a conductive line for receiving a sync signal corresponding to a voltage on a secondary winding and a reset signal generator to produce the reset signal when the ramp signal is below a first predetermined level and the sync signal is below a second predetermined level.

18. A secondary side post regulator comprising:

a conductive line for receiving a sync signal corresponding to a voltage on a secondary winding;

a programmable delay circuit, connected to receive a sense signal corresponding to a voltage at an output of a switching device, for generating a first state signal upon completion of a delay following a first edge of the sync signal, wherein the delay is determined by the sense signal, and for generating a second state signal in response to a second edge, opposite from the first edge, of the sync signal;

a grounded totem pole driver, having a top output transistor and a bottom output transistor switched in response to the first and second state signals, to drive an output signal with the top output transistor on and the bottom output transistor off in response to the first state signal and to maintain a low impedance path through the bottom output transistor to ground with the top output transistor off in response to the second state signal until the first state signal is generated; and

the switching device having the output, an input coupled to the voltage on the secondary winding and a control input coupled to the output signal of the grounded totem pole driver.

19. The secondary side post regulator of claim 18 wherein said programmable delay circuit comprises:

a current source that charges a capacitor in response to the first edge of said sync signal;

a discharge transistor activated in response to the second edge of said sync signal to discharge the capacitor to a discharged level;

an error amplifier connected to receive a reference signal and the sense signal corresponding to the voltage at the output of said switching device in order to produce an error control signal; and

a comparator, connected to receive a voltage from the error control signal and a voltage signal from the capacitor, for generating the first state signal when the voltage signal on the capacitor rises above the voltage from the error control signal.

20. The secondary side post regulator of claim 19 wherein said programmable delay circuit further comprises a reset signal generator, coupled to the capacitor, for producing a reset signal when the capacitor has a voltage below a predetermined level and wherein said comparator generates the second state signal upon receiving the reset signal and a voltage signal on the capacitor below the voltage from the error control signal.

21. The secondary side post regulator of claim 19 wherein said comparator further includes an input connected in parallel with the error control signal, the input receiving a Voff signal above the discharged level of the capacitor in response to the second edge of said sync signal wherein said comparator generates the second state signal when the Voff signal is above the voltage signal on the capacitor.

22. The secondary side post regulator of claim 18 wherein said switching device comprises an FET having a drain, a gate and a source wherein the drain is the input coupled to the voltage on the secondary winding, the gate is the control input and the source is the output.

23. A secondary side post regulator comprising:

a conductive line for receiving a sync signal corresponding to a voltage on a secondary winding;

a programmable delay circuit, connected to receive a sense signal corresponding to a voltage at an output of a switching device, for generating a first state signal upon completion of a delay following an edge of the sync signal, wherein the delay is determined by the sense signal;

a reset signal generator arranged so as to produce a reset signal;

a latch circuit coupled to said reset signal generator and to said programmable delay circuit in order to latch the first state signal until the reset signal is received, wherein said programmable delay circuit generates a second state signal in response to the reset signal;

a totem pole driver, having a top output transistor and a bottom output transistor switched in response to the first and second state signals, to drive an output signal with the top output transistor on and the bottom output transistor off in response to the first state signal and to maintain a low impedance path through the bottom output transistor with the top output transistor off in response to the second state signal; and

the switching device having the output;

an input coupled to the voltage on the secondary winding and a control input coupled to the output signal of the totem pole driver.

24. The secondary side post regulator of claim 23 wherein said programmable delay circuit includes a current source for charging a capacitor to generate a ramp signal in response to the edge of the sync signal.

25. The secondary side post regulator of claim 24 wherein said reset signal generator produces the reset signal when the ramp signal is below a first predetermined level and the sync signal is below a second predetermined level.

26. The secondary side post regulator of claim 23 wherein said programmable delay circuit comprises:

a current source that charges a capacitor in response to the edge of said sync signal;

a discharge transistor for discharging the capacitor;

an error amplifier connected to receive a reference signal and the sense signal corresponding to the voltage at the output of said switching device in order to produce an error control signal;

a comparator, connected to receive a voltage from the error control signal and a voltage signal from the capacitor, for generating the first state signal when the voltage signal on the capacitor rises above the voltage from the error control signal.

27. The secondary side post regulator of claim 23 wherein said switching device comprises an FET having a drain, a gate and a source wherein the drain is the input coupled to the voltage on the secondary winding, the gate is the control input and the source is the output.