Power supply start up circuit

• US 6,804,126 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Knowledge Corporation (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lucas, Christopher Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US10/342,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20030133315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 363/49, 363/21.01, 363/20, 363/131
• US Class Current: 363/21.01
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0006 Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters

Abstract

A circuit provides a secondary output voltage from an input voltage. The circuit includes power supply circuitry for creating an unregulated DC bus voltage line and a regulator circuit connected to the DC bus voltage line for controlling a first switch in series with a transformer winding. The control circuit samples an output voltage to control the output voltage by cycling the first switch. The circuit further includes a pulse generator circuit connected to the regulator circuit for controlling start and stop cycles of the regulator circuit and a comparator circuit connected to the pulse generator circuit for monitoring the secondary output voltage and for disabling the pulse generator circuit during normal operation of the power supply circuit.

Claims

1. A circuit for providing a secondary output voltage from an input voltage, the circuit comprising:

power supply circuitry for receiving said input voltage and in response generating an unregulated DC bus voltage;

a regulator circuit for receiving said DC bus voltage though an input resistor and in response enabling a first switch in series with a transformer winding during a predetermined power supply start cycle and disabling said first switch during a predetermined power supply stop cycle to generate said secondary output voltage for application to a load, said regulator circuit including a control circuit for sampling said secondary output voltage and in response cycling said switch in accordance with said power supply start and stop cycles thereby regulating said secondary output voltage;

a pulse generator circuit for connecting said input resistor to said DC bus voltage during a predetermined start cycle of said pulse generator circuit and disconnecting said input resistor from said DC bus voltage during a predetermined stop cycle of said pulse generator circuit, wherein said start cycle of said pulse generator circuit is longer than said power supply start cycle to ensure start up of said regulator circuit in the event said unregulated DC bus voltage is low and said load is high, and wherein said predetermined stop cycle is longer than said predetermined start cycle for reducing power dissipation within said regulator circuit during sustained overload operation thereof; and

a further circuit connected to the pulse generator circuit, for monitoring the secondary output voltage and disabling the pulse generator circuit during normal operation of the power supply circuit, thereby minimizing power dissipation through said input resistor.

7. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an additional circuit for maintaining constant current from said pulse generator circuit though said input resistor during said predetermined start cycle, thereby maintaining said predetermined power supply start cycle constant over a range of said unregulated DC bus voltage.

2. A circuit for providing a secondary output voltage from an input voltage, the circuit comprising:

power supply circuitry for receiving said input voltage and in response generating an unregulated DC bus voltage;

a regulator circuit for receiving said DC bus voltage though an input resistor and in response enabling a first switch in series with a transformer winding during a predetermined power supply start cycle and disabling said first switch during a predetermined power supply stop cycle to generate said secondary output voltage for application to a load, said regulator circuit including a control circuit for sampling said secondary output voltage and in response cycling said switch in accordance with said power supply start and stop cycles thereby regulating said secondary output voltage;

a pulse generator circuit for connecting said input resistor to said DC bus voltage during a predetermined start cycle of said pulse generator circuit and disconnecting said input resistor from said DC bus voltage during a predetermined stop cycle of said pulse generator circuit, wherein said start cycle of said pulse generator circuit is longer than said power supply start cycle to ensure start up of said regulator circuit in the event said unregulated DC bus voltage is low and said load is high; and

a further circuit connected to the pulse generator circuit, for monitoring the secondary output voltage and disabling the pulse generator circuit during normal operation of the power supply circuit, thereby minimizing power dissipation through said input resistor;

wherein

said pulse generator further comprises a first comparator having a non-inverting input connected to a first source of reference voltage, an inverting input connected to a capacitor for receiving charge from said input voltage and to an output of said comparator via a first series connected feed back resistor and diode connected with first polarity and a second series connected feed back resistor and diode connected with opposite polarity, said output being connected to a control input of a switch for selectively connecting and disconnecting said input resistor to and from said unregulated DC bus voltage, respectively, for supplying start up current in response to said capacitor being charged through said first series connected resistor and diode to a voltage level in excess of said reference voltage and ceasing the supply of start up current in response to said capacitor being discharged through said second series connected resistor and diode to a voltage level less than said reference voltage.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein said capacitor and first resistor are characterized by a time constant for establishing said predetermined start cycle.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein said capacitor and second resistor are characterized by a further time constant for establishing said predetermined stop cycle.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein said time constants are selected such that said predetermined stop cycle is longer than said predetermined start cycle for reducing power dissipation within said regulator circuit during sustained overload operation thereof.

6. The circuit of claim 2, wherein said further circuit further comprises a further comparator having a non-inverting input connected to a further source of reference voltage less than said first source of reference voltage, an inverting input for receiving a voltage proportional to said secondary output voltage, and an output connected to said capacitor and said inverting input of said first comparator, such that in response to said secondary output voltage reaching a normal operating level the output of said further comparator switches to a low voltage thereby discharging said capacitor through said second series connected resistor and diode so as to disconnect said input resistor from said DC bus voltage.

8. The circuit of claim 2, further comprising a level shifting circuit for maintaining a substantially uniform voltage across said first comparator over a range of said unregulated DC bus voltage.