Constant phase angle control for frequency agile power switching systems

• US 7,551,011 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ambrell Corporation (inTEST Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ameritherm, Inc. (inTEST Corporation)
• Inventors: Paull, Ian Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, TUAN THIEU
• Application Number:
  US11/834,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 327/156
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 5/02 of power
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation

Abstract

Power switching systems often benefit from controlling the instant at which the power devices change state so as to minimize dissipation in these devices. Such systems often require fairly tight tolerances on reactive components and a relatively narrow frequency operating range to be certain these switching times occur as intended. This invention defines a system that can adapt the required switching instant over very wide changes in the reactive components.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator configured to generate an output;

a current transformer configured to receive the output of the voltage controlled oscillator;

a phase detector having a first input and a second input and being configured to receive at the first input a signal from the current transformer and to receive at the second input the output from the voltage controlled oscillator;

a voltage source configured to produce a desired output voltage; and

a differential amplifier having (i) a first input configured to receive an output from the phase detector and (ii) a second input configured to receive the output voltage from the voltage source, wherein

the differential amplifier is configured to output a voltage that corresponds to the difference between the output of the phase detector and the output of the voltage source, and

the output of the differential amplifier is provided to an input of the voltage controlled oscillator.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a delay circuit connected between an output of the voltage controlled oscillator the second input of the phase detector, and wherein the voltage source is an adjustable voltage source.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the phase detector is a digital phase detector.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a loop filter connected between the output of the differential amplifier and the input of the voltage controlled oscillator.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the loop filter consists of a resistor and a capacitor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a loop filter connected between the output of the phase detector and the first input of the differential amplifier.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal from the current transformer is a current signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the output from the voltage controlled oscillator is a voltage signal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the output from the phase detector is a voltage and the voltage corresponds to the difference in phase between the voltage signal and the current signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the voltage controlled oscillator is configured to modify the frequency of the voltage signal upon receiving an error signal from the differential amplifier.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said output is delayed in time to match the delay which may be present between the voltage controlled oscillator and the current transformer.

12. A method, comprising:

using a voltage controlled oscillator to generate a first signal;

providing the first signal to a current transformer, wherein the current transformer produces a second signal;

receiving at a first input of a phase detector the signal output from the current transformer;

receiving at a second input of the phase detector the signal output from the voltage controlled oscillator;

using an voltage source to produce a desired output;

producing a voltage that corresponds to the difference between an output of the phase detector and the output of the voltage source; and

providing said produced voltage to an input of the voltage controlled oscillator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the phase detector is a digital phase detector.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising filtering said produced voltage prior to providing said voltage to the input of the voltage controlled oscillator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the filtering step comprises using a loop filter that comprises a resistor and a capacitor.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the second signal is a current signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first signal is a voltage signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the output of the phase detector is a voltage and the voltage corresponds to the difference in phase between the voltage signal and the current signal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising modifying the frequency of the voltage signal based upon said voltage that corresponds to the difference between an output of the phase detector and the output of the voltage source, wherein the voltage source is an adjustable voltage source.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising delaying the first signal in time to match a delay that may be present between the voltage controlled oscillator and the current transformer prior to providing the first signal to the phase detector.