Apparatus for sensing an output current in a communications device

• US 7,782,094 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vorenkamp, Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan; Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hiltunen; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US11/654,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 327/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/44 Arrangements for feeding power to a repeater along the transmission line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/02 Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/91 Carrier sense multiple access, e.g. ethernet, 10base-t

Abstract

Power over Ethernet (PoE) communication systems provide power and data communications over the same communications link, where a power source device (PSE) provides DC power (for example, 48 volts DC) to a powered device (PD). The DC power is transmitted simultaneously over the same communications medium with the high speed data from one node to the other node. The PSE typically includes a controller that controls the DC power provided to the PD at the second node of the communications link. The PSE controller measures the voltage, current, and temperature of the outgoing and incoming DC supply lines to characterize the power requirements of the PD. The PSE controller includes a resistorless switch to measure the current. The resistorless switch includes a sense transistor and a current mirror to allowing the PSE controller to calculate the current based upon a replica current.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing current, comprising:

a main transistor;

a sense transistor;

a first comparator configured to compare a drain to source voltage of the main transistor and a drain to source voltage of the sense transistor; and

a second comparator configured to compare a gate to source voltage of the main transistor and a gate to source voltage of the sense transistor,

wherein the first comparator is further configured to provide an output that causes the drain to source voltage of the sense transistor to replicate the drain to source voltage of the main transistor and the second comparator is further configured to provide an output that causes the gate to source voltage of the sense transistor to replicate the gate to source voltage of the main transistor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a size of the sense transistor is substantially smaller than a size of the main transistor, and wherein a current flowing through the main transistor is proportional to a current flowing through the sense transistor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the current flowing through the main transistor is based upon a power received from a powered device coupled to a communications medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a current mirror, coupled to the sense transistor, configured to provide a replica current to the sense transistor, wherein the replica current is proportional to a current flowing through the main transistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a sense resistor, coupled to the current mirror, configured to provide a sensed voltage based upon the replica current.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensed voltage represents the current flowing through the main transistor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the current flowing through the main transistor is applied to a communications medium so as to provide power to a powered device coupled to the communications medium, and wherein the sensed voltage represents the current delivered to the powered device.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the current mirror comprises:

a third transistor; and

a fourth transistor,

wherein the third transistor is configured to mirror the replica current flowing through the fourth transistor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a fifth transistor connected between the current mirror and the sense transistor, wherein the fifth transistor provides the replica current to the sense transistor based upon the output of the first comparator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of a group consisting of the drain to source voltage of the main transistor and the gate to source voltage of the main transistor causes a current to flow through the main transistor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the current is based upon a power received from a device coupled to a communications medium.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the current is applied to a communications medium so as to provide power to a powered device coupled to a communications medium.

13. An apparatus for sensing current, comprising:

a main transistor configured to provide a first current in response to a first drain to source bias and a first gate to source bias;

a sense transistor configured to provide a second current in response to a second drain to source bias and a second gate to source bias;

a first comparator configured to compare the first drain to source bias and the second drain to source bias; and

a second comparator configured to compare the first gate to source bias and the second gate to source bias,

wherein the first comparator and the second comparator are further configured to provide a first output and second output, respectively, the first output and the second output causing the second current to replicate the first current.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a size of the sense transistor is substantially smaller than a size of the main transistor, and wherein the first current is proportional to the second current.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a current mirror, coupled to the sense transistor, configured to provide the second current.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a sense resistor, coupled to the current mirror, configured to provide a sensed voltage based upon the second current.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first current is applied to a communications medium so as to provide power to a powered device coupled to the communications medium, and wherein the sensed voltage represents the current delivered to the powered device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the communications medium is an Ethernet communications medium.