Voltage converter

• US 7,884,590 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitipower Integrated Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fitipower Integrated Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Yi-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US12/168,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 323/222, 323/282, 323/283, 323/284, 323/285, 323/286, 323/351
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• 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

An exemplary voltage converter includes a pulse width modulation controller chip, a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor, and a low pass filter. The pulse width modulation controller chip includes a plurality of pins, a power management circuit, a gate control logic circuit, a first gate driver, a second gate driver, a current source, a first resistor, an inductor current sensor, a counter and current step generator, and an oscillator. The plurality of pins include a Vcc pin, a BOOT pin, a PHASE pin, a UGATE pin, a LGATE pin, and a GND pin. The PHASE pin serves as a multi-function pin in the pulse width modulation controller chip. The current source, the first resistor, the inductor current sensor, the counter and current step generator, the oscillator, and the pull-down transistor constitute a light-load efficiency improvement circuit.

Claims

1. A voltage converter, comprising:

a pulse width modulation controller chip comprising;

a plurality of pins, the plurality of pins comprise a Vcc pin connected to a first power supply, a BOOT pin connected to the Vcc pin via a diode for receiving power from the first power supply, a PHASE pin acting as a multi-function pin and connected to the BOOT pin via a capacitor, a UGATE pin, a LGATE pin, and a GND pin that is grounded;

a gate control logic circuit for outputting a first drive signal and a second drive signal that is the inverse of the first drive signal;

a power management circuit for generating a power-on reset signal to enable the gate control logic circuit when the pulse width modulation controller chip is enabled;

a first gate driver comprising an input terminal for receiving the first drive signal, a positive power supply terminal connected to the BOOT pin, a negative power supply terminal connected to the PHASE pin, and an output terminal for outputting a third drive signal corresponding to the first drive signal;

a second gate driver comprising an input terminal for receiving the second drive signal, a positive power supply terminal connected to the Vcc pin, a negative power supply terminal connected to the GND pin, and an output terminal for outputting a fourth drive signal corresponding to the second drive signal, the fourth drive signal is the inverse of the third drive signal;

a current source connected to a first node which is also connected to the cathode of a zener diode, and the anode of the zener diode is grounded;

a first resistor with one terminal connected to the first node, and the other terminal connected the PHASE pin;

an inductor current sensor for detecting a first current flowing through the first node;

a counter and current step generator for generating a control signal when the voltage converter is in a discontinuous current mode according to the first current; and

an oscillator for reducing a frequency outputted to signal the gate control logic circuit to reduce frequencies of the first and second drive signal in response to the control signal;

a pull-up transistor comprising a gate connected to the UGATE pin for receiving the third drive signal, a source connected to a second power supply, and a drain connected to the PHASE pin;

a pull-down transistor comprising a drain connected to the PHASE pin, a gate connected to the LGATE pin for receiving the fourth drive signal, and a source that is grounded; and

a low pass filter comprising an input terminal connected to the PHASE pin, and an output terminal serving as an output terminal of the voltage converter;

wherein the gate control logic circuit generates the first and second drive signals for the first and second gate driver to respectively switch on or off the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor.

2. The voltage converter as described in claim 1, further comprising a first comparator and a second comparator, a feedback voltage of the voltage converter is applied to an inverting input terminal of the first comparator, a third reference voltage is applied to the non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator, an output terminal of the first comparator is connected to a non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator, an inverting input terminal of the second comparator is connected to an output terminal of the oscillator, and the output terminal of the second comparator is connected to the gate control logic circuit.

3. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the feedback voltage equals to the output voltage of the voltage converter.

4. The voltage converter as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a second resistor and a third resistor connected in series between the output terminal of the voltage converter and ground, a node between the second and third resistors provides the feedback voltage for the first comparator.

5. The voltage converter as described in claim 1, further comprising a switch connected between the inductor current sensor and the first node, the switch is controlled by the second drive signal, so that the inductor current sensor and the pull-down transistor operate synchronously.

6. The voltage converter as described in claim 1, wherein the low pass filter comprises an inductor and a capacitor, a terminal of the inductor is connected to the PHASE pin, another terminal of the inductor serves as the output terminal of the voltage converter, and is connected to the anode of the capacitor C, and the cathode of the capacitor is grounded.