Method and apparatus for design of a power supply

• US 8,032,338 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Akselrod, Arkady, Starr, Timothy E. W., Kelkar, Sameer
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Kamini S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHAMBHAVI K
• Application Number:
  US12/139,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/2, 703/13, 703/18, 703/3, 703/4, 703/14, 716/109, 716/133, 716/102, 716/103, 716/104, 716/106, 716/122, 716/123, 716/132
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/36 Circuit design at the analogue level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/373 Design optimisation

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for the design of a power supply is disclosed. Multiple lists of power supply design variables are provided. The method includes simulating a first power supply design in response to power supply design variables selected from these multiple lists of variables. The method then calculates a score of the first power supply design and determines whether the score is better than the score of any power supply design included in a set of power supply designs. If so, the method replaces a power supply design having a worst score from the set of power supply designs with the first power supply design.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

simulating, using the computer, a first power supply design variables selected from a plurality of lists of power supply design variables;

calculating, using the computer, a score of the first power supply design;

determining, using the computer, whether the score of the first power supply design is better than a score of any power supply design included in a set of power supply designs; and

if so replacing, using the computer, a power supply design having a worst score from the set of power supply designs with the first power supply design, wherein the first power supply design is one of a plurality of power supply designs, the method further comprising;

repeating the simulating, the calculating, the determining and the replacing for each of the plurality of power supply designs, wherein the plurality of power supply designs includes a plurality of combinations of power supply design variables selected from the plurality of lists of power supply design variables, wherein each of the plurality of power supply designs includes a first output and a second output, wherein the plurality of lists of power supply design variables includes a first and second list of power supply design variables corresponding to the first output and a third and fourth list of power supply design variables corresponding to the second output, wherein the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes every possible combination of single power supply variables corresponding to the first output combined with every possible combination of single power supply variables corresponding to the second output.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes a single power supply design variable selected from a first list of power supply design variables and a single power supply design variable selected from a second list of power supply design variables.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes every possible combination of a single power supply design variable selected from each of the first and second lists.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising generating the first list of power supply design variables by selecting viable power supply design variables from a database of power supply design variables.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein calculating a score of the first power supply design includes calculating the score of the first power supply design in response to a plurality of weighted factors.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the weighted factors include at least two factors selected from the group consisting of:

a ratio of the number of outputs of the first power supply design that are within specification to a number of outputs of the first power supply design that are not within specification;

a core type of an energy transfer element included in the first power supply design;

a type of stacking arrangement of the energy transfer element;

an accuracy of an output ratio between outputs of the first power supply design;

a forward current rating of an output diode included in the first power supply design;

a reverse voltage rating of the output diode; and

a diode type of the output diode.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the score of the first power supply design is better than the score of any power supply design included in the set of power supply designs includes determining whether the score of the first power supply design is greater than the score of any power supply design included in the set of power supply designs.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising inputting power supply specifications, wherein the first power supply design is scored in response to the inputted power supply specifications.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the first power supply design is a viable power supply design in response to the inputted power supply specifications.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of output diodes.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of secondary turns of an energy transfer element.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of core types and sizes of an energy transfer element.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the set of power supply designs.

14. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

simulating a first power supply design in response to power supply design variables selected from a plurality of lists of power supply design variables;

calculating a score of the first power supply design;

determining whether the score of the first power supply design is better than a score of any power supply design included in a set of power supply designs; and

if so

replacing a power supply design having a worst score from the set of power supply designs with the first power supply design, wherein the first power supply design is one of a plurality of power supply designs, the medium further having stored thereon instructions that, if executed by the computer, will cause the computer to perform further operations, comprising;

repeating the simulating, the calculating, the determining and the replacing for each of the plurality of power supply designs, wherein the plurality of power supply designs includes a plurality of combinations of power supply design variables selected from the plurality of lists of power supply design variables, wherein each of the plurality of power supply designs includes a first output and a second output, wherein the plurality of lists of power supply design variables includes a first and second list of power supply design variables corresponding to the first output and a third and fourth list of power supply design variables corresponding to the second output, wherein the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes every possible combination of power supply variables corresponding to the first output combined with every possible combination of power supply variables corresponding to the second output.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes a single power supply design variable selected from a first list of power supply design variables and a single power supply design variable selected from a second list of power supply design variables.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes every possible combination of a single power supply design variable selected from the each of the first and second lists.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein calculating a score of the first power supply design includes calculating the score of the first power supply design in response to a plurality of weighted factors.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the weighted factors include at least two factors selected from the group consisting of:

a ratio of the number of outputs of the first power supply design that are within specification to a number of outputs of the first power supply design that are not within specification;

a core type of an energy transfer element included in the first power supply design;

a type of stacking arrangement of the transformer;

an accuracy of an output ratio between outputs of the first power supply design;

a forward current rating of an output diode included in the first power supply design;

a reverse voltage rating of the output diode; and

a diode type of the output diode.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining whether the score of the first power supply design is better than the score of any power supply design included in the set of power supply designs includes determining whether the score of the first power supply design is greater than the score of any power supply design included in the set of power supply designs.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further having stored thereon instructions that, if executed by the computer, will cause the computer to perform further operations, comprising:

inputting power supply specifications, wherein the first power supply design is scored in response to the inputted power supply specifications.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further having stored thereon instructions that, if executed by the computer, will cause the computer to perform further operations, comprising:

determining whether the first power supply design is a viable power supply design in response to the inputted power supply specifications.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of output diodes.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of secondary turns of an energy transfer element.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of core types and sizes of an energy transfer element.

25. A computer system, comprising:

a processor, further comprising;

a list component to have the processor generate a plurality of lists of power supply design variables;

a simulator component to have the processor simulate a first power supply design in response to power supply design variables selected from the plurality of lists of power supply design variables;

a scoring component to have the processor calculate a score of the first power supply design;

an output list component to have the processor maintain a set of power supply designs, wherein a power supply design having a worst score included in the set of power supply designs is replaced with the first power supply design if the score of the first power supply design is better than a score of any power supply design included in the set of power supply designs, wherein the first power supply design is one of a plurality of power supply designs and wherein the plurality of power supply designs includes a plurality of combinations of power supply design variables selected from the plurality of lists of power supply design variables, wherein each of the plurality of power supply designs includes a first output and a second output, wherein the plurality of lists of power supply design variables includes a first and second list of power supply design variables corresponding to the first output and a third and fourth list of power supply design variables corresponding to the second output, wherein the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes every possible combination of single power supply variables corresponding to the first output combined with every possible combination of single power supply variables corresponding to the second output.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes a single power supply design variable selected from a first list of power supply design variables and a single power supply design variable selected from a second list of power supply design variables.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of combinations of power supply design variables includes every possible combination of a single power supply design variable selected from each of the first and second lists.

28. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the scoring component is to further calculate the score of the first power supply design in response to a plurality of weighted factors.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the weighted factors include at least two factors selected from the group consisting of:

a ratio of the number of outputs of the first power supply design that are within specification to a number of outputs of the first power supply design that are not within specification;

a core type of an energy transfer element included in the first power supply design;

a type of stacking arrangement of the transformer;

an accuracy of an output ratio between outputs of the first power supply design;

a forward current rating of an output diode included in the first power supply design;

a reverse voltage rating of the output diode; and

a diode type of the output diode.

30. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the score of the first power supply design is better than the score of any power supply design included in the set of power supply designs if the score of the first power supply design is greater than the score of any power supply design included in the set of power supply designs.

31. The computer system of claim 25, further comprising a user interface component to input power supply specifications, wherein the scoring component calculates the score of the first power supply design in response to the inputted power supply specifications.

32. The computer system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of output diodes.

33. The computer system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of secondary turns of an energy transfer element.

34. The computer system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of lists of power supply design variables is a list of core types and sizes of an energy transfer element.