Method and apparatus for high-side input winding regulation

• US 8,213,187 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Matthews, David Michael Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAJNIKANT B
• Application Number:
  US12/579,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20110085358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 363 16- 20, 363/21.04, 363/21.07, 363/21.12, 363/21.13, 363/21.16, 363/49, 363/72, 363/80, 363/89, 363/131, 320/103, 320/107, 320/114, 320/127, 320/133, 320/145, 320/160, 320/158, 323/222, 323282-285
• US Class Current: 363/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence

Abstract

A power supply control circuit for use in a power supply is disclosed. An example power supply control circuit includes a power switch coupled between first and second terminals. The first terminal is to be coupled to a positive input supply rail of the power supply. The second terminal is to be coupled to an energy transfer element input of the power supply. A sampling circuit is coupled to a third terminal. The sampling circuit coupled to sample a signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during an off time of the power switch to provide a sampled output of the power supply. The sampled output of the power supply is disabled from being be resampled by the sampling circuit during an on time of the power switch. A control circuit coupled to the sampling circuit and the power switch, the control circuit coupled to switch the power switch in response to the sampled output of the power supply.

Claims

1. A power supply controller for use in a power supply, comprising:

a power switch coupled between first and second terminals, the first terminal to be coupled to a positive input supply rail of the power supply, the second terminal to be coupled to an energy transfer element input of the power supply;

a sampling circuit coupled to a third terminal, the sampling circuit coupled to sample a signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during an off time of the power switch to provide a sampled output of the power supply, wherein the sampled output of the power supply is disabled from being resampled by the sampling circuit during an on time of the power switch;

a switch conduction scheduling circuit coupled to the power switch and coupled to the sampling circuit; and

a control circuit coupled to the sampling circuit and the power switch, the control circuit coupled to switch the power switch in response to the sampled output of the power supply.

2. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply is coupled to be received by the power supply controller as a current through a resistor coupled to the input of the energy transfer element input of the power supply.

3. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply is coupled to be received by the power supply controller as a voltage from a resistor divider coupled across the input of the energy transfer element input of the power supply.

4. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the energy transfer element comprises a primary winding of a transformer coupled to the energy transfer element input.

5. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the switch conduction scheduling circuit is coupled to disable the power switch from being switched for one or more consecutive clock cycles of the power supply controller in response to the sampled output of the power supply being greater than a threshold value.

6. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the switch conduction scheduling circuit is coupled to enable the power switch to be switched during a next clock cycle of the power supply controller in response to the sampled output of the power supply being less than a threshold value.

7. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the sampling circuit comprises a latch coupled to the third terminal to latch the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during the off time of the power switch in response to the control circuit.

8. The power supply controller of claim 7 wherein the sampling circuit further comprises a signal comparator coupled between the latch and the third terminal, the signal comparator coupled to compare the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during the off time of the power switch with a threshold value, the latch coupled to latch an output of the signal comparator.

9. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during the off time of the power switch is representative of an output voltage of the power supply.

10. The power supply controller of claim 1 wherein the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during an on time of the power switch is representative of an input voltage of the power supply.

11. The power supply controller of claim 10 wherein the sampling circuit is coupled to sample the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during the on time of the power switch to provide a sampled input of the power supply.

12. The power supply controller of claim 1 further comprising a current limit circuit coupled to the power switch and the control circuit, the current limit circuit coupled to limit a current through the power switch.

13. A power supply, comprising:

an energy transfer element having an energy transfer element input and an energy transfer element output;

a power switch coupled between a positive input supply rail of the power supply and the energy transfer element input;

a sampling circuit coupled to sample a signal across the energy transfer element input during an off time of the power switch to provide a sampled output of the power supply, wherein the sampled output of the power supply is disabled from being resampled by the sampling circuit during an on time of the power switch;

a switch conduction scheduling circuit coupled to the power switch and coupled to the sampling circuit, the switch conduction scheduling circuit coupled to disable the power switch from being switched for one or more subsequent consecutive clock cycles in response to the sampled output of the power supply being greater than a threshold value; and

a control circuit coupled to the sampling circuit and the power switch, the control circuit coupled to switch the power switch in response to the sampled output of the power supply.

14. The power supply of claim 13 wherein the energy transfer element comprises a transformer having a primary winding coupled to the energy transfer element input and a secondary winding coupled to the energy transfer element output.

15. The power supply of claim 14 wherein the signal across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch is a reflected voltage across the primary winding.

16. The power supply of claim 13 wherein the power switch comprises an n-channel MOSFET having a source terminal coupled to the energy transfer element input, a drain terminal coupled to the positive input supply rail of the power supply, and a gate terminal coupled to the control circuit.

17. The power supply of claim 13 further comprising a resistor coupled between the sampling circuit and the energy transfer element input, wherein the signal is a current through the resistor and is representative of a voltage across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch.

18. The power supply of claim 13 further comprising a resistor divider coupled across the energy transfer element input, wherein the signal is a voltage received from the resistor divider and is representative of a voltage across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch.

19. The power supply controller of claim 13 further comprising a current limit circuit coupled to the power switch and the switch conduction scheduling circuit of the control circuit, the current limit circuit coupled to limit a current through the power switch in response to a current limit signal received from the switch conduction scheduling circuit of the control circuit.

20. The power supply of claim 13 wherein the control circuit comprises a switch conduction scheduling circuit coupled to the power switch and coupled to the sampling circuit, the switch conduction scheduling circuit coupled to enable the power switch to be switched during a next clock cycle in response to the sampled output of the power supply being less than a threshold value.

21. The power supply of claim 13 wherein the sampling circuit comprises a latch coupled to latch the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during the off time of the power switch in response to the control circuit.

22. The power supply of claim 21 wherein the sampling circuit further comprises a signal comparator coupled to the latch and coupled to receive a threshold value and the signal across the energy transfer element input of the power supply, the latch coupled to latch an output of the signal comparator.

23. A method of controlling a power supply, comprising:

switching a power switch coupled between a positive input supply rail and an energy transfer element input of an energy transfer element;

transferring energy from the energy transfer element input to an energy transfer element output in response to the switching of the switch;

reflecting a signal from across the energy transfer element output to across the energy transfer element input during an off time of the power switch;

sampling the signal from across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch to provide a sampled output of the power supply;

disabling the sampled output of the power supply from being resampled during an on time of the power switch;

disabling the power switch from being switched for one or more subsequent consecutive clock cycles with a switch conduction scheduling circuit in response to the sampled output of the power supply being greater than a threshold value; and

controlling the switching of the power switch in response to the sampled output of the power supply.

24. The method of controlling the power supply of claim 23 wherein said sampling the signal from across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch comprises receiving a current through a resistor coupled to the energy transfer element input, wherein the current is representative of a voltage across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch.

25. The method of controlling the power supply of claim 23 wherein sampling the signal from across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch comprises receiving a voltage from a resistor divider coupled across the energy transfer element input, wherein the voltage from the resistor divider is representative of a voltage across the energy transfer element input during the off time of the power switch.

26. The method of controlling the power supply of claim 23 further comprising comparing the sampled signal from across the energy transfer element input of the power supply during the off time of the power switch with the threshold value.

27. The method of controlling the power supply of claim 26 further comprising enabling the power switch to be switched during a next clock cycle in response to the sampled output of the power supply being less than the threshold value.

28. The method of controlling the power supply of claim 23 further comprising adjusting a current limit of the power switch in response to the sampled output of the power supply.