Switch mode power supply and control method thereof

• US 8,891,258 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Company Limited (Monolithic Power Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhang, Yongliang, Xi, Xiaoyu, Cai, Jiali
• Primary Examiner(s): Behm, Harry
• Application Number:
  US13/468,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20120287682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 363 2112- 2118
• US Class Current: 363/21.12
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/382 with galvanic isolation between input and output
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/385 using flyback topology
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a switch mode power supply comprising a switch and a control circuit is disclosed. The control circuit may comprise a multi-function pin configured to receive a first current sampling signal and a first voltage sampling signal. A first comparing signal may be provided by comparing the first voltage sampling signal with a first threshold signal when the switch is turned OFF, and a second comparing signal may be provided by comparing the first current sampling signal with a second threshold signal when the switch is turned ON. The control circuit may be configured to control the switch in accordance with the first comparing signal and the second comparing signal.

Claims

1. A switch mode power supply, comprising:

a first switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal;

an energy storage component having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the second terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the first switch, and wherein the energy storage component is configured to store energy when the first switch is turned ON and the energy storage component is configured to output energy when the first switch is turned OFF;

a first current sampling circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the first switch, and the output terminal is configured to provide a first current sampling signal indicating a current flowing through the first switch from the first terminal of the first switch to the second terminal of the first switch;

a first voltage sampling circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is configured to sample a voltage on the first terminal of the first switch, and the output terminal is configured to provide a first voltage sampling signal indicating a voltage across the first switch; and

a control circuit having a first input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the first current sampling circuit and the output terminal of the first voltage sampling circuit via a multi-function pin, and the output terminal is configured to provide a control signal coupled to the control terminal of the first switch;

wherein

the control circuit is configured to provide a first comparing signal by comparing a signal on the multi-function pin with a first threshold signal when the first switch is turned OFF;

the control circuit is configured to provide a second comparing signal by comparing the signal on the multi-function pin with a second threshold signal when the first switch is turned ON; and

wherein

the control circuit is configured to provide the control signal responsive to the first comparing signal and the second comparing signal.

2. The switch mode power supply of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises:

a signal transmission circuit having an input terminal, a control terminal, a first output terminal and a second output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the multi-function pin, and the control terminal is configured to receive the control signal;

a first comparison circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the first output terminal of the signal transmission circuit, the second input terminal is configured to receive the first threshold signal;

a second comparison circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the second output terminal of the signal transmission circuit, the second input terminal is configured to receive the second threshold signal; and

a logic circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the first comparison circuit, the second input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the second comparison circuit, and the output terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the control circuit to provide the control signal.

3. The switch mode power supply of claim 2, wherein the signal transmission circuit is configured to transmit the signal on the multi-function pin to the first input terminal of the first comparison circuit when the first switch is turned OFF, and the signal transmission circuit is configured to transmit the signal on the multi-function pin to the first input terminal of the second comparison circuit when the first switch is turned ON.

4. The switch mode power supply of claim 2, wherein the signal transmission circuit comprises a second switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the multi-function pin, the second terminal is coupled to the first input terminal of the second comparison circuit, and the control terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the logic circuit to receive the control signal.

5. The switch mode power supply of claim 1, wherein a fan-out capability of the first current sampling circuit is larger than a fan-out capability of the first voltage sampling circuit.

6. The switch mode power supply of claim 1, further comprising a second current sampling circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the first switch, and wherein the output terminal is configured to provide a second current sampling signal indicating the current flowing through the first switch from the first terminal of the first switch to the second terminal of the first switch.

7. The switch mode power supply of claim 6, wherein the first switch is turned OFF when the second current sampling signal is larger than a third threshold signal, and the first switch is turned ON when the first voltage sampling signal is less than the first threshold signal, and wherein an over-current protection is provided when the first current sampling signal is larger than the second threshold signal.

8. The switch mode power supply of claim 6, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a second input terminal, coupled to the output terminal of the second current sampling circuit;

a second switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the multi-function pin;

a first comparison circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the second switch, and the second input terminal is configured to receive the first threshold signal;

a second comparison circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the second switch, and the second input terminal is configured to receive the second threshold signal;

a third comparison circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is configured to receive the second current sampling signal, and the second input terminal is configured to receive a third threshold signal; and

a logic circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a third input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the first comparison circuit, the second input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the second comparison circuit, the third input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the third comparison circuit, and the output terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the control circuit to provide the control signal.

9. The switch mode power supply of claim 8, further comprising:

an input port configured to receive an input signal;

a rectified circuit having an input terminal coupled to the input port, and an output terminal coupled to the first terminal of the energy storage component to provide a rectified input signal; and

a second voltage sampling circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the rectified circuit, and the output terminal is configured to provide a second voltage sampling signal indicating a voltage of the rectified input signal;

wherein the control circuit further comprising;

a current averaging circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the second current sampling circuit, and the output terminal is configured to provide an average current signal;

an amplifying circuit having an inverting terminal, a non-inverting terminal and an output terminal, wherein the inverting terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the current averaging circuit to receive the average current signal, the non-inverting terminal is coupled to a reference signal, and the output terminal is configured to provide a compensation signal; and

a multiplier having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the amplifying circuit to receive the compensation signal, the second input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the second voltage sampling circuit to receive the second voltage sampling signal, and the output terminal is configured to provide the third threshold voltage by multiplying the second voltage sampling signal with the compensation signal.

10. The switch mode power supply of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is integrated onto an integrated circuit.

11. The switch mode power supply of claim 1, further comprising a diode having an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode is coupled to the output terminal of the first current sampling circuit and the cathode is coupled to the first input terminal of the control circuit.

12. A control circuit for a switch mode power supply comprising a first switch, the control circuit comprising:

a multi-function pin, coupled to receive a first current sampling signal indicating a current flowing through the first switch and a first voltage sampling signal indicting a voltage across the first switch;

a first comparison circuit, having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the multi-function pin, and the second input terminal is configured to receive a first threshold signal;

a second comparison circuit, having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is selectively coupled to the multi-function pin, and the second input terminal is configured to receive a second threshold signal;

a logic circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the first comparison circuit, the second input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the second comparison circuit, and the output terminal is configured to provide a control signal, and wherein the control signal is configured to control the first switch, and wherein the logic circuit is configured to turn ON the first switch when the first voltage sampling signal is less than the first threshold signal, and wherein the logic circuit is configured to provide an over-current protection when the first current sampling signal is larger than the second threshold signal; and

a signal transmission circuit having an input terminal, a control terminal, a first output terminal and a second output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the multi-function pin, the control terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the logic circuit to receive the control signal, the first output terminal is coupled to the first input terminal of the first comparison circuit, and the second output terminal is coupled to the first input terminal of the second comparison circuit.

13. The control circuit of claim 12, wherein the signal transmission circuit comprises a second switch, wherein the second switch comprising:

a first terminal, coupled to the multi-function pin;

a second terminal, coupled to the first input terminal of the second comparison circuit; and

a control terminal, coupled to the output terminal of the logic circuit to receive the control signal.

14. The control circuit of claim 12, further comprising:

a second current sampling signal indicating the current flowing through the first switch; and

a third comparison circuit, having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is configured to receive the second current sampling signal, and wherein the second input terminal is configured to receive a third threshold signal;

wherein the logic circuit further comprises a third input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the third comparison circuit, and wherein the logic circuit is configured to turn OFF the first switch when the second current sampling signal is larger than the third threshold signal.

15. The control circuit of claim 14, further comprising:

a current averaging circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is configured to receive the second current sampling signal, and the output terminal is configured to provide an average current signal;

an amplifying circuit having an inverting terminal, a non-inverting terminal and an output terminal, wherein the inverting terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the current averaging circuit to receive the average current signal, the non-inverting terminal is configured to receive a reference signal, and the output terminal is configured to provide a compensation signal; and

a multiplier having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the amplifying circuit to receive the compensation signal, the second input terminal is configured to receive the second voltage sampling signal, and the output terminal is configured to provide the third threshold voltage by multiplying the second voltage sampling signal with the compensation signal.

16. The control circuit of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is integrated onto an integrated circuit.

17. A control method for controlling a switch mode power supply comprising a first switch, the method comprising:

providing a first current sampling signal, wherein the first current sampling signal is configured to indicate a current flowing through the first switch;

providing a first voltage sampling signal, wherein the first voltage sampling signal is configured to indicate a voltage across the first switch;

receiving the first current sampling signal and the first voltage sampling signal via a multi-function pin;

providing a first comparing signal by comparing a signal on the multi-function pin with a first threshold signal when the switch is turned OFF;

providing a second comparing signal by comparing a signal on the multi-function pin with a second threshold signal when the switch is turned ON; and

controlling the first switch in accordance with the first comparing signal and the second comparing signal.

18. The control method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a second current sampling signal, wherein the second current sampling signal is configured to indicate current flowing through the first switch;

comparing the second current sampling signal with a third threshold signal; and

turning OFF the first switch when the second current sampling signal is larger than the third threshold signal.

19. The control method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a second voltage sampling signal, wherein the second voltage sampling signal is configured to indicate a rectified input signal of the switch mode power supply;

providing an average current signal in accordance with the second current sampling signal;

providing a compensation signal in accordance with the average current signal and a reference signal; and

providing the third threshold signal by multiplying the second voltage sampling signal with the compensation signal.