Power-one Limited

Power-one A.g.

Melcher A.g.

Bel Power Solutions Inc.

Ower-one Limited

Alain Chapuis

Mikhail Guz

Dennis R Roark

Peter Gammenthaler

Mahesh Natverlal Thaker

Johann Ferdinand Milavec

Nicola Cinagrossi

Ivan Feno

Silvio Ziegler

Shuyu Lei

A DC/DC converter is provided for operation within a narrow voltage range during normal conditions, while allowing for a wider input voltage range for short periods of time. A first switch is coupled across first and second input terminals, and a capacitor is coupled in parallel with the first switch and across the input terminals. A second switch is coupled in series with the first input terminal and between the first switch and the capacitor. Operation of the switches is regulated in accordance with a bypass mode of operation when received input power is within a defined range, and a boost mode of operation when received input power is less than a threshold value, wherein the received input power is boosted to a bulk output power within the defined range. Boost operations may in various embodiments be provided via, for example, a critical conduction scheme or continuous conduction scheme.

DC/DC converter for high voltage applications with input voltage boost, input capacitor discharge and output capacitor compensation modes

A system and method are provided for bidirectional communications between a master device and one or more slave devices. Each slave device is coupled to first and second opto-isolators which are effective to provide galvanic isolation of the slave device from the master device. An encoder circuit is coupled between the master device and the first opto-isolators. A decoder circuit is coupled between the master device and the second opto-isolators. The master device generates transmissions to the slave devices along a first low logic path including the encoder and the first opto-isolators, wherein the decoder and the second opto-isolators are non-responsive to signals on the first path. The slave devices generate transmissions to the master device along a second low logic path including the second opto-isolators and the decoder, wherein the encoder and the first opto-isolators are non-responsive to signals on the second path.

Isolation system for a bi-directional communication bus line

An AC/DC power converter has an AC input and a DC output, with an input rectifier circuit coupled to the AC input. The input rectifier circuit includes a passive half-bridge rectifier circuit functional to provide passive rectification of an AC input power sign and at least one current shaper circuit. The current shaper circuit includes an input inductor coupled between the AC input and a switch node in the input active rectifier circuit. The input current shaper circuit is functional to shape an AC input current signal associated with an AC input power signal to a substantially sinusoidal current signal. A bulk capacitor circuit is coupled to the input active rectifier circuit. A DC/AC converter circuit is coupled to the bulk capacitor circuit. A resonant circuit is coupled to the DC/AC converter circuit and an output rectifier circuit may be coupled between the resonant circuit and the DC output.

AC/DC power converter with active rectification and input current shaping

A power subsystem is actively optimized to improve total subsystem efficiency in a way that is responsive to changes in load requirements, power supply variations, and subsystem temperature variations. Detailed, multidimensional power loss models are developed for constituent devices which are then combined into a power subsystem containing a controller and circuity for measuring device operating parameters such as input and output voltage, output current, and temperature. Operating parameters are continually monitored, and set points are correspondingly changed based on the detailed power loss models to achieve maximum overall efficiency for the instantaneous operating state of the system.

Apparatus and method of optimizing power system efficiency using a power loss model

A power control system comprises at least one POL regulator, at least one auxiliary device, a serial data bus operatively connecting the POL regulator and the auxiliary device, and a system controller adapted to exchange digital data with the POL regulator and auxiliary device via the serial data bus. The auxiliary device may include a power regulation device, a switching device, a motor control device, a temperature control device, and/or a peripheral device. At least one auxiliary device controller may be operatively coupled between the auxiliary device and the serial data bus. The auxiliary device controller may be integrated with the system controller, or may be external to the system controller. The auxiliary device controller may further comprise at least one register adapted to store the programming data, with the programming data including at least one of turn-on delay, turn-off delay, polarity of input/output signals, fault configuration, and group membership. The auxiliary device controller may be further adapted to receive monitoring data from the auxiliary device, with the auxiliary device controller communicating the monitoring data to the system controller via the serial data bus.

Method and system for controlling an array of point-of-load regulators and auxiliary devices

A power control system comprises a plurality of POL regulators, at least one serial data bus operatively connecting the plurality of POL regulators, and a system controller connected to the serial data bus and adapted to send and receive digital data to and from the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus further comprises a first data bus carrying programming and control information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus may also include a second data bus carrying fault management information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The power control may also include a front-end regulator providing an intermediate voltage to the plurality of POL regulators on an intermediate voltage bus.

Method and system for controlling and monitoring an array of point-of-load regulators

A current sensor is provided that employs a primary winding that carries the current to be measured, and a secondary winding that controls the flux inside the magnetic core, provides a sample of the primary current, and also helps to control the flux at small primary currents and to saturate the transformer. An auxiliary winding is optionally used to control the flux in order to simplify control of the sensor. By periodically applying a certain voltage at the secondary winding, the transformer core is forced out of saturation, and a sample of the primary current is taken by a sensing circuit that may include a sample-and-hold circuit and an analog-to-digital converter. A control circuit is employed to control the currents flowing in the secondary winding and optional auxiliary winding and to manage the sensing circuit.

Isolated current to voltage, voltage to voltage converter

A power control system comprises at least one programmable voltage regulator, at least one non-programmable auxiliary voltage regulator, and a system controller operatively connected to the at least one programmable voltage regulator and to said at least one auxiliary voltage regulator via a common serial data bus. The at least one programmable voltage regulator is adapted to provide a corresponding output voltage having characteristics defined by received programming data and to provide monitoring data reflecting operational status of the at least one programmable voltage regulator. The at least one non-programmable auxiliary voltage regulator is adapted to provide a corresponding output voltage in response to an enable signal. The system controller is adapted to send the programming data and receive the monitoring data via the serial data bus. A data monitoring circuit is operatively coupled to the at least one auxiliary voltage regulator to receive analog measurements therefrom and communicate corresponding monitoring data to the system controller.

System for controlling an array of point-of-load regulators and auxiliary devices

A method and system is provided for optimizing the digital filter compensation coefficients of a digitally controlled switched mode power supply within a distributed power system. A power control system comprises at least one point-of-load (POL) regulator having a power conversion circuit adapted to convey power to a load and a digital controller coupled to the power conversion circuit though a feedback loop. The digital controller is adapted to provide a pulse width modulated control signal to the power switch responsive to a feedback measurement of an output of the power conversion circuit. The digital controller further comprises a digital filter having a transfer function defined by plural filter coefficients. The digital controller periodically stores a successive one of a plurality of samples of the feedback measurement. A serial data bus operatively connects the POL regulator to a system controller. The system controller retrieves each successive stored sample from the digital controller via the serial data bus. After retrieving a pre-determined number of the samples, the system controller calculates optimized filter coefficients for the digital filter and communicates the optimized filter coefficients to the digital controller. The digital controller thereafter uses the optimized filter coefficients in the digital filter.

Method and system for optimizing filter compensation coefficients for a digital power control system

A self-tracking analog-to-digital converter includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) adapted to provide a variable reference voltage, a windowed flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) adapted to provide an error signal ecorresponding to a difference between an input voltage Vand the variable reference voltage, and digital circuitry adapted to generate suitable control signals for the DAC based on the error signal e. More particularly, the digital circuitry includes a first digital circuit adapted to provide a first function value f(e) in response to the error signal e, the first function value f(e) representing an amount of correction to be applied to the variable reference voltage. A second digital circuit is adapted to provide a counter that combines the first function value f(e) with a previous counter state Nto provide a next counter state N, the next counter state Nbeing applied as an input to the digital-to-analog converter. A third digital circuit is adapted to scale the previous counter state Nby a factor M and combine the scaled counter state M&#xb7;Nwith the error signal eto provide a digital output value Drepresenting the input voltage V.

Self tracking ADC for digital power supply control systems

A power control system comprises at least one point-of-load (POL) regulator adapted to provide an output voltage to a corresponding load and a system controller operatively connected to the at least one POL regulator via a data bus and adapted to send a first data message in a first format to the at least one POL regulator via the data bus. A bus translator is interposed along the data bus between the at least one POL regulator and the system controller. The bus translator converts the first data message from the first format to a second format that is compatible with the at least one POL regulator. The bus translator is adapted for bi-directional operation to convert a second data message communicated from the at least one POL regulator in the second format to the first format compatible with the system controller. The first and second data formats may comprise either a digital data format or an analog data format. The bus translator may further include a phase-locked loop circuit adapted to synchronize operation of the bus translator to a detected data rate of the data bus.

Method and system for controlling a mixed array of point-of-load regulators through a bus translator

A power control system comprises a plurality of point-of-load (POL) regulators each adapted to convey regulated power to a load, a serial data bus operatively connecting the plurality of POL regulators, and a digital power manager connected to the data bus. The digital power manager includes a controller adapted to execute stored instructions to program operational parameters of the plurality of POL regulators via the serial data bus and receive monitoring data from the plurality of POL regulators via the serial data bus. The digital power manager further comprises a user interface, such as an IC interface, adapted to receive programming data therefrom and send monitoring data thereto. The digital power manager further comprises a non-volatile memory containing a plurality of registers, including a digital power manager configuration register containing data values defining a configuration of the power control system, a POL set-up register containing data values reflecting programming state of one of the POL regulators, a POL monitor register containing data values reflecting status of operating conditions within one of the POL regulators, and a user-definable space. The digital power manager is adapted to program voltage margining of each of the POL regulators.

Digital power manager for controlling and monitoring an array of point-of-load regulators

A power control system comprises a plurality of power control groups, with each group comprising a plurality of individual point-of-load regulators each adapted to provide respective regulated voltage outputs. The point-of-load regulators may be selected for inclusion in a power control groups based on characteristics of loads supplied by the point-of-load regulators. An intermediate bus controller is coupled to each of said power control groups through a serial data bus interface common to each group and an OK status line for each respective group. A front end regulator provides an intermediate bus voltage to each of the plurality of power control groups and to the intermediate bus controller. The plurality of point-of-load regulators of each group each further comprises a respective fault manager adapted to detect fault conditions and selectively communicate notifications of the fault conditions to other ones of the plurality of point-of-load regulators of the group and to the intermediate bus controller. This way, a common response to the fault conditions is taken by the point-of-load regulators of the group and other groups. A method for managing faults in the power control system is also disclosed.

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Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

Alain Chapuis