Power Integrations, Inc.

David Michael Hugh Matthews

Balu Balakrishnan

Alex B Djenguerian

Kent Wong

David Kung

Stefan Bäurle

Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre

William Michael Polivka

Zhao-Jun Wang

Giao Minh Pham

Mingming M Mao

Tiziano Pastore

Yury Gaknoki

Erdem Bircan

Raymond Kenneth Orr

Lance M Wong

Vikram Balakrishnan

Qing McIntosh

Antonius Jacobus Johannes Werner

Douglas John Bailey

Clifford James Walker

Yi Li

Robert J Mayell

Rajko Duvnjak

Matteo Uccelli

David G R LeBlanc

A motor driver couples to an auxiliary power supply and to a motor having a winding. The motor driver comprises a switching circuit that has an auxiliary node coupled to the auxiliary power supply and a winding node coupled to the winding. The switching circuit is configured to store energy in the inductance of the motor winding and to deliver energy the auxiliary power supply. To store energy, the switching circuit and the winding are coupled to establish a current in the winding. To deliver energy, the switching circuit delivers the current in the winding to the auxiliary node.

Auxiliary power supplies using motor winding inductance

An integrated circuit package includes a lead frame and an encapsulation that substantially encloses the lead frame. The lead frame further includes a first conductor comprising a first conductive loop and a second conductor galvanically isolated from the first conductor, proximate to and magnetically coupled to the first conductive loop to provide a communication link between the first and second conductor. The second conductor includes a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion, and a wire coupling together the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion.

Magnetically coupled galvanically isolated communication using lead frame

A controller includes a primary controller and a secondary controller to control switching of a power switch and a supplemental switch, respectively, coupled to an energy transfer element, e.g. an energy transfer element of a power converter. A ZV drive circuit are coupled to generate a ZVS signal that enables a ZV switch to store energy in the energy transfer element. The energy stored in the energy transfer element is coupled to reduce a switch voltage across the power switch prior to a next ON section of the primary drive signal. The secondary drive signal is generated in response to the drive signal and the ZVS signal.

Active reduced voltage switching using a supplemental switch

Pulse sharing control to enhance performance in multiple output power converters is described herein. During a switching cycle, an energy pulse is provided to more than one port (i.e., output) using pulse sharing transfer. Pulse sharing transfer may enhance performance by reducing audible noise due to subharmonics and by reducing a root mean square current of one or more secondary currents. A primary switch is closed to energize an energy transfer element via a primary current. Energy may be shared among a first load port on a first circuit path via a first secondary current and among a second load port on a second circuit path via a second secondary current.

Pulse sharing control for enhancing performance in a multiple output power converter system

A control circuit comprising an output controller coupled to an output side of a power converter. The output controller comprises a switch control signal generator to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power controller and to communicate a control signal to an input controller coupled to an input side to control a turn ON of a power switch. The control signal is generated in response to the feedback signal and is communicated in response to an enable signal. The output controller comprises an extremum locator to generate the enable signal in response to a winding signal representative of an instantaneous voltage on an output terminal of an energy transfer element and the extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator such that the transition of the power switch from the OFF state to the ON state occurs substantially when the winding signal reaches an extremum.

Output-side controller with switching request at relaxation ring extremum

A power supply comprising a first-stage capacitor configured to provide energy to a second stage power converter. An energy transfer element coupled to the first-stage capacitor. A reservoir capacitor coupled to the energy transfer element. The reservoir capacitor is configured to receive charge from the energy transfer element. A power switch configured to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power supply to the first-stage capacitor. A controller coupled to the power switch, the controller configured to generate a hold-up signal in response to the input of the power supply falling below a threshold voltage. A charge circuit comprising a first switch and a second switch configured to be controlled by the hold-up signal. The first switch couples the reservoir capacitor to an input of the energy transfer element. The second switch is configured to uncouple the reservoir capacitor from receiving charge from the energy transfer element.

Reservoir capacitor for boost converters

A method of providing an input switching request signal to an input side switch includes determining a switching request window indicative of relaxation ringing during a first switching cycle. It is determined that the input side switch is operating in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) mode of operation during a second switching cycle. It is determined that the switching request window is open during the second switching cycle. The input switching request signal is enabled in response to determining the switching request window is open.

A controller includes a current limit generator that generates a current limit threshold. A switch controller receives the current limit threshold, an enable signal, and a current sense signal representative of a current through a power switch. The switch controller generates a drive signal to control switching of the power switch to control the transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to an output of the power converter in response to the enable signal and the current sense signal. The switch controller outputs the drive signal to turn on the power switch in response to the enable signal and turns off the power switch when the current sense signal reaches the current limit threshold. A jitter generator generates a jitter signal for jittering a switching period of the drive signal. The current limit threshold is modulated by the jitter signal.

Introducing jitter to a switching frequency by way of modulating current limit

A circuit for use in a power converter includes a control circuit capable of detecting whether an AC voltage source is coupled to an input of the power converter, and whether the AC voltage source is uncoupled from the input within a first period of time. A control circuit is coupled to drive a switch in a first operating mode when the control circuit detects that the AC voltage source is coupled to the input, and drive the switch in a second operating mode when the control circuit detects that the AC voltage source is uncoupled from the input. The control circuit is capable of discharging a capacitance coupled between input terminals of the power converter to a SELV level through a discharge path and the switch within a second period of time. An RC time constant of the discharge path is less than or equal to one second.

Method and apparatus for implementing a power converter input terminal voltage discharge circuit

A controller includes a switch controller, a current limit generator, a jitter modulator, and an arithmetic operator circuit. The switch controller is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch in response to a current sense signal and a modulated current limit signal to control a transfer of energy from an input of a power converter to an output of the power converter. The current limit generator is coupled to generate a current limit signal. The jitter modulator is coupled to generate a jitter signal for jittering a switching period of the drive signal without an oscillator. The arithmetic operator circuit is coupled to receive the current limit signal and the jitter signal and is coupled to generate a modulated current limit signal in response to the current limit signal and the jitter signal.

An integrated circuit package includes an encapsulation and a lead frame. A portion of the lead frame is disposed within the encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor having an inner conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation and a second conductor galvanically isolated from the first conductor. The second conductor includes an outer conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation proximate to and magnetically coupled to the inner conductive loop to provide a communication link between the first and second conductors.

An integrated circuit package includes a portion of a lead frame disposed within an encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor including a first conductive loop and a third conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation. A second conductor formed in the lead frame is galvanically isolated from the first conductor and includes a second conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation proximate to the first conductive loop to provide a communication link between the first and second conductors. The third conductive loop is wound in an opposite direction relative to the first conductive loop. A transmit circuit is disposed within the encapsulation and is coupled to the second conductor to provide a transmitter current. A receive circuit is disposed within the encapsulation and is coupled to the first conductor to receive a transmitter induced signal in response to the transmitter current.

Noise cancellation for a magnetically coupled communication link utilizing a lead frame

A controller includes a switch controller coupled to a power switch coupled to an energy transfer element. The switch controller is coupled to receive a current sense signal representative of a drain current through the power switch. The switch controller is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of the power switch in response to the current sense signal and a modulated current limit signal to control a transfer of energy from an input to an output of the power converter. A control modulator is coupled to generate a first signal. A jitter modulator is coupled to generate a second signal. The second signal is a periodic signal having a modulation time period that is greater than a switching period of the drive signal. An arithmetic operator circuit is coupled to generate the modulated current limit signal in response to the first signal and the second signal.

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

David Michael Hugh Matthews