Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

Giuseppe Gattavari

Claudio Adragna

Paolo Mattavelli

Mauro Fagnani

Enrico Orietti

Giorgio Spiazzi

Francesco Pulvirenti

Albino Pidutti

Mark Andrew Shaw

Pierangelo Magni

Gregorio Bontempo

Roberto Quaglino

Raimondo Vai

A PWM controlled multi-phase resonant voltage converter may include a plurality of primary windings powered through respective half-bridges, and as many secondary windings connected to an output terminal of the converter and magnetically coupled to the respective primary windings. The primary or secondary windings may be connected such that a real or virtual neutral point is floating.

Multi-phase resonant converter and method of controlling it

An embodiment of an electronic assembly for mounting on an electronic board includes a plurality of electric contact regions exposed on a mounting surface of the electronic board. The electronic assembly includes a chip of semiconductor material in which at least one electronic component is integrated, at least one support element including a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, the chip being enclosed by the at least one support element, a heat dissipation plate thermally coupled to said chip to dissipate the heat produced by it, exposed on the first main surface of the support element, a plurality of contact elements, each electrically coupled to a respective electric terminal of the electronic component integrated in the chip, exposed on the same first main surface of which is exposed to the dissipation plate. Also included are a plurality of electric connection elements, each adapted to electrically intercouple a respective contact element of the electronic assembly with a corresponding electric contact region of the electronic board, in such a way that the second main surface of the at least one support element faces the mounting surface of the electronic board.

Electronic assembly for mounting on electronic board

A control device of a plurality of switching converters is disclosed; each converter comprises at least one power switch and is associated with a control circuit of the at least one power switch. The control device comprises means suitable for comparing a signal representative of the load of the plurality of converters with a plurality of reference signals and suitable for enabling or disabling at least one of said plurality of control circuits in response to said comparison.

Control device of a plurality of switching converters

A device is provided for the correction of the power factor in forced switching power supplies. The device includes a converter, and a first control circuit coupled with the converter so as to obtain a regulated voltage on the output terminal from an alternating network input voltage. The converter includes a power transistor, and the first control circuit is suitable for driving the power transistor in every switching cycle comprising the turn-on time and the turn-off time of the power transistor. The device for the correction of the power factor further includes a second control circuit coupled to the first control circuit and capable of modulating the turn-off time of the power transistor.

Device for the correction of the power factor in forced switching power supplies

A device for power factor correction in a forced switching power supply unit is provided. The device includes a converter and a control device coupled to the converter so as to obtain from an input alternating mains voltage a direct regulated voltage on the output terminal. The converter includes a power transistor, and the control device includes an error amplifier having its inverting terminal coupled to a first signal that is proportional to the regulated voltage and its non-inverting terminal coupled to a reference voltage. A drive circuit of the power transistor is coupled to the output terminal of the error amplifier. The control device also includes a circuit for generating a current signal that is representative of the effective input voltage. The current signal is coupled to the inverting terminal of the error amplifier to vary the regulated voltage in reply to variations in the effective input voltage.

Device for power factor correction in forced switching power supply units

A switching voltage regulator provides a regulated voltage at an output terminal. The switching voltage regulator includes a MOS transistor having a non-drivable terminal coupled with the output terminal and a control circuit receiving a signal that is representative of the current signal flowing in the MOS transistor. The control circuit includes a compensation device adapted for cancelling the thermal variation of the signal that is representative of the current signal flowing in the MOS transistor.

Switching voltage regulator with negative temperature compensation

The power supply device includes a DC-DC converter circuit having a power switch and a driving stage. The driving stage has a compensation terminal on which a compensation voltage is present, and which receives a biasing current. The driving stage includes a control circuit having an output terminal connected to a control terminal of the power switch and disconnection-detecting circuitry connected to the compensation terminal and generating a signal for permanent turning-off of the power switch when the biasing current drops below a current-threshold value. The driving stage moreover includes over-voltage detecting circuitry connected to the compensation terminal and generating a signal for temporary turning-off of the power switch when the compensation voltage exceeds a voltage-threshold value.

Switching mode power supply device with detection of malfunctioning

A converter that is directly connectable to an AC power source (e.g., the mains) includes a rectifier stage for rectifying a network voltage, a power factor correction pre-regulating circuit supplied with the rectified network voltage for producing a DC voltage of a predetermined nominal value on an output node, and a DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter may be supplied on an input node thereof with the DC voltage of the predetermined nominal value for producing a regulated DC voltage on an output node thereof. The DC-DC converter may use a clock whose frequency is selected between at least one low and one high value by a selection signal. Furthermore, the converter may also include a stand-by circuit for producing the selection signal based upon the current delivered to the load.

Low consumption converter directly connectable to the mains

A self-disabling and self-recovering converter includes a transformer connected to a power source and has an auxiliary winding for providing a self-supply voltage after start-up, and an integrated circuit having circuitry and a plurality of pins connected thereto. The converter also includes at least one external line and a sensor connected thereto for an electrical or physical quantity to be monitored. The at least one external line is biased through a first pin with the self-supply voltage, and is functionally coupled to a second pin when a threshold is surpassed. A sectionable voltage clamp chain is connected between the auxiliary winding and a voltage reference. A self-recovery circuit having a first input is connected to the auxiliary winding and a second input is connected through the second pin to the at least one external line. An output of the self-recovery circuit is connected to the sectionable voltage clamp chain for sectioning a portion thereof to the voltage reference for self-supplying the integrated circuit.

Self-recovering disabling system for converter

The power output of a static DC--DC converter employing a current mode PWM controller is controlled upon the varying of the switching frequency, by detecting the sawtooth signal produced by the local oscillator generating a DC signal with an amplitude inversely proportional to the frequency. The power output is controlled by alternatively clamping the output voltage of the error amplifier of the PWM controller at a voltage proportional to the amplitude of the DC signal, or by offsetting the signal present on the current sensing resistor by a voltage corresponding to the difference between a constant voltage and the DC signal.

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Busto Arsizio, Italy

Giuseppe Gattavari