Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

On Semiconductor Belgium Bvba

Jean-Paul Eggermont

Pavel Horsky

Johan Camiel Julia Janssens

Jan Plojhar

Martin Musil

Paul Andrem Decloedt

Apparatuses, systems and methods for regulating the output currents of a power supply at a target output current include a buck converter module operably connected to a power source and a load. A first switch couples the power source to the buck converter module during a first period of a given operating cycle, while the buck converter module stores and provides electrical power to the load. During a second period, the buck converter may discharge the electrical power stored during the first period. A current sensor senses the currents during at least one of the first period and the second period and, over the operating cycle, the switching is adjusted so the average output current equals the target output current. Adjustments to the first and second period durations result in maximum and a minimum currents symmetrically disposed about the average current provided to the load during the operating cycle.

Average current and frequency control

Apparatuses, systems and methods for regulating the output currents of a power supply at a target output current include a buck converter module operably connected to a power source and a load. A first switch couples the power source to the buck converter module during a first period of a given operating cycle, while the buck converter module stores and provides electrical power to the load. During a second period, a second switch may discharge, the electrical power stored during the first period. A current sensor senses the currents during at least one of the first period and the second period and, over the operating cycle, the switching times are adjusted so the average output current equals the target output current. Adjustments to the first and second period durations result in maximum and a minimum currents symmetrically disposed about the average current provided to the load during the operating cycle.

Rectifier circuit. At least some of the example embodiments are circuits including: an anode terminal; a cathode terminal; a field effect transistor (FET) defining a drain, source, and gate, the source coupled to the anode terminal, and the drain coupled to the cathode terminal; a diode having anode and cathode, the anode coupled to the cathode terminal; a bootstrap capacitor coupled between the cathode of the diode and the anode terminal; a FET controller coupled to the gate of the FET and a node between the diode and bootstrap capacitor; the FET controller configured to make the FET conductive as the circuit becomes forward biased, and the FET controller configured to make the FET non-conductive during periods of time when the circuit is reverse biased.

Methods and systems of a rectifier circuit

An illustrative bidirectional MOSFET switch includes a body region, a buried layer, a gate terminal, and a configuration switch. The body region is a semiconductor of a first type separating a source region and a drain region that are a semiconductor of a second type. The buried layer is a semiconductor of the second type separating the body region from a substrate that is a semiconductor of the first type. The gate terminal is drivable to form a channel in the body region, thereby enabling conduction between the source terminal and the drain terminal. The configuration switch connects the body terminal to the buried layer terminal when the source terminal voltage exceeds the drain terminal voltage.

Reducing MOSFET body current

A transceiver device includes a pulse generator, an output node, and an internal bus that couples the pulse generator and the output node. The pulse generator is configured to selectively add at least one pulse to an outlet power supply signal conveyed by the internal bus to the output node, wherein the pulse generator includes a bootstrap capacitor with a first side coupled to the internal bus and a second side selectively coupled to at least one current source. A transceiver method includes receiving an inlet power supply signal and providing an outlet power supply signal to an output node, wherein the outlet power supply signal is based on the inlet power supply signal. The transceiver method also includes selectively adding a sync or data pulse to the outlet power supply signal based on a pulse scheme and a bootstrap capacitor coupled to the output node.

Transceiver methods and systems with pulse generator based on a bootstrap capacitor

Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods for regulating the currents provided by a DCDC buck converters to an LED unit are provided. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a device includes a time-off module configured to output a time-off signal when an output voltage of a power supply reaches a predetermined threshold; a timer module configured to determine a first duration, and after waiting a second duration, output a measured time signal; and a control module, coupled to each of the timer module and the time-off module, configured to output a set signal during a current cycle of the power supply, wherein the 'on' slate for the current cycle occurs while the control module outputs the set signal and ends when the control module receives the measured time signal.

Devices, systems and processes for average current control

Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods for regulating the currents provided by a DCDC buck converters to an LED unit are provided. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a regulating element operable to instruct and regulate the periods during which a first switch of a driver module, used to control the operation of a buck converter module, is configured into at least one of a first operating state and a second operating state such that the maximum and minimum currents provided by the buck converter module to a load, such as an LED unit, over a given duty cycle are symmetrically disposed about an average current provided to the LED unit during the duty cycle, where the average current provided is substantially equal to a target current for the LED unit.

An illustrative bidirectional MOSFET switch includes a body region, a buried layer, a gate terminal, a first configuration switch, and a second configuration switch. The body region is a semiconductor of a first type separating a source region and a drain region that are a semiconductor of a second type. The buried layer is a semiconductor of the second type separating the body region from a substrate that is a semiconductor of the first type. The gate terminal is drivable to form a channel in the body region, thereby enabling conduction between the source terminal and the drain terminal. The first configuration switch disconnects the body terminal from the source terminal when the source terminal voltage exceeds the drain terminal voltage; and the second configuration switch connects the body terminal to the buried layer terminal when the source terminal voltage exceeds the drain terminal voltage.

In one form, a circuit having a current sense element includes a current sense element, a target signal generator, and an error signal generator. The current sense element has first and second terminals and is adapted to be coupled in a current path whose current is to be sensed. The target signal generator generates a target signal representative of a condition of the current sense element when the current sense element conducts a target current. The error signal generator has an output for providing an error signal in response to both a current flowing through the current sense element and the target signal. In another form, a current regulated circuit includes a current conducting element such as a solenoid and a current control element coupled in series with the current conducting element and the current sense element.

Current sense element for current regulated circuit and the like and method therefor

Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods for regulating the currents provided by a DCDC buck converters to an LED unit are provided. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a regulating module operable to instruct and regulate the time periods during which each of the first switch and the second switch of a driver module, used to control the operation of a buck converter module, are configured into at least one of the first operating state and the second operating state such that a maximum current and a minimum current provided by the buck converter module to an LED unit over a given cycle are symmetrically disposed about an average current provided to the LED unit during an operating cycle, where the average current provided is substantially equal to a target current for the LED unit.

Apparatus, systems and methods for average current and frequency control in a synchronous buck DC/DC LED driver

Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods for regulating the currents provided by a DCDC buck converters to an LED unit are provided. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a regulating module operable to instruct and regulate the periods during which a first switch of a driver module, used to control the operation of a buck converter module, is configured into at least one of the first operating state and the second operating state such that the maximum and minimum currents provided by the buck converter module to a load, such as an LED unit, over a given duty cycle are symmetrically disposed about an average current provided to the LED unit during the duty cycle, where the average current provided is substantially equal to a target current for the LED unit.

Apparatus, systems and methods for average current control in a buck DC/DC LED driver

In one embodiment, an LED current controller is formed to determine which of a plurality of LED branches has the largest voltage drop and to select the current through that branch to use in controlling the value of current that flows through other LED branches.

Method of forming a current controller for an LED and structure therefor

A differential operation circuit that uses the differential input signals to generate a reference voltage that fluctuates with the common mode voltage of the differential input signals. The reference voltage includes a common mode component that generally follows the common mode voltage of the differential input signals. The common mode component of the reference voltage is used to fully or almost fully offset the common mode voltage of the differential input signals, thereby increasing the differential operation circuit's common mode rejection characteristics.

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Pellaines, Belgium

Jean-Paul Eggermont