Active-semi, Inc.

John H Carpenter, Jr

Brett E Smith

Hiroshi Watanabe

Narasimhan Trichy

Hong Mao

Sanjeeva Pindi

Wan Nian Huang

A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a storage capacitor terminal (STR), an autonomous capacitor health check circuit, and a capacitor fault terminal (CF). The capacitor health check circuit autonomously performs periodic capacitor check operations. In a check operation, current is sinked from the STR terminal for a predetermined time and in a predetermined way. If during this time the voltage on the STR terminal STR drops below a predetermined voltage, then a digital signal CF is asserted onto the CF terminal. Immediately following each capacitor check, a charging voltage is driven onto the STR terminal to recharge the external capacitors coupled to the STR terminal. In one example, the integrated circuit further includes a current switch circuit (eFuse) and a buck/boost controller. The capacitor health check circuit is only enabled during normal mode operation of the integrated circuit, and the check circuit disables boost operation during capacitor checks.

Power loss protection integrated circuit with autonomous capacitor health check

A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a current switch circuit (eFuse), a VIN terminal, a VOUT terminal, a buck/boost controller, and a storage capacitor terminal STR. The controller is adapted to work: 1) as a boost to take a low voltage from the VOUT terminal and to output a larger charging voltage onto the STR terminal, or 2) as a buck to take a higher voltage from the STR terminal and to buck it down to a lower voltage required on the VOUT terminal. The current switch circuit outputs a digital undervoltage signal (UV) and a digital high current signal (HC). These signals are communicated on-chip to the controller. Asserting UV causes the converter to begin operating in the buck mode. Asserting HC prevents the converter from operating in the boost mode.

Power loss protection integrated circuit

An adaptive USB port controller is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a system comprises a source, a power adapter, a USB port controller, a USB plug and cable, and a device. In one example, the device includes a rechargeable battery. After connecting the device to the USB port controller via the USB plug and cable, a reconfigurable module within the USB port controller sets a power mode by: (1) configuring an impedance network to present impedance modes that indicate available power modes, (2) detecting voltages on one or more of the USB conductors in response to each impedance mode, and (3) comparing the detected voltages to reference voltage levels to set one of multiple power modes. The reconfigurable module then controls the power adapter to transfer power according to the determined power mode.

Adaptive USB port controller

A power loss protection integrated circuit includes a current switch circuit portion (eFuse) and an autonomous limit checking circuit. The limit checking circuit includes an input analog multiplexer, an ADC, a plurality of capture registers, a state machine, and a flag output terminal. For each capture register, the limit checking circuit further includes an associated lower limit register and an associated upper limit register. The state machine controls the multiplexer and the capture registers so the ADC digitizes voltages on various nodes to the monitored, and stores the results into corresponding capture registers. In integrated circuit has circuitry that allows both a high voltage as well as a high current to be monitored. The value in a capture register is compared to upper and lower limit values. If any capture value is determined to be outside the limits, then a digital flag signal is asserted onto the flag output terminal.

Power integrated circuit with autonomous limit checking of ADC channel measurements

A multi-state battery charger includes a single-stage AC-to-DC switching converter, where the single-stage converter receives an AC supply voltage and directly charges a rechargeable battery without there being any intervening second power stage. A novel battery charger controller integrated circuit in the converter's secondary side detects profile selection resistor values, monitors battery voltage, monitors charging current, monitors battery temperature, controls a protection transistor, and sends a control signal back to a PWM in the primary side. The controller includes a flexible preprogrammed digital state machine circuit that is configured to control the converter from charging state to charging state so that the battery is charged in accordance with a selected one of multiple preprogrammed different multi-state battery charging profiles, where at least one of the profiles has at least one CC (constant current) state and one CV (constant voltage) state.

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Allen, TX, United States of America

John H Carpenter, Jr