Power Integrations, Inc.

Lance M Wong

Giao Minh Pham

Roland Sylvere Saint-Pierre

Balu Balakrishnan

David Michael Hugh Matthews

Zhao-Jun Wang

Tiziano Pastore

Sundaresan Sundararaj

Qing McIntosh

A method for providing a jitter signal for modulating a switching frequency of a power switch for a power converter. The method comprising receiving a drive signal representative of the switching frequency of the power switch, detecting the switching frequency from the drive signal, determining if the switching frequency is less than a first threshold frequency, and modulating a frequency of the jitter signal in response to determining if the switching frequency is less than the first threshold frequency.

Modulating jitter frequency as switching frequency approaches jitter frequency

A controller comprising a regulation circuit and a frequency request circuit. The regulation circuit configured to receive a signal representative of an output and a reference representative of a desired value of the output, the regulation circuit configured to output a regulation signal in response to a difference between the signal and the reference. The frequency request circuit configured to receive the regulation signal and outputs an increment signal representative of a request to increase a switching frequency and a decrement signal representative of a request to decrease the switching frequency in response to the regulation signal. The frequency request circuit configured to assert the increment signal when the output is less than the desired value for a duration longer than a first period and assert the decrement signal when the output is greater than the desired value for a duration longer than a second period.

Controller with frequency request circuit

A controller to regulate a power converter includes a terminal that receives an enable signal including enable events representative of an output of the power converter. A drive circuit generates a drive signal to control switching of a power switch to control an energy transfer from an input to an output of the power converter. The drive circuit turns on the power switch when an enable event is received in the enable signal. A current limit threshold generator is coupled to the drive circuit to generate a threshold signal. The threshold signal increases in response to the power switch turning off and subsequently decreases. The threshold signal and a time between consecutive enable events are used to modulate the drive signal to regulate the output of the power converter.

Switched mode power converter controller with ramp time modulation

A signal amplifier for use in a power converter includes a variable reference generator coupled to generate a reference signal in response to a dimming control signal. A variable gain circuit is coupled to receive the reference signal, the gain signal, and a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. The variable gain circuit is coupled to output a first adjusted signal in response to the reference signal and the gain signal. The variable gain circuit is coupled to output a second adjusted signal in response to the feedback signal and the gain signal. An auxiliary amplifier is coupled to output the gain signal in response to the first adjusted signal and a set signal.

Signal amplifier with calibrated reference

A controller for use in a power converter including a jitter generator circuit coupled to receive a drive signal from a switch controller and generate a jitter signal. The jitter signal is a modulated jitter signal when the drive signal is below a first threshold frequency. The switch controller is 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 current through the power switch. The switch controller is coupled to generate the drive signal to control switching of the power switch in response to the current sense signal and the jitter signal to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to an output of the power converter.

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 controller for use in a power converter comprising a request control circuit coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. The request control circuit is coupled to generate a request signal for controlling a power switch. The request signal can include a synchronization signal in response to the feedback signal and a jitter average signal. The synchronization signal is generated by the request transmitter circuit and corresponds to an average on time for controlling the power switch.

Frequency jitter for a power converter

A controller to regulate a power converter includes a terminal coupled to receive an enable signal including enable events representative of an output of the power converter. A drive circuit is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to the output of the power converter. The drive circuit is coupled to turn on the power switch when an enable event is received in the enable signal. A current limit threshold generator is coupled to the drive circuit to generate a current limit threshold signal. The current limit threshold signal varies each switching cycle of the power switch. A time between consecutive enable events in the enable signal is the switching cycle of the power switch.

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.

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.

A power converter includes an energy transfer element that includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, and is coupled to transfer energy between the primary winding and the secondary winding. An enable circuit is coupled to generate an enable signal in response to a feedback signal falling below a threshold. A controller is coupled to control switching of a power switch coupled to the primary winding to regulate an output of the power converter. The controller includes a drive circuit coupled to output a drive signal in response to the enable signal, and a current limit threshold generator coupled to output a current limit threshold signal to the drive circuit in response to the drive signal. The current limit threshold signal varies in response to a time between events of the enable signal over a range of loads coupled to the output of the power converter.

A controller for use in a power converter includes a jitter generator circuit coupled to receive a drive signal from a switch controller and generate a jitter signal. The switch controller is 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 the drive signal to control switching of the power switch in response to the current sense signal and the jitter signal to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to an output of the power converter.

A controller for use in a power converter includes a drive circuit coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch to control a transfer of energy from a power converter input to a power converter output. An input for receiving an enable signal including enable events is responsive to the power converter output. The drive circuit is coupled to turn ON the power switch in response to the enable events and turn OFF the power switch in response to a power switch current reaching a current limit threshold. A current limit threshold generator is coupled to receive the enable events and vary the current limit threshold in response to the enable events of the enable signal.

A controller for use in a power converter 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 current limit generator is coupled to generate a current limit signal. A jitter generator is coupled to generate a jitter signal. An arithmetic operator circuit is coupled to generate the modulated current limit signal in response to the current limit signal and the jitter signal.

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Lance M Wong