O2 Micro, Incorporated

O2micro International Limited

02 Micro International Limited

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

02micro Inc.

Laszlo Lipcsei

Catalin Popovici

Serban Mihai Popescu

Serban-Mihai Popescu

Alin Gherghescu

Sorin Hornet

Guoyong Guo

Alexandru Hartular

ChengHwa Teh

Marius Padure

Gang Li

Marian Niculae

Hamilton Lu

Eftimie Caraghiorghiopol

Vlad Mihail Dan Popescu-Stanesti

Alexandr Ikriannikov

Sheng Huang

Sorin Laurentiu Negru

Vlad Mihail Popescu-Stanesti

Angelo Genova

Footshen Wong

Oleksandr Kokorin

Fengjiang Zhang

Marian Udrea Spenea

Stephen Gustafson

Serban Milhai Popescu

A flux-corrected switching power converter includes a first transformer, a first switching stage, a controller, and a flux correction current source. The first transformer includes a first magnetic core, a first primary winding, and a first secondary winding, and the first switching stage is electrically coupled to the first secondary winding. The controller is configured to control switching of at least the first switching stage. The flux correction current source is electrically coupled to the first primary winding, and the flux correction current source is configured to inject current into the first primary winding to at least partially cancel magnetic flux in the first magnetic core that is generated by current flowing through the first secondary winding.

Flux-corrected switching power converters

A resonant power converter includes a capacitive divider circuit, a coupled inductor, and N switching stages, where N is an integer greater than two. The coupled inductor includes N windings, and total leakage inductance of the coupled inductor and equivalent capacitance of the capacitive divider circuit collectively form a resonant tank circuit of the resonant power converter. Each switching stage is electrically coupled between a respective one of the N windings of the coupled inductor and the capacitive divider circuit. The capacitive divider circuit may include one or more resonant capacitors.

Resonant power converters including coupled inductors

A power converter for converting input power to output power includes a first transformer circuit, a second transformer circuit, and balance circuitry. The first transformer circuit includes a first primary winding for receiving a first part of the input power and a first secondary winding for generating a first part of the output power. The second transformer circuit includes a second primary winding for receiving a second part of the input power and a second secondary winding for generating a second part of the output power. The balance circuitry is coupled to a first terminal of the first secondary winding and a second terminal of the second secondary winding, and operable for balancing the first and second parts of the output power by passing a signal between the first and second terminals. The first and second terminals have the same polarity.

Power converters

In an analog-to-frequency converting circuit, a set of switches receive a first sense signal indicative of a current and provides a second sense signal that alternates between an original version of the first sense signal and a reversed version of the first sense signal, under control of a switching signal. An integral comparing circuit integrates the second sense signal to generate an integral value and generates a train of trigger signals. Each trigger signal is generated when the integral value reaches a preset reference. A compensation circuit compensates for the integral value with a predetermined value in response to each trigger signal. A control circuit generates the switching signal such that a time interval during which the second sense signal is the original version and a time interval during which the second sense signal is the reversed version are substantially the same.

Coulomb counting using analog-to-frequency conversion

An integrated device includes a semiconductor well formed in an epitaxial layer, and a guard ring formed in the epitaxial layer and surrounding the semiconductor well. The semiconductor well and the guard ring include a type of semiconductor different from that of the epitaxial layer. The integrated device also includes an insulating layer formed atop the guard ring, and multiple gate electrodes formed on a top surface of the insulating layer, overlapping the guard ring and surrounding the semiconductor well. The gate electrodes include a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode separated by a gap. An intersecting line between the top surface of the insulating layer and a side wall of the first gate electrode partially overlaps an area that is defined based on an intersecting line between the top surface of the insulating layer and a side wall of the second gate electrode above the guard ring.

Integrated device having multiple transistors

A DC/DC converter converts an input DC voltage to an output DC voltage and charges a battery. The DC/DC converter includes: a DC/DC controller, operable for generating a driving signal according to a target value for the output voltage and a first detection signal indicative of the output voltage level to control switching circuitry and to adjust the output voltage level; and a battery charging controller, coupled to the DC/DC controller and the battery, that is operable for receiving the first detection signal indicative of the output voltage level and a second detection signal indicative of a battery voltage level, and for generating a loop control signal according to the first detection signal and the second detection signal to adjust the target value for the output voltage, wherein the difference between the first detection signal and the second detection signal indicates the amount of a battery charging current.

Controllers for DC/DC converter

A controller for a DC/DC converter controls a first, second, third, and fourth switches according to pulse signals generated alternately. The controller turns off the third switch on detection of a first edge of a first pulse signal, turns on the first switch after a delay from the detection of the first edge, turns off the fourth switch on detection of a second edge of the first pulse signal, turns on the second switch after a delay from the detection of the second edge, turns off the first switch on detection of a third edge of a second pulse signal, turns on the third switch after a delay from the detection of the third edge, turns off the second switch on detection of a fourth edge of the second pulse signal, and turns on the fourth switch after a delay from the detection of the fourth edge.

Full-bridge switching DC/DC converters and controllers thereof

A power transfer device includes an input terminal, an output terminal, a control unit, and a drive unit. The input terminal can receive an input voltage. The output terminal can provide an output voltage. The control unit can control a switch between the input and output terminals to adjust the output voltage according to the input voltage and a reference voltage, wherein said control unit is deactivated if the reference voltage reaches the input voltage. The drive unit can connect the control unit and the switch if the control unit is activated, and can maintain the output voltage at or near the input voltage if the control unit is deactivated.

Power transfer devices

A converter circuit includes a converter and a controller. The converter converts an input voltage to an output voltage. The controller receives a reference voltage, generates a slew voltage having a substantially constant first slew rate if the reference voltage changes from a first level to a second level, and controls the converter based on the slew voltage to cause the output voltage to change from a third level to a fourth level at a substantially constant second slew rate.

Circuits and methods for controlling a DC/DC converter

A controller includes a ramp signal generator and control circuitry coupled to the ramp signal generator. The ramp signal generator provides a control current through a resistive component to control energy stored in a first energy storage component. The ramp signal generator further generates a ramp signal based on the energy stored in the first energy storage component. The control circuitry adjusts a voltage at one end of the resistive component thereby controlling the control current to indicate a voltage across a second energy storage component. The control circuitry further controls a current through the second energy storage component within a predetermined range based on the ramp signal.

Controllers for DC to DC converters

A power management system includes a first switch, a second switch, and a controller coupled to the first and second switches. The first switch has a first transfer terminal. The second switch has a second transfer terminal. The controller controls power conversion by turning on a third switch periodically. The first and second transfer terminals and a third transfer terminal of the third switch are coupled to a common node. The resistance between the first transfer terminal and the common node, the resistance between the second transfer terminal and the common node, and the resistance between the third transfer terminal and the common node are substantially equal to zero.

Power management systems

A transistor and a method of fabricating a transistor, including a metal oxide deposited on an epitaxial layer, a photo resist deposited and patterned over the metal oxide and the metal oxide and epitaxial layer are etched to form at least one circular trench, wherein the trench surfaces are defined by the epitaxial layer. An oxide layer is grown on the trench surfaces of each trench, and a gate conductor is formed within the at least one trench.

Methods for fabricating transistors including one or more circular trenches

In a controller for a power converter, a control terminal can provide a control signal to control a power converter. A cycle of the control signal includes a first time interval and a second time interval. The control circuitry can increase a primary current flowing through a primary winding of transformer circuitry and a secondary current flowing through a secondary winding of the transformer circuitry in the first time interval, and can terminate the increasing of the primary current in the second time interval. The control circuitry can also control the first time interval to be inversely proportional to an input voltage provided to the primary winding.

Controllers for power converters

A controller includes an input selector, multiple cores and a multiplexer. The multiplexer is operable for multiplexing control signals to multiple output channels to provide multiple output signals. Each output channel can output a respective output signal, and each output signal represents a cyclic rotation of the control signals. The input selector is operable for enabling the cores to operate in a standby state alternately to control a multiplexing sequence of the control signals.

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Campbell, CA, United States of America

Laszlo Lipcsei