The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 02, 2015
Filed:
Mar. 01, 2013
Analog Devices Technology, Hamilton, BM;
Song Qin, Shanghai, CN;
Analog Devices Global, , BM;
Abstract
A negative current protection system for a low side switching converter FET, for use with a switching converter arranged to operate high and low side FETs connected to an output inductor to produce an output voltage. The negative current protection system includes a current sensing circuit which produces an output Vcs that varies with the current in the high side FET, a negative current threshold generator which produces a threshold signal −Ith which represents the maximum negative current to which the low side FET is to be subjected, and a comparison circuit arranged to compare the valley portion of Vcs and -Ith and to set a flag if Vcs<−Ith at a predetermined time in the switching cycle—typically after the converter's blanking time. When the flag is set, the system preferably responds by adjusting the operation of the switching FETs to reduce the negative current.