Method of controlling the operation of a power converter having first and second series connected transistors
View Patent ↗A series connected pair of switching transistors in a switching power converter is controlled by a method to improve the efficiency of the switching power converter. The transition times of the first and second transistors are stored and the timing of the application of conduction control signals is determined based on the transition times of the first and second transistor. The conduction control signals provided to the first and second transistors may include pulse width modulated signals.
1. A method of controlling an operation of a switching power converter which includes first and second series connected transistors, each transistor having a conduction control terminal for receiving a conduction control signal, the method comprising:
storing a falling transition time of the first transistor;
storing a rising transition time of the second transistor;
alternately applying a conduction control signal to the conduction control terminal of the transistors; and
timing the application of the conduction control signals as a function of the stored transition times.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein alternately applying conduction control signals comprises alternately applying pulse width modulated control signals.
3. A method of controlling an opertion of a switching power converter which includes first and second series connected transistors, each transistor having a conduction control terminal for receiving a conduction control signal, the method comprising:
storing a falling transition time of the second transistor;
storing a rising transition time of the first transistor;
alternately applying conduction control signals to the conduction control terminal of the transistors; and
timing the application of the conduction control signals as a function of the stored transition times.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein alternately applying conduction control signals comprises alternately applying pulse width modulated control signals.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
coupling the first and second series connected transistors between a source of electrical potential and a ground reference.
6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:
coupling the first and second series connected transistors between a source of electrical potential and a ground reference.
7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
coupling the first and second series connected transistors between a source of electrical potential and a ground reference.
8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises:
coupling the first and second series connected transistors between a source of electrical potential and a ground reference.
9. A method of controlling an operation of a switching power converter which includes first and second series connected transistors, each transistor a conduction control terminal, the method comprising:
storing a falling transition time of the first transistor;
storing a rising transition time of the second transistor;
applying a first conduction control signal to the conduction control terminal of the first transistor for a predetermined amount of time and ceasing the application of the first conduction control signal;
thereafter beginning an application of a second conduction control signal to the conduction control terminal of the second transistor; and
establishing a time between the cessation of the application of the first conduction control signal and the beginning of the application of the second conduction control signal as a function of the stored falling transition time of the first transistor and rising transition time of the second transistor.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
storing a rising transition time of the first transistor;
storing a falling transition time of the second transistor;
establishing a time between a cessation of an application of a conduction control signal to the second transistor and the beginning of an application of a conduction control signal to the first transistor as a function of the stored rising transition time of the first transistor and stored falling transition time of the second transistor.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first conduction control signal and the second conduction control signal comprise pulse width modulated signals.
12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
coupling the first and second series connected transistors between a source of electrical potential and a ground reference.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
coupling the first and second series connected transistors between a source of electrical potential and a ground reference.