Start-up apparatus for power converters

1. A start-up apparatus for starting up a power converter, which is supplied with an input voltage and is connected to a holding capacitor, comprising:

a transistor, having a source, a gate and a drain, said drain of said transistor is supplied with said input voltage, said source of said transistor being connected to said holding capacitor;

a start-up control unit, having an input and an output, said input of said start-up control unit being connected to said holding capacitor and said source of said transistor, said output of said start-up control unit being connected to said gate of said transistor; and

a switch, connected to said output of said start-up control unit and said holding capacitor, wherein said input voltage drives said transistor on and charges said holding capacitor, wherein said start-up control unit draws a start-up voltage from said holding capacitor to drive on said switch and to provide a voltage across said holding capacitor for a control circuit, wherein said start-up control unit also turns off said transistor to cut off a charging path from said input voltage to said holding capacitor.

2. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said transistor is a junction field effect transistor.

3. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , said start-up apparatus further comprising a start-up resistor, said start-up resistor having a first terminal supplied with said input voltage and a second terminal connected to said drain of said transistor.

4. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , said start-up control unit comprising:

a first p-transistor, having a source connected to said holding capacitor and said source of said transistor, said first p-transistor further having a gate connected to said holding capacitor via a first resistor;

a first n-transistor, having a drain connected to said gate of said first p-transistor, said first n-transistor further having a source connected to a ground reference;

a first clamper, connected between a drain and said source of said first p-transistor;

a second clamper, connected between said drain of said first p-transistor and a gate of said first n-transistor, wherein said gate of said first n-transistor is connected to said ground reference via a second resistor; and

a buffer circuit, connected to said drain of said first n-transistor, said holding capacitor, a control terminal of said switch, and said gate of said transistor, said buffer circuit operating in response to a switching of said first n-transistor.

5. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said first clamper and said second clamper break down successively in response to a voltage increment across said holding capacitor, wherein said first clamper and said second clamper respectively generate a first clamping voltage and a second clamping voltage so as to provide a hysteresis threshold voltage range.

6. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , said buffer circuit comprising:

a second p-transistor having a gate connected to said gate of said first p-transistor, said second p-transistor further having a source connected to said holding capacitor, said source of said transistor and a first terminal of said switch;

a first inverter, having an input connected to a drain of said second p-transistor, said first inverter further having an output connected to said control terminal of said switch and said gate of said transistor; and

a third resistor, connected between said drain of said second p-transistor and said ground reference.

7. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said transistor is a metal oxide semiconductor transistor.

8. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , said start-up apparatus further comprising a start-up resistor, said start-up resistor having a first terminal supplied with said input voltage, said start-up resistor further having a second terminal connected to said drain of said transistor;

9. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , said start-up control unit comprising:

a first p-transistor, having a source connected to said holding capacitor and said source of said transistor, said first p-transistor further comprising a gate connected to said holding capacitor via a first resistor;

a first n-transistor, having a drain connected to said gate of said first p-transistor, said first n-transistor further comprising a source connected to a ground reference;

a first clamper, connected between a drain and said source of said first p-transistor;

a second clamper, connected between said drain of said first p-transistor and a gate of said first n-transistor, wherein said gate of said first n-transistor is connected to said ground reference via a second resistor; and

a buffer circuit, connected to said drain of said first n-transistor, said holding capacitor, a control terminal of said switch, and said gate of said transistor, said buffer circuit operating in response to a switching of said first n-transistor.

10. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said first clamper and said second clamper break down successively in response to a voltage increment across said holding capacitor, wherein said first clamper and said second clamper respectively generate a first clamping voltage and a second clamping voltage to provide a hysteresis threshold voltage range.

11. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , said buffer circuit comprising:

a second p-transistor, having a gate connected to said gate of said first p-transistor, said second p-transistor further having a source connected to said holding capacitor, said source of said transistor and said first terminal of said switch;

a first inverter, having an input connected to a drain of said second p-transistor, said first inverter further having an output connected to said control terminal of said switch;

a third resistor, connected between said drain of said second p-transistor and said ground reference;

a second inverter, having an input connected to said output of said first inverter; and

a second n-transistor, having a source connected to said ground reference, a drain connected to said gate of said transistor, and a gate connected to an output of said second inverter.

12. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , said buffer circuit comprising:

a second p-transistor, having a gate connected to said gate of said first p-transistor, said second p-transistor further having a source connected to said holding capacitor, said source of said transistor and said first terminal of said switch;

a first inverter, having an input connected to a drain of said second p-transistor, said first inverter further having an output connected to said control terminal of said switch;

a third resistor, connected between said drain of said second p-transistor and said ground reference;

a second inverter, having an input connected to said output of said first inverter;

a second n-transistor, having a source connected to said holding capacitor via a voltage divider, a drain connected to said gate of said transistor, and a gate connected to an output of said second inverter; and

a charge pump capacitor, having a positive terminal connected to said gate of said transistor and said drain of said second n-transistor, said charge pump capacitor further having a negative terminal connected to said output of said first inverter and said input of said second inverter.

13. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , said charge pump capacitor being utilized to accelerate turning on said transistor.

14. A start-up apparatus for starting up a power converter, which is supplied with an input voltage via a start-up resistor and is connected to a holding capacitor and an auxiliary winding, comprising:

a start-up control unit, having an input and an output, said input of said start-up control unit being connected to said holding capacitor; and

a switch, connected to said holding capacitor and said output of said start-up control unit, said input voltage charging said holding capacitor via said start-up resistor, wherein said start-up control unit draws a start-up voltage from said holding capacitor to drive said switch on, therefore a voltage across said holding capacitor powers a control circuit via said switch.

15. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , said start-up unit comprising:

a first p-transistor, having a source connected to said holding capacitor and a first terminal of said switch, said first p-transistor further having a gate connected to said holding capacitor via a first resistor;

an n-transistor, having a drain connected to said gate of said first p-transistor, said n-transistor further having a source connected to a ground reference;

a first clamper, connected to said source and a drain of said first p-transistor;

a second clamper, having a first terminal connected to said drain of said first p-transistor, said second clamper further having a second terminal connected to a gate of said n-transistor, said gate of said n-transistor being connected to said ground reference via a second resistor; and

a buffer circuit, connected to said drain of said n-transistor, said holding capacitor, and a control terminal of said switch, said buffer circuit operating in response to a switching of said n-transistor.

16. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , said first clamper and said second clamper break down successively in response to the voltage increment across said holding capacitor, wherein said first clamper and said second clamper respectively generate a first clamping voltage and a second clamping voltage so as to provide a hysteresis threshold voltage range.

17. The start-up apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , said buffer circuit comprising:

a second p-transistor, having a gate connected to said gate of said first p-transistor, said second p-transistor further having a source connected to said holding capacitor and said first terminal of said switch;

an inverter, having an input connected to a drain of said second p-transistor, said inverter further having an output connected to said control terminal of said switch; and

a third resistor, connected between said drain of said second p-transistor and said ground reference.