Wide output voltage range switching power converter

1. A switching power converter, comprising:

an unregulated DC/DC converter stage which receives an input voltage Vin and produces an output bus voltage; at least one configurable buck-boost converter stage which receives the DC/DC converter output bus voltage and produces an output voltage Vout; and at least one mode selection module arranged to configure said buck-boost converter stage to operate in a buck, boost or buck-boost mode,

wherein said configurable buck-boost converter stage comprises: an inductor; a capacitor; a first switch connected between an input to said buck-boost converter and the first end of said inductor; a second switch connected between a first end of said inductor and a circuit common point; a third switch connected between the second end of said inductor and said circuit common point; and a fourth switch connected between the second end of said inductor and said capacitor; said switching power converter arranged to operate said switches in any of a buck converter mode, a boost converter mode, and a buck-boost converter mode to produce a desired output voltage Vout across said capacitor,

wherein said mode selection module comprises:

a first comparator circuit including first and second inputs and a first comparator output, wherein the first input is electrically coupled to the output voltage and the second input is electrically coupled to a voltage having a negative offset from the output bus voltage;

a second comparator circuit including first and second inputs and a second comparator output, wherein the first input is electrically coupled to the output voltage and the second input is electrically coupled to a voltage having positive offset from the output bus voltage;

a first AND gate circuit having first and second inputs and a first AND gate output, wherein the first input is electrically coupled to the first comparator output and the second input is electrically coupled to the second comparator output;

a first OR gate circuit having first and second inputs and a first OR gate output, wherein the first input is electrically coupled to the first AND gate output, the second input receives a first control signal and the first OR gate output is electrically coupled to the first switch;

a second AND gate circuit including first and second inputs and a second AND gate output, wherein the first input receives an inverted signal of the first AND gate output, the second input receives a second control signal, and the second AND gate output is electrically connected to the second switch;

a third AND gate circuit including first and second inputs and a third AND gate output, wherein the first input is electrically coupled to the first comparator output, the second input receives a third control signal, and the third AND gate output is electrically coupled to the third switch; and

a second OR gate circuit including first and second inputs and a second OR gate output, wherein the first input receives an inverted signal of the first comparator output, the second input receives a fourth control signal, and the second OR gate output is electrically coupled to the fourth switch.

2. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said unregulated DC/DC converter can be arranged in a full bridge, half bridge, or push pull topology.

3. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said unregulated DC/DC converter can be arranged as a full wave rectifier, full bridge rectifier, or current doubler rectifier.

4. The switching power converter of claim 3 , wherein said rectifier can be arranged as a diode rectifier, synchronous rectifier, or a combination thereof.

5. The switching power converter of claim 4 , wherein said synchronous rectifier is a MOSFET or IGBT.

6. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said unregulated DC/DC converter can be arranged in a forward topology or flyback topology.

7. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said unregulated DC/DC converter is arranged to operate with a fixed 50% duty cycle.

8. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said unregulated DC/DC converter further comprises a transformer having a turns ratio n.

9. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth control signals are pulse width modulation signals.

10. The switching power converter of claim 8 , wherein said buck-boost converter stage is arranged to operate in a buck mode during which said third switch is off, said fourth switch is on, and said first and second switches are operated in complementary fashion during a switching cycle such that said output voltage Vout=Vin*D/n, wherein D is the duty cycle of said first switch.

11. The switching power converter of claim 8 , wherein said buck-boost converter stage is arranged to operate in a boost mode during which said first switch is on, said second switch is off, and said third and fourth switches are operated in complementary fashion during a switching cycle such that said output voltage Vout=Vin/(n*(1−D)), wherein D is the duty cycle of said third switch.

12. The switching power converter of claim 8 , wherein said buck-boost converter stage is arranged to operate in a buck-boost mode during which said first and second switches are operated in complementary fashion during a switching cycle and said third and fourth switches are operated synchronously with said first and second switches, respectively, during said switching cycle, such that said output voltage Vout=(Vin/n)*D/(1−D), wherein D is the duty cycle of said first and third switches.

13. The switching power converter of claim 12 , wherein said buck-boost converter stage is a buck converter when D<0.5.

14. The switching power converter of claim 12 , wherein said buck-boost converter stage is a boost converter when D>0.5.

15. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein the switching frequency and switching duty cycle of the configurable buck-boost converter stage are independent of the switching frequency and duty cycle of the unregulated DC/DC stage.

16. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said buck-boost converter stage further comprises a power controller adapted to control said buck-boost converter stage to produce said output voltage Vout.

17. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said mode selection module is arranged to receive said bus voltage at a first input and said output voltage at a second input, and to determine an operation mode of said buck-boost converter based on at least said bus voltage and said output voltage.

18. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said buck-boost converter stage comprises a first freewheeling diode connected between the first end of said inductor and the circuit common point; and a second freewheeling diode connected between the second end of said inductor and said capacitor.

19. The switching power converter of claim 1 , wherein said at least one buck-boost converter stage is comprised of a plurality of buck-boost converters such that each of said plurality of buck-boost converters is adapted to provide a respective output voltage Vout.

20. The switching power converter of claim 19 , wherein each of said buck-boost converter stages comprises: an inductor; a capacitor; a first switch connected between an input to said buck-boost converter and the first end of said inductor; a second switch connected between a first end of said inductor and a circuit common point; a third switch connected between the second end of said inductor and said circuit common point; and a fourth switch connected between the second end of said inductor and said capacitor; said switching power converter arranged to operate said switches as needed to produce a desired output voltage Vout across said capacitor.

21. The switching power converter of claim 19 , wherein each of said buck-boost converter stages comprises: an inductor; a capacitor; a first switch connected between an input to said buck-boost converter and the first end of said inductor; a first freewheeling diode connected between a first end of said inductor and a circuit common point; a second switch connected between the second end of said inductor and said circuit common point; and a second freewheeling diode connected between the second end of said inductor and said capacitor; said switching power converter arranged to operate said switches as needed to produce a desired output voltage Vout across said capacitor.