Multi-output power supply apparatus enhancing a power imbalance between multiple outputs
View Patent ↗There is provided a multi-output power supply apparatus capable of maintaining multiple output voltages in a balanced state by limiting a variable range of a switching duty according to a load state. The multi-output power supply apparatus includes: a power supply unit switching input power to output a plurality of voltages whose power levels are determined according to the switching operation; and a controller detecting power states of at least some of the plurality of voltages from the power supply unit, and limiting a range of a switching duty of the power supply unit to a pre-set range when the detected power states correspond to a pre-set limited power state.
1. A multi-output power supply apparatus comprising:
a power supply unit switching input power to output a plurality of voltages whose power levels are determined according to a switching operation; and
a controller detecting power states of at least some of the plurality of voltages from the power supply unit, and limiting a range of a switching duty of the power supply unit to a pre-set range when the detected power states correspond to a pre-set limited power state,
wherein the controller comprises:
a duty range limiting unit comprising a maximum/minimum value controller setting a maximum value and a minimum value of a pulse signal according to a control signal indicating that states of some voltages correspond to the limited power state, and a duty controller limiting a duty range of the pulse signal according to the maximum value and the minimum value from the maximum/minimum value controller,
wherein the maximum/minimum value controller comprises:
a switch performing a switching on a current from a current source;
a comparator controlling switching of the switch by comparing the control signal with a detection signal obtained by detecting the current flowing in the switch; and
a current mirroring circuit setting the maximum value and the minimum value by mirroring the current flowing from the current source according to the switching of the switch.
2. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises:
a current generation unit generating a current according to the power states of the at least some of the plurality of voltages output from the power supply unit;
a signal generation unit generating the pulse signal having a frequency determined according to the current generated by the current generation unit;
a monostable unit determining a timing according to the pulse signal from the signal generation unit; and
a driving unit generating a switching signal for controlling the switching operation of a switching unit according to a timing of the monostable unit.
3. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power supply unit comprises:
a switching unit including at least two switches connected between an input power terminal to which the input power is input and a ground in series and switching the input power;
a transformer unit transforming a voltage level of the power switched by the switching unit; and
an output unit stabilizing output power from the transformer unit to output a plurality of voltages.
4. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the transformer unit comprises:
a resonant tank providing an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonating operation of the switching unit; and
a transformer including a primary winding receiving switched power from the switching unit and a plurality of secondary windings forming a pre-set wiring ratio with the primary winding and outputting the plurality of voltages.
5. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the power supply unit further comprises:
a rectifying and smoothing unit rectifying and smoothing alternating current (AC) power; and
a power factor correction unit correcting a power factor of a DC power from the rectifying and smoothing unit and supplying DC power which power factor is corrected to the switching unit.
6. A multi-output power supply apparatus comprising:
a power supply unit switching input power to output a plurality of voltages whose power levels are determined according to a switching operation; and
a controller detecting power states of at least some of the plurality of voltages from the power supply unit, and limiting a range of a switching duty of the power supply unit to a pre-set range when the detected power states correspond to a pre-set limited power state,
wherein the controller comprises:
a duty range limiting unit comprising a maximum/minimum value controller setting a maximum value and a minimum value of a pulse signal according to a control signal indicating that states of some voltages correspond to the limited power state, and a duty controller limiting a duty range of the pulse signal according to the maximum value and the minimum value from the maximum/minimum value controller,
wherein the duty controller comprises:
a comparator comparing a pre-set reference voltage with a detected power state;
a comparator group including a plurality of comparators comparing a comparison result from the comparator with the maximum value and the minimum value, respectively; and
a switch group including a plurality of switches switching a signal path to provide a corresponding signal according to the comparison result from the comparator and the comparison results from the plurality of comparators of the comparator group.
7. A multi-output power supply apparatus comprising:
a power supply unit switching input power to output a first power and a second power whose power levels are determined according to a switching operation; and
a controller detecting a power state of the second power from the power supply unit, and limiting a range of a switching duty of the power supply unit to a pre-set range when the detected power state corresponds to a pre-set limited power state,
wherein the controller comprises:
a duty range limiting unit comprising a maximum/minimum value controller setting a maximum value and a minimum value of a pulse signal according to a control signal indicating that states of some voltages correspond to the limited power state; and
a duty controller limiting a duty range of the pulse signal according to the maximum value and the minimum value from the maximum/minimum value controller,
wherein the duty controller comprises:
a comparator comparing a pre-set reference voltage with a detected power state;
a comparator group including a plurality of comparators comparing a comparison result from the comparator with the maximum value and the minimum value, respectively; and
a switch group including a plurality of switches switching a signal path to provide a corresponding signal according to the comparison result from the comparator and the comparison results from the plurality of comparators of the comparator group.
8. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller comprises:
a current generation unit generating a current according to the power state of the second power output from the power supply unit;
a signal generation unit generating the pulse signal having a frequency determined according to the current generated by the current generation unit;
a monostable unit determining a timing of a signal according to the pulse signal from the signal generation unit; and
a driving unit generating a switching signal for controlling the switching operation of a switching unit according to a timing of the monostable unit.
9. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the power supply unit comprises:
a switching unit including at least two switches connected between an input power terminal to which the input power is input and a ground in series and switching the input power;
a transformer unit transforming a voltage level of the power switched by the switching unit;
a first output unit stabilizing output power from the transformer unit to output the first power; and
a second output unit stabilizing output power from the transformer unit to output the second power.
10. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the transformer unit comprises:
a resonant tank providing an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonating operation of the switching unit; and
a transformer including a primary winding receiving switched power from the switching unit and a first secondary winding and a second secondary winding forming a pre-set wiring ratio with the primary winding and outputting the first power and the second power, respectively.
11. The multi-output power supply apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the power supply unit further comprises:
a rectifying and smoothing unit rectifying and smoothing alternating current (AC) power; and
a power factor correction unit correcting a power factor of the DC power from the rectifying and smoothing unit and supplying DC power which power factor is corrected to the switching unit.
12. A multi-output power supply apparatus comprising:
a power supply unit switching input power to output a first power and a second power whose power levels are determined according to a switching operation; and
a controller detecting a power state of the second power from the power supply unit, and limiting a range of a switching duty of the power supply unit to a pre-set range when the detected power state corresponds to a pre-set limited power state,
wherein the controller comprises:
a duty range limiting unit comprising a maximum/minimum value controller setting a maximum value and a minimum value of a pulse signal according to a control signal indicating that states of some voltages correspond to the limited power state; and
a duty controller limiting the duty range of the pulse signal according to the maximum value and the minimum value from the maximum/minimum value controller,
wherein the maximum/minimum value controller comprises:
a switch performing a switching to allow a current from a current source to flow;
a comparator controlling switching of the switch by comparing the control signal with a detection signal obtained by detecting the current flowing in the switch; and
a current mirroring circuit setting the maximum value and the minimum value by mirroring the current flowing from the current source according to the switching of the switch.