IP Library Granted Patent US 10,038,384
Granted Patent B2
US 10,038,384 · App. 13/865,377 · Granted Jul 31, 2018

Control circuit for an inverter with small input capacitor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,038,384
App. No.
13/865,377
Granted
Jul 31, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control circuit for an inverter according to the present invention comprises a PWM circuit and a controller. The PWM circuit generates switching signals in accordance with a PWM control signal. The switching signals are coupled to switch a transformer through transistors for generating an output of the inverter. The controller is coupled to receive a command signal and an input signal for generating the PWM control signal. The input signal is correlated to an input voltage waveform of the inverter. The command signal is utilized to determine a power level of the output of the inverter. The advantages of the control circuit are lower cost, small size, good power factor and higher reliability.

Claims (33)

1. A control circuit of an inverter, comprising:

a PWM circuit for generating switching signals to control transistors to switch a transformer in accordance with a PWM control signal for generating an output of the inverter; and

a controller coupled to receive a command signal and an input signal for outputting the PWM control signal to the PWM circuit wherein the input signal and the output have a cyclically varying waveform that is correlated to a substantially sine wave waveform of an a.c. input voltage waveform, and wherein the command signal is utilized to determine a power level of the sine wave output of the inverter.

2. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises:

a memory storing at least one instruction code for executing the instruction code to generate the PWM control signal;

wherein a phase of the cyclically varying waveform of the output of the inverter is the same as a phase of the input signal.

3. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a current-sense device coupled to sense a switching current of the transformer and generate a current-sense signal coupled to limit the value of the switching current of the transformer; and a phase angle of the cyclically varying waveform of the output of the inverter is the same as a phase angle of the input signal.

4. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a comparator coupled to receive a current-sense signal for generating an interrupt signal in response to the current-sense signal being over a threshold; wherein the interrupt signal is coupled to interrupt the controller and directly turn off the switching signals, the current-sense signal is related to a switching current of the transformer.

5. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the PWM control signal is generated in accordance with a result that is related to the input signal times the command signal.

6. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an analog-to-digital converter converting the command signal or/and the input signal to a digital signal, and sending the digital signal to the controller.

7. The circuit as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a multiplexer for selecting the command signal and the input signal, and for sequentially outputting the command signal and the input signal to the analog-to-digital converter.

8. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein the PWM control circuit is configured to generate the switching signals to control two or more transistors.

9. A control circuit of an inverter, comprising:

a PWM circuit for generating switching signals to control transistors to switch a transformer in accordance with a PWM control signal for generating an output of the inverter; and

a microcontroller coupled to receive a command signal, an input signal, and a current-sense signal for outputting the PWM control signal to the PWM circuit;

wherein the input signal and the output have a waveform that is correlated to a substantially sine wave waveform of an input voltage of the inverter; the current-sense signal is related to a switching current of the transformer, and the command signal is utilized to determine a power level of the sine wave output of the inverter.

10. The circuit as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the microcontroller further comprises:

a memory storing at least one instruction code for executing the instruction code to generate the PWM control signal;

wherein a phase of the sine wave output of the inverter is the same as a phase of the input signal.

11. The circuit as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a comparator coupled to receive the current-sense signal for generating an interrupt signal in response to the current-sense signal being over a threshold; wherein the interrupt signal is coupled to interrupt the microcontroller and directly turn off the switching signals; a phase angle of the sine wave output of the inverter is the same as a phase angle of the input signal.

12. The circuit as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the PWM control signal is generated in accordance with an error signal; the error signal is related to a waveform signal minus the current-sense signal; the waveform signal is related to the input signal times the command signal.

13. The circuit as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising an analog-to-digital converter for converting the command signal, the input signal, or/and the current-sense signal to a digital signal, and sending the digital signal to the microcontroller.

14. The circuit as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a multiplexer selecting the command signal, the input signal, and the current-sense signal, and configured to sequentially output the command signal, the input signal, and the current-sense signal to the analog-to-digital converter.

15. A control circuit of an inverter, comprising:

a PWM circuit for generating at least one switching signal to control at least one transistor to switch a transformer in accordance with a PWM control signal for generating an output of the inverter; and

a controller coupled to receive a command signal and an input signal for outputting the PWM control signal to the PWM circuit wherein the input signal has a waveform that is correlated to an a.c. input voltage waveform of the inverter and a waveform of the output is correlated to the waveform of the input signal and wherein the command signal is utilized to determine a power level of the sine wave output of the inverter.

16. The circuit as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the controller further comprises:

a memory storing at least one instruction code for executing the instruction code to generate the PWM control signal;

wherein a phase of the output of the inverter is the same as a phase of the input signal.

17. The circuit as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising a current-sense device coupled to sense a switching current of the transformer and generate a current-sense signal coupled to limit the value of the switching current of the transformer; a phase angle of the sine wave output of the inverter is the same as a phase angle of the input signal.

18. The circuit as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the controller further receives a current-sense signal for generating the PWM control signal, and the current-sense signal is related to a switching current of the transformer.

19. The circuit as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising a comparator coupled to receive a current-sense signal for generating an interrupt signal in response to the current-sense signal being over a threshold; wherein the interrupt signal is coupled to interrupt the controller and directly turn off the switching signals, the current-sense signal is related to a switching current of the transformer.

20. The circuit as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the PWM control signal is generated in accordance with a result that is related to the input signal times the command signal.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT RECORDED AT REEL 046410, FRAME 0933 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064072/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 22, 2018
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046410/0933 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2017
From: FAIRCHILD (TAIWAN) CORPORATION (FORMERLY SYSTEM GENERAL CORPORATION)
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 042328/0318 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 3, 2016
From: SYSTEM GENERAL CORP.
To: FAIRCHILD (TAIWAN) CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038599/0022 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2013
From: YANG, TA-YUNG
To: SYSTEM GENERAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 030238/0224 →