Protection circuit for central processing unit
View Patent ↗A protection circuit for a central processing unit (CPU) includes a power circuit, two comparators, a number of resistors, a thermistor, and an electronic switch. A non-inverting input terminal of the comparator is coupled to a first power terminal. An inverting input terminal of the comparator is connected to ground through the thermistor. An output terminal of the comparator is coupled to the electronic switch. When an operation temperature of the CPU exceeds a predefined temperature, the comparator enables the electronic switch to be turned on, to reduce an operation frequency of the CPU.
1. A protection circuit, comprising:
a central processing unit (CPU) comprising a heat protection pin, wherein when the heat protection pin is at a low-voltage level, an operation frequency of the CPU is reduced;
a first resistor;
a thermistor;
a first electronic switch comprising a first, second, and third terminal; and
a first comparator comprising an inverting input terminal, a non-inverting input terminal, and an output terminal;
wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator is coupled to a first power terminal, the inverting terminal of the first comparator is connected to ground through the thermistor, and is coupled to a second power terminal through the first resistor; the output terminal of the first comparator is coupled to the first terminal of the first electronic switch; the second terminal of the first electronic switch is connected to ground, the third terminal of the first electronic switch is coupled to the heat protection pin of the CPU; when the first terminal of the first electric switch is at a high-voltage level, the second terminal of the first electronic switch is connected to the third terminal of the first electronic switch, when the first terminal of the first electronic switch is at a low-voltage level, the second terminal of the first electronic switch is disconnected from the third terminal of the first electronic switch; and
wherein when the operation temperature of the CPU exceeds a first predefined temperature, the voltage of the inverting input terminal of the first comparator is greater than the voltage of the non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator, and the output terminal of the first comparator outputs a high-voltage level control signal to the first terminal of the first electronic switch.
2. The protection circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a second comparator, a second electronic switch, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller outputting a voltage to the CPU, wherein a non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to a third power terminal, an inverting input terminal is coupled to a node between the first resistor and the thermistor, and an output terminal of the second comparator is coupled to a first terminal of the second electronic switch; a second terminal of the second electronic switch is connected to ground, and a third terminal of the second electronic switch is coupled to a control pin of the PWM controller; when the first terminal of the second electronic switch is at a high-voltage level, the second terminal of the second electronic switch is connected to the third terminal of the second electronic switch; when the first terminal of the second electronic switch is at a low-voltage level, the second terminal of the second electronic switch is disconnected from the third terminal of the second electronic switch; when the operation temperature of the CPU exceeds a second predefined temperature greater than the first predefined temperature, a voltage of the non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator is greater than a voltage of the inverting input terminal of the second comparator, the output terminal of the second comparator outputs a high-voltage control signal, the second electronic switch is turned on, the control pin of the PWM controller is at low-voltage level, and the PWM controller does not output voltage.
3. The protection circuit of claim 2 , further comprising a Zener diode, wherein the control pin of the PWM controller is coupled to a cathode of the Zener diode, and an anode of the Zener diode is coupled to a fourth power terminal.
4. The protection circuit of claim 3 , further comprising a second resistor and a third resistor, wherein the output terminal of the first comparator is coupled to the first terminal of the first electronic switch through the second resistor, and the output terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the first terminal of the second electronic switch through the third resistor.
5. The protection circuit of claim 4 , further comprising a fourth resistor and a fifth resistor, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator is coupled to the first power terminal through the fourth resistor, and is connected to ground through the fifth resistor.
6. The protection circuit of claim 5 , further comprising a sixth resistor and a seventh resistor, wherein the non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator is coupled to the third power terminal through the sixth resistor, and is connected to ground through the seventh resistor.
7. The protection circuit of claim 6 , wherein the first and second electronic switches are n-channel metal semiconductor oxide field effect transistors (nMOSFETs), the first terminals, the second terminals, and the third terminals of the first and second electronic switches are gates, sources, and drains of the nMOSFETs, respectively.
8. The protection circuit of claim 7 , wherein the thermistor is a positive temperature coefficient resistor.