IP Library Granted Patent US 9,921,627
Granted Patent B2
US 9,921,627 · App. 14/148,955 · Granted Mar 20, 2018

Control circuit for programmable power supply

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,921,627
App. No.
14/148,955
Granted
Mar 20, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control circuit for a programmable power supply is provided. It comprises a reference generation circuit generating a voltage-reference signal and a current-reference signal for regulating an output voltage and an output current of the power supply. A feedback circuit detects the output voltage and the output current for generating a feedback signal in accordance with the voltage-reference signal and the current-reference signal. A switching controller generates a switching signal coupled to switch a transformer for generating the output voltage and the output current in accordance with the feedback signal. A micro-controller controls the reference generation circuit. The micro-controller, the reference generation circuit, and the feedback circuit are equipped in the secondary side of the transformer. The switching controller is equipped in the primary side of the transformer. The control circuit can achieve good performance for the programmable power supply.

Claims (43)

1. A control circuit for a programmable power supply, comprising:

the control circuit configured to be coupled to a secondary side of the power supply, the control circuit configured to detect an output voltage and an output current formed on the secondary side of the power supply;

a reference generation circuit configured to generate a voltage-reference signal and a current-reference signal for regulating the output voltage and the output current;

a feedback circuit configured to detect the output voltage and the output current and form a feedback signal in accordance with the voltage-reference signal and the current-reference signal wherein the feedback circuit is configured to change the feedback signal in response to the output voltage and to change the feedback signal in response to the output current;

a micro-controller coupled to control the reference generation circuit; and

the control circuit configured to provide the feedback signal for use by a switching controller on a primary side of the power supply for generating a switching signal to switch a transformer for generating the output voltage and the output current in accordance with the feedback signal.

2. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the micro-controller has a communication interface for the communication.

3. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a threshold generation circuit generating an over-voltage threshold for an over-voltage protection; and

an over-voltage protection circuit coupled to generate an over-voltage signal by comparing the output voltage and the over-voltage threshold:

wherein the over-voltage signal is coupled to disable the switching signal.

4. The circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the switching controller will disable the switching signal once the over-voltage signal is generated over a period.

5. The circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the over-voltage threshold will be reset to a minimum threshold in response to a power-on of the power supply.

6. The circuit as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising:

a watch-dog timer coupled to receive a watch-dog signal from the micro-controller;

wherein the watch-dog timer will generate a time-out signal if the watch-dog signal is not generated in time periodically; the over-voltage threshold will be reset to a minimum threshold in response to the time-out signal.

7. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reference generation circuit comprises:

a first digital-to-analog converter coupled to generate the voltage-reference signal: and

a second digital-to-analog converter coupled to generate the current-reference signal.

8. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to detect the output voltage and the output current of the power supply;

wherein an output of the analog-to-digital converter is coupled to the micro-controller.

9. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the micro-controller generates a control signal coupled to control an over-voltage threshold signal in the switching controller for an over-voltage protection of the output voltage.

10. The circuit as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the over-voltage threshold signal will be reset to an initial value if the control signal is not generated in time.

11. The circuit as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the control signal is modulated by a pulse position modulation.

12. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the micro-controller generates a control signal coupled to control a current limit threshold signal in the switching controller for a current limit of the output current; the switching controller generates the switching signal in accordance with the current limit threshold signal.

13. The circuit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the current limit threshold signal will be reset to an initial value if the control signal is not generated in time.

14. The circuit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the current limit threshold signal will be reset to an initial value in response to a power-on of the power supply.

15. The circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the switching controller is coupled to detect the output voltage by detecting a reflected signal of the transformer.

16. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to vary the feedback signal in response to a change in the output current.

17. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the voltage-reference signal in accordance with the output voltage and to adjust the current-reference signal in accordance with the output current.

18. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein the micro-controller is configured to read a value of the output voltage and read a value of the output current.

19. A control circuit for a power supply, comprising:

a reference generation circuit configured to generate a voltage-reference signal and a current-reference signal for regulating an output voltage and an output current of the power supply;

a feedback circuit configured to detect the output voltage and the output current for generating a feedback signal in accordance with the voltage-reference signal and the current-reference signal;

the control circuit configured to be coupled to a secondary side of the power supply, the control circuit configured to provide the feedback signal for use by a switching controller on a primary side of the power supply wherein the switching controller is configured to generate a switching signal to switch a transformer for generating the output voltage and the output current in accordance with the feedback signal;

a micro-controller coupled to control the reference generation circuit; wherein the micro-controller, the reference generation circuit, and the feedback circuit are equipped in the secondary side of the transformer; and

wherein the voltage-reference signal and the current-reference signal will be reset to an initial value in response to a power-on of the power supply.

20. A control circuit for a power supply, comprising:

a reference generation circuit configured to generate a voltage-reference signal and a current-reference signal for regulating an output voltage and an output current of the power supply;

a feedback circuit configured to detect the output voltage and the output current for generating a feedback signal in accordance with the voltage-reference signal and the current-reference signal;

the control circuit configured to be coupled to a secondary side of the power supply, the control circuit configured to provide the feedback signal for use by a switching controller on a primary side of the power supply wherein the switching controller is configured to generate a switching signal to switch a transformer for generating the output voltage and the output current in accordance with the feedback signal;

a micro-controller coupled to control the reference generation circuit; wherein the micro-controller, the reference generation circuit, and the feedback circuit are equipped in the secondary side of the transformer wherein the micro-controller is configured to generate a control signal formed to control an over-voltage threshold signal in the switching controller for an over-voltage protection of the output voltage and wherein the over-voltage threshold signal will be reset to an initial value in response to a power-on of the power supply.

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 Jan 7, 2014
From: YANG, TA-YUNG
To: SYSTEM GENERAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 031904/0682 →