Dynamic operating frequency control of a buck power converter having a variable voltage output

1. A switch controller for a power converter having a variable output voltage range comprising:

a pulse width modulator having an output producing a pulsed signal for driving a power converter switch;

a mode selector having an output indicative of an operating on-time state of the power converter connected to a multiplier;

a period selector having an output indicative of a cycle time for the pulsed signal connected to the multiplier and to an input of the pulse width modulator;

the multiplier having an output indicative of a switch on-time of the cycle time connected to another input of the pulse width modulator;

a comparator having an output indicative of the operating on-time state relative to a minimum operating on-time and connected to an input of the period selector; and

wherein the period selector outputs a nominal cycle time to the pulse width modulator when the operating on-time state is greater than the minimum operating on-time and wherein the period selector outputs an updated cycle time greater than the nominal cycle time when the operating on-time state is less than the minimum operating on-time such that the pulse width modulator outputs a pulsed signal with the updated cycle time and a duty cycle equal to a duty cycle of an immediately preceding pulsed signal.

2. The switch controller of claim 1 wherein the power converter is one of a buck converter, a forward converter, a half-bridge converter, a full-bridge converter, and an interleaved forward converter.

3. The switch controller of claim 1 wherein the comparator has another output indicative of the operating on-time state relative to the minimum on-time plus a hysteresis time, the another output is connected to another input of the period selector and wherein period selector reverts to output the nominal cycle time when the operating on-time state is greater than the minimum on-time plus the hysteresis time.

4. The switch controller of claim 1 implemented as a digital switch controller.

5. The switch controller of claim 1 further including a reload signal applied to the pulse width modulator at an end of each cycle time to ensure that a change in cycle time is made essentially simultaneously with a change in operating on-time state.

6. The switch controller of claim 1 further including at least one signal stability control circuit for producing at least one of a stabilized power converter output voltage and a stabilized power converter output current as an input to the mode selector.

7. The switch controller of claim 6 further including both the stabilized power converter output voltage and the stabilized power converter output current as inputs to the mode selector.

8. A method of controlling a switching operating frequency of a power converter having a variable output voltage range comprising the steps of:

setting a minimum operating on-time;

setting a nominal switching operating frequency;

during operation of the power converter, determining an operating on-time state and a duty cycle state; and

if the determined operating on-time state is less than the minimum operating on-time, reducing the switching operating frequency and maintaining the duty cycle state.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the power converter is one of a buck converter, a forward converter, a half-bridge converter, a full-bridge converter, and an interleaved forward converter.

10. The method of claim 8 further including resetting the switching operating frequency to the nominal switching operating frequency after the determined operating on-time state is greater than the minimum operating on-time by a predetermined amount.

11. The method of claim 8 implemented as a digital switch controller.

12. The method of claim 8 further including setting a reload signal at an end of each pulse width modulated cycle to ensure that a change in the switching operating frequency is made essentially simultaneously with a change in the operating on-time state.