Adaptive control of synchronous rectifier switching device

1. A circuit for controlling a power converter, the circuit comprising:

a synchronous rectifier (SR) switching device;

a light load detection circuit configured to generate a load detection signal in response to a conduction signal and an operation mode signal; and

an SR driver configured to generate a control signal according to the load detection signal and a gate signal and to provide the control signal to the SR switching device,

wherein the SR driver generates the control signal having a first value when the light load detection signal is de-asserted and the gate signal is asserted to turn on the SR switching device, and the SR driver generates the control signal having a second value when the light load detection signal is asserted and the gate signal is asserted to turn on the SR switching device, the second value being less than the first value.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

an operation mode signal circuit to generate the operation mode signal according to an off threshold signal, the operation mode signal being asserted in response to the off threshold signal being within a given range, the given range corresponding to the power converter operating in a mode under a light load condition,

wherein the light load detection circuit generates the load detection signal in response to the operation mode signal and the conduction signal.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the light load detection circuit includes:

a duty calculator generating an intermediate signal in response to the conduction signal, the intermediate signal indicating a duty cycle of the conduction signal; and

a logic gate asserting the light load detection signal when the duty cycle of the conduction signal is less than a given value and the operation mode signal is asserted.

4. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the light load detection circuit further includes:

a sample and hold circuit sampling a value of the intermediate signal in response to the conduction signal;

a first comparator comparing the sampled value to a value of a first threshold signal to generate a first duty signal; and

a second comparator comparing the sampled value to a value of a second threshold signal to generate a second duty signal,

wherein the logic gate de-asserts the light load detection signal when the second duty signal is asserted.

5. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the light load detection circuit includes:

an on-time calculator generating an on-time signal in response to the conduction signal, the on-time signal indicating an on-time duration of the conduction signal; and

a logic gate asserting the load detection signal when the on-time duration of the conduction signal is less than a given value and the operation mode signal is asserted.

6. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the light load detection circuit includes:

an off-time calculator generating an off-time signal in response to the conduction signal, the off-time signal indicating an off-time duration of the conduction signal; and

a logic gate asserting the load detection signal when the off-time duration of the conduction signal is greater than a given value and the operation mode signal is asserted.

7. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the mode under the light load condition is a discontinuous conduction mode or a critical conduction mode when the power converter is a flyback converter, or

wherein the mode under the light load condition is a below resonance mode when the power converter is an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) converter.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the SR driver generates the control signal having a third value when the gate signal is de-asserted, the third value being less than the second value.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the SR driver receives the gate signal and delays the received gate signal with a turn on delay to generate the control signal.

10. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the light load detection circuit asserts a duty signal when a duty cycle of the conduction signal is equal to or less than a given value, and asserts the load detection signal when a number of asserting the duty signal reaches a given number.

11. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the light load detection circuit keeps a duty signal de-asserted when a duty cycle of the conduction signal is greater than a given value, and de-asserts the load detection signal when the duty signal remains de-asserted for a given number of cycles of the conduction signal.

12. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the conduction signal indicates that the switching device is conducting a current, and the operating mode signal indicates that the power converter is operating in a specific mode under a light load condition.

13. A method of controlling a power converter, the method comprising:

generating, by a light load detection circuit, a load detection signal in response to a conduction signal and an operation mode signal; and

generating, by a synchronous rectifier (SR) driver, a control signal according to the load detection signal and a gate signal, the control signal having a first value when the load detection signal is de-asserted and the gate signal is asserted to turn on a switching device, the control signal having a second value when the load detection signal is asserted and the gate signal is asserted to turn on the switching device, the second value being less than the first value.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

asserting the operation mode signal in response to an off threshold signal being within a given range, the given range corresponding to the power converter operating in a mode under a light load condition.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

generating an intermediate signal in response to the conduction signal, the intermediate signal indicating a duty cycle of the conduction signal; and

asserting the light load detection signal when the duty cycle of the conduction signal is less than a given value and the operation mode signal is asserted.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

sampling a value of the intermediate signal in response to the conduction signal;

comparing the sampled value to a value of a first threshold signal to generate a first duty signal;

comparing the sampled value to a value of a second threshold signal to generate a second duty signal; and

de-asserting the light load detection signal when the second duty signal is asserted.

17. A power converter, comprising:

a first control circuit disposed on a first side of the power converter, the first control circuit being configured to control a first switching device;

a second control circuit disposed on a second side of the power converter, the second control circuit being configured to control a second switching device using a control signal, the second control circuit comprising:

a light load detection circuit configured to generate a load detection signal in response to a conduction signal and an operation mode signal, the operating mode signal indicating that the power converter is operating in a specific mode under a light load condition; and

an SR driver configured to generate the control signal according to the load detection signal and a gate signal and to provide the control signal to the SR switching device,

wherein the SR driver generates the control signal having a first value when the light load detection signal is de-asserted and the gate signal is asserted to turn on the second switching device, and generates the control signal having a second value when the light load detection signal is asserted and the gate signal is asserted to turn on the second switching device, the second value being less than the first value.