IP Library Granted Patent US 12,375,003
Granted Patent B2
US 12,375,003 · App. 17/822,852 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Synchronous rectification control in LLC topology

Inventors: Roman Mazgut (Zilina, SK); Tomas Tichy (Roznov pod Radhostem, CZ)
Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
H02M3/33592H02M1/08H02M3/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,375,003
App. No.
17/822,852
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems for power conversion, and controllers and methods for operating a power converter. The method includes receiving high-side and low-side primary signals that drive primary transistors of a power converter. The method also includes receiving a combined drain voltage signal for high-side and low-side synchronous rectifier (SR) transistors of the power converter. The method further includes generating a high-side SR signal based on the low-side primary signal and generating a low-side SR signal based on the high-side primary signal. The method also includes determining high-side and low-side body diode conduction times based on the combined drain voltage signal. The method further includes adjusting the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time and adjusting the low-side SR signal based on the low-side body diode conduction time.

Claims (79)

1. A method for operating a power converter, the method comprising:

receiving a high-side primary signal that drives a high-side primary transistor of a first stage of the power converter;

receiving a low-side primary signal that drives a low-side primary transistor of the first stage;

generating a combined drain voltage signal by adding:

a drain voltage signal of a high-side synchronous rectifier (SR) transistor of a second stage of the power converter, and

a drain voltage signal of a low-side SR transistor of the second stage of the power converter;

generating, based on the low-side primary signal, a high-side SR signal that drives the high-side SR transistor;

determining a high-side body diode conduction time of a high-side body diode of the second stage based on the combined drain voltage signal;

generating, based on the high-side primary signal, a low-side SR signal that drives the low-side SR transistor;

determining a low-side body diode conduction time of a low-side body diode of the second stage based on the combined drain voltage signal;

adjusting the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time; and

adjusting the low-side SR signal based on the low-side body diode conduction time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time further includes:

adjusting the high-side SR signal to increase a conduction cycle of the high-side SR transistor when the high-side body diode conduction time is greater than a predetermined conduction time, and

adjusting the high-side SR signal to decrease the conduction cycle of the high-side SR transistor when the high-side body diode conduction time is less than the predetermined conduction time.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the high-side SR signal further includes:

generating the high-side SR signal to turn on the high-side SR transistor when the low-side primary signal indicates that the low-side primary transistor is turned on, and

generating the high-side SR signal to turn off the high-side SR transistor at an end of the conduction cycle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the high-side body diode conduction time based on the combined drain voltage signal further comprising:

generating a comparison signal by comparing the combined drain voltage signal to a reference voltage, and

determining the high-side body diode conduction time as a duration between the high-side SR transistor being turned off and a transition of the comparison signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the high-side SR signal further includes:

generating a comparison signal by comparing the combined drain voltage signal to a reference voltage, and

generating the high-side SR signal to turn on the high-side SR transistor responsive to a transition of the comparison signal after the low-side SR transistor is turned off.

6. The method of claim 5 , further including ignoring the comparison signal during a predetermined period of time following the low-side SR transistor being turned off.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein generating the high-side SR signal further includes generating the high-side SR signal to turn on the high-side SR transistor after a predetermined period of time following the low-side primary signal indicating that the low-side primary transistor is turned on.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the high-side SR signal further includes generating the high-side SR signal to turn off the high-side SR transistor after a period of time following the low-side primary signal indicating that the low-side primary transistor is turned off, and

wherein adjusting the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time further includes increasing the period of time when the high-side body diode conduction time is greater than a predetermined conduction time.

9. A system for power conversion, comprising:

a power converter including:

a first stage having:

a high-side primary transistor driven by a high-side primary signal, and

a low-side primary transistor driven by a low-side primary signal, and

a second stage having a high-side synchronous rectifier (SR) transistor, a high-side body diode, a low-side SR transistor, and a low-side body diode; and

a controller configured to:

generate a combined drain voltage signal by adding a drain voltage signal of the high-side SR transistor and a drain voltage signal of the low-side SR transistor,

generate, based on the low-side primary signal, a high-side SR signal that drives the high-side SR transistor,

determine a high-side body diode conduction time of the high-side body diode based on the combined drain voltage signal for the high-side SR transistor and the low-side SR transistor,

generate, based on the high-side primary signal, a low-side SR signal that drives the low-side SR transistor,

determine a low-side body diode conduction time of the low-side body diode based on the combined drain voltage signal,

adjust the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time, and

adjust the low-side SR signal based on the low-side body diode conduction time.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein, to adjust the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time, the controller is further configured to:

adjust the high-side SR signal to increase a conduction cycle of the high-side SR transistor when the high-side body diode conduction time is greater than a predetermined conduction time, and

adjust the high-side SR signal to decrease the conduction cycle of the high-side SR transistor when the high-side body diode conduction time is less than the predetermined conduction time.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein, to generate the high-side SR signal, the controller is further configured to:

generate the high-side SR signal to turn on the high-side SR transistor when the low-side primary signal indicates that the low-side primary transistor is turned on, and

generate the high-side SR signal to turn off the high-side SR transistor at an end of the conduction cycle.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller further includes a comparator configured to generate a comparison signal by comparing the combined drain voltage signal to a reference voltage, and

wherein, to determine the high-side body diode conduction time based on the combined drain voltage signal, the controller is further configured to determine the high-side body diode conduction time as a duration between the high-side SR transistor being turned off and a transition of the comparison signal.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller further includes a comparator configured to generate a comparison signal by comparing the combined drain voltage signal to a reference voltage, and

wherein, to generate the high-side SR signal, the controller is further configured to generate the high-side SR signal to turn on the high-side SR transistor responsive to a transition of the comparison signal after the low-side SR transistor is turned off.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to ignore the comparison signal during a predetermined period of time following the low-side SR transistor being turned off.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein, to generate the high-side SR signal, the controller is further configured to generate the high-side SR signal to turn on the high-side SR transistor after a predetermined period of time following the low-side primary signal indicating that the low-side primary transistor is turned on.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein, to generate the high-side SR signal, the controller is further configured to generate the high-side SR signal to turn off the high-side SR transistor after a period of time following the low-side primary signal being turned off, and

wherein, to adjust the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time, the controller is further configured to increase the period of time when the high-side body diode conduction time is greater than a predetermined conduction time.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller further includes:

a comparator configured to generate a comparison signal by comparing the combined drain voltage signal to a reference voltage, and

a pair of diodes configured to generate the combined drain voltage signal by adding the drain voltage signal of the high-side SR transistor and the drain voltage signal of the low-side SR transistor, wherein an anode of each of the pair of diodes is coupled to a non-inverting input of the comparator,

wherein, to determine the high-side body diode conduction time based on the combined drain voltage signal, the controller is further configured to determine the high-side body diode conduction time based on the comparison signal.

18. A controller for a power converter, comprising:

a first reference terminal configured to receive a high-side primary signal that drives a high-side primary transistor of a first stage of the power converter;

a second reference terminal configured to receive a low-side primary signal that drives a low-side primary transistor of the first stage;

a node for generating a combined drain voltage signal by adding:

a drain voltage signal of a high-side synchronous rectifier (SR) transistor of a second stage of the power converter, and

a drain voltage signal of a low-side SR transistor of the second stage of the power converter; and

an SR controller configured to:

generate, based on the low-side primary signal, a high-side SR signal that drives the high-side SR transistor,

determine a high-side body diode conduction time of a high-side body diode of the second stage based on the combined drain voltage signal,

generate, based on the high-side primary signal, a low-side SR signal that drives the low-side SR transistor,

determine a low-side body diode conduction time of a low-side body diode of the second stage based on the combined drain voltage signal,

adjust the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time, and

adjust the low-side SR signal based on the low-side body diode conduction time.

19. The controller of claim 18 , wherein, to adjust the high-side SR signal based on the high-side body diode conduction time, the controller is further configured to:

adjust the high-side SR signal to increase a conduction cycle of the high-side SR transistor when the high-side body diode conduction time is greater than a predetermined conduction time, and

adjust the high-side SR signal to decrease the conduction cycle of the high-side SR transistor when the high-side body diode conduction time is less than the predetermined conduction time.

20. The controller of claim 18 , wherein, to determine the high-side conduction body diode time based on the combined drain voltage signal, the controller is further configured to:

generate a comparison signal by comparing the combined drain voltage signal to a reference voltage, and

determine the high-side body diode conduction time as a duration between the high-side SR transistor being turned off and a transition of the comparison signal.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 061879, FRAME 0655 Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 064123/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2022
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061879/0655 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2022
From: MAZGUT, ROMAN; TICHY, TOMAS
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060924/0050 →