IP Library Granted Patent US 8,064,231
Granted Patent B2
US 8,064,231 · App. 12/260,585 · Granted Nov 22, 2011

Short circuit protection circuit for a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit

Assignee: BCD Semiconductor Manufacturing Limited
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,064,231
App. No.
12/260,585
Granted
Nov 22, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A short circuit protection circuit for a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit which includes a PWM logic control circuit, an under voltage lookout (UVLO) circuit and an internal clock circuit; wherein the UVLO circuit detecting a bias power (Vcc) and delivering an UVLO signal when the bias power is judged excessively low, the PWM unit further comprising: a short circuit detector, a short circuit recovery circuit and a frequency multiplexer. The short circuit detector is to detect the UVLO signal and generate a short signal. The short circuit recovery circuit to set a pre-determined recovery time and generate a recovery signal when the pre-determined recovery time ends. The frequency multiplexer which is triggered by the short signal when the short circuit event occurs to change a switching frequency to a short PWM frequency, and triggered by the recovery signal to restore the switching frequency.

Claims (7)

1. A short circuit protection circuit for a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit which includes a PWM logic control circuit, an under voltage lookout (UVLO) circuit and an internal clock circuit; wherein the UVLO circuit detecting a bias power (Vcc) and delivering an UVLO signal when the bias power is judged excessively low, the PWM unit further comprising:

a short circuit detector to detect the UVLO signal and generate a short signal;

a short circuit recovery circuit to set a pre-determined recovery time and generate a recovery signal when the pre-determined recovery time ends; and

a frequency multiplexer which is triggered by the short signal when the short circuit event occurs to change a switching frequency to a short PWM frequency, and triggered by the recovery signal to restore the switching frequency.

2. The short circuit protection circuit for a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit of claim 1 , wherein the short circuit detector is a D-flipflop and the short circuit event is recorded by the D-flipflop.

3. The short circuit protection circuit for a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit of claim 1 , wherein the short circuit recovery circuit includes a narrow pulse generator and a counter; the counter setting the pre-determined recovery time, the narrow pulse generator delivering the recovery signal when the pre-determined recovery time ends.

4. The short circuit protection circuit for a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit of claim 1 , wherein the frequency multiplexer includes a frequency divider, a narrow pulse generator and a two-input multiplexer; the frequency divider dividing 75% of a duty-cycle input frequency generated by an oscillator and providing 50% of duty-cycle low frequency output, the narrow pulse generator reducing the duty-cycle of an input low frequency according to requirements of average input power and an OUT voltage, the counter and the narrow pulse generator setting a SC_R signal, the UVLO signal being set by an UVLO comparator according to short circuit conditions, an output (Q) of the D-flipflop being decided by the input signals of SC_R and UVLO, an input signal S in the two-input multiplexer being a selecting signal to control which of two frequencies of a normal frequency and a short frequency to be transmitted to the output.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2020
From: BCD SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING LIMITED
To: BCD SHANGHAI MICRO-ELECTRONICS COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 054855/0415 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2008
From: FANG, SHAO-HUA; CHEN, CHAO; DUAN, JIAN-HUA; ZHU, YA-JIANG
To: BCD SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING LIMITED
Reel/Frame 021757/0972 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100103705A1 · Apr 29, 2010