Abstract: A switching circuit has an active switch, a controller, and at least two terminals. The at least two terminals include two current control terminals for connection at two locations in another circuit. The controller is configured to turn the active switch off to block current between the two locations when the voltage between the two locations is of a first polarity and otherwise to turn the active switch on to conduct current between the two locations, whether or not the two current control terminals are the only ones of the at least two terminals that are connected to the other circuit.

Abstract: Modulation control circuitry modulates the equivalent output resistance of a power converter, for example a Sine Amplitude Converter, by varying the ON resistance of the primary switches in the converter. The modulation control circuitry may be used to “soft-start” the converter, perform output current limiting, and to improve current sharing between converters in a power sharing array. Soft-start may be achieved by controlling the rate of rise of the peak voltage applied to the gate control inputs of the primary switches. As the gate voltage passes through a range near the threshold voltage of the primary switches, the ON resistance of the switches, and the equivalent output resistance of the converter, will vary smoothly from a relatively high value to a relatively low value. Current limiting may be accomplished by measuring the output current of the converter and controlling the gate voltages of the main switches in order to keep the current at or below a predetermined level.

Abstract: Low-loss, common-source gate-control topologies may be used to efficiently drive a multiplicity of switches at frequencies greater than 1 MHz and over a range of duty cycles, including 50%. The control switches can be controlled at high speed using simple, directly-coupled drive circuitry. The gate control topology provides for ZVS of control switches and of primary and synchronous rectifier switches while also eliminating essentially all losses associated with the charging and discharging of gate capacitances of the primary and synchronous switches. The overall switching losses in the converter are reduced to the conduction losses in the channels of the switches enabling high operating frequencies to be achieved at high conversion efficiency. An inductive clamp circuit may be incorporated across a winding to provide a low-loss, common source gate drive topology for complementary switches having different duty cycles and an aggregate duty cycle less than 100%.

Abstract: A Factorized Power Architecture (“FPA”) method and apparatus includes a front end power regulator (“PRM) which provides one or more controlled DC bus voltages which are distributed through the system and converted to the desired load voltages using one or more DC voltage transformation modules (“VTMs”) at the point of load. VTMs convert the DC bus voltage to the DC voltage required by the load using a fixed transformation ratio K=Vout/Vin and with a low output resistance. VTMs exhibit high power density, efficiency and, owing to their inherent simplicity and component utilization, reliability. VTMs may be paralleled and share power without dedicated protocol and control interfaces, supporting scalability and fault tolerance. Feedback may be provided from a feedback controller at the point of load to the front end or to upstream, on-board power regulator modules (“PRMs”) to achieve precise regulation.

Abstract: Protection and filtering functions are provided for external circuits by internal circuits that use controlled elements.

Abstract: A switching circuit has an active switch, a controller, and at least two terminals. The at least two terminals include two current control terminals for connection at two locations in another circuit. The controller is configured to turn the active switch off to block current between the two locations when the voltage between the two locations is of a first polarity and otherwise to turn the active switch on to conduct current between the two locations, whether or not the two current control terminals are the only ones of the at least two terminals that are connected to the other circuit.