Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an inverter and to an inverter a DC/DC stage, which comprises at least one main switch (S2) and a discharge circuit, and with a DC/AC stage. The discharge circuit is formed by a series connection of a bidirectional switching element, which comprises two switches (SA1, SA2), and an inductivity. A device is provided for controlling the switches (SA1, SA2) and is designed such that one switch (SA1, SA2) is activated in an alternating manner and the switch-on time of the switch is determined by the controlling device prior to a switch-off time of the main switch (S2).

Abstract: A resonant converter includes a first switch on the primary side and a second switch coupled to the first switch, a synchronization rectification switch on a secondary side configured to conduct during a conduction period in response to a switching operation of the first switch, and a switch control circuit configured to determine an operating region of the resonant converter to be below resonance based on a result of a comparison between the conduction period and an on period of the first switch.

Abstract: A current sensing circuit is described. The current sensing circuit is for sensing a high side current through a high side switch and/or for sensing a low side current through a low side switch of a half bridge comprising the high side switch and the low side switch, which are arranged in series between a high side potential and a low side potential. The high side switch and the low side switch are in respective on-phases in a mutually exclusive manner. The high side sensing circuit comprises mirroring circuitry to mirror a current from a first node of the high side sensing circuit to an output node of the high side sensing circuit. The current sensing circuit comprises a low side sensing circuit to provide a sensed low side current which is indicative of the low side current during an on-phase of the low side switch.

Abstract: An AC circuit breaker is provided between an AC system and an AC-DC converter, and a DC circuit breaker is provided between a DC line and the AC-DC converter. A bypass switch capable of short-circuiting a converter cell included in the AC-DC converter is connected to the AC-DC converter. At the time of a fault in the DC line, the bypass switch is turned on to interrupt the supply of DC power from the AC system to the DC line.

Abstract: A power control system is electrically connected to a power function circuit including a power circuit, a coil module, a switch, and a load circuit, and includes at least one timer, a zero-current trigger unit, a status control unit, and a driver unit. The status control unit has a first status interval, a second status interval, a third status interval and a fourth status. The power control method triggers the status control unit to change the status interval when a counting time reaches one specific time interval corresponding one status interval. When a coil voltage of the coil module drops to zero from a voltage larger than a positive threshold voltage in the third status interval or the fourth status interval, the status control unit triggers to change the status interval, re-enters the first status interval, resets the timer, and triggers the driver unit to open the switch.

Abstract: An overvoltage protection circuit and a method for protecting against an output from a power supply reaching overvoltage levels is provided. The overvoltage protection provides two operational modes for the power supply. In both modes, the overvoltage protection monitors the output voltage of the power supply and disables it if the output voltage reaches a threshold indicating an overvoltage event. In normal operation, this threshold is set to a level that is higher than a nominal safety threshold defined for the power supply whereas in reduced operation, this threshold is set to a value lower than the safety threshold. When an overvoltage event is detected in normal operation, the overvoltage protection transitions the power supply into the reduced operational mode before reactivating it. The power supply may be reactivated, produce an overvoltage event, and be deactivated multiple times in the reduced operational mode.

Abstract: A power supply device, including: a switching structure for controlling a continuous current in an inductive load on the basis of at least one control signal of a power switch; and anomaly detection elements, generating at least one item of information about the detection of an anomaly of the open circuit type in the wiring from the load to the switching structure. The anomaly detection elements include: elements for measuring the current flowing in the inductive load; elements for comparing the measured current continuously with a threshold value; and elements for counting a time interval during which the measured current remains continuously below the threshold value, delivering the anomaly detection information if the counted time interval>a reference time interval, which is k times greater than a period of the control signal, where k>1, and if the duty cycle of the control signal>a threshold value.

Abstract: A power supply configured to include a switch which performs a switching operation in accordance with a preset period in a standby mode, a transformer which supplies voltage from a primary side to a secondary side in response to the switching operation of the switch, and a constant-voltage controller which controls voltage supplied to the system by regulating the voltage at the secondary side of the transformer, the constant-voltage controller including a blocking diode which shuts off current flowing from an output of the power supply to the constant-voltage controller in an off-section of the switch. Thus, the power consumption is decreased in the off-section, thereby having an effect on reducing the standby power.

Abstract: An intermediate voltage circuit current converter having two current converter sections arranged in series on the direct voltage side is disclosed. The current converter section has a capacitor connected in parallel with two bridge modules that are connected in series with each other. The output of the current converter section is located on the series connection between the two bridge modules and the outputs of the two current converter sections are connected to a further bridge module. Each bridge modules comprises a series connection of two power semiconductor units. The intermediate potentials on the connection between the two power semiconductor units in each of the bridge modules are electrically connected to one another by a further capacitor, and the intermediate potential of the further bridge module provides the phase connection of the intermediate voltage circuit current converter for a given phase of the intermediate voltage circuit current converter.

Abstract: In general, according to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a device main body, a semiconductor substrate. The device main body includes a semiconductor substrate mounting part and a first conductor provided around the semiconductor substrate mounting part. The semiconductor substrate includes a DC-to-DC converter control circuit having a detector to detect at least one of a current flowing through the first conductor and a voltage supplied to the first conductor. The semiconductor substrate is disposed on the semiconductor substrate mounting part so that the detector comes close to the first conductor.

Abstract: A controller for use in a power converter includes a switch controller coupled to a power switch coupled to an energy transfer element. The switch controller is coupled to receive a current sense signal representative of a drain current through the power switch. The switch controller is coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of the power switch in response to the current sense signal and a modulated current limit signal to control a transfer of energy from an input to an output of the power converter. A current limit generator is coupled to generate a current limit signal. A jitter generator is coupled to generate a jitter signal. An arithmetic operator circuit is coupled to generate the modulated current limit signal in response to the current limit signal and the jitter signal.

Abstract: An AC/DC converter receives an AC voltage at a first terminal and a second terminal. A rectifying bridge has a first input terminal coupled via a resistive element to the first terminal and a second input terminal connected to the second terminal, with output terminals of the rectifying bridge coupled to third and fourth terminals of the converter for generating a DC voltage. A first controllable rectifying thyristor couples the first terminal to the third terminal and a second controllable rectifying thyristor couples the fourth terminal to the first terminal. The resistive element functions as an inrush protection device during a first phase when the thyristors are turned off. In a second phase, the thyristors are selectively actuated.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for transferring electric power to an electrical load (105); the method includes steps of: converting a direct electric current into an electric tension wave, applying the electric tension wave in inlet to at least a couple of electric capacitors (125, 130); supplying the electrical load (105) with the electric tension in outlet from the capacitors (125, 130).

Abstract: A power converter includes a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors. Each DC link capacitor links one of the plurality of first converter cells and one of the plurality of second converter cells. A failure management unit is configured to detect a faulty converter cell, and to deactivate the faulty converter cell while maintaining a power conversion operation of the power converter.

Abstract: A power module including: a power conversion unit including N switching-element pairs; and a control circuit. The control circuit receives N command signals, which correspond respectively to the N switching-element pairs, and a shared enable signal. The control circuit is configured to, when the enable signal is negated, execute all-off control of turning off all of the switching elements constituting the power conversion unit, and when the enable signal is asserted, execute normal control, dead-time addition control, and dead-time compensation control for each of the switching-element pairs per period of a corresponding command signal.

Abstract: A system including a first power transistor including a gate, a second power transistor including a gate and connected in series with the first power transistor, wherein the connection between the transistors defines a switch node is disclosed. The system further includes a pulse width modulator (PWM) controller configured to assert control signals to the gates of the first and second power transistors, a high side sensing circuit coupled to the gate and a drain of the first power transistor. The system further includes a low side sensing circuit coupled to the gate and a drain of the second power transistor, and a track and hold circuit coupled to the high and low side sensing circuits and configured to couple sense signals from the high and low side sensing circuits.

Abstract: A method of initiating a grid-tied inverter is described, in which in-rush currents and DC overvoltage conditions are reduced or avoided. The method uses a pulse width modulator to drive the inverter under the control of a voltage feedforward signal such that the inverter output is dependent on the measured grid voltage. Then, an AC current feedback controller is enabled and the pulse width modulator is used to drive the inverter under the control of both the voltage feedforward control signal and the feedback control signal.

Abstract: A voltage regulator includes a delay chain having a plurality of delay elements, a thermometer to binary encoder coupled to multiple nodes in the delay chain to provide a first binary number that is indicative of an estimated delay of the delay chain, and a latch coupled to the thermometer to binary encoder to receive the binary number. The voltage regulator also includes a signal processing circuit for providing a control signal indicative of a difference between the first binary number with a second binary number that represents a target delay, and a voltage control circuit coupled to the signal processing circuit for providing an output voltage based on the control signal from the processing circuit.

Abstract: An AC/DC conversion apparatus includes first, second, and third AC/DC conversion modules operated by a controller in two modes of operation. In the first mode, the input AC signal is 3-phase and each of the three modules are enabled to handle a respective one of the input phases. In the second mode, the input AC signal is single phase and the first and second modules are enabled to deliver output power based on the single-phase AC input, while the controller actuates an H-bridge switches in the third module to which active filter circuitry is connected, to reduce an AC component in the output signal. The active filter circuitry can be selectively connected to the H-bridge switches when single-phase operation is desired, which circuitry may be disposed in a filter housing having male electrical terminals that cooperate with corresponding female terminals associated with the third module.

Abstract: In a power supply apparatus, an upper-arm control unit includes a first switching element connected between a DC power source and a primary side of each upper-arm transformer. The upper-arm control unit controls on and off operations of a first voltage-controlled switching element to control supply of an output voltage of the DC power source to the primary side of each upper-arm transformer. A lower-arm control unit includes a second voltage-controlled switching element connected between the DC power source and a primary side of the at least one lower-arm transformer. The lower-arm control unit controls on and off operations of a second switching element to control supply of the output voltage to the primary side of the at least one lower-arm transformers. Each upper-arm transformer is arranged adjacent to the upper-arm control unit, and the at least one lower-arm transformer is arranged adjacent to the lower-arm control unit.