Abstract: Described herein is a module for controlling a switching converter, which includes at least one inductor element and one switch element and generates an output electric quantity starting from an input electric quantity. The control module generates a command signal for controlling the switching of the switch element and includes an estimator stage, which generates an estimation signal proportional to the input electric quantity, on the basis of the command signal and of an input signal indicating a time interval in which the inductor element is demagnetized. The control module generates the command signal on the basis of the estimation signal.

Abstract: A method controls a power factor correction converter that includes a boost inductor and a switch. The method generates a sense signal representing a rectified AC input voltage or an inductor current through the boost inductor, turns on the switch in response to determining, based on the sense signal, a zero current condition through the boost inductor, turns off the switch after an on-time interval, generates a feedback signal based on an output voltage of the converter, and compares the feedback signal with a threshold. If the feedback signal is smaller than the threshold, the method generates a command signal, representing a phase domain including 0 and ?, based on the feedback signal and the power threshold, and keeps the switch off when a phase of the input rectified AC voltage or of the inductor current is in the phase domain even if the zero current condition has been determined.

Abstract: An integrated control circuit of a switch is described, which is adapted to open or close a current path; said integrated circuit includes a comparator to compare a first signal with a second signal representative of the current flowing through said current path. The comparator outputs a third variable signal between a low logic level and a high logic level according to whether said second signal is lower than said first signal or vice versa; the integrated circuit has a driver to generate a signal to drive said switch in response to the third signal, and is configured to detect a spike on the leading edge of said second signal and to blank said third signal for a first blanking time period which depends on a turn-on delay of said switch and a second blanking period which depends on the duration of said spike on the leading edge of said second signal.

Abstract: A control device controls a switching circuit of a DC-DC converter. The switching circuit includes a half-bridge with at least first and second switches connected between an input voltage and a reference voltage. The converter comprises a transformer with a primary coupled with the center point of the half-bridge and a secondary coupled with a load. The control device comprises an error detector configured to determine an error signal representing a difference between a first signal representative of the voltage across the load and a first reference signal and a frequency controller configured to increase the switching frequency of the half-bridge when the error signal is kept below a second signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a primary-controlled high power factor quasi resonant converter. The converter converts an AC power line input to a DC output to power a load, generally a string of LEDs, and may be compatible with phase-cut dimmers. The power input is fed into a transformer being controlled by a power switch. The power switch is driven by a controller having a shaping circuit. The shaping circuit uses a current generator, switched resistor and capacitor to produce a reference voltage signal. The controller drives the power switch based on the voltage reference signal, resulting in a sinusoidal input current in a primary winding of the transformer, resulting in high power factor and low total harmonic distortion for the converter.

Abstract: A control device for a transistor of a switching converter rectifier generates a control signal of the transistor and includes a circuit to measure the conduction time of the body diode of the transistor cycle by cycle. When the conduction time is greater than a first threshold, the off time instant of the transistor is delayed by a first quantity in the next cycles, until the conduction time is less than the first threshold and greater than a second threshold. When the conduction time is between the first and second thresholds, the off time instant is delayed by a fixed second quantity in the next cycles until the conduction time is lower than the second threshold, with the second quantity less than the first quantity. When the conduction time is lower than the second threshold, the off time instant is advanced by the second quantity in the next cycle.

Abstract: A method of controlling a switching converter and a related controller suitable for the switching converter allow to implement a burst-mode functioning without generating acoustic noise and with a relevantly reduced ripple of the regulated DC voltage or current provided in output to a supplied load. The method includes sensing the difference between the error signal and the burst-stop threshold at the beginning of a burst period. If the error signal has surpassed (either upwards or downwards) the burst-stop threshold, the method sets the switching stage in a high impedance state at a new active edge of a clock signal, keeps the switching stage in the high impedance state for an integer number of cycles of the clock signal, and re-enables the switching stage to switch the energy tank circuit up to the end of the burst period. The integer number is determined based on the difference between the error signal and the burst-stop threshold.

Abstract: A control device controls a switching circuit for a converter. The switching circuit comprises a half-bridge having a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor. The control device comprises a controller configured to control turning on and turning off said two transistors, so that a square-wave voltage is applied to the transformer primary. The controller is configured to start switching the half-bridge by turning on the low-side transistor. The control device comprises a first timer configure to initially turn on the low-side transistor for a duration given by a first time period useful for pre-charging a bootstrap capacitor couplable to the middle point of the half-bridge, and a second timer configured to keep the low-side transistor and the high-side transistor turned off for a second time period immediately following the first time period and having a longer duration than the first time period.

Abstract: An effective method enhances energy saving at low load in a resonant converter with a hysteretic control scheme for implementing burst-mode at light load. The method causes a current controlled oscillator of the converter to stop oscillating when a feedback control current of the output voltage of the converter reaches a first threshold value, and introduces a nonlinearity in the functional relation between the frequency of oscillation and said feedback control current or in a derivative of the functional relation, while the control current is between a lower, second threshold value and the first threshold value, such that the frequency of oscillation remains equal or smaller than the frequency of oscillation when the control current is equal to the second threshold value. Several circuital implementations are illustrated, all of simple realization without requiring any costly microcontroller.

Abstract: An effective method enhances energy saving at low load in a resonant converter with a hysteretic control scheme for implementing burst-mode at light load. The method causes a current controlled oscillator of the converter to stop oscillating when a feedback control current of the output voltage of the converter reaches a first threshold value, and introduces a nonlinearity in the functional relation between the frequency of oscillation and said feedback control current or in a derivative of the functional relation, while the control current is between a lower, second threshold value and the first threshold value, such that the frequency of oscillation remains equal or smaller than the frequency of oscillation when the control current is equal to the second threshold value. Several circuital implementations are illustrated, all of simple realization without requiring any costly microcontroller.

Abstract: A control device controls a switching converter. The converter has an input alternating supply voltage, a regulated direct voltage on the output terminal, and a switch connected to an inductor. The control device controls the closing and opening time period of said switch for each cycle and receives a first input signal representative of the current flowing through one element of the converter. The control device comprises a counter configured to count a time period, a comparator configured to compare said first input signal with a second signal, digital control block configured to control the closing and opening of said switch and to activate said counter to start the counting of said time period when the said first input signal crosses said second signal, with said switch being closed. The digital control block is configured to open the switch when the counter finishes the counting of said time period.

Abstract: A control device that controls a switching circuit and minimizes hard switching that occurs in the switching circuit of a half-bridge resonant converter having a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor. The control device is configured to turn the high-side and low-side transistor on and, so that a square-wave voltage is applied to a primary winding of a transformer. The controller starts the switching of the half-bridge converter by first turning on the low-side transistor for a first time period useful for pre-charging a bootstrap capacitor couplable to the middle point of the half-bridge, and then turning the low-side transistor and the high-side transistor off for a second time period that immediately follows and is longer than the first time period.

Abstract: A control device of a switching circuit of a resonant apparatus is described. The switching circuit comprises at least one half-bridge having a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor connected between an input voltage and a reference voltage; the resonant apparatus comprises a resonant load. The control device is configured to determine the on time period and the off time period of the transistors alternatively and a dead time of both the transistors so that a periodic square-wave voltage is applied to the resonant load. The control device comprises a detector adapted to detect the current sign flowing through the resonant load and a correction circuit configured to extend the current operating time period of said two transistors in response to at least the current sign detected from the detection means.

Abstract: A method for controlling a switching regulator includes defining a waiting time during which a trigger signal corresponding to a recirculation signal of the switching regulator is ignored holding a control switch in an open condition, and detecting a number of local valleys of the recirculation signal during the waiting time. In particular, defining the waiting time is performed for each switching cycle by adding a first value, which is determined on the basis of a load on the regulator, to a second variable value, which is proportional to the number valleys detected during the waiting time of the preceding switching cycle.

Abstract: An integrated circuit controls a switch of a switching current regulator. The current regulator includes primary and secondary windings where a first and a second current flow, respectively. The switch is adapted to initiate or interrupt the circulation of the first current in the primary winding. The control integrated circuit includes a comparator configured to compare a first signal representative of the first current to a second signal and a divider circuit configured to generate the second signal as a ratio of a third signal, proportional to a voltage on the primary winding, with a voltage on a capacitor. The capacitor is charged by a further current controlled by the third signal when the second current is different from zero. The capacitor is discharged through a parallel-connected resistor when the value of said second current is substantially zero.

Abstract: A method controls a power factor correction converter that includes a boost inductor and a switch. The method generates a sense signal representing a rectified AC input voltage or an inductor current through the boost inductor, turns on the switch in response to determining, based on the sense signal, a zero current condition through the boost inductor, turns off the switch after an on-time interval, generates a feedback signal based on an output voltage of the converter, and compares the feedback signal with a threshold. If the feedback signal is smaller than the threshold, the method generates a command signal, representing a phase domain including 0 and ?, based on the feedback signal and the power threshold, and keeps the switch off when a phase of the input rectified AC voltage or of the inductor current is in the phase domain even if the zero current condition has been determined.

Abstract: A control device for a transistor of a switching converter rectifier generates a control signal of the transistor and comprises a circuit to measure the conduction time of the body diode of the transistor cycle by cycle. When the conduction time is greater than a first threshold, the off time instant of the transistor is delayed by a first quantity in the next cycles, until the conduction time is less than the first threshold and greater than a second threshold. When the conduction time is between the first and second thresholds, the off time instant is delayed by a fixed second quantity in the next cycles until the conduction time is lower than the second threshold, with the second quantity less than the first quantity. When the conduction time is lower than the second threshold, the off time instant is advanced by the second quantity in the next cycle.

Abstract: A method of controlling a switching converter and a related controller suitable for the switching converter allow to implement a burst-mode functioning without generating acoustic noise and with a relevantly reduced ripple of the regulated DC voltage or current provided in output to a supplied load. The method includes sensing the difference between the error signal and the burst-stop threshold at the beginning of a burst period. If the error signal has surpassed (either upwards or downwards) the burst-stop threshold, the method sets the switching stage in a high impedance state at a new active edge of a clock signal, keeps the switching stage in the high impedance state for an integer number of cycles of the clock signal, and re-enables the switching stage to switch the energy tank circuit up to the end of the burst period.

Abstract: A control device for a QR switching power converter is described; said power converter is adapted to convert an input signal to a DC output signal and comprises a power switch connected to said input signal and adapted to regulate said DC output signal and magnetic storage means. The control device is able to determine the switching frequency of the power switch and it is supplied by a feedback signal deriving from a feedback circuit coupled to the output signal of the power converter; said control device performs a control loop regulating the DC output signal by controlling a control variable. The control device comprises modulating means adapted to modulate said control variable as a function of at least one modulating signal having a frequency higher than the control loop bandwidth.

Abstract: A control device for a resonant converter, the control device including a first circuit to integrate at least one signal indicating a half wave of a current circulating in a primary winding of a transformer; the first circuit is structured to generate at least a control signal of the switching circuit depending on the integrated signal. The control device includes a second circuit to impose the equality of a switching-on time period of the first and second switches.