Abstract: A power supply can be operated in a low power mode by adjusting the pulses provided to a power supply switch until a pulse resulting in a reduced amount of power that exceeds a minimum power threshold required by a load coupled to the power supply switch is identified. For each successive switching cycle, a pulse causing a lower power to be provided to the load is produced. When a pulse is produced that causes a power to be provided to the load that does not exceed the minimum power threshold required by the load, a subsequent pulse is produced that causes a greater power to be provided to the load than the previous pulse. If the greater power exceeds the minimum power threshold, the subsequent pulse is stored and similar pulses are provided for the remainder of the low power mode.

Abstract: A slim and cost effective power module solution derived from the multiple-phase buck converter technology that addresses the problems of inductor thickness and excessive magnetic material use. Such power module solution utilizes a multi-phase constant current topology and a corresponding electronic controller to provide a constant current source for various OLED lighting applications. The multi-phase constant current topology comprises two or more inductor-flyback diode feedback loops. Each inductor-flyback diode feedback loop is triggered ON and OFF out-of-phase by a current controller, which senses and estimates the average current supplied to the load, and causes the adjustments to the average current supplied to the load by controlling the ON duration of the inductor-flyback diode feedback loops.

Abstract: A power converter is provided with a totem-pole power factor correction (PFC) circuit for bridgeless line rectification, and current sensing circuit that can be selectively disabled to reduce unwanted current sense signal components and undesirable current transformer voltage stresses. The totem-pole PFC has at least a first leg with first and second switching elements coupled in series. A PFC inductor is coupled between an AC input on a first end and a node between the switching elements. The current sensing circuit includes a first transformer winding coupled in series with the first switching element, a second transformer winding magnetically coupled to the first winding and configured to deliver current from the first winding to a current sense terminal during an active phase for the first switching element, and a shunt circuit configured to disable the current sensing circuit during a freewheeling phase for the first switching element.

Abstract: A switched-mode power supply for supplying an operating voltage to a frequency converter includes a supply capacitor configured to supply the operating voltage to a control device for generating control signals for semiconductor switches of the switched-mode power supply. The supply capacitor is chargeable through a start-up circuit from a DC link of the frequency converter. The start-up circuit includes a current regulator that is configured to control a total current from the DC link to the start-up circuit.

Abstract: A circuit system having a voltage converter having an input path, an output path, and having a plurality of phases, each phase having at least one half-bridge and at least one fuse, each branch of the half-bridge having a respective MOSFET. The circuit system recognizes a defective MOSFET and controls the MOSFETs of the intact phases in such a way that a sufficiently large current trips the fuse connected in series with the defective MOSFET in order to enable an emergency operation of the voltage converter. A method for operating such a circuit system is also described.

Abstract: A power supply module coupled with a primary winding of a power conversion module, the power supply module includes a plurality of power-controlling modules, a plurality of second switches, and a microprocessor. Each power-controlling module includes an auxiliary winding and a first switch electrically connected in series, and each auxiliary winding is magnetic coupled with the primary winding. Each second switch is electrically connected to one of the power-controlling units. The microprocessor is electrically connected to the first switches of the power-controlling modules and the second switches. The microprocessor places at least one first switch and one of the second switches in a conducting state to make the first switch in the conducting state and the second switch in the conducting state electrically connect in series and output an electric power to power the power conversion module.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a power conversion device, including a control unit configured to control ON/OFF of a switching element of a neutral-point-clamped power conversion device unit, wherein the control unit drives the power conversion device unit by a one-pulse control, controls a phase difference of an output voltage of the power conversion device unit with respect to a reference phase of to control an active current component of an output current of the power conversion device unit, and controls ON/OFF based on: (a) a phase angle for eliminating a predetermined odd-order harmonic component of the output voltage; and (b) a sum of the reference phase and the phase difference.

Abstract: A single-phase DC/AC inverter has a single-phase inverter bridge with binary switches connected to an RLC low-pass filter. Digital control logic in a control circuit (or in a microcontroller) determines and controls a logic state q determining the position of the switches in the inverter bridge from sensed iL, vC values from the RLC filter. The control logic selects one of multiple possible logic states q based on whether the sensed iL, vC values belongs one of multiple boundary regions of a tracking band in an iL, vC state space.

Abstract: A power conversion device is mounted with a control circuit, a plurality of drive circuits for driving switching elements in response to control signals from the control circuit, and a plurality of power supply circuits for supplying power to the drive circuits on a substrate. The power conversion device has a drive-circuit/power supply-circuit placement and wiring regions of a high current system in which the drive circuits and the power supply circuits are disposed on the substrate are provided for the respective switching elements with isolating regions interposed between the drive-circuit/power supply-circuit placement and wiring regions and the control circuit of a low current system. A gap is formed between the pairs of the drive-circuit/power supply-circuit regions. Power supply transformers are provided for transforming a voltage supplied from the control circuit for the respective power supply circuits in-between the isolating regions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for actuating inverter stages (2) switched in parallel, wherein each inverter stage (2) comprises several switching elements (3) with two switching states each. In accordance with the invention, the actuation of the inverter stages (2) occurs via a central control unit (6) which is connected to each inverter stage (2) via a serial data transmission path (5). Measures are proposed for transmitting the selected switching states from the central control unit (6) to the respective inverter stage (2) in order to ensure secure operation of the inverter stages (2) over a plurality of switching processes on the one hand and to reliably prevent functional impairments of the switching elements (3) by erroneous actuation, but to also carry out the actuation of the switching elements (3) of the inverter stages (2) in a sufficiently rapid way on the other hand in order to avoid impairing the quality of the output current formed by the inverter stage (2).

Abstract: The subject matter of this document can be embodied in a method that includes a voltage regulator having an input terminal and an output terminal. The voltage regulator includes a high-side transistor between the input terminal and an intermediate terminal, and a low-side transistor between the intermediate terminal and ground. The voltage regulator includes a low-side driver circuit including a capacitor and an inverter. The output of the inverter is connected to the gate of the low-side transistor. The voltage regulator also includes a controller that drives the high-side and low-side transistors to alternately couple the intermediate terminal to the input terminal and ground. The controller is configured to drive the low-side transistor by controlling the inverter. The voltage regulator further includes a switch coupled to the low-side driver circuit. The switch is configured to block charge leakage out of the capacitor during an off state of the low-side transistor.

Abstract: A converter control system includes an analog-to-digital converter, a filter and a control module. The analog-to-digital converter digitalizes a different-time and a real-time feedback voltage. The filter bases on the different-time feedback voltage to sample a historical average feedback voltage. The control module receives the real-time feedback voltage, bases on the historical average feedback voltage to detect a load status of the converter, and bases on the real-time feedback voltage and the historical average feedback voltage to derive a voltage difference. The control module applies a control duty cycle to control the load switch. While the control module detects that the load status switches to a heavy-load status and the voltage difference reaches the threshold voltage, the control duty cycle is increased. While the control module detects that the load status switches to the light-load status and the voltage difference reaches the threshold voltage, the control duty cycle is decreased.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes a resonant DC-DC converter with switching frequencies based on stray inductances of the physical components used to construct the apparatus. This results in a relatively high efficiency and high density DC-DC converter that, in some implementations, does not require a discrete inductor component.

Abstract: A multi-level DC-DC converter device includes an inverter, a 3-winding high-frequency transformer, a first full-bridge rectifier, a second full-bridge rectifier, a selective circuit and a filter circuit. A first winding at a primary side of the high-frequency transformer connects with the inverter while a second winding and a third winding of at a secondary side of the high-frequency transformer connect with the first full-bridge rectifier and the second full-bridge rectifier. The selective circuit connects with DC output ports of the first full-bridge rectifier and the second full-bridge rectifier, thereby operationally selecting two serially-connected full-bridge rectifiers or single full-bridge rectifier to output two voltage levels performed as a multi-level output voltage. The filter circuit connects between the selective circuit and a load for filtering harmonics and outputting a DC voltage.

Abstract: Noise-shaped frequency hopping power converters are disclosed. An example noise-shaped frequency hopping power converter comprises a shaped number generator having a first output to output a noise-shaped selection signal and a power converter having a first input to receive an input voltage signal, a second input to receive a switching signal that is based on the noise-shaped selection signal, and a second output to output an output voltage signal based on the switching signal.

Abstract: Provided are an amplifier circuit capable of improving phase characteristics, and a voltage regulator including the amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit is configured to amplify an input voltage and to output the input voltage, and includes a current source, a first transistor having a gate to which the input voltage is applied, and a second transistor having a gate to which a voltage synchronous with the input voltage is applied, and a source connected to a capacitor.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes conducting a reverse current through a first switch that includes a normally-on transistor coupled in series with a normally-off transistor between a first switch node and a second switch node. While conducting the reverse current, the first switch is turned-off by turning-off the normally-off transistor via a control node of the normally-off transistor and reducing a drive voltage of the normally-on transistor by decreasing a voltage between the control node of the normally-on transistor and a reference node of the normally-on transistor. After turning-off the first switch, a second switch coupled to the first switch is turned on.

Abstract: Multilevel inverters, power cells and bypass methods are presented in which a power cell switching circuit is selectively disconnected from the power cell output, and a bypass which is closed to connect first and second cell output terminals to selectively bypass a power stage of a multilevel inverter, with an optional AC input switch to selectively disconnect the AC input from the power cell switching circuit during bypass.

Abstract: A method and device for providing isolated power transfer to a low-power load across a capacitor of a series resonance circuit are shown. The method includes comparing an output voltage received via a feedback loop with a desired output voltage. Responsive to determining that the output voltage is not equal to the desired output voltage, the method determines a sub-harmonic order of the resonant frequency of the series resonance circuit to use as a switching frequency and switches the series resonance circuit at substantially the determined subharmonic order of the resonant frequency.

Abstract: A low dropout amplifier may include an error amplifier having first and second inputs coupled to a reference signal and a feedback signal, respectively. The error amplifier may be configured to generate first and second error signals at first and second outputs, respectively, with the first and second error signals based upon a difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal. A sink stage may be coupled to the first output and configured to generate a sink current based upon the first error signal. A source stage may be coupled to the second output and configured to generate a source current based upon the second error signal. An output node may be coupled to receive the sink and source currents.