Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a power conversion device capable of specifying a failure location of an inverter in detail when an attempt of active discharge fails. There are provided an arithmetic operation circuit 102 that outputs a discharge instruction to control a discharge operation based on a voltage between both ends of a discharge circuit, and an output circuit 203 that outputs a drive signal based on the control signal. The arithmetic operation circuit 102 monitors an amount of the decreased voltage between both the ends of the discharge circuit, an LV read back signal being an output of the arithmetic operation circuit 102, and an HV read back signal being an output of the output circuit 203, and specifies a failure location.

Abstract: Described herein is a spur-free technique for a switching regulator. The switching regulator may self-adaptively reduce the spur of the output voltage without affecting performance of the switching frequency, The switching regulator may track a coil current and may use an active feedback loop to adaptively generate an artificial coil current, which tracks an amplitude of the coil current but having opposite phase. The artificial coil current may then be injected into an output node to cancel the coil current ripple.

Abstract: An electromagnetic connector is disclosed that is configured to form a first magnetic circuit portion comprising multiple coils disposed about a first core member. The electromagnetic connector is configured to mate with a second electromagnetic connector that is configured to form a second magnetic circuit portion comprising a coil disposed about a second core member. When the electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector, the first core member and the second core member are configured to couple the multiple coils of the electromagnetic connector to the coil of the second electromagnetic connector with a magnetic circuit formed from the first magnetic circuit portion and the second magnetic circuit portion. The magnetic circuit is configured to induce a signal in a first coil of the multiple coils and the coil of the second electromagnetic connector when a second coil of the multiple coils is energized.

Abstract: A bootstrap circuit unit of a DC-DC converter applies, to a drive unit, a voltage that is higher than that at a first connection point between switching elements in a first conversion operation, and applies, to the drive unit, a voltage that is higher than that at a second connection point between switching elements in a second conversion operation. A charge-pump circuit unit steps up an input voltage and applies the resulting voltage to the drive unit. The drive unit sets the voltage of a first drive signal and a second drive signal according to a voltage applied by the bootstrap circuit unit or a voltage applied by the charge-pump circuit unit. The charge-pump circuit unit determines the operation timing at which the charge-pump circuit unit is to apply the output voltage, based on the first and second voltage, and the first and second power supply unit charging signals.

Abstract: An electromagnetic connector is disclosed that is configured to form a first magnetic circuit portion comprising a first core member and a first coil disposed of the first core member. The electromagnetic connector is configured to mate with a second electromagnetic connector, where the second electromagnetic connector is configured to form a second magnetic circuit portion comprising a second core member and a second coil disposed of the second core member. The first core member and the second core member are configured to couple the first coil to the second coil with a magnetic circuit formed from the first magnetic circuit portion and the second magnetic circuit portion when the electromagnetic connector is mated with the second electromagnetic connector. The magnetic circuit is configured to induce a signal in the first coil when the second coil is energized.

Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable electronic control unit capable of improving responsiveness of an output current of a switching power supply to load current variation and suppressing power supply voltage variation accompanying the load current variation at low cost and with high power efficiency. Provided are: a calculation unit that performs signal processing; a first power supply circuit that supplies a first power supply voltage to the calculation unit; and a second power supply circuit that supplies a second power supply voltage to the first power supply circuit. The calculation unit has a function of outputting a control signal when a change in a consumed current of the calculation unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, and changes any one or both of a control scheme of the first power supply circuit and the second power supply voltage according to the control signal.

Abstract: A switching converter circuit for switching one end of an inductor therein between plural voltages according to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to convert an input voltage to an output voltage. The switching converter circuit has a driver circuit including a high side driver, a low side driver, a high side sensor circuit, and a low side sensor circuit. The high side sensor circuit is configured to sense a gate-source voltage of a high side metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), to generate a low side enable signal for enabling the low side driver to switch a low side MOSFET according to the PWM signal. The low side sensor circuit is configured to sense a gate-source voltage of a low side MOSFET, to generate a high side enable signal for enabling the high side driver to switch a high side MOSFET according to the PWM signal.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a DC-to-AC converter comprising a first output terminal and a second output terminal. The apparatus also includes a DC-to-DC converter comprising a third output. The DC-to-AC converter is configured to receive a DC input voltage from a DC power source, and to produce a first alternating output voltage at the first output terminal, and a second alternating output voltage at the second output terminal. The DC-to-DC converter is configured receive a DC input voltage from the DC power source, and to step down the DC input voltage at the third output.

Abstract: This switching power supply 1 has: a switch output stage (101, D1, L1, C2) which generates an output voltage Vout by rectifying and smoothing a switch voltage Vsw that is pulse-driven in response to ON/OFF of an output transistor 101; and a discharge circuit 120 which discharges an output voltage Vout when a state in which the output voltage Vout exceeds a target value continues for a period longer than a prescribed time period. For example, the discharge circuit 120 includes a discharge transistor M1 that is connected to and between a voltage application end of the switch voltage Vsw and a grounding end. The discharge transistor M1 is turned ON/OFF periodically or is kept ON continually for discharge of the output voltage Vout.

Abstract: A power conversion apparatus supplies power to a load, and the power conversion apparatus includes a power switch, a transformer, and a control module. The control module alternately turns on and turns off a power switch of the power conversion apparatus to convert an input voltage into an output voltage through the transformer. When the power switch is turned off, a primary side of the transformer generates a resonance voltage. The control module sets a predetermined counting threshold according to the output voltage, and sets a blanking time interval according to a feedback signal related to the load. After the blanking time interval ends, the control module counts a number of an oscillation turning point generated by the resonance voltage due to the oscillation of the resonance voltage. When the number reaches the predetermined counting threshold, the control module turns on the power switch.

Abstract: A gate driving power source device can be miniaturized by sharing power source units, and a large current can be prevented from locally flowing in a single chip even when a short-circuit failure occurs in a multi-phase conversion circuit included in a power conversion device. There is provided a shared power source unit supplying a shared DC power source to a gate drive circuit provided in any one of a plurality of lower arms of multi-phase conversion circuits or any one of a plurality of upper arms of the multi-phase conversion circuit and gate drive circuits provided in upper arms or lower arms of other conversion circuits.

Abstract: A system on an integrated circuit (IC) chip includes an input terminal and a return terminal, a heater, a thermopile, and a switch device. The heater is coupled between the input terminal and the return terminal. The thermopile is spaced apart from the heater by a galvanic isolation region. The switch device includes a control input coupled to an output of the thermopile. The switch device is coupled to at least one output terminal of the IC chip.

Abstract: A power supply system includes a direct current (DC) power source and a protection circuit having input and an input and an output, the input is operably coupled to the DC power so that, in operation, it receives DC power from the DC power source. The protection circuit includes a first path and a second path that both electrically couple the input to the output, and current passes, in operation, primarily through the first path when a voltage at the input is greater than a threshold voltage related to a Zener diode in the second path and primarily through the second path when the voltage at the input is below the threshold voltage. The system also includes a voltage regulator having an input coupled to the output of the protection circuit.

Abstract: A switching regulator includes a power stage circuit and a controller circuit. The controller circuit includes a first amplification circuit, a second amplification circuit, a ramp signal generation circuit, and a comparator. The first amplification circuit generates an amplification signal according to a difference between a low-pass filtered signal and a feedback signal. The second amplification circuit generates an adjustment signal according to a difference between the feedback signal and a fast response signal. The comparator generates a pulse width modulation signal according to a difference between the amplification signal and a ramp signal to generate a switch control signal. The adjustment signal adaptively adjusts the amplification signal or the ramp signal. The low-pass filtered signal is related to a signal generated by filtering out higher frequency part of the reference signal, and the reference signal is related to a dynamic change of a target level of the output voltage.

Abstract: Stable switching is disclosed for a power factor correction boost converter using an input voltage and an output voltage. In one example, a boost converter control system includes a gate driver coupled to a switch of a boost converter to generate a drive signal to control switching of the switch, wherein a period of the drive signal is adjusted using a current adjustment signal. A current control loop is coupled to the gate driver to receive a sensed input current from the boost converter and a desired input current and to generate the current adjustment signal to the gate driver. A current limiter is coupled to the gate driver and the current control loop to determine a duty cycle of the switch, to determine a maximum input current in response to the duty cycle, and to restrict the desired input current to below the maximum input current.

Abstract: A synchronous rectifier control circuit, used with a synchronous rectification circuit having a primary switch and a synchronous rectifier, having: a drain-source threshold setting circuit, configured to provide a dynamic drain-source voltage threshold based on a drain-source voltage across the synchronous rectifier; a primary switch detecting circuit, configured to provide a primary switch state indicating signal based on a comparison result of the drain-source voltage and the dynamic drain-source voltage threshold; and an on-control circuit, configured to provide a synchronous on signal to turn on the synchronous rectifier when the drain-source voltage decreases to the turn-on threshold, on the premise that the primary switch state indicating signal indicates an on state of the primary switch.

Abstract: A power semiconductor element and a support member are stacked with an intermediate structure being interposed between the power semiconductor element and the support member. The intermediate structure includes a first metal paste layer and at least one first penetrating member. The first metal paste layer contains a plurality of first metal particles. The at least one first penetrating member penetrates the first metal paste layer. At least one first vibrator attached to the at least one first penetrating member penetrating the first metal paste layer is vibrated. The first metal paste layer is heated so that the plurality of first metal particles are sintered or fused.

Abstract: A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load may have a closed-loop gate drive circuit for controlling a semiconductor switch of a controllably conductive device. The controllably conductive device may be coupled in series between the source and the load. The gate drive circuit may generate a target signal in response to a control circuit. The gate drive circuit may shape the target signal over a period of time and may increase the target signal to a predetermined level after the period of time. The gate drive circuit may receive a feedback signal that indicates a magnitude of a load current conducted through the semiconductor switch. The gate drive circuit may generate a gate control signal in response to the target signal and the feedback signal, and render the semiconductor switch conductive and non-conductive in response to the gate control signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for controlling the phase of an interleaved boost converter using cycle ring time. In an embodiment, a cycle controller generates a first drive signal to control switching of a first converter and a second drive signal to control switching of a second converter, the controller receives a first cycle signal from the first converter and a second cycle signal from the second converter, wherein the first cycle signal and the second cycle signal have a power phase time and a ringing phase time. The cycle controller determines a master ringing phase time of the first cycle signal and applies the master ringing phase time to the second cycle signal to determine a slave ringing phase time. The cycle controller generates the second drive signal in accordance with the slave ringing phase time.

Abstract: A power conversion device includes a semiconductor unit, a terminal unit, a capacitor unit, a control board, and a case. The semiconductor unit is arranged at a position facing a plate surface of the control board. The terminal unit and the capacitor unit are arranged side by side in a x direction along the plate surface of the control board on the opposite side of the control board with respect to the semiconductor unit. At least a part of the capacitor unit or the terminal unit is located outside a first end of the semiconductor unit in the x direction. A first recess in which a first electrical wiring is arranged is formed in a portion of the case facing the first end so as to be recessed inside the case.