Abstract: A multi-level power converter includes switching cells, each comprising switching devices and an energy storage element. The switching cells include switching cells of a first type and switching cells of a second type. The converter includes, for each phase, a first arm of serial connected switching cells and a second arm of serial connected switching cells, which first arm and second arm are connected in parallel. The first arm includes more switching cells of the first type than switching cells of the second type and the second arm includes more switching cells of the second type than switching cells of the first type. The switching cells of the first type have lower conduction loss than the switching cells of the second type. The converter is arranged so that a larger current flows through the first arm than the second arm.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, devices, apparatus, circuits, methods, and other implementations, including a system that includes one or more power switching devices that receive power delivered by a power unit, and a high-speed charge control circuit electrically coupled to the one or more power switching devices. The high-speed charge control circuit includes an optocoupler coupled to the power unit and further coupled to a first switching device of the high-speed charge control circuit, the first switching device actuated based on output of the optocoupler to establish an electrical path to discharge at least a portion of electrical charge present at least on the one or more power switching devices when power delivery from the power unit is stopped.

Abstract: A power supply and a method of power supplying for converting an external alternating power into an output power with appropriate voltage and power are disclosed. The power supply includes an input charging unit, an input filtering unit, a regulating unit, a transformer, a controller, an output unit, an output capacitor, a switching unit and a feedback unit. The regulating unit is connected to the input filtering unit and comprises a regulating capacitor and a regulator connected in series. The regulator is controlled by the controller to perform one of the working modes including initial open circuit, power on conduction, short circuit normal operation and over-voltage open circuit protection. Therefore, the present invention overcomes the problem of inrush current upon powering on, and particularly, the controller performs digital operation with flexibility to meet actual requirements by updating appropriate firmware of software program.

Abstract: A power supply device includes: a switching element that performs synchronous rectification on a power to be induced in a first secondary wiring of a transformer that performs voltage conversion; a first current detection circuit that detects a value of a current to be induced in a second secondary wiring of the transformer; a second current detection circuit that detects a change in the current to be induced in the second secondary wiring, the second current detection circuit having a higher response speed with respect to conversion of the current than that of the first current detection circuit; and a control unit (control circuit) that determines based on the change in the current detected by the second current detection circuit whether or not backflow is occurring, and controls the switching element in accordance with a result of the determination.

Abstract: A method for controlling a DC-to-DC converter includes: (a) regulating a magnitude of an output voltage of the DC-to-DC converter according to a magnitude of a reference voltage; (b) in response to a command to enter the unregulated operating mode, allowing the magnitude of the output voltage to fall; and (c) adjusting the magnitude of the reference voltage to track the magnitude of the output voltage. A controller for a DC-to-DC converter includes reference and switching modules. The reference module generates a reference voltage, such that: (a) a magnitude of the reference voltage is fixed, in a regulated operating mode, and (b) the magnitude of the reference voltage tracks a magnitude of an output voltage of the DC-to-DC converter, in the unregulated operating mode. The switching module controls a power stage of the DC-to-DC converter to regulate the magnitude of the output voltage, in the regulated operating mode.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method that including receiving a sensed signal corresponding to a current flowing through an energy transfer module in response to an on/off state of a forward-type triode for alternating current (TRIAC), determining the TRIAC on/off state based on the sensed signal, and controlling the energy transfer module based on the determined TRIAC on/off state.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of controlling a converter can include: (i) when first and fourth switches are on, and second and third switches are off, generating an on time signal according to an input voltage and a stable output voltage of the converter; (ii) generating an off time signal according to the input voltage and the stable output voltage of the converter; (iii) generating a reference time voltage according to a reference current signal and a reference voltage signal; and (iv) controlling the first, second, third, and fourth switches based on whether the on time signal is activated to indicate that the converter is operating in a buck mode, the off time signal is activated to indicate that the converter is operating in a boost mode, or the reference time signal is activated to indicate that the converter is operating in a buck-boost mode.

Abstract: A method supplies power from a power source to a load. The method includes, in a first mode, electrically coupling a step-down converter node of a step-down converter alternately to the power source via a conductive bypass path that bypasses a step-up converter and to ground. The step-up converter has an input electrically coupled to the power source and the step-down converter has an output electrically coupled to the load. The method further includes, in a second mode, coupling the step-down converter node alternately to the power source via the bypass path and to an output of the step-up converter.

Abstract: An AC/DC power conversion apparatus comprises an AC/DC converter for converting AC power to DC power for a load and a controller that maintains a power factor of the load as the load varies. The AC/DC converter includes an inductor and a plurality of switches that alternately connects and disconnects the inductor to and from an AC power source, to generate the DC power for the load. The plurality of switches is controlled by a plurality of switch drive signals generated by the controller, based on comparisons of an AC voltage from the AC power source to a DC output voltage produced by the AC/DC converter. To maintain the power factor of the load, the controller is configured to adjust the frequency of the plurality of switch drive signals in response to variations in the load while holding the duty cycles of the switch drive signals constant.

Abstract: A power source delivers power from a main power source using switching by a normally on transistor. A driver switches on and off the normally on transistor under a control signal by a controller during regular operation. A housekeeping power supply delivers auxiliary power to the driver. The driver switches off the normally on transistor during irregular operation. Irregular operation occurs at least when the control signal is absent or no auxiliary power is available or during transients such a power up or down. Bridge block pairs thereof can be arranged to form a half bridge power switch, an H bridge switch, a three phase bridge switch, a multi-phase switch, a buck converter, a buck-boost converter, or a boost converter.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a resistor metallic layer and method forming the same. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a source region and a drain region of a power switch on a substrate. The semiconductor device also includes the resistor metallic layer over the source region and the drain region of the power switch. The resistor metallic layer includes a current sense resistor including a first current sense resistor metallic strip coupled between a first cross member and a second cross member, and a first gain resistor including a first gain resistor metallic strip coupled to the first cross member. The semiconductor device also includes an amplifier over the substrate and coupled to the first gain resistor metallic strip.

Abstract: A line compensation circuit for a power supply includes a line voltage sense circuit and a current limit adjuster. The line voltage sense circuit senses a slope of an inductor current by way of a compensation capacitor that receives a sense voltage that is representative of the inductor current on a primary side of the power supply. A compensation current that is generated from the compensation capacitor is used by the current limit adjuster to adjust an output current limit of the power supply.

Abstract: A voltage converter includes a converter circuit and a control circuit coupled to the converter circuit and configured to selectively operate the converter circuit in a boost mode or a floating buck mode in response to a level of an input voltage supplied to the voltage converter circuit. The converter circuit may further include an inductor, a first control switch coupled to the control circuit, and a second control switch coupled to the control circuit. The control circuit may be configured to control a state of the first control switch in the boost mode in response to a level of current in the inductor, and the control circuit may be configured to control a state of the second control switch in the floating buck mode in response to the level of current in the inductor.

Abstract: Power converter modules and parallel conversion systems are presented in which the modules are provided in a rollable enclosure having AC and DC electrical connections, and an interior including a switching circuit with switching devices individually connected between a corresponding AC node and a corresponding DC node for operation as either a rectifier or an inverter and an internal filter circuit with inductors individually connected between a corresponding AC node of the switching circuit and a corresponding AC electrical connection, with a built-in blower or fan to cool the filter circuit during operation.

Abstract: A ramp signal generating method and a generator thereof, and a pulse width modulation signal generator are provided. The ramp signal generating method includes following steps: receiving an error signal, wherein the error signal relates to an output voltage of a power converter; generating an error delayed signal according to the error signal; and providing a ramp signal according to the error signal and the error delayed signal. The ramp signal is phase leading and inverting compared to the error signal. The ramp signal serves to improve a response speed of the power converter.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a controlling circuit configured for an AC/DC converter that receives an AC voltage supply, can include: (i) a compensation signal generator configured to generate a compensation signal that follows an error between an output signal from the AC/DC converter and an expected converter output signal during a first time interval of a half period of the AC voltage supply, the compensation signal being substantially constant during a remaining time interval of the half period; and (ii) a controlling signal generator configured to generate a controlling signal based on the compensation signal to maintain the output signal as substantially consistent with the expected converter output signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a voltage hold circuit that raises a second boosted voltage with rise of an output voltage of a booster circuit that generates a first boosted voltage and then maintains the second boosted voltage at a point when the output voltage reaches a hold voltage level after that, and a first switch that short-circuits a first output terminal through which the first boosted voltage is output and a second output terminal through which the second boosted voltage is output until the output voltage reaches the hold voltage level.

Abstract: In various examples, a converter unit for converting an input voltage to an output voltage is disclosed. The converter includes input terminals for connecting the converter unit to a voltage supply and for receiving the input voltage from the voltage supply and output terminals for connecting the converter unit to a load for driving the load. A controllable switch is connected to an inductor. The converter unit further includes a current detector for detecting a current of the inductor, a voltage slope detector for detecting a slope of a voltage measured across the controllable switch, and a control unit for controlling the controllable switch on the basis of the inductor current and the voltage slope.

Abstract: An oscillator system addresses power supply noise and temperature dependence. The system includes a multi-stage regulator circuit that receives a supply voltage and generates a lower voltage oscillator supply voltage that is less noisy than the supply voltage. A charge pump circuit receives the oscillator supply voltage and the oscillator output signal and supplies the regulator circuit with a boosted voltage. A reference generator circuit supplies a reference signal that is used to determine the oscillator supply voltage. The reference signal varies with temperature and is used to offset the temperature coefficient of the oscillator.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a constant on-time isolated converter comprising a transformer with a primary side and a secondary side. The primary side is connected to an electronic switch and secondary-side is connected to a load and a processor. The processor is connected to a driver on primary side through at least one coupling element and to the electronic switch. The processor receives an output voltage or an output current across the load generating a control signal accordingly. The driver receives the control signal through the coupling element and accordingly changes the ON/OFF state of the electronic switch, regulating the output voltage and the output current via the transformer, where the duration of the ON/OFF state of the electronic switch is determined between the moment control signal changes from negative to positive and the moment it changes from positive to negative to achieve a high-speed load transient response.