Abstract: A method of constructing an E-puck includes forming at least one trench into a lower substrate, depositing an electrode material onto the lower substrate and into the at least one trench, removing excess electrode material from the lower substrate to leave the electrode material within the at least one trench to form an electrode, and forming a dielectric on the lower substrate and the electrode. The electrode is between the lower substrate and the upper substrate. Forming the at least one trench into the lower substrate forms at least one standoff portion adjacent to the at least one trench and the at least one standoff portion reduces dishing of the electrode material during removal of the excess electrode material from the lower substrate.

Abstract: A voltage regulator receives a reference voltage and generates a regulated voltage using a MOSFET having a gate terminal configured to receive a control voltage. A charge pump receives the regulated voltage and generates a charge pump voltage in response to an enable signal and a clock signal generated in response to the enable signal. The voltage regulator further includes a first switched capacitor circuit coupled to the gate terminal and configured to selectively charge a first capacitor with a first current and impose a first voltage drop on the control voltage in response to assertion of the enable signal. The voltage regulator also includes a second switched capacitor circuit coupled to the gate terminal and configured to selectively charge a second capacitor with a second current and impose a second voltage drop on the control voltage in response to one logic state of the clock signal.

Abstract: This application relates to the field of circuit technologies, and provides a step-up circuit and a step-up circuit control method. The step-up circuit includes a power supply, an inductor, N switch components, N-1 flying capacitors, N flyback diodes, a pre-charge unit, and an output unit. The N switch components are connected in series, a first switch component of the N switch components is connected to a first terminal of the power supply through the inductor, and an Nth switch component is connected to a second terminal of the power supply. At least two switch components of the N switch components have withstand voltage specifications different from each other. Values of voltages withstood by switch components with different withstand voltage specifications during normal operation are also different from each other. N is a positive integer.

Abstract: Methods and devices for sensing current through a power converter circuit are presented. According to one aspect, currents through high-/low-side transistors are sensed via respective reduced size replica transistors. According to another aspect, the sensed currents are used to generate bridging currents that are combined with the sensed currents to generate a continuous current sense signal. According to another aspect, the bridging currents include slopes that are generated from slopes of the sensed currents. According to another aspect, the sensed currents are combined and filtered to generate a continuous sense signal. According to another aspect, the continuous current sense signal is a voltage that is compared to a reference voltage to generate a current limit status flag used to control operation of the power converter circuit. According to other aspects, the current sense voltage is used to control ON/OFF duty cycle of the power converter circuit.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an inverter system capable of detecting an output ground fault and an output ground fault detection method using same and, particularly, to an inverter for detecting an output ground fault by detecting the current of a leg-shunt resistor, and an inverter output ground detection fault method using same. The present disclosure compares absolute peak values of 3-phase current AD raw values detected from a shunt resistor, and thus may reliably detect the output ground fault of an inverter.

Abstract: A controller for controlling a switching power converter having an input for receiving a periodic input signal and an output for providing a substantially constant output voltage to a load includes a monitor device configured to compare a switching time interval or a switching frequency with a predetermined threshold value to obtain a comparison result and a parameter recorder configured to record an entry criteria in response to the comparison result, wherein the entry criteria indicates a transition of the switching power converter from a variable switching frequency state to a constant switching frequency state.

Abstract: A leakage current protection device (such as a power plug) for an electrical appliance includes a shell and a trip assembly inside the shell. The shell includes an upper cover and a base cover joined together, and either the upper cover or the base cover includes a first cover and a removable second cover. The removable second cover spatially corresponds to a tail portion of the trip assembly; when it is removed, the tail portion is exposed to allow a power cord to be connected to the leakage current protection device. By using a removable second cover, the cord can be conveniently assembled with the device when the device is installed on the electrical appliance, allowing the to be shipped without the cord. This can reduce the packed size of the device for easier shipping and storage, as well as lowering cost. It also makes the device more versatile.

Abstract: A switching regulator control circuit is used in a switching regulator that converts an input voltage into an output voltage by the switching of a switching device, and generates a switching signal for controlling the ON/OFF operation of the switching device. The switching regulator control circuit has a fault detector and a fault protector. The fault detector detects, based on the duty ratio of the switching signal or a variable correlated to it and included in a control signal used to generate the switching signal, a fault state where the duty ratio falls outside the normal modulation range. The fault protector stops the switching of the switching device when the fault detector detects a fault state.

Abstract: A device comprises a processor, a memory for storing instruction code that is executable by the processor, and power supply circuitry. The power supply circuitry is in communication with the processor. The power supply circuitry comprises voltage regulator circuitry, a capacitor, a current limiter, and a switch. The voltage regulator circuitry comprises an input electrically coupled to a voltage source and an output configured to provide a regulated voltage output. The capacitor is configured to store energy derived from the voltage source. The capacitor comprises a first node electrically coupled with the output of the voltage regulator circuitry. The current limiter is in electrical communication with a second node of the capacitor and configured to limit inrush current through the capacitor during a start-up phase of the power supply circuitry. The switch circuit is in electrical communication with the second node of the capacitor.

Abstract: A multiphase switching voltage regulator is disclosed. The regulator includes a first clock generator circuit configured to receive a reference clock, and to generate M first clocks, where the M first clocks are phase separated by 360°/M, a plurality of phase extrapolator circuits, where the plurality of phase extrapolator circuits includes N phase extrapolator circuits, and a phase selector multiplexer configured to provide one of the M first clocks to each of the phase extrapolator circuits, where the N phase extrapolator circuits are configured to generate N output clocks, where the N output clocks are phase separated by 360°/N.

Abstract: A low dropout regulator includes an output circuit and an amplifier. The output circuit includes a signal input end configured to receive an input voltage and a signal output end configured to output an output voltage. The amplifier includes a first stage amplifier circuit, a second stage amplifier circuit, a first feedback circuit and a second feedback circuit. The first stage amplifier circuit includes a positive output end and a negative output end. The second stage amplifier circuit includes an input end and an output end, wherein the input end and the positive output end are coupled at a first node, and the output end is coupled to the output circuit. The first feedback circuit is coupled between the negative output end and the output end. The second feedback circuit is coupled between the first node and the output end.

Abstract: There is provided an AC-DC converter circuit (100) for high power charging of an electrical battery. The circuit comprises an input rectifier comprising a first node and a second node. The input rectifier (110) is configured to receive an AC voltage at the first node (112) and provide a rectified voltage at the second node (114). The circuit further comprises a first transistor (120), comprising a first gate node (122), a first source node (124), and a first drain node (126). The first drain node is connected to the second node of the input rectifier. The first gate node is connected to a ground node (170). The circuit further comprises a second transistor (130), comprising a second gate node (132), a second source node (134), and a second drain node (136). The second drain node is connected to the first source node. The second transistor materially corresponds to the first transistor.

Abstract: In an example, a method includes providing a signal to a driver for a switching voltage regulator to turn off a high-side field effect transistor (FET) of the switching voltage regulator. The method also includes reducing a voltage at a source of the high-side FET. The method includes responsive to the signal, turning off a pull-down FET coupled to a gate of the high-side FET. The method also includes commutating current from the high-side FET to a low-side FET.

Abstract: In the field of chain-link modules for voltage source converters, there is a need for an improved chain-link module. Embodiments of the disclosure include a chain-link module, for connection in series with other chain-link modules to form a chain-link converter selectively operable to provide a stepped variable voltage source within a voltage source converter. The module can include a first pair of series-connected switching elements which are separated by a first connection terminal and are connected in parallel with first and second series-connected energy storage devices. The chain-link module can also include a second pair of series-connected switching elements that are separated by a second connection terminal, and which are connected in parallel with one or other of the first and second energy storage devices.

Abstract: An isolated bidirectional converter and a method for controlling the same are provided. A primary winding or a secondary winding of a transformer module in the isolated bidirectional converter is connected in parallel with a first branch includes a first inductor and a first current sensor that are connected in series. A current flowing through the first inductor is acquired by the first current sensor, and is proportional to a current flowing through a magnetizing inductor of the winding. Therefore, the current is controlled by modifying a duty cycle of a switch transistor on a bridge arm in the circuit, so that a direct current component of a current flowing through the winding is modified indirectly, thereby avoiding magnetic bias on the magnetizing inductor of the transformer module, and preventing the transformer module from being saturated.

Abstract: A contactor apparatus and method for operating the contactor apparatus can include a contactor assembly with a contactor coil operably coupled to a contactor switch. One or more sensors can be provided in the contactor assembly adapted to measure one or more aspects of the contactor assembly. Based upon the measured aspects, a controller can initiate operation of the contactor switch to effectively toggle the contactor switch at a zero-crossing point along an alternating current waveform.

Abstract: A power electronic device includes an input which is connected to an over-current-protection device arrangement and a DC-link, wherein the DC-link includes a series connection of at least two DC-link capacitors. In such a power electronic device the risk of a fire hazard should be minimized. To this end fault detecting element(s) are provided detecting an imbalance between the DC-link capacitors or an overload of at least one of the DC-link capacitors, wherein the fault detecting element(s) control maximum current inducing element(s) connected to the DC-link.

Abstract: A novel power supply apparatus (10) includes a microcontroller (102) and a plurality of voltage converters (104). If the voltage converters (104) are in a boost mode and a plurality of duty cycles of the voltage converters (104) calculated by the microcontroller (102) are less than 0.5, the microcontroller (102) is configured to limit at least one of the duty cycles of the voltage converters (104) to 0.5. If the voltage converters (104) are in a buck mode and the duty cycles of the voltage converters (104) calculated by the microcontroller (102) are greater than 0.5, the microcontroller (102) is configured to limit at least one of the duty cycles of the voltage converters (104) to 0.5.

Abstract: Briefly, a voltage doubling variable frequency drive includes an active converter connected to a DC bus that is connected to a first inverter that converts DC power to variable frequency, three-phase AC power, and variable frequency, three-phase AC power to DC power, and to a second inverter that converts DC power to three-phase AC sine wave power. The converter converts single-phase AC power to DC power and DC power to single-phase AC power and maintains a selected voltage on the DC bus. The converter has an active rectifier and a controller that drives the rectifier with a pulse width modulation according to a switching scheme that switches the rectifier according to an adaptive hysteresis control to maintain constant switching.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus (1) is provided with an energy storage device (10), a converter (20) for converting DC output to AC output, and a control unit (60). The control unit (60) controls the converter (20) such that, when an output current value exceeds a first limit value, the output current value becomes a predetermined value larger than the first limit value by lowering an output voltage value to less than a normal state value.