Abstract: An LED driver system including an input receiving a rectified AC conductive angle modulated voltage on a rectified node, a converter, a low-pass filter, and AC detector, and a driver network. The converter is coupled to the rectified node and includes a power switching device coupled to a switching node, in which the power switching device is controlled to convert the rectified AC conductive angle modulated voltage to an output voltage and output current. The low-pass filter is configured to filter voltage of the switching node to provide a filtered voltage. The AC detector receives the filtered voltage and provides a current sense signal indicative thereof. The driver network controls duty cycle of the power switching device based on the current sense signal.

Abstract: An LED driver system including an input receiving a rectified AC conductive angle modulated voltage on a rectified node, a converter, a low-pass filter, and AC detector, and a driver network. The converter is to the rectified node and includes a power switching device coupled to a switching node, in which the power switching device is controlled to convert the rectified AC conductive angle modulated voltage to an output voltage and output current. The low-pass filter is configured to filter voltage of the switching node to provide a filtered voltage. The AC detector receives the filtered voltage and provides a current sense signal indicative thereof. The driver network controls duty cycle of the power switching device based on the current sense signal.

Abstract: An inrush current limiter for use with an LED driver including a current limiting device, a bypass switch device, and a switch drive. The current limiting device is placed in the input current path of the LED driver to limit input current to a predetermined maximum level in response to an AC conductive angle modulated voltage. The bypass switch device is coupled in parallel with the current limit device. The switch drive turns on the bypass switch device to at least partially bypass the current limiting device as a voltage level of an input of a switching converter rises. The input current remains sufficiently high without exceeding the maximum level. The switch drive is implemented with a delay network driven either by a separate transformer winding or by a snubber network. The delay network may have a delay based on the delay caused by the current limiting device.

Abstract: An LED driver with open loop dimming including a full wave rectifier circuit, a DC/DC converter, and an oscillator circuit. The rectifier is configured to receive an input voltage in the form of an AC conductive angle modulated voltage and to provide a rectified voltage. The DC/DC converter converts the rectified voltage to an output voltage and an output current, where the output current has a magnitude which varies proportionately with a square of a quadratic mean of the input voltage. The oscillator circuit controls switching of the DC/DC converter with constant frequency and constant duty cycle. The DC/DC converter may be a flyback converter and may include a transformer operated in DCM. The driver may include output voltage and/or output current limit. The output current may be limited when the input voltage is within normal operating range of an AC line voltage from which the input voltage is derived.

Abstract: An inrush current limiter for use with an LED driver including a current limiting device, a bypass switch device, and a switch drive. The current limiting device is placed in the input current path of the LED driver to limit input current to a predetermined maximum level in response to an AC conductive angle modulated voltage. The bypass switch device is coupled in parallel with the current limit device. The switch drive turns on the bypass switch device to at least partially bypass the current limiting device as a voltage level of an input of a switching converter rises. The input current remains sufficiently high without exceeding the maximum level. The switch drive is implemented with a delay network driven either by a separate transformer winding or by a snubber network. The delay network may have a delay based on the delay caused by the current limiting device.

Abstract: A current averaging circuit for averaging a piecewise linear switching current waveform of a PWM power converter including first, second and third sample and hold circuits and a sample averaging circuit. The first sample and hold circuit samples a short duration of the current waveform for each PWM cycle and provides corresponding short samples. The second sample and hold circuit samples a long duration of each PWM cycle and provides corresponding long samples. The sample averaging circuit is coupled to the first and second sample and hold circuits, averages corresponding ones of the short and long samples and provides corresponding average values. The third sample and hold circuit samples each average value and provides a current average signal. The waveform may include ramp-on-a-step voltage pulses representing switching current. The current average signal is updated after each current pulse.

Abstract: A feed forward pulse width modulator compares a ramp signal with a control voltage to control respective states of a pulse width modulation signal. A respective cycle of the ramp signal is generated by charging a capacitor with a charging current that is proportional to input voltage until the voltage across the capacitor reaches a peak threshold that is also proportional to the input voltage. The capacitor is thereupon discharged with a discharging current proportional to the input voltage until the voltage across the capacitor reaches a (non-zero) valley threshold.

Abstract: A feed forward pulse width modulator compares a ramp signal with a control voltage to control respective states of a pulse width modulation signal. A respective cycle of the ramp signal is generated by charging a capacitor with a charging current that is proportional to input voltage until the voltage across the capacitor reaches a peak threshold that is also proportional to the input voltage. The capacitor is thereupon discharged with a discharging current proportional to the input voltage until the voltage across the capacitor reaches a (non-zero) valley threshold.

Abstract: A DC-DC power converter. According to one embodiment, the power converter includes a symmetrical half-bridge converter including a transformer having a primary winding and first and second secondary windings, a primary circuit coupled to the primary winding, a first rectifier circuit coupled to the first secondary winding, and a second rectifier circuit coupled to the second secondary winding, and first and second buck converters coupled to the half-bridge converter.

Abstract: A DC-DC power converter. According to one embodiment, the power converter includes a symmetrical half-bridge converter including a transformer having a primary winding and first and second secondary windings, a primary circuit coupled to the primary winding, a first rectifier circuit coupled to the first secondary winding, and a second rectifier circuit coupled to the second secondary winding, and first and second buck converters coupled to the half-bridge converter.