Abstract: This invention relates to a control circuit for a buck power factor correction (PFC) stage. Buck PFC stages are commonly used in low cost, high efficiency power converters. These buck PFC stages are typically controlled using a very slow control loop with a crossover frequency of the order of 10 to 20 Hz. However, such a slow response is unsuitable for applications requiring overvoltage protection. The present invention overcomes the problems with the known control circuits for buck PFC stages by implementing a two stage control circuit having a fast outer loop control circuit and a slow inner loop control circuit. The fast outer loop control circuit is in operation during low load conditions and the slow inner loop control circuit is only active under load.

Abstract: This invention relates to a control circuit for a buck power factor correction (PFC) stage. Buck PFC stages are commonly used in low cost, high efficiency power converters. These buck PFC stages are typically controlled using a very slow control loop with a crossover frequency of the order of 10 to 20 Hz. However, such a slow response is unsuitable for applications requiring overvoltage protection. The present invention overcomes the problems with the known control circuits for buck PFC stages by implementing a two stage control circuit having a fast outer loop control circuit and a slow inner loop control circuit. The fast outer loop control circuit is in operation during low load conditions and the slow inner loop control circuit is only active under load.

Abstract: The invention relates to a power converter (1) comprising a magnetic core (3) and a plurality of sub-converters each having a primary winding (17, 19) and a secondary winding. The magnetic core (3) comprises an inner leg (7) and a plurality of outer legs (5, 9), each of the outer legs (5, 9) having a gap (11, 13) formed therein. The primary winding (17) of one sub-converter is wound around an outer leg and the primary winding (19) of another sub-converter is wound around another outer leg. The primary windings (17, 19) are formed from a unitary winding (21) which is wound around the legs (5, 7, 9) in a continuous fashion. The primary windings (17, 19) are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) (15) and interconnects between turns of the primary windings are achieved using vias (27, 29) at the ends (23, 25) of the unitary winding. The vias may be conveniently placed in the corner sections or the PCB (15).

Abstract: A heavy duty cycle power converter (2) has current mode control in which the closed loop control is carried out by a controller (5) using a desired signal (11) which is a function of the difference between the desired duty cycle (7) and the measured duty cycle (6). This fluctuates current mode control without voltage feedback.