Synchronous buck regulator with short circuit to voltage source protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10587193-B2
Application number	US-201514690586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a power converter assembly detects an over-current, latches off a low-side switch if an over-current is detected, holds the low-side switch latched off until a PWM controller provides a predetermined minimum pulse to the latch (for the duration of the over-current), and unlatches the low-side switch if a PWM controller provides a predetermined minimum pulse to the latch. A power converter assembly includes a PWM controller coupled to the main switch, the PWM controller configured to control the main switch according to a duty cycle. A latch is coupled with a secondary switch and configured to selectively turn off the secondary switch. The PWM controller is configured to provide a PWM control signal to the latch, and the control signal is configured to reset the latch to allow the secondary switch to turn on only when the PWM begins operating with a minimum pulse width.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power converter assembly, comprising:
an input node;
a main switch coupled in series with the input node, the main switch including a control terminal;
a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller coupled to the main switch, the PWM controller configured to control the main switch according to a duty cycle;
an inductor coupled in series with the main switch;
an output node coupled in series with the inductor;
a secondary switch coupled in series with the main switch and with the inductor, the secondary switch coupled to ground, the secondary switching including a control terminal;
a latch coupled with the secondary switch and configured to selectively turn off the secondary switch, the latch including a reset input, a set input, a control input and an output, the output of the latch is connected to the control terminal of the secondary switch; and
an over-current detector configured to detect an over-current coming through the secondary switch and to set the latch to turn off the secondary switch when the over- current is detected,
wherein the PWM controller has a first output connected to the control terminal of the main switch and the reset input of the latch, and a second output connected to the control input of the latch, the PWM controller configured to provide a first PWM control signal both to the main switch and to the reset input of the latch and to provide a second PWM control signal, the first PWM control signal being configured to both reset the to turn on the secondary switch, and to and turn on and off the main switch, the secondary switch also being turned on and off based upon the second PWM control signal, the latch remaining set after being set by the over-current detector until the latch receives the first PWM control signal from the PWM controller and is reset by the PWM controller.

2. The power converter assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a resistor and an input capacitor coupled with the input node, the resistor and the input capacitor being disposed in parallel with each other, each of the resistor and the input capacitor being coupled to ground.

3. The power converter assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a main diode disposed in parallel with the main switch, the main diode being configured to conduct current toward the input node.

4. The power converter assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a secondary diode disposed in parallel with the secondary switch, the secondary diode being configured to conduct current toward the main switch and the inductor.

5. The power converter assembly of claim 4 , further comprising an output capacitor coupled with the output node and with ground.

6. The power converter assembly of claim 5 , the PWM controller being operable to send the first control signal as an input pulse, the input pulse being operable to turn the main switch ON and OFF.

7. The power converter assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a discriminator disposed in series between the PWM controller and the reset input of the latch, the discriminator preventing pulses in the first PWM control signal having a width less than a predetermined amount from being provided to the reset input of the latch.

8. The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the main switch is a MOSFET and the secondary switch is a MOSFET.

9. The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power converter assembly is operable to decrease a DC voltage input to the output node, the power converter assembly being operable to output a DC voltage from the output node.

10. A power converter assembly, comprising:
an input node;
a main switch coupled in series with the input node, the main switch including a control terminal, a first conduction terminal coupled to the input node and a second conduction terminal;
an inductor having a first terminal coupled to the second conduction terminal of the main switch and a second terminal;
an output node coupled in series with the inductor;
a secondary switch having a control terminal, a first conduction terminal coupled to the second terminal of the main switch and a second conduction terminal coupled to a ground reference;
a latch having a reset input, a set input, a control input and an output, the output of the latch being coupled to the control terminal of the secondary switch;
a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller coupled to the main switch and the latch, the PWM controller configured to control the main switch according to a duty cycle;
an over-current detector configured to detect an over-current passing through the secondary switch, the over-current detector having an output coupled to the set input of the latch to set the latch to turn off the secondary switch when the over-current is detected,
wherein the PWM controller has a first output connected both to the control terminal of the main switch and to the reset input of the latch, and a second output connected to the control input of the latch, the PWM controller configured to provide a first PWM control signal both to the main switch and to the reset input of the latch and to provide a second PWM control signal, the first PWM control signal being configured to both reset the latch for turning on the secondary switch and to and turn on and off the main switch, the secondary switch also being turned on an off based upon the second PWM control signal, and the latch being remaining set after being set by the over-current detector until the latch receives the first PWM control signal from the PWM controller and is reset by the PWM controller.

11. The power converter assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a discriminator disposed in series between the PWM controller and the reset input of the latch, the discriminator preventing pulses in the first PWM control signal having a width less than a predetermined amount from being provided to the reset input of the latch.

12. The power converter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first PWM control signal from the PWM controller resets the latch only after the first PWM control signal turns on and then turns off the main switch.

13. The power converter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first PWM control signal from the PWM controller resets the latch only after the first PWM control signal turns on the main switch, the latch being reset by the first PWM control signal allowing the secondary switch to turn on and off based upon the second PWM control signal.

14. The power converter assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a resistor and an input capacitor coupled with the input node, the resistor and the input capacitor being disposed in parallel with each other, each of the resistor and the input capacitor being coupled to ground, and further comprising an output capacitor coupled with the output node and with ground.

15. The power converter assembly of claim 10 , wherein the main switch operates independently of the output of the latch.

16. The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first PWM control signal from the PWM controller resets the latch only after the first PWM control signal turns on and then turns off the main switch.

17. The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first PWM control signal from the PWM controller resets the latch only after the first PWM control signal turns on the main switch, the latch being reset by the first PWM control signal allowing the secondary switch to turn on and off based upon the second PWM control signal.

18. The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the main switch operates independently of the ou

Assignees

• Continental automotive systems inc
• Vitesco Technologies Usa Llc

Inventors

• Zarkhin Mikhail
• Fisch Alfons

Classifications

• H02M3/1588

  comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02M1/32 Primary

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02M3/155

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H02H7/1213 Primary

  for DC-DC converters · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title