Digital communication systems and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12199582-B2
Application number	US-202217664475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2022
Priority date	Jun 19, 2021
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A digital communication station includes a coupled inductor, driver circuitry, and a digital transceiver. The coupled inductor includes (1) a first winding connected between a first digital communication node and a first power node, (2) a second winding connected between a second digital communication node and a second power node, and (3) a third winding. The driver circuitry is configured to drive the third winding to increase respective inductance values of the first and second windings, and the digital transceiver is communicatively coupled to the first digital communication node and the second digital communication node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A digital communication station, comprising:
a first coupled inductor including:
a first winding connected between a first digital communication node and a first power node,
a second winding connected between a second digital communication node and a second power node, and
a third winding;

first driver circuitry configured to drive the third winding at least partially based on each of (i) a first signal representing one of a first voltage across the first winding and a first current through first winding and (ii) a second signal representing one of a second voltage across the second winding and a second current through the second winding, to increase respective inductance values of the first and second windings; and
a first digital transceiver communicatively coupled to the first digital communication node and the second digital communication node.

2. The digital communication station of claim 1 , wherein the first signal represents the first current through the first winding and the second signal represents the second current through the second winding.

3. The digital communication station of claim 1 , wherein the first signal represents the first voltage across the first winding and the second signal represents the second voltage across the second winding.

4. The digital communication station of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to provide fault protection by causing flow of current through at least one of the first winding and the second winding to be interrupted in response to a fault condition.

5. A digital communication station, comprising:
a first coupled inductor including:
a first winding connected between a first digital communication node and a first power node,
a second winding connected between a second digital communication node and a second power node, and
a third winding;

first driver circuitry configured to drive the third winding to increase respective inductance values of the first and second windings;
a first digital transceiver communicatively coupled to the first digital communication node and the second digital communication node; and
a controller configured to provide inrush current protection by limiting a slew rate of current flowing through the first and second windings during start-up of the digital communication station.

6. The digital communication station of claim 1 , where the first digital communication node and the second digital communication node are part of an electrical cable of a climate control system.

7. The digital communication station of claim 1 , wherein the first digital transceiver is configured to perform at least one of the following actions:
transmit digital communication signals via the first and second digital communication nodes; and
receive digital communication signals via the first and second digital communication nodes.

8. A digital communication system, comprising:
a first station, including:
a first coupled inductor, including:
a first winding connected between a first digital communication node and a first power node,
a second winding connected between a second digital communication node and a second power node, and
a third winding,

first driver circuitry configured to drive the third winding of the first coupled inductor to increase respective inductance values of the first and second windings of the first coupled inductor, and
a first digital transceiver communicatively coupled to the first digital communication node and the second digital communication node;

a second station, including:
a second coupled inductor, including:
a first winding connected between the first digital communication node and a third power node,
a second winding connected between the second digital communication node and a fourth power node, and
a third winding,

second driver circuitry configured to drive the third winding of the second coupled inductor to increase respective inductance values of the first and second windings of the second coupled inductor, and
a second digital transceiver communicatively coupled to the first digital communication node and the second digital communication node;

an electrical cable connecting (a) the first digital communication node between the first and second stations, and (b) the second digital communication node between the first and second stations.

9. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first driver circuitry is configured to drive the third winding of the first coupled inductor to increase respective inductance values of the first and second windings of the first coupled inductor at least partially in response to current flowing through the first and second windings.

10. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first driver circuitry is configured to drive the third winding of the first coupled inductor to increase respective inductance values of the first and second windings of the first coupled inductor at least partially in response to (a) a voltage across the first winding and (b) a voltage across the second winding.

11. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first station further includes a controller configured to provide fault protection in the digital communication system by causing flow of current through at least one of the first winding of the first coupled inductor and the second winding of the first coupled inductor to be interrupted in response to a first fault condition.

12. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first station further includes a controller configured to provide inrush current protection by limiting a slew rate of current flowing through the first and second windings of the first coupled inductor during start-up of the digital communication system.

13. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the second station further includes a controller configured to provide fault protection in the digital communication system by causing flow of current through at least one of the first winding of the second coupled inductor and the second winding of the second coupled inductor to be interrupted in response to a second fault condition.

14. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the digital communication system is part of a climate control system.

15. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second power nodes are connected to an electrical power source.

16. The digital communication system of claim 15 , further comprising an electrical load electrically coupled to the third power node and the fourth power node.

17. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first digital transceiver is configured to transmit digital communication signals via the first and second digital communication nodes; and
the second digital transceiver is configured to receive digital communication signals via the first and second digital communication nodes.

18. The digital communication system of claim 17 , wherein:
the first digital transceiver configured to receive digital communication signals via the first and second digital communication nodes; and
the second digital transceiver is configured to transmit digital communication signals via the first and second digital communication nodes.

19. The digital communication system of claim 8 , wherein the digital communication system is configured to permit bi-directional flow of electrical power between the first and second stations via the electrical cable.

20. A meth

Assignees

• Maxim Integrated Products

Inventors

• Sahin Hakki Volkan
• Alini Roberto

Classifications

• H01F27/425

  for voltage transformers · CPC title

• H03H11/486

  Simulating inductances using transconductance amplifiers · CPC title

• H04B3/548

  the power on the line being DC (arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02) · CPC title

• H02H7/20

  for electronic equipment (for converters H02H7/10; for electric measuring instruments G01R1/36; for DC voltage or current semiconductor regulators G05F1/569; for amplifiers H03F1/52; for electronic switching circuits H03K17/08) · CPC title

• H02H9/02

  responsive to excess current {(current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025)} · CPC title