Power controller with multi-function pin and power supply using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9520791-B2
Application number	US-201313798148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	May 11, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

Power supplies and power controllers are disclosed. A disclosed power supply has a power controller, a power switch, an auxiliary winding, a first circuit and a second circuit. The power controller is a monolithic integrated circuit with a multi-function pin and a gate pin. A control node of the power switch is coupled to the gate pin. The first circuit is coupled between the multi-function pin and the auxiliary winding and has a diode. The second circuit is coupled between the multi-function pin and a ground line, and has a thermistor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power supply, comprising:
a power controller having a multi-function pin, an FB pin, a CS pin, and a gate pin, wherein the power controller is a monolithic integrated circuit;
a power switch having a control terminal coupled to the gate pin, wherein the FB pin different to the CS pin and the multi-function pin is used for receiving a feedback signal corresponding to a voltage of an output terminal of the power supply;
an auxiliary winding;
a first circuit coupled between the multi-function pin and the auxiliary winding, wherein the first circuit has a diode; and
a second circuit coupled between the multi-function pin and a ground line, wherein the second circuit has a thermistor coupled between the multi-function pin and the ground line, a resistance of the second circuit is varied with a resistance of the thermistor, and the resistance of the second circuit is used for determining whether an over temperature protection signal is enabled;
wherein when a voltage signal of the CS pin exceeds a value corresponding to the feedback signal, the power switch is turned off, and when the power switch is turned off, the power controller detects a discharge time of the auxiliary winding through the multi-function pin.

2. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit comprises the diode and a resistor, where the diode and the resistor are coupled between the multi-function pin and the auxiliary winding in series.

3. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the second circuit has the thermistor and a resistor, where the thermistor and the resistor are coupled between the multi-function pin and the ground line in series.

4. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the power controller detects a discharge time of the auxiliary winding through the multi-function pin when the power switch is turned off.

5. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the power controller detects a resistance of the second circuit through the multi-function pin when the power switch is turned on.

6. A power controller being a monolithic integrated circuit, the power controller comprising:
a gate pin for outputting a gate signal;
a CS pin for detecting a current flowing through a power switch controlled by the gate signal;
an FB pin for receiving a feedback signal corresponding to a voltage of an output terminal of a power supply which the power controller is applied to, wherein when a voltage signal of the CS pin exceeds a value corresponding to the feedback signal, the power switch is turned off;
a multi-function pin different to the FB pin and the CS pin coupled to a ground line through a thermistor;
a resistance detector for detecting a resistance between the multi-function pin and the ground line when the gate signal is enabled, and enabling an over temperature protection signal when the resistance is lower than a predetermined value, wherein the resistance is varied with a resistance of the thermistor; and
a quadrature resonance (QR) detector for detecting a discharge time of an external inductor through the multi-function pin to enable a trigger signal when the gate signal is disabled;
wherein the trigger signal enables the gate signal, and the enabled protection signal keeps the gate signal not being enabled.

7. The power controller of claim 6 , wherein the resistance detector outputs a fixed first current through the multi-function pin and detects a pin voltage of the multi-function pin when the gate signal is enabled, and the resistance detector enables the protection signal when the pin voltage is higher than a predetermined voltage.

8. The power controller of claim 6 , wherein the QR detector detects an input current inputted from the multi-function pin when the gate signal is disabled, and the QR detector enables the trigger signal when the input current is smaller than predetermined current.

9. The power controller of claim 6 , wherein the resistance detector comprises:
a first current source for providing a first current outputted from the multi-function pin; and
a voltage comparator for comparing a pin voltage of the multi-function pin with a predetermined voltage.

10. The power controller of claim 6 , wherein the QR detector comprises:
a current comparator for comparing an input current inputted from the multi-function pin with a predetermined current.

Assignees

• Leadtrend Tech Corp

Inventors

• Wu Chin-Ho
• Chen ren-yi
• Chu Yi-Shan

Classifications

• H02M2001/327

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M3/33507 Primary

  with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/325 Primary

  using devices of a triode or a transistor type requiring continuous application of a control signal · CPC title

• H02M1/0064

  Magnetic structures combining different functions, e.g. storage, filtering or transformation · CPC title

• H02M1/327

  against abnormal temperatures · CPC title