Power supply and supercharging control method

Abstract

A power supply and a boost control method. The power supply has a power factor correction unit, a sensing unit and a voltage regulating unit. The power factor correction unit generates a target voltage and an output voltage; the sensing unit is connected to the power factor correction unit, and the sensing unit determines whether the power factor correction unit is in an overload state according to the difference between the target voltage and the output voltage; the voltage regulating unit is connected to the power factor correction unit and the sensing unit. When the power factor correction unit is in an overload state, the sensing unit drives the voltage regulating unit to provide a compensation voltage to the power factor correction unit, and the power factor correction unit outputs a time corresponding to the maintenance time of the overload state according to the sum of the output voltage and the compensation voltage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Regarding a power supply device and its processing method, particularly a power supply unit and a boost control method. Background Technology

[0002] As computer processing power increases, the power requirements of computers and related equipment also rise. Intel has introduced new specifications for the Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) 3.0 / 3.1 power architecture. Under high load conditions, power supplies need to deliver several times their rated current to the load devices.

[0003] To maintain high load operation, the power supply needs to provide a higher output current. This also leads to an increase in resonant current. Normally, the power supply is compensated for by a power factor correction circuit. However, the increase in resonant current will cause the power factor correction circuit to be unable to compensate adequately, resulting in a decrease in output voltage. Ultimately, this triggers the power protection mechanism, potentially causing all load devices to stop operating. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, in one embodiment, the power supply includes a power factor correction unit, a sensing unit, and a voltage regulation unit. The power factor correction unit generates a target voltage and an output voltage; the sensing unit is connected to the power factor correction unit, and the sensing unit determines whether the power factor correction unit is in an overload state based on the difference between the target voltage and the output voltage; the voltage regulation unit is connected to the power factor correction unit and the sensing unit, and when the power factor correction unit is in an overload state, the sensing unit drives the voltage regulation unit to provide a compensation voltage to the power factor correction unit, and the power factor correction unit outputs a voltage corresponding to the duration of the overload state based on the sum of the output voltage and the compensation voltage.

[0005] The power supply can provide compensation voltage in real time, so that the compensation voltage and output voltage can maintain the operating power required by the load equipment, thereby avoiding the impact caused by insufficient compensation from the power factor correction unit.

[0006] In one embodiment, a power supply boost control method includes a power supply generating a target voltage and an output voltage based on a load device; the power supply determining whether it is in an overload state based on the difference between the target voltage and the output voltage; if the power supply is in an overload state, the voltage regulation unit of the power supply providing a compensation voltage to a power factor correction unit; and the power factor correction unit outputting a duration corresponding to the overload state based on the sum of the output voltage and the compensation voltage.

[0007] The power supply and boost control method are designed to provide a stable voltage output in real time under high load conditions, enabling the load equipment to maintain normal operation under rated conditions. Under overload conditions, the power supply can output a compensation voltage in real time to prevent excessive resonant current from triggering relevant protection mechanisms and causing all equipment to stop operating. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a power supply according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a power supply boost control according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a circuit diagram of a power supply according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of another power supply according to one embodiment.

[0012] The reference numerals in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0013] 100: Power Supply

[0014] 110: Input terminal

[0015] 120: Output terminal

[0016] 130: Power Factor Correction Unit

[0017] 140: Sensing Unit

[0018] 150: Voltage regulating unit

[0019] 200: Load device

[0020] 310: Target voltage

[0021] 320: Output voltage

[0022] 330: Compensation voltage

[0023] 340: External Power

[0024] 410: Detection Point

[0025] 421: Expanding charging capacity

[0026] 422: Extended Battery

[0027] 430: MOS

[0028] 440: Second-order boost circuit

[0029] S210, S220, S230, S240, S250: Steps Detailed Implementation

[0030] Please refer to Figure 1 The diagram shown illustrates the architecture of a power supply 100 according to one embodiment. The power supply 100 includes an input terminal 110, an output terminal 120, a power factor correction (PFC) unit 130, a sensing unit 140, and a voltage regulation unit 150. The power supply 100 is further connected to a load device 200, which may be, but is not limited to, a motherboard, processor, video card, interface card, or human-machine interface device. Furthermore, in addition to providing power to various load devices 200 for personal computers, the power supply 100 can also be used in laptops or other computers.

[0031] The power factor correction unit 130 is connected to the input terminal 110, the output terminal 120, the sensing unit 140, and the voltage regulation unit 150. The input terminal 110 receives external power 340, which is then converted by the power supply 100 into operating power usable by the load device 200. The output terminal 120 is connected to the load device 200 and provides operating power to the load device 200.

[0032] Generally, the power supply 100 receives the corresponding load request from the load device 200. In the desktop environment (Windows environment) of the operating system, the graphics card does not need to perform a large amount of high-load computation such as shading or rendering. Therefore, in the desktop environment, the graphics card issues a normal loading load request to the power supply 100. When the operating system starts executing applications, such as games, graphics software, or image editing software, these programs will call on the graphics card to perform related computational processing, and therefore the graphics card will issue a high loading load request to the power supply 100. For ease of distinction, the normal loading state is referred to as the normal state, while the high loading state is referred to as the overload state.

[0033] Power factor correction unit 130 generates a target voltage 310 (bulk) and an output voltage 320. The target voltage 310 is the voltage target output by power factor correction unit 130. Since the current demand of the load device 200 affects the output of power factor correction unit 130, the output voltage 320 differs from the target voltage 310. To distinguish between the two voltages, the voltage output by power factor correction unit 130 is referred to as output voltage 320. Sensing unit 140 is connected to power factor correction unit 130, and sensing unit 140 uses a decrease in target voltage 310 as a trigger. Once target voltage 310 begins to decrease, sensing unit 140 directly determines that power factor correction unit 130 is in an overload state. Conversely, sensing unit 140 determines that power factor correction unit 130 is in a normal state.

[0034] The voltage regulator unit 150 is connected to the power factor correction unit 130 and the sensing unit 140. When the power factor correction unit 130 is in an overload state, the sensing unit 140 will drive the voltage regulator unit 150 and provide corresponding power to the power factor correction unit 130. For further explanation of the overall operation of the power supply 100, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 2 . Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a power supply boost control method according to one embodiment. The power supply boost control method includes the following steps:

[0035] Step S210: The power supply generates the target voltage and output voltage according to the load device;

[0036] Step S220: The power supply determines whether it is in an overload state based on the difference between the target voltage and the output voltage;

[0037] Step S230: If the power supply is overloaded, the voltage regulation unit of the power supply provides compensation voltage to the power factor correction unit;

[0038] Step S240: The power factor correction unit outputs a duration corresponding to the overload state based on the sum of the output voltage and the compensation voltage; and

[0039] Step S250: If the power supply is in a normal state, the power supply executes step S220.

[0040] First, the power supply 100 connects to external power 340 and the load device 200, providing operating power to the load device 200. The power factor correction unit 130 of the power supply 100 generates a fixed target voltage 310 and a variable output voltage 320 (corresponding to step S210). The sensing unit 140 detects the output voltage 320 output by the power factor correction unit 130 in real time. The sensing unit 140 calculates the difference between the target voltage 310 and the output voltage 320 to determine whether the power factor correction unit 130 is in a normal state or an overload state (corresponding to step S220). In some embodiments, when the difference between the target voltage 310 and the output voltage 320 is greater than a first threshold, the sensing unit 140 determines that the power factor correction unit 130 is in an overload state based on a trigger signal.

[0041] If the power factor correction unit 130 is in an overload state, the sensing unit 140 drives the voltage regulation unit 150, causing the voltage regulation unit 150 to provide a compensation voltage 330 to the power factor correction unit 130 (corresponding to step S230). The power factor correction unit 130 provides the compensated peak current to the load device 200 according to the output voltage 320 and the compensation voltage 330, thereby maintaining the operating power required by the load device 200. The sum of the output voltage 320 and the compensation voltage 330 output time corresponds to the duration of the overload state (corresponding to step S240).

[0042] The ATX 3.0 / 3.1 power supply architecture defines the operating time of the load device 200 and its corresponding peak current. If the corresponding power cannot be provided within the operating time, the power supply 100 will experience excessive resonant current, triggering the relevant protection mechanism. Therefore, after the voltage regulation unit 150 generates the compensation voltage 330, the sum of the output voltage 320 and the compensation voltage 330 outputs for a duration at least greater than or equal to the total duration of operation under overload conditions (i.e., the sustaining time). In some embodiments, the voltage drop of the target voltage 310 is used to determine the starting point of the sustaining time.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 3 This is a circuit diagram of a power supply 100 according to one embodiment. Figure 3 The dashed box on the left represents the power factor correction unit 130, the upper dashed box on the right represents the sensing unit 140, and the lower dashed box on the right represents the voltage regulation unit 150. In some embodiments, the voltage regulation unit 150 further includes an expansion capacitor 421, an expansion battery 422, or a combination thereof. Figure 3For example, the two diodes above the power factor correction unit 130 can be considered as the input terminals 110 of the external power 340, preventing reverse current flow. The elliptical dashed boxes in the power factor correction unit 130 represent the detection points 410 for the induced current ISENSE and PFC_ISENSE_R1. The sensing unit 140 obtains the output voltage 320 through the detection points 410, thereby determining the state of the power factor correction unit 130.

[0044] The voltage regulating unit 150 is formed by multiple capacitors connected in parallel. Since the equivalent resistance of the load device 200 is a fixed value, the output voltage 320 of the power factor correction unit 130 can be matched with the target voltage 310 by increasing the capacitor capacity, adding a battery, or a combination thereof. Assuming a 1000W power supply 100 needs to handle a momentary load of up to 1.8 times its normal load and maintain it for 1 millisecond, the required capacitor capacity is calculated below to ensure PFC voltage stability and support this high load demand.

[0045] Assume that the power factor correction unit 130 of the power supply 100 requires an output voltage of 380V to maintain the normal operation of the downstream resonant circuit (also known as LLC). Therefore, when the load device 200 supplies a load of 1.8 times that of the power supply 100, the power supply 100 needs to provide an output power of 1000W * 1.8 = 1800W. If the conversion efficiency of the resonant circuit is 80%, the power that the power factor correction unit 130 can provide is as follows:

[0046] Power factor correction unit output power = 1800 (W) / 0.8 = 2250 (W) (Equation 1)

[0047] Meanwhile, the output voltage 320 of the power factor correction unit 130 is 385 (V), and the equivalent impedance of the load device 200 is as follows:

[0048] Equivalent impedance = 385^2 / 2250 = 65.87 (Ohm) (Equation 2)

[0049] When the load on the power factor correction unit 130 increases instantaneously and there is no time for real-time feedback adjustment, the voltage-time relationship can be estimated using the resistor-capacitor discharge formula:

[0050]

[0051] Where V(0) is the initial voltage; t is time; R is the resistance value; and C is the capacitance value. According to Equations 3 to 5 above, at least 1161 μF of capacitor needs to be provided in the voltage regulating unit 150 to meet the high load requirements of the power factor correction unit 130 under overload conditions. In addition to the aforementioned method of adding capacitor, a battery with matching power can also be added, so that the power factor correction unit 130 can provide compensation voltage 330 in real time under overload conditions.

[0052] In some embodiments, when the power factor correction unit 130 is in an overload state and the sensing unit 140 determines that the output voltage 320 is below a preset threshold value and has exceeded the maintenance time, the sensing unit 140 sends a disable request to the power factor correction unit 130, temporarily disabling the power factor correction unit 130. Since the power factor correction unit 130 exceeds the maintenance time and the output voltage 320 continues to decrease, this indicates that the situation is not a load requirement according to the ATX specification. Therefore, to prevent damage to the power supply 100, the sensing unit 140 will issue a disable request to the power factor correction unit 130.

[0053] In some embodiments, the voltage regulating unit 150 is a secondary boost circuit 440 (Baby Boost), please refer to... Figure 4 . Figure 4 The dashed box in the diagram represents the secondary boost circuit 440. The BB_BYPAS pin is located to the right of the secondary boost circuit 440. The BB_BYPAS pin receives the signal corresponding to the power factor correction unit 130, thereby controlling the on / off state of the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOS430) in the secondary boost circuit 440.

[0054] When the power factor correction unit 130 detects an abnormal condition (i.e., an overload state), it can send a corresponding signal (e.g., a high potential) to the BB_BYPAS pin. The MOS 430 of the secondary boost circuit 440 will remain on, allowing the secondary boost circuit 440 to provide a compensation voltage 330. The power factor correction unit 130 outputs the output voltage 320 and the compensation voltage 330 to the load device 200. When the power factor correction unit 130 switches to a normal state, it sends another signal (e.g., a low potential) to the BB_BYPAS pin, preventing the secondary boost circuit 440 from providing the compensation voltage 330.

[0055] The power supply 100 and the boost control method are designed to provide a stable voltage output in real time under high load conditions, so that the load device 200 can maintain normal operation under rated conditions. Under overload conditions, the power supply 100 can output a compensation voltage 330 in real time to prevent excessive resonant current from triggering relevant protection mechanisms and causing all equipment to stop operating.

Claims

1. A power supply, characterized in that, include: A power factor correction unit generates a target voltage and an output voltage; A sensing unit is connected to the power factor correction unit. The sensing unit determines whether the power factor correction unit is in an overload state based on the difference between the target voltage and the output voltage. as well as A voltage regulating unit is connected to the power factor correction unit and the sensing unit. When the power factor correction unit is in the overload state, the sensing unit drives the voltage regulating unit to provide a compensation voltage to the power factor correction unit. The power factor correction unit outputs a time corresponding to a duration of the overload state based on the sum of the output voltage and the compensation voltage.

2. The power supply as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage regulating unit also includes an expansion capacitor, an expansion battery, or a combination thereof.

3. The power supply as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the difference between the target voltage and the output voltage is greater than a first threshold, the sensing unit determines that the power factor correction unit is in an overload state based on a trigger signal.

4. The power supply as described in claim 3, characterized in that, When the power factor correction unit is in an overload state and the sensing unit determines that the output voltage is less than a second threshold value, the sensing unit sends a disable request to the power factor correction unit to disable the power factor correction unit.

5. The power supply as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, This voltage regulation unit is a first-order boost circuit (BabyBoost).

6. The power supply as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The sensing unit determines that the power factor correction unit is in the overload state, and the sensing unit drives the secondary boost circuit and provides the compensation voltage.

7. The power supply as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing unit determines the starting point of the sustaining time based on a voltage drop of the target voltage.

8. A power supply boosting control method, characterized in that, include: A power supply generates a target voltage and an output voltage based on a load device; The power supply determines whether it is in an overload state based on the difference between the target voltage and the output voltage; If the power supply is in an overload state, a voltage regulating unit of the power supply provides a compensation voltage to a power factor correction unit; and The power factor correction unit outputs a time corresponding to the duration of the overload state based on the sum of the output voltage and the compensation voltage.

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