Enable control circuit, enable system for controlling robot joint and robot
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202610873608.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-06-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-09
- Estimated Expiration
- 2046-06-16
AI Technical Summary
[0004]但是在预充电过程中,当母线电压达到控制电源的低启动阈值时,控制系统会提前启动并产生持续工作电流
[0013] In this design, the enable network employs a voltage divider structure with a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series. The value of the first voltage can be configured by adjusting the resistance ratio of the two resistors, making parameter calculation simple and debugging convenient. The purely resistive voltage divider structure requires no additional active components, resulting in high circuit stability, strong anti-interference capability, and low cost. The common connection node between the second terminal of the first resistor and the first terminal of the second resistor is directly connected to the enable terminal of the power IC as the output terminal. This short signal transmission path reduces the possibility of interference introduction and ensures the accuracy of the startup threshold setting.
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Figure CN122394159B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to an enable control circuit, an enable system including the enable control circuit for controlling robot joints, and a robot including the enable system. Background Technology
[0002] With the deep integration of artificial intelligence and mechatronics, robotics is developing towards greater physicality, precision, and intelligence. Robots are showing broad application prospects in service industries, medical rehabilitation, specialized operations, and even family companionship. The robot's mobility is its core function, and the accuracy, coordination, and reliability of its movement directly depend on the precise control of numerous joints. Joints, as the execution units connecting the robot's various limbs and enabling complex movements, rely on the precise perception and recording of their motion parameters (including linear extension length, three-dimensional spatial posture, rotation angle, and multi-turn values) as the cornerstone for stable gait planning, high-precision end-effector positioning, and real-time motion feedback. The power supply to the robot, especially its joints, is crucial.
[0003] In battery-powered servo systems such as humanoid robots, collaborative robots, and new energy vehicles, the power supply and control power supply are often from the same source, and the load end has a large-capacity energy storage capacitor. To solve the problem of large current surge caused by the capacitor's virtual short effect at power-on, related technologies mainly adopt a pre-charging scheme. That is, a pre-charging circuit is formed by a pre-charging resistor and a pre-charging switch. The energy storage capacitor is first charged in a current-limiting manner. After the capacitor voltage rises to a set value, the main circuit switch is closed, switching to direct power supply from the main power source.
[0004] However, during the pre-charging process, when the bus voltage reaches the low start-up threshold of the control power supply, the control system will start prematurely and generate a continuous operating current. This current flows through the pre-charging resistor, creating a fixed voltage drop, which clamps the bus pre-charging voltage to a level far below the main power supply voltage. Even when the main power supply is turned on, there is still a 30%-50% voltage difference, resulting in an instantaneous charging current exceeding 100 amps. This can easily trigger battery overcurrent protection, damage circuit components, and the resulting electromagnetic interference can affect system communication and normal startup. Furthermore, the difference between the start-up and shutdown voltage thresholds of the existing control power supply is relatively small. When a short-term overload causes the power supply voltage to drop by 20%-40%, it may directly trigger a power outage and system crash in the control system, leading to serious safety accidents such as equipment malfunction. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This application provides an enable control circuit, an enable system for controlling robot joints including the enable control circuit, and a robot including the enable system. The control circuit, by setting an enable start-up network and a control regulation network, independently sets the high start-up threshold and low shutdown threshold of the control power supply, thereby delaying the start-up of the control system during the pre-charging phase. This avoids power-on shock while ensuring a continuous and stable power supply to the control power supply under overload conditions.
[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an enable control circuit, which includes an input power supply, an enable startup network, a control regulation network, and a power supply IC. The input power supply is connected to the power input terminal of the power supply IC. The enable startup network is connected between the input power supply and a ground terminal, and its output terminal is connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. The control regulation network is connected to the enable startup network and regulates the output voltage of its output terminal; alternatively, the control regulation network is connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. The input terminal of the control regulation network is connected to a signal output terminal, and the control signal output from the signal output terminal regulates the conduction state of the control regulation network, thereby regulating the input voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC.
[0007] In this application, the input power supply provides power to the power IC and the enable / start network. By connecting the output terminal of the enable / start network to the enable terminal of the power IC, the enable / start network uses the voltage divider principle to set the start-up threshold of the power IC, ensuring that the control system only starts after the bus voltage reaches a preset value. This avoids the pre-charge voltage drop and bus voltage clamping problems caused by the control current during the pre-charge phase. A control regulation network receives the control signal from the signal output terminal and uses changes in the enable terminal voltage to independently adjust the start-up and stop-down thresholds, preventing power outages due to overload caused by the start-up and stop-down thresholds being close. The overall structure requires no complex timing control; the function can be achieved through a combination of passive and switching devices, resulting in a simple and reliable circuit.
[0008] In one possible design of the first aspect, when the control regulation network is in the off state and the output voltage of the input power supply reaches a first voltage, the output voltage of the enable network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC. When the control regulation network is in the on state and the output voltage of the input power supply is greater than or equal to a second voltage, the output voltage of the enable network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC, wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage.
[0009] In this design, the first voltage is the startup threshold of the power supply IC. This can be set to be close to the rated input voltage by adjusting the parameters of the enable network. This ensures that the control system only starts after the bus capacitor is pre-charged to near its rated voltage, resulting in a smaller voltage difference when the main power switch is closed, thus reducing inrush current and electromagnetic interference. The second voltage is the shutdown threshold of the power supply IC. This can be set by adjusting the parameters of the control network. It is lower than the first voltage. When a short-term overload causes the input voltage to drop below the first voltage but not below the second voltage, the control power supply can still continue to output, preventing system crashes. Both voltages can be adjusted independently to adapt to the voltage fluctuation requirements of different systems.
[0010] In one possible design of the first aspect, one end of the control and regulation network is connected to the input power supply, and the other end of the control and regulation network is connected to the output terminal of the enable network. The control signal output by the signal output terminal controls the conduction state of the control and regulation network to regulate the output voltage of the enable network.
[0011] In this design, one end of the control and regulation network is connected to the input power supply, and the other end is connected to the output of the enable network. When turned on, current can be directly injected into the enable terminal to increase the voltage level of the enable terminal, thereby reducing the shutdown threshold of the power supply IC. This structure does not require changing the original voltage divider parameters of the enable network. The second voltage can be independently set by adjusting the component parameters of the control and regulation network, improving the versatility and debugging convenience of the circuit.
[0012] In one possible design of the first aspect, the enable network includes a first resistor and a second resistor, a first end of the first resistor being connected to an input power supply, a second end of the first resistor being connected to the first end of the second resistor, a second end of the second resistor being connected to a ground terminal, and an output terminal of the enable network being located between the second end of the first resistor and the first end of the second resistor.
[0013] In this design, the enable network employs a voltage divider structure with a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series. The value of the first voltage can be configured by adjusting the resistance ratio of the two resistors, making parameter calculation simple and debugging convenient. The purely resistive voltage divider structure requires no additional active components, resulting in high circuit stability, strong anti-interference capability, and low cost. The common connection node between the second terminal of the first resistor and the first terminal of the second resistor is directly connected to the enable terminal of the power IC as the output terminal. This short signal transmission path reduces the possibility of interference introduction and ensures the accuracy of the startup threshold setting.
[0014] In one possible design of the first aspect, the control and regulation network includes a regulation network and a control network. One end of the regulation network is connected to the input power supply, and the other end is connected to the output of the enable network. One end of the control network is connected to the signal output, and the other end is connected to the ground terminal. The output of the control network is connected to the control terminal of the regulation network, and the control network controls the conduction state of the regulation network.
[0015] In this design, the control and regulation network is divided into two parts: a regulation network and a control network. The control network is responsible for converting control signals into signals that drive the regulation network, achieving electrical isolation between the control loop and the main power supply loop, and blocking voltage spikes and electromagnetic interference from the main circuit from being conducted to the control loop. The regulation network is responsible for the actual voltage regulation function. The two functions are decoupled, and parameter adjustments do not affect each other, facilitating rapid optimization of threshold parameters according to different application scenarios. The separate structure helps improve the circuit's anti-interference capability and operational reliability in complex electromagnetic environments.
[0016] In one possible design of the first aspect, the regulating network includes a third resistor and a switching transistor. The first end of the third resistor is connected to the input power supply, the second end of the third resistor is connected to the first conducting end of the switching transistor, the second conducting end of the switching transistor is connected to the output of the enable network, and the control end of the switching transistor is connected to the output of the control network.
[0017] In this design, the regulating network employs a third resistor connected in series with the switching transistor. This third resistor acts as a current-limiting element, restricting the loop current when the regulating network is on, preventing excessive current from damaging the switching transistor or the power IC's enable port. Its resistance value can be flexibly adjusted to accommodate different threshold adjustment ranges. The switching transistor features low on-resistance and fast switching speed, enabling state switching within microseconds, ensuring timely threshold switching. This structure has a small number of components, low cost, requires no additional auxiliary power supply, and has a simple circuit topology.
[0018] In one possible design of the first aspect, the control network includes a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor, and a first capacitor. The first end of the fourth resistor is connected to the signal output terminal, the second end of the fourth resistor is connected to the first end of the fifth resistor, the second end of the fifth resistor is connected to the ground terminal, the first end of the first capacitor is connected to the first end of the fourth resistor, the second end of the first capacitor is connected to the second end of the fifth resistor, and the control terminal of the switching transistor is connected between the second end of the fourth resistor and the first end of the fifth resistor.
[0019] In this design, the control network employs a passive RC structure consisting of a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor, and a first capacitor. The fourth resistor limits the drive current, protects the control electrode of the switching transistor, and achieves impedance matching. The fifth resistor clamps the control terminal of the switching transistor to ground potential when there is no control signal, ensuring reliable cutoff and preventing false turn-on caused by electromagnetic interference. The first capacitor filters out high-frequency interference in the control signal, smooths the edges of the drive signal, and suppresses parasitic oscillations. This structure uses all general-purpose passive components, requires no additional power supply, and has strong anti-interference capabilities.
[0020] In one possible design approach of the first aspect, the switching transistor is a bipolar transistor or a MOSFET.
[0021] In this design approach, either a transistor or a MOSFET can be used as the switching transistor. Transistors are current-driven, low in cost, and have strong anti-static capabilities; MOSFETs are voltage-driven, with low drive power, low on-resistance, and fast switching speed.
[0022] In one possible design of the first aspect, the control and regulation network includes a diode, the positive terminal of which is connected to the signal output terminal, and the negative terminal of which is connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC.
[0023] In this design, the control and regulation network employs a single diode structure. Utilizing its unidirectional conductivity, it allows current to flow only from the signal output terminal to the enable terminal. During forward conduction, the enable terminal voltage is clamped to the level of the signal output voltage minus the forward voltage drop, thus lowering the shutdown threshold. During reverse cutoff, it does not affect the voltage divider characteristics of the enable network, ensuring the accuracy of the startup threshold. This solution has the fewest components, a simple circuit topology, low cost, and requires no debugging.
[0024] In one possible design approach of the first aspect, the signal output terminal is the voltage output terminal of the power supply IC, the voltage output terminal of the subsequent power supply, or the signal terminal of the MCU.
[0025] This design employs a self-feedback power supply IC, eliminating the need for additional signal generation circuitry, resulting in a simple structure and minimal response delay. The use of a subsequent power supply provides a more stable and pure output signal, preventing malfunctions caused by voltage fluctuations during the initial startup of the power supply IC. The MCU signal terminals allow for software programming control of signal output timing and logic, synchronizing threshold switching with the system startup process. Furthermore, it can proactively shut down the control power supply in abnormal conditions, enhancing system safety.
[0026] In one possible design of the first aspect, the circuit further includes a second capacitor and a third capacitor, which are connected in parallel with the enable startup network, respectively.
[0027] In this design, the second and third capacitors are connected in parallel across the enable network, forming a wideband composite filter network. The second capacitor can be a large-capacity electrolytic capacitor to filter out low-frequency ripple and voltage fluctuations in the input power supply, providing energy replenishment during transient voltage drops. The third capacitor can be a small-capacity ceramic capacitor to filter out high-frequency interference and voltage spikes, compensating for the insufficient high-frequency filtering performance of the large-capacity capacitor. The combination of these two capacitors more comprehensively purifies the input power supply environment of the enable network, preventing accidental triggering or shutdown of the power IC and improving the system's anti-interference capability.
[0028] In a second aspect, this application provides an enabling system for controlling robot joints, including a battery power supply, multiple joint units, and an enabling control circuit as described in the first aspect and any one thereof, wherein the multiple joint units are connected in parallel to the battery power supply, and the enabling control circuit is disposed within the joint units.
[0029] Thirdly, this application provides a robot, including a robot body and an enabling system for controlling robot joints, the enabling system for controlling robot joints being disposed on the robot body. Attached Figure Description
[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a pre-charging circuit for a shared power and control power supply system provided in this application embodiment; Figure 2 An application scenario diagram of an enable control circuit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an enable control circuit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another enable control circuit provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application will be thorough and complete.
[0033] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.
[0034] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.
[0035] It should be understood that the terminology used in the description of the various examples herein is for the purpose of describing the particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various examples, the singular forms “a” (“a”, “an”) and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.
[0036] In this application, "at least one" means one, two, or more, and "more than" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.
[0037] It should also be understood that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" in this application should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a sliding connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part thereof; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. If the connected circuits, modules, units, etc., transmit electrical signals or data to each other, it should be understood as an "electrical connection," "communication connection," etc.
[0038] It should also be understood that the term “comprising” (also referred to as “includes”, “including”, “comprises” and / or “comprising”) as used in this specification specifies the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.
[0039] It should be understood that the terms "an embodiment," "another embodiment," and "a possible design" used throughout the specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment or implementation is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, phrases such as "in one embodiment of this application," "in another embodiment of this application," and "a possible design" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0040] It should also be understood that the specific values mentioned in the embodiments of this application are not intended to limit the specific dimensions of particular features or structures. The relevant values may be illustrative examples for ease of understanding, or they may represent the theoretically optimal value for a certain feature. In practice, the relevant dimensions may be a range around the value, for example, the range may be ±5% of the optimal theoretical value, and the actual dimensions should be determined based on achieving the corresponding technical effect.
[0041] In battery-powered servo systems such as humanoid robots, collaborative robots, and new energy vehicles, the power supply and control power supply generally adopt a common input architecture, and the load side is usually equipped with a large-capacity bus energy storage capacitor to meet the instantaneous high current demand of the power load. To solve the problem of hundreds of amperes of inrush current caused by the virtual short effect of the capacitor at power-on, related technologies widely adopt pre-charging schemes, the circuit structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 As shown.
[0042] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a pre-charging circuit for a shared power and control power supply system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the pre-charging circuit mainly consists of a battery power supply, a pre-charging resistor R, a pre-charging switch K1, a main circuit switch K2, a bus energy storage capacitor C, and multiple parallel load units U1, U2, and U3. The pre-charging resistor R and the pre-charging switch K are connected in series to form the pre-charging path, while the main circuit switch K forms the main power path. These two paths are connected in parallel between the positive terminal of the battery power supply and the bus. The bus energy storage capacitor C is connected between the bus and the grounding terminal and is shared by all load units. Load units U1, U2, and U3 all adopt a design where the power supply and control power supply share the same input source, allowing for independent start-stop control.
[0043] The circuit works as follows: During the initial power-up phase, the pre-charge switch K1 is closed and the main circuit switch K2 is open. The battery power supply charges the bus energy storage capacitor C through the pre-charge resistor R in a current-limited manner. The resistance value of the pre-charge resistor R directly determines the magnitude of the pre-charge current. When the bus capacitor voltage rises to a preset threshold (typically 80%-90% of the battery voltage), the main circuit switch K2 is closed and the pre-charge switch K1 is opened, switching to the main power path to directly supply power to the load. Theoretically, at this time, the voltage difference between the capacitor and the battery is small, which can suppress the inrush current within a safe range.
[0044] However, in practical systems where power and control power supplies are shared, this scheme has certain drawbacks: when the bus capacitor is precharged to the low start-up threshold of the control power supply (usually only 30%-50% of the battery voltage), the control systems of each load unit will start prematurely and generate a continuous operating current. This current continuously flows through the precharge resistor R, generating a fixed voltage drop, causing the bus capacitor voltage to be clamped near the voltage of VI×R (V is the power supply voltage, I is the current flowing through the precharge resistor, and R is the resistance value of the precharge resistor), making it impossible to reach the preset 80%-90% charging target. For example, when the battery voltage is 60V, the precharge resistor R is 20Ω, and the control current of a single load is 0.2A, a single load will generate a voltage drop of 4V, clamping the bus voltage at 56V; if 10 identical loads are connected in parallel, the total control current reaches 2A, the voltage drop is as high as 40V, and the bus voltage can only be charged to 20V, resulting in a 40V voltage difference with the battery voltage. When the main circuit switch K2 is closed at this time, the instantaneous charging current can still reach more than 100A. This will not only trigger the battery overcurrent protection and cause power-on failure, but may also damage circuit components or generate serious electromagnetic interference, affecting system bus communication and normal startup.
[0045] To address the aforementioned issues, relevant technologies primarily employ two improvement directions: First, reducing the resistance value of the pre-charge resistor R to decrease voltage drop. However, this leads to an increase in the initial pre-charge current, requiring a higher-power pre-charge resistor. This significantly increases the size and cost of the power control system and places higher demands on the battery's maximum output current. Second, increasing the control system's turn-on voltage to approximately 90% of the battery voltage and strictly controlling the switching sequence between the main switch and the pre-charge switch. However, this approach struggles to adapt to capacitor loads of varying capacities. Furthermore, when a short-term overload causes a 20%-40% drop in power supply voltage, the voltage may fall below the control power supply's start-up threshold, triggering a sudden system restart or even loss of control. In scenarios with extremely high safety requirements, such as humanoid robots, this could result in equipment damage or personal injury.
[0046] To address the issues of power-on surge and overload power-off in existing pre-charging schemes, this application proposes an enable control circuit. By independently setting the high start-up threshold and low shutdown threshold of the control power supply, the control system can be delayed during the pre-charging phase, while ensuring continuous and stable power supply under overload conditions.
[0047] The enabling control circuit proposed in this application can be applied to battery-powered servo systems such as humanoid robots, collaborative robots, and new energy vehicles. For example, see reference. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This application provides an illustration of an application scenario for an enable control circuit, specifically for use in the leg joints of a humanoid robot. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of the leg joints of a humanoid robot is shown. Figure 2 The power supply and control power supply for the leg joints in the system use the same input source. Figure 2 The leg joints in the middle include two pivots, each pivot being equivalent to Figure 1 The load unit in the system shown, in this embodiment of the application, has its enable control circuit located in the control circuit of the leg joint. Combined with... Figure 1 It can be seen that this is equivalent to being applied to Figure 1 The load units U1 and U2 of the circuit shown can be specifically applied in... Figure 1 The MCU circuitry of the load unit shown is illustrated. Of course, the enable control circuit in this embodiment can be applied to joint units with more axes, such as in a 6-axis robot system; the principle is similar, the main difference being the number of load units.
[0048] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an enable control circuit provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, this application embodiment provides an enable control circuit, which includes an input power supply, an enable startup network, a control regulation network, and a power supply IC. The input power supply is connected to the power input terminal of the power supply IC. The enable startup network is connected between the input power supply and the ground terminal, and the output terminal of the enable startup network is connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. The control regulation network is connected to the enable startup network to regulate the output voltage of the enable startup network; alternatively, the control regulation network is connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. The input terminal FB_CTR of the control regulation network is connected to the signal output terminal (…). Figure 3 (Not shown in the diagram) The control signal output from the signal output terminal adjusts the conduction state of the control network and regulates the input voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC.
[0049] The enabling control circuit provided in this embodiment can be applied to power management systems that share power supply and control power and have large-capacity capacitive loads. Examples include humanoid robot joint drive systems, multi-axis servo drive power supply systems, and new energy vehicle onboard servo systems. This enabling control circuit includes an input power supply, an enabling startup network, a control regulation network, and a power supply IC. The input power supply can simultaneously provide power to the system's power load and control circuit, and the power supply IC is used to convert the voltage of the input power supply into a stable control voltage required by the control system.
[0050] The positive terminal of the input power supply is electrically connected to the power input terminal of the power IC, providing the input power required for the power IC to operate. An enable / startup network is connected in series between the positive terminal of the input power supply and the ground terminal, and its voltage divider output is electrically connected to the enable terminal of the power IC. The enable / startup network sets the start-up threshold voltage of the power IC through a resistor voltage divider principle, and its voltage division ratio can be flexibly configured according to the rated operating voltage of the system. Only when the input power supply voltage rises to the preset start-up voltage will the voltage divided by the enable / startup network reach the inherent turn-on threshold of the power IC's enable terminal, at which point the power IC will start and output a stable control voltage to the control system.
[0051] By setting the resistance values of each resistor in the enable network, the start-up threshold voltage can be set close to the rated voltage of the input power supply. This ensures that during the system's power-on pre-charging phase, the bus capacitor voltage is pre-charged to near the rated voltage before the control system starts working and generates a continuous operating current. This avoids the problem of excessive voltage drop across the pre-charging resistor and clamping of the bus pre-charging voltage caused by the control power supply starting prematurely. Consequently, it reduces the voltage difference between the bus capacitor and the input power supply when the main power switch is closed, effectively reducing the inrush current at the moment of power-on and avoiding the adverse effects of the inrush current on the battery, circuit components, and bus communication.
[0052] One end of the control and regulation network is connected to the voltage divider node of the enable network or the enable terminal of the power supply IC, and the other end of the control and regulation network is electrically connected to the ground terminal. The input terminal FB_CTR of the control and regulation network is connected to the signal output terminal of the system. Figure 3 Electrical connections (not shown). The signal output terminal can be the voltage output terminal VOUT of the power supply IC itself, the power output terminal of the subsequent control circuit, or the general-purpose input / output terminal of the microcontroller. The output control signal is used to adjust the conduction state of the control regulation network. When the power supply IC starts up normally and outputs the control voltage, the signal output terminal outputs a valid control signal, causing the control regulation network to enter the conduction state. After the control regulation network is turned on, it will change the equivalent voltage division ratio of the enable network, or directly provide additional current compensation to the enable terminal of the power supply IC, thereby increasing the input voltage level of the enable terminal and effectively reducing the shutdown threshold voltage of the power supply IC.
[0053] In this embodiment, when a short-term overload occurs during system operation, causing a significant drop in the input power supply voltage, as long as the input voltage does not fall below the system's minimum allowable operating voltage, the voltage at the enable terminal of the power IC will remain above its inherent turn-on threshold. The power IC will continuously output a control voltage to ensure the control system maintains normal operation, avoiding safety accidents such as equipment crashes and loss of control due to unexpected power supply shutdown. The circuit structure of this embodiment does not require a complex timing control unit; independent adjustment of the start-up and shutdown thresholds can be achieved simply through a combination of passive and switching devices. Furthermore, it does not require increasing the power rating and size of the pre-charge resistor, which is beneficial for the miniaturization design of the power control system.
[0054] In one embodiment of this application, when the control and regulation network is in the off state, and the output voltage of the input power supply reaches a first voltage, the output voltage of the enable network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC. When the control and regulation network is in the on state, and the output voltage of the input power supply is greater than or equal to a second voltage, the output voltage of the enable network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC, and the second voltage is less than the first voltage.
[0055] In this embodiment, through the synergistic effect of the enable startup network and the control regulation network, a power IC enable control logic with significant hysteresis characteristics is formed. That is, the startup threshold voltage (first voltage) and shutdown threshold voltage (second voltage) of the power IC are independent of each other and the second voltage is less than the first voltage, thereby simultaneously solving the power-on impact and overload power-off problems of the power and control power supply shared system.
[0056] During the initial power-on phase, the input power supply voltage gradually rises. At this time, the control regulation network is disconnected, and only the enable network is connected to the circuit to divide the input power supply voltage. The voltage divider output of the enable network is directly connected to the enable terminal of the power IC. When the output voltage of the input power supply rises to the first voltage, the voltage divider output by the enable network just reaches or exceeds the inherent turn-on threshold of the power IC's enable terminal, and the power IC starts and outputs a stable control voltage. By pre-configuring the voltage divider parameters of the enable network, the first voltage can be set to be close to the rated operating voltage of the input power supply. This ensures that during the pre-charging process, the bus capacitor voltage is charged to near the rated voltage before the control system starts consuming current. This fundamentally avoids the defects of continuous voltage drop in the pre-charging resistor and clamping of the bus pre-charging voltage caused by the control power supply starting prematurely. Since there is no additional control current consumption during the pre-charging phase, the bus capacitor voltage can rise stably to the preset value. When the main power switch is closed, the voltage difference between the capacitor and the input power supply is controlled within a very small range, significantly reducing the inrush current at power-on.
[0057] After the power supply IC starts up normally, the signal output terminal outputs a valid control signal to switch the control regulation network to the conducting state. Once the control regulation network is conducting, it forms an equivalent circuit structure in parallel or series with some or all of the resistors in the enable network, changing the voltage division ratio at the enable terminal. At this time, to maintain the voltage at the power supply IC's enable terminal above its inherent threshold, the required input power supply voltage is reduced to a second voltage, which is significantly lower than the first voltage. This voltage threshold switching process is automatically completed by the conduction of the control regulation network, without the need for additional timing control circuitry. By adjusting the equivalent impedance parameters of the control regulation network, the specific value of the second voltage can be flexibly configured to match the system's minimum allowable operating voltage.
[0058] When the system is under short-term overload conditions, the instantaneous increase in power load will pull the input power supply voltage down below the first voltage. However, as long as the input voltage does not fall below the second voltage, the voltage at the enable terminal of the power supply IC will remain above the turn-on threshold, and the power supply IC will continue to output control voltage to maintain the normal operation of the control system. This hysteresis characteristic allows the system to withstand the 20% voltage drop required by national standards, and can even meet the 30%-40% voltage fluctuation requirements in special scenarios such as humanoid robots, completely solving the overload crash problem caused by the control power supply start-up and shutdown thresholds being close in existing technologies. At the same time, this embodiment does not require reducing the pre-charge resistor value or using a high-power pre-charge resistor, effectively controlling the size and cost of the power supply control system.
[0059] In one embodiment of this application, as Figure 3 As shown, one end of the control and regulation network is connected to the input power supply, and the other end is connected to the output terminal of the enable network. The control signal output from the signal output terminal controls the conduction state of the control and regulation network to adjust the output voltage of the enable network.
[0060] In this embodiment, an input power pull-up control and regulation structure is adopted. By controlling the switching between the input power and the output terminal of the enable network, the voltage of the power IC enable terminal is precisely regulated. This structure is suitable for scenarios where power and control power are shared, such as multi-joint robot servo systems and industrial automation drive systems, which have high requirements for power response speed and threshold adjustment flexibility.
[0061] The positive terminal of the input power supply is electrically connected to the power input terminal of the power IC, the input terminal of the enable network, and the first terminal of the control and regulation network. The output terminal of the enable network is electrically connected to the enable terminal of the power IC. The second terminal of the control and regulation network is directly connected to the output terminal of the enable network. The input terminal FB_CTR of the control and regulation network is connected to the signal output terminal of the system. Figure 3(Not shown in the diagram) Electrical connection. During the initial power-on phase, the signal output terminal does not output a valid control signal, and the control regulation network is in an open state. At this time, the input power supply only performs voltage division through the enable network, and the output voltage of the enable network is entirely determined by its own voltage division parameters. When the input power supply voltage rises to the first voltage, the voltage division output by the enable network reaches the inherent turn-on threshold of the power IC enable terminal. The power IC then starts and outputs a stable control voltage. This process ensures that the control system only starts working after the bus capacitor is pre-charged to near its rated voltage, avoiding the pre-charge voltage drop and bus voltage clamping problems caused by the control current during the pre-charge phase.
[0062] When the power supply IC starts normally, the signal output terminal outputs a valid control signal, and the control regulation network switches to the on state. At this time, the input power supply injects current directly into the output terminal of the enable network through the on control regulation network. This current, combined with the voltage divider current of the enable network itself, acts on the enable terminal of the power supply IC, resulting in a higher voltage level at the enable terminal than when the control regulation network is off, under the same input power supply voltage. In other words, when the control regulation network is on, it forms a parallel circuit with the corresponding voltage divider resistor in the enable network, reducing the equivalent resistance of the voltage divider resistor and thus changing the overall equivalent voltage division ratio of the enable network. Since the equivalent resistance after parallel connection is less than the original resistance of the voltage divider resistor, the voltage division at the output terminal of the enable network will be higher than the voltage when the control regulation network is off, under the same input power supply voltage.
[0063] Based on this circuit characteristic, when the input power supply voltage drops due to a short-term overload during system operation, even if the input voltage is lower than the first voltage, as long as the input voltage is not lower than the second voltage, the superimposed voltage at the enable terminal can still be maintained above the turn-on threshold of the power supply IC, and the power supply IC will continue to output the control voltage. By adjusting the equivalent impedance parameter of the control regulation network, the magnitude of the injected current can be accurately controlled, thereby flexibly configuring the specific value of the second voltage to match the minimum operating voltage requirements of different systems.
[0064] The pull-up control and regulation structure used in this embodiment does not require changing the original voltage divider parameters of the enable network. The second voltage can be independently set simply by adjusting the component parameters of the control and regulation network, significantly improving the circuit's versatility and ease of debugging. Simultaneously, this structure directly obtains energy from the input power supply to provide voltage compensation to the enable terminal, resulting in a fast response speed. It can maintain voltage stability at the enable terminal even during sudden drops in input voltage, further enhancing the system's reliability under dynamic load conditions and effectively avoiding the risk of equipment malfunction due to unexpected power outages.
[0065] The specific structure for enabling the network in the embodiments of this application is described below. For example... Figure 3As shown, in one embodiment of this application, the enable network includes a first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2. The first end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the input power supply, the second end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the first end of the second resistor R2, the second end of the second resistor R2 is connected to the ground terminal, and the output terminal of the enable network is located between the second end of the first resistor R1 and the first end of the second resistor R2.
[0066] In this embodiment, the enable network is a voltage divider network composed of a first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2 connected in series. Combined with the control and adjustment network connected in parallel across the first resistor R1, the power IC start and stop thresholds can be independently adjusted. This structure has a simple circuit topology, fewer components, and convenient parameter debugging. It is suitable for embedded systems that share power and control power, such as humanoid robot joint modules and small integrated servo drives, which have strict requirements for cost, size, and reliability.
[0067] Specifically, the enable network consists of a first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2 connected in series. The first terminal of the first resistor R1 is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the input power supply, and the second terminal of the first resistor R1 is electrically connected to the first terminal of the second resistor R2. The second terminal of the second resistor R2 is electrically connected to the system ground. The common connection point of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2 is the output terminal of the enable network, which is directly connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. The two ends of the control and regulation network are connected in parallel between the first and second terminals of the first resistor R1. The input terminal FB_CTR of the control and regulation network is connected to the system signal output terminal (…). Figure 3 Electrical connection (not shown in the image).
[0068] During the initial power-on phase, no valid control signal is output at the signal output terminal, and the control regulation network is in a high blocking state. At this time, the voltage division characteristic of the enable network is determined by the resistance values of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2. The voltage at the enable terminal of the power IC is equal to the voltage value after the input power supply voltage is divided by the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2. When the input power supply voltage gradually rises to the first voltage, the voltage after the second resistor R2 is divided just reaches the inherent turn-on threshold of the enable terminal of the power IC. The power IC starts and outputs a stable control voltage to the control system. By pre-calculating and configuring the resistance ratio of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2, the first voltage can be set to be close to the rated operating voltage of the input power supply. This ensures that during the pre-charging process, the bus capacitor voltage is charged to near the rated voltage before the control system starts consuming operating current. This avoids the inherent defects of the control power supply starting prematurely, causing a continuous voltage drop in the pre-charging resistor and clamping the bus pre-charging voltage. This keeps the voltage difference between the bus capacitor and the input power supply within a small range when the main power switch is closed, reducing the inrush current at the moment of power-on.
[0069] After the power supply IC starts normally, it outputs a valid control signal, switching the control regulation network to a low-impedance conduction state. Once the control regulation network is on, it forms a parallel circuit with the first resistor R1, significantly reducing the equivalent resistance of the voltage divider branch containing R1, thus altering the overall equivalent voltage division ratio of the enable network. Because the equivalent resistance after parallel connection is less than the original resistance of the first resistor R1, under the same input power supply voltage, the voltage division at the enable network output will be higher than the voltage when the control regulation network is off. When a short-term overload occurs during system operation, causing the input power supply voltage to drop, even if the input voltage is lower than the first voltage, as long as the input voltage is not lower than the second voltage, the voltage division at the enable network output will still remain above the inherent turn-on threshold of the power supply IC's enable terminal. The power supply IC will continue to output control voltage to ensure the normal operation of the control system.
[0070] In this embodiment, the value of the first voltage can be independently configured by adjusting the resistance ratio of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2. Similarly, the value of the second voltage can be independently configured by adjusting the equivalent on-resistance of the control network. These two parameters do not interfere with each other, greatly improving the circuit's versatility and debugging efficiency. The purely resistive voltage divider structure used in this embodiment requires no additional active components, resulting in high circuit stability and strong anti-interference capabilities. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to increase the power rating of the pre-charge resistor, effectively controlling the size and cost of the power control system.
[0071] The specific structure of the control and regulation network in the embodiments of this application will be described below. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment of this application, the control and regulation network includes a regulation network and a control network. One end of the regulation network is connected to the input power supply, and the other end of the regulation network is connected to the output terminal of the enable network. One end (input terminal) of the control network is connected to the signal output terminal, and the other end of the control network is connected to the ground terminal. The output terminal of the control network is connected to the control terminal of the regulation network, and the control network controls the conduction state of the regulation network.
[0072] In this embodiment, the first terminal of the regulating network is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the input power supply, the second terminal is electrically connected to the output terminal of the enabling network (i.e., the common node of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2), and the control terminal is electrically connected to the output terminal of the control network. The input terminal FB_CTR of the control network is connected to the system signal output terminal (… Figure 3 (Not shown in the diagram) Electrical connection, with the grounding terminal electrically connected to the system grounding terminal. The control network, as a signal conversion and driving unit, is responsible for converting the control signal at the signal output terminal into a power signal that can drive the adjustable network. At the same time, it achieves electrical isolation between the control loop and the main power supply loop, blocking the conduction path of voltage spikes and electromagnetic interference from the main circuit to the control loop.
[0073] During the initial power-up phase, the signal output terminal does not output a valid control signal, the control network is in a cutoff state, and cannot provide drive voltage to the regulation network, which remains in a high blocking state. At this time, the voltage at the enable terminal of the power IC is determined by the voltage division relationship between the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2. When the input power supply voltage rises to the first voltage, the voltage division reaches the inherent turn-on threshold of the enable terminal of the power IC, and the power IC starts up and outputs the control voltage.
[0074] After the power IC starts normally, the signal output terminal outputs a valid control signal, the control network turns on, and outputs a drive signal to the control terminal of the regulating network, causing the regulating network to switch to a low-impedance on state. After the regulating network turns on, the input power supply injects current directly into the enable terminal of the power IC through the regulating network. This current is superimposed on the voltage divider current of the first resistor R1, raising the enable terminal voltage level and causing the power IC's shutdown threshold to drop to the second voltage. When the system experiences a short-term overload that causes the input voltage to fall below the first voltage but not below the second voltage, the enable terminal voltage can still be maintained above the turn-on threshold, ensuring the continuous operation of the control system.
[0075] In this embodiment, the control and regulation network is divided into two functionally independent parts: a regulation network and a control network. The on-resistance of the regulation network and the driving parameters of the control network can be adjusted separately without affecting each other, facilitating rapid optimization of threshold parameters according to different application scenarios. Simultaneously, the control network indirectly drives and controls the conduction state of the regulation network, achieving electrical isolation between the power IC enable voltage and the control signal. This structure exhibits strong anti-interference capabilities and high control reliability, making it suitable for scenarios with complex electromagnetic environments, such as industrial servo systems and new energy vehicle drive systems, where power and control power supplies are shared.
[0076] In one embodiment of this application, as Figure 3 As shown, the regulating network includes a third resistor R3 and a switching transistor Q1. The first end of the third resistor R3 is connected to the input power supply, the second end of the third resistor R3 is connected to the first conducting end of the switching transistor Q1, the second conducting end of the switching transistor Q1 is connected to the output end of the enable network, and the control end of the switching transistor Q1 is connected to the output end of the control network.
[0077] In this embodiment, the third resistor R3 serves as a current-limiting element, used to limit the loop current when the regulating network is on, preventing excessive current from damaging the switching transistor Q1 or the enable port of the power IC. Its resistance value can be flexibly configured according to the required threshold adjustment range. The switching transistor Q1 is selected from semiconductor switching devices such as MOSFETs or transistors, which have the characteristics of low on-resistance, fast switching speed, and low control power. It can achieve microsecond-level state switching under the drive of the control network, ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of the power IC threshold switching.
[0078] The regulating network structure in this embodiment requires no additional auxiliary power supply and achieves threshold adjustment function with only two components, resulting in a simple circuit topology and high reliability. The specific value of the second voltage can be flexibly configured by adjusting the resistance of the third resistor R3 alone, without changing the original voltage divider parameters of the enable network, significantly improving the circuit's debugging efficiency and versatility. Simultaneously, the high-impedance cutoff characteristic of the switching transistor Q1 ensures that the setting accuracy of the first voltage is not affected when the regulating network is disconnected, guaranteeing the stability of the system's power-on sequence. The power switch structure, employing the third resistor R3 and the switching transistor Q1 in series, achieves accurate and rapid control of the regulating network's on / off state. This structure has a small number of components, low cost, and excellent switching response characteristics.
[0079] In one embodiment of this application, as Figure 3 As shown, the control network includes a fourth resistor R4, a fifth resistor R5, and a first capacitor C1. The first end of the fourth resistor R4 is connected to the signal output terminal (not shown in the figure), the second end of the fourth resistor R4 is connected to the first end of the fifth resistor R5, the second end of the fifth resistor R5 is connected to the ground terminal, the first end of the first capacitor C1 is connected to the first end of the fourth resistor R4, the second end of the first capacitor C1 is connected to the second end of the fifth resistor R5, and the control terminal of the switching transistor Q1 is connected between the second end of the fourth resistor R4 and the first end of the fifth resistor R5.
[0080] In the control network of this embodiment, the fourth resistor R4 acts as a current-limiting element, used to limit the current amplitude flowing from the signal output terminal to the control terminal of the switching transistor Q1, preventing excessive drive current from damaging the control electrode of the switching transistor Q1. Simultaneously, it achieves impedance matching between the signal output terminal and the control terminal of the switching transistor Q1, reducing signal reflection and ensuring the integrity of the drive signal. The fifth resistor R5 acts as a pull-down resistor, reliably clamping the potential of the control terminal of the switching transistor Q1 to ground potential when no valid control signal is output from the signal output terminal, ensuring that the switching transistor Q1 is in a stable off state. This effectively avoids the problem of the switching transistor Q1 being mis-turned on due to electromagnetic interference in industrial environments, improving the safety of the system during the initial power-on stage. The first capacitor C1 acts as a filter element, connected in parallel in the input circuit of the control signal. It can filter out high-frequency interference and voltage spikes superimposed on the control signal, while smoothing the rising and falling edges of the drive signal, suppressing parasitic oscillations that may occur during the switching process of the switching transistor Q1, and further improving the stability of the drive control.
[0081] After the power IC starts normally, the signal output terminal outputs a valid high-level control signal. This signal is current-limited by the fourth resistor R4 and then applied to the control terminal of the switching transistor Q1. The fourth resistor R4 and the fifth resistor R5 form a voltage divider circuit, providing the control terminal of the switching transistor Q1 with a drive voltage that meets the conduction requirements, enabling the switching transistor Q1 to reliably switch to the low-impedance conduction state. During this process, the first capacitor C1 charges through the fourth resistor R4, absorbing high-frequency interference components in the control signal and causing the drive voltage to rise smoothly. When the system is powered off or the control signal is removed from the signal output terminal, the first capacitor C1 discharges rapidly through the fifth resistor R5, causing the potential of the control terminal of the switching transistor Q1 to drop rapidly to ground potential, ensuring that the switching transistor Q1 is turned off in a timely and reliable manner.
[0082] The passive control network in this embodiment requires no additional active driving devices, has strong component versatility, and is easy to mass-produce and control costs. By adjusting the resistance ratio of the fourth resistor R4 and the fifth resistor R5, the switching transistor Q1 with different driving voltage requirements can be flexibly adapted. By adjusting the capacitance value of the first capacitor C1, the anti-interference performance can be optimized according to the electromagnetic environment of the actual application scenario, enabling the circuit to operate stably in complex electromagnetic environments such as industrial servo systems and robot drives.
[0083] In one embodiment of this application, the switching transistor Q1 is a bipolar transistor or a MOSFET.
[0084] When a transistor is selected as the switching transistor Q1, an NPN bipolar transistor can be used. Its collector, as the first conducting terminal, is electrically connected to the second terminal of the third resistor R3. Its emitter, as the second conducting terminal, is electrically connected to the output terminal of the enable network. The base, as the control terminal, is electrically connected to the output terminal of the control network. The transistor is a current-driven device; the conduction and cutoff between the collector and emitter are achieved by controlling the switching of the base current. It features a simple driving circuit, low cost, and strong anti-static capability. The transistor has a fixed saturation voltage drop when conducting. By properly matching the value of the third resistor R3, the influence of this saturation voltage drop on the threshold adjustment accuracy can be offset, ensuring the accuracy of the second voltage setting. Simultaneously, the current amplification characteristic of the transistor can amplify the weak drive current output by the control network, ensuring reliable conduction even when the control signal amplitude is low, thus improving the circuit's compatibility with different signal output terminals.
[0085] When a MOSFET is selected as the switching transistor Q1, an N-channel enhancement-mode MOSFET can be used. Its drain is connected to the second terminal of the third resistor R3 as the first conduction terminal, its source is connected to the output terminal of the enable network as the second conduction terminal, and its gate is connected to the output terminal of the control network as the control terminal. MOSFETs are voltage-driven devices; they only require a sufficient voltage applied to the gate to achieve conduction and cutoff, offering advantages such as extremely low drive power, low on-resistance, and fast switching speed. The on-resistance of a MOSFET during conduction can be as low as milliohms, generating almost no additional voltage drop, significantly improving the regulation accuracy of the second voltage while reducing the power loss of the regulation network. Furthermore, the high-speed switching characteristics of the MOSFET enable microsecond-level threshold switching, ensuring timely threshold adjustment in the event of a sudden drop in input voltage, preventing unexpected interruptions to the control power supply.
[0086] Both switching transistor solutions provided in this embodiment do not require changes to the overall circuit topology. Only the appropriate devices need to be selected based on actual application requirements, and the driving parameters of the control network need to be fine-tuned. This eliminates the need for circuit redesign, significantly shortening the product development cycle. Both devices are industry-standard components, effectively controlling product manufacturing costs.
[0087] In addition to the structure described in the above embodiments, the control and regulation network can also be composed of devices such as diodes. (Reference) Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another enable control circuit provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment of this application, the control and regulation network includes a diode D1, the positive terminal of which is connected to a signal output terminal (not shown in the figure), and the negative terminal of which is connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC.
[0088] In this embodiment, the control and regulation network consists of a single diode D1. The positive terminal of diode D1 is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the system, and the negative terminal of diode D1 is directly electrically connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. The signal output terminal can be the stable voltage output terminal of the power supply IC itself, the power output terminal of the subsequent control circuit, or the general-purpose high-level output terminal of the microcontroller. The unidirectional conductivity of diode D1 determines that it only allows current to flow from the signal output terminal to the enable terminal of the power supply IC, while blocking the reverse current path from the enable terminal to the signal output terminal. This achieves both a positive boost to the enable terminal voltage and effectively protects the signal output circuit from reverse current surges.
[0089] During the initial power-up phase, the input power supply voltage gradually rises. At this time, the signal output terminal has not yet output a valid high-level signal, and the voltage difference across diode D1 is insufficient to conduct in the forward direction, so it is in the reverse cutoff state, having no effect on the voltage divider characteristics of the enable network. The voltage at the enable terminal of the power IC is entirely determined by the voltage divider parameters of the enable network. When the input power supply voltage rises to the first voltage, the voltage divider output by the enable network reaches the inherent turn-on threshold of the enable terminal of the power IC. The power IC then starts and outputs a stable control voltage. This process ensures that the control system only begins to consume operating current after the bus capacitor is pre-charged to near its rated voltage, avoiding voltage clamping problems during the pre-charging phase.
[0090] When the power supply IC starts up normally, it outputs a stable high-level control signal. This signal voltage is higher than the voltage divider at the enable terminal of the power supply IC, and diode D1 conducts in the forward direction. The conducting diode D1 applies the voltage from the signal output terminal to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. The enable terminal voltage is clamped at the level of the signal output voltage minus the forward voltage drop of diode D1, which is higher than the voltage obtained solely from the voltage divider of the enable network. Based on this characteristic, when a short-term overload occurs in the system, causing the input power supply voltage to drop, even if the input voltage is lower than the first voltage, as long as the signal output terminal can maintain normal output, the enable terminal voltage will be clamped by diode D1 at a level higher than the power supply IC's turn-on threshold. The power supply IC will continue to output control voltage, achieving the effect of lowering the turn-off threshold.
[0091] The diode D1-based control and regulation structure in this embodiment requires no additional active components or resistors / capacitors, resulting in the fewest components, the simplest circuit topology, high circuit reliability, low cost, and direct application without parameter tuning. Its limitation lies in the fact that the value of the second voltage is determined by the fixed voltage at the signal output terminal and the forward voltage drop of diode D1, and cannot be flexibly adjusted through component parameters.
[0092] In one embodiment of this application, the signal output terminal is the voltage output terminal of the power supply IC, the voltage output terminal of the subsequent power supply, or the signal terminal of the MCU.
[0093] When the signal output terminal is selected from the voltage output terminal of the power supply IC itself, the voltage output terminal VOUT of the power supply IC is directly electrically connected to the input terminal FB_CTR of the control and regulation network. This scheme adopts the self-feedback mechanism of the power supply IC, eliminating the need for additional signal generation circuits and resulting in the simplest structure. When the input power supply voltage rises to the first voltage, the power supply IC starts and outputs a stable control voltage. This output voltage is simultaneously used as a control signal input to the control and regulation network, driving the control and regulation network to conduct and automatically completing the switching of the power supply IC's shutdown threshold. This method has a small signal response delay, triggering threshold adjustment immediately the moment the power supply IC output stabilizes. Furthermore, the presence of the signal is completely synchronized with the output state of the power supply IC. As long as the power supply IC continues to output, the control signal remains effective, resulting in high reliability.
[0094] When the signal output terminal is selected from the output terminal of the subsequent power supply, the voltage output terminal of the subsequent power supply circuit is electrically connected to the input terminal FB_CTR of the control and regulation network. The subsequent power supply circuit is powered by the output terminal of the power IC and is used to further convert the output voltage of the power IC to a lower voltage level required by the control system. The subsequent power supply typically has higher voltage stability and lower ripple, providing a cleaner control signal to the control and regulation network and effectively avoiding interference from the power IC output ripple on the on / off state of the control and regulation network. At the same time, normal output from the subsequent power supply indicates that the power architecture of the entire control system has stabilized. At this time, triggering the threshold switching can avoid malfunctions caused by voltage fluctuations during the initial startup of the power IC.
[0095] When the signal output terminal is selected from the MCU's signal terminals, the MCU's general-purpose input / output ports are electrically connected to the input terminal FB_CTR of the control and regulation network. This scheme offers high flexibility, allowing precise control over the timing, duration, and level of the control signal output through software programming. For example, the control signal can be output only after the MCU has completed system initialization, hardware self-test, and safety logic verification, synchronizing the threshold switching timing with the system startup process. Furthermore, the control signal can be proactively withdrawn and the control power supply forcibly shut down upon detecting system faults, overcurrent, or overvoltage, enhancing system safety. Additionally, the threshold switching logic can be dynamically adjusted via software to adapt to voltage fluctuations under different load conditions.
[0096] In one embodiment of this application, the circuit further includes a second capacitor C2 and a third capacitor C3, which are connected in parallel with the enable network.
[0097] In this embodiment, the second capacitor C2 and the third capacitor C3 are connected in parallel, and are connected in parallel across the two ends of the enable network. Specifically, the first terminals of both capacitors C2 and C3 are electrically connected to the positive terminal of the input power supply and the input terminal of the enable network, while the second terminals of both capacitors C2 and C3 are electrically connected to the system ground and the output terminal of the enable network. The second capacitor C2 can be a large-capacity electrolytic capacitor or tantalum capacitor, primarily used to filter out low-frequency ripple and voltage fluctuations in the input power supply. Its large capacity allows it to store a certain amount of energy, providing energy replenishment when the input power supply voltage experiences a momentary drop, thus smoothing the input voltage of the enable network. The third capacitor C3 can be a small-capacity ceramic capacitor or film capacitor, with lower equivalent series resistance and equivalent series inductance, effectively filtering out high-frequency interference signals and voltage spikes in the input power supply, compensating for the insufficient filtering performance of large-capacity capacitors in the high-frequency band. Two capacitors with different capacities and characteristics are connected in parallel to form a wideband filter network that can cover the interference frequency range from tens of hertz to several megahertz, purifying the input power supply environment of the enabling network.
[0098] During the initial power-up phase, the input power supply voltage gradually rises. The second capacitor C2 and the third capacitor C3 charge synchronously, effectively smoothing the rise time of the input voltage and preventing sudden voltage changes at the enable terminal due to excessively fast power-up or voltage overshoot. This prevents the power IC from being falsely triggered or prematurely started. When the input power supply voltage rises to the first voltage, the voltage divider output by the enable network reaches the inherent turn-on threshold of the power IC's enable terminal, and the power IC starts up and outputs a stable control voltage. During this process, the composite filter network filters out various interference signals superimposed on the input power supply, ensuring a smooth rise in the enable terminal voltage and ensuring that the accuracy of the first voltage setting is not affected by power supply ripple.
[0099] During normal system operation, high-current switching in the main circuit and sudden changes in power load can generate numerous voltage spikes and electromagnetic interference on the input power supply. If these interference signals couple to the enable terminal of the power IC, the enable terminal voltage may momentarily drop below the turn-on threshold, causing the power IC to erroneously shut down. The second capacitor C2 and the third capacitor C3 can quickly absorb this interference energy, limiting the fluctuation range of the enable terminal voltage to a very small range, ensuring a continuous and stable output control voltage from the power IC. Simultaneously, the composite filter network does not require changes to the core topology of the original enable control circuit; a significant improvement in anti-interference performance can be achieved simply by adding two general-purpose passive components. The circuit offers good compatibility, low cost, and the capacitance and type can be flexibly adjusted according to the electromagnetic environment of different application scenarios to further optimize the filtering effect.
[0100] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, a voltage output network is also connected to the SW and EB pins of the power supply IC. The specific structure of this voltage output network can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The voltage output network is a conventional technical solution, so it will not be described in detail in this embodiment.
[0101] In one embodiment of this application, an enabling system for controlling robot joints is also provided. This enabling system includes a battery power supply, multiple joint units, and an enabling control circuit as described in any of the foregoing embodiments. The multiple joint units are connected in parallel to the battery power supply, and the enabling control circuit is disposed within each joint unit. Furthermore, each joint unit also includes a bus capacitor. A pre-charging circuit is connected in series between the joint unit and the battery power supply. The pre-charging circuit includes a pre-charging resistor and a pre-charging switch connected in series. A main power supply circuit is also provided between the joint unit and the battery power supply. The main power supply circuit is connected in parallel with the pre-charging circuit and includes a main power supply switch. A circuit diagram of this enabling circuit can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1 The circuit shown.
[0102] In this embodiment, the power-on threshold of the control power supply can be set to 80%-90% of the rated bus voltage by enabling the control network. During the pre-charging phase, the control loop does not operate, no continuous current flows through the pre-charging resistor, and the bus energy storage capacitor can be stably charged to near the rated battery voltage, eliminating voltage clamping. Taking the total load capacitance of a multi-axis robot of about 2000μF as an example, when the main power supply switch is closed, the voltage difference between the bus capacitor and the battery decreases. Combined with the current limiting effect of the pre-charging resistor, the inrush current of simultaneous power-on of multiple joints can be reduced from nearly 100A in the traditional solution to less than 20A. This reduces the electrical stress impact of the power-on inrush current on components such as the battery power supply, bus capacitor, main power supply switch, pre-charging resistor, and PCB traces, extending the service life of these components. Furthermore, it avoids problems such as battery overcurrent protection tripping, input circuit component burnout, servo communication abnormalities or system startup failures caused by power-on electromagnetic interference due to excessive inrush current.
[0103] In one embodiment of this application, a robot is also provided, including a robot body and an enabling system for controlling the robot joints as described in the foregoing embodiments. The enabling system for controlling the robot joints is disposed on the robot body. For the beneficial effects of this robot, please refer to the description of the effects of the enabling system in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.
[0104] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
[0105] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.
[0106] Although preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application includes the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the embodiments of this application.
[0107] This document uses specific examples to illustrate an enabling control circuit, an enabling system for controlling robot joints, and the working principle and implementation method of the robot. The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the specific settings and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0108] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An enable control circuit, characterized in that, This includes the input power supply, the enable / startup network, the control and regulation network, and the power supply IC; The input power supply is connected to the power input terminal of the power IC; The enable network is a passive resistor voltage divider network, including a first resistor and a second resistor. The first end of the first resistor is connected to the input power supply, the second end of the first resistor is connected to the first end of the second resistor, the second end of the second resistor is connected to the ground terminal, the output terminal of the enable network is located between the second end of the first resistor and the first end of the second resistor, and the output terminal of the enable network is connected to the enable terminal of the power IC. The control and regulation network is connected in parallel across the first resistor. The input terminal of the control and regulation network is connected to the signal output terminal. The control signal output by the signal output terminal regulates the conduction state of the control and regulation network and adjusts the input voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC. When the control regulation network is in the off state, and when the output voltage of the input power supply reaches the first voltage, the output voltage of the enable startup network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC. When the control and regulation network is in the on state, and when the output voltage of the input power supply is greater than or equal to the second voltage, the output voltage of the enable network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC, and the second voltage is less than the first voltage.
2. The enable control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the control and regulation network is connected to the input power supply, and the other end of the control and regulation network is connected to the output of the enable network. The control signal output from the signal output terminal controls the conduction state of the control regulation network, thereby adjusting the output voltage of the output terminal of the enable network.
3. The enable control circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The control and regulation network includes a regulation network and a control network. One end of the regulation network is connected to the input power supply, and the other end of the regulation network is connected to the output of the enable network. One end of the control network is connected to the signal output terminal, the other end of the control network is connected to the ground terminal, the output terminal of the control network is connected to the control terminal of the regulation network, and the control network controls the conduction state of the regulation network.
4. The enable control circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The regulation network includes a third resistor and a switching transistor. The first end of the third resistor is connected to the input power supply, the second end of the third resistor is connected to the first conducting end of the switching transistor, the second conducting end of the switching transistor is connected to the output end of the enable network, and the control end of the switching transistor is connected to the output end of the control network.
5. The enable control circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control network includes a fourth resistor, a fifth resistor, and a first capacitor. The first end of the fourth resistor is connected to the signal output terminal, the second end of the fourth resistor is connected to the first end of the fifth resistor, the second end of the fifth resistor is connected to the ground terminal, the first end of the first capacitor is connected to the first end of the fourth resistor, the second end of the first capacitor is connected to the second end of the fifth resistor, and the control terminal of the switching transistor is connected between the second end of the fourth resistor and the first end of the fifth resistor.
6. The enable control circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The switching transistor is a bipolar transistor or a MOSFET.
7. The enable control circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The signal output terminal is the voltage output terminal of the power supply IC, the voltage output terminal of the subsequent power supply, or the signal terminal of the MCU.
8. The enable control circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The circuit also includes a second capacitor and a third capacitor, which are connected in parallel with the enable network.
9. An enable control circuit, characterized in that, This includes the input power supply, the enable / startup network, the control and regulation network, and the power supply IC; The input power supply is connected to the power input terminal of the power IC, the enable network is connected between the input power supply and the ground terminal, and the output terminal of the enable network is connected to the enable terminal of the power IC. The control and regulation network includes a diode, the positive terminal of which is connected to the signal output terminal, and the negative terminal of which is connected to the enable terminal of the power supply IC. When the signal output terminal does not output a valid control signal, the diode is reverse cut off. When the output voltage of the input power supply reaches the first voltage, the output voltage of the enable network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC. When the signal output terminal outputs a valid control signal, the diode is forward-biased. When the output voltage of the input power supply is greater than or equal to the second voltage, the output voltage of the enable network is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the enable terminal of the power supply IC, and the second voltage is less than the first voltage.
10. The enable control circuit according to claim 9, characterized in that, The signal output terminal is the voltage output terminal of the power supply IC, the voltage output terminal of the subsequent power supply, or the signal terminal of the MCU.
11. An enabling system for controlling robot joints, characterized in that, The device includes a battery power supply, multiple joint units, and an enable control circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the multiple joint units are connected in parallel to the battery power supply, and the enable control circuit is disposed within the joint units.
12. A robot, characterized in that, The system includes a robot body and an enabling system for controlling robot joints as described in claim 11, wherein the enabling system for controlling robot joints is disposed on the robot body.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Input enabling hysteresis protection circuit
CN215772911U