Power supply device and power supply system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a power supply device and a power supply system, and the power supply device comprises a power switch which is used for converting a first power signal into a second power signal according to a control signal; the first current source is used for providing a current signal to a first node; the control circuit is used for converting the current signal into the control signal; the temperature control current drawing circuit comprises at least one temperature sensing element which is arranged at at least one position on the power switch and is used for generating at least one voltage signal, and the at least one voltage signal is respectively related to the temperature of the at least one position; the error amplifier is used for generating an adjusting signal according to the at least one voltage signal and a reference voltage; and a regulating switch for drawing a regulating current from the current signal at the first node according to the regulating signal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to a power supply device and a power supply system, in particular to a power supply device and a power supply system capable of actively monitoring and adjusting power switch current. BACKGROUND

[0002] In modern electronic systems, high side power switches are widely used in power management. In order to improve the reliability and power handling capability of the system, the prior art usually adopts the way of parallel connection of multiple high side power switches for power supply. However, this configuration has some challenges in practical application. For example, due to process variation, the on-resistance of the power switch may have a variation of ±20%, which will cause the current to concentrate through the power switch with lower on-resistance when the system is powered on, so that it may bear excessive power burden, causing the temperature to rise rapidly, and finally triggering the thermal shutdown protection mechanism, causing the system to fail to start smoothly.

[0003] In order to solve this problem, the existing solution usually adopts current balance or current sharing technology. These methods try to evenly distribute the current among multiple parallel power switches. However, in the case of high system power demand, even if the current balance technology is adopted, the temperature of some power switches may still rise rapidly to the thermal shutdown temperature (e.g. 150℃) during the startup process.

[0004] Another problem in the prior art is that most solutions mainly focus on the balanced distribution of current, without directly controlling the temperature, so they cannot effectively prevent the thermal shutdown problem caused by local hot spots or transient large current. In addition, the traditional protection method usually completely cuts off the power switch when it approaches the thermal shutdown temperature, which may cause the system power supply to be interrupted. This "all or nothing" protection strategy will affect the stability and reliability of the system.

[0005] Therefore, the industry is in urgent need of a more effective solution that can prevent power switch overheating and ensure stable operation of the system. SUMMARY

[0006] Therefore, the main purpose of the utility model is to provide a power supply device and a power supply system, which can prevent power switch overheating and ensure stable operation of the system.

[0007] The utility model provides a power supply device, including a power switch, is used to according to a control signal, with a first power signal conversion a second power signal, a first current source, is used to provide a current signal to a first node, a control circuit, electric connection this power switch with this first current source in this first node, is used to convert this current signal into the control signal, and a temperature -controlled current draw circuit, including at least one temperature sensing element, set up at least one position on this power switch, is used to produce at least one voltage signal, at least one voltage signal is relevant to the temperature of at least one position respectively, an error amplifier, electric connection in this at least one temperature sensing element to receive at least one voltage signal, is used to according to at least one voltage signal and a reference voltage, to produce an adjustment signal, and an adjustment switch, electric connection in the first node and the error amplifier, is used to according to the adjustment signal, at the first node from the current signal draws an adjustment current.

[0008] Wherein, each temperature sensing element of the at least one temperature sensing element is a bipolar transistor, and its collector and base are electrically connected to the error amplifier and a second current source, and its emitter is electrically connected to a ground terminal.

[0009] Wherein, the at least one voltage signal is negative temperature related.

[0010] Wherein, further comprising an overcurrent protection device, electrically connected between the control circuit and the first current source, for conducting the current signal to a ground terminal according to an overcurrent signal.

[0011] Wherein, the power switch, the adjustment switch and the error amplifier are arranged on the same substrate.

[0012] Wherein, the control circuit comprises:

[0013] A current source;

[0014] A resistor; and

[0015] A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, whose drain is electrically connected to the current source, whose gate is electrically connected to the first node, and whose source is electrically connected to the resistor.

[0016] Wherein, further comprising an enabling circuit, electrically connected between the first node and the temperature-controlled current draw circuit, for conducting the connection of the first node to the temperature-controlled current draw circuit according to an enabling signal.

[0017] Wherein, the at least one temperature sensing element is a sensor with a negative temperature coefficient.

[0018] This utility model also provides a power supply system, including multiple power supply devices. Each power supply device includes a power switch for converting a first power signal into a second power signal according to a control signal; a first current source for providing a current signal to a first node; a control circuit electrically connected to the power switch and the first current source at the first node for converting the current signal into the control signal; and a temperature-controlled current extraction circuit including at least one temperature sensing element disposed at at least one position on the power switch for generating at least one voltage signal, the at least one voltage signal being respectively related to the temperature of the at least one position; an error amplifier electrically connected to the at least one temperature sensing element to receive the at least one voltage signal for comparing the at least one voltage signal with a reference voltage to generate an adjustment signal; and an adjustment switch electrically connected to the first node and the error amplifier for extracting an adjustment current from the current signal at the first node according to the adjustment signal; wherein the power switches of each of the multiple power supply devices are connected in parallel.

[0019] Among them, at least one voltage signal is negative temperature-dependent. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0022] Figure 2B This is a voltage-temperature relationship diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3A for Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the temperature regulation of the power supply device.

[0024] Figure 3B for Figure 2A The relationship between the output current of the power supply device and the temperature of the power switch is shown in the graph.

[0025] Figure 4A for Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the temperature regulation of the power supply device.

[0026] Figure 4B for Figure 2A The relationship between the output current of the power supply device and the temperature of the power switch is shown in the graph.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0028] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a temperature regulation of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 6C A schematic diagram of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6A A graph of output current versus power switch temperature of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a thermal regulation process according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a power supply system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 10, 20, 50, 60 - power supply device; P1 - first power signal; P2 - second power signal; I1 - current signal; N1 - first node; CTRL - control signal; Ireg - regulation current; Sreg - regulation signal; VREF - reference voltage; Vt_1 to Vt_n - voltage signal; 100, 200 - power switch; 110, 210 - first current source; 120, 220 - control circuit; 130, 230 - temperature control current sink circuit; TS_1 to TS_n - temperature sensing element; 132, 232 - error amplifier; 134, 234 - regulation switch; 236 - resistance-capacitance compensator; VIN - input voltage; VOUT - output voltage; M1 to M12 - MOS transistor; D1 - diode; CS1 to CS3 - current source; C1, C2 - capacitor; R1, R2 - resistor; Cout - equivalent output capacitor; 500 - enable circuit; EN - enable signal; 600 - overcurrent protection device; OC - overcurrent signal; 80 - power supply system; 800 - load; PS_1 to PS_m - power supply device; 30 to 32, 40 to 42, 60 to 62 - curve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1A power supply device 10, which is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present application. The power supply device 10 includes a power switch 100, a first current source 110, a control circuit 120, and a temperature-controlled current sink circuit 130, which can actively monitor the temperature of the power switch 100 and adjust in real time when the temperature is too high, to avoid unnecessary triggering of the thermal shutdown protection mechanism, while maintaining the stable operation of the system. Specifically, the power switch 100 can be a high-side power switch, which is used to convert a first power signal P1 to a second power signal P2 according to a control signal CTRL generated by the control circuit 120. The first current source 110 is electrically connected to the control circuit 120 and the temperature-controlled current sink circuit 130 to form a first node N1, and the first current source 110 is used to provide a current signal I1 to the first node N1. The control circuit 120 is electrically connected between the power switch 100 and the first node N1, used to receive the current signal I1 from the first current source 110, and convert it into the control signal CTRL to drive the power switch 100. The temperature-controlled current sink circuit 130 can sense the temperature of the power switch 100, and accordingly draw an adjustment current Ireg from the first node N1 or control the size of the adjustment current Ireg, to adjust the size of the current signal I1 flowing into the control circuit 120, and thereby adjust the control signal CTRL generated by the control circuit 120. In this way, the second power signal P2 output by the power switch 100 is temperature-regulated to prevent the power switch 100 from overheating and ensure the stable operation of the system.

[0035] In detail, as Figure 1As shown, the temperature control current drawing circuit 130 comprises temperature sensing elements TS_1 to TS_n, an error amplifier 132 and a regulation switch 134. The temperature sensing elements TS_1 to TS_n are arranged at at least one position (or detection point) on the power switch 100 to sense the temperature at the arranged position and generate corresponding voltage signals Vt_1 to Vt_n. The error amplifier 132 is electrically connected to the temperature sensing elements TS_1 to TS_n to receive the voltage signals Vt_1 to Vt_n, and is configured to generate a regulation signal Sreg according to the voltage signals Vt_1 to Vt_n and a reference voltage VREF. The regulation switch 134 is electrically connected between the first node N1 and the error amplifier 132, and is configured to draw a regulation current Ireg from the current signal I1 at the first node N1 according to the regulation signal Sreg. In other words, when the temperature of one or more detection points of the power switch 100 is too high, one or more of the voltage signals Vt_1 to Vt_n will cause the error amplifier 132 to change the output regulation signal Sreg accordingly, thereby driving the regulation switch 134 to draw more regulation current Ireg, and adjusting the control signal CTRL to reduce the conduction degree of the power switch 100, so as to achieve the purpose of temperature control.

[0036] It should be noted that, Figure 1 Although a plurality of temperature sensing elements TS_1 to TS_n are shown, in fact, the number n of temperature sensing elements TS_1 to TS_n can be greater than or equal to 1, that is, the temperature control current drawing circuit 130 only needs to comprise at least one temperature sensing element to achieve the functions of detecting temperature and drawing current in time. Furthermore, Figure 1 Although the temperature sensing elements TS_1 to TS_n and the power switch 100 are shown separately, this is only for convenience of description, in fact, the temperature sensing elements TS_1 to TS_n are arranged on the power switch 100, for example, can be arranged at one or more temperature hot spots on the power switch 100, and are not limited thereto, to monitor the temperature change in time.

[0037] Through the above architecture, the power supply device 10 of the embodiment of the utility model can actively monitor and control the temperature of the power switch 100, and adjust in time when the temperature is too high, avoid triggering the thermal shutdown protection mechanism, while maintaining the stable operation of the system. This temperature control method is different from the existing all-on or all-off protection method, and can more effectively balance the demand for system performance and reliability.

[0038] It should be noted that, Figure 1The power switch 100, the first current source 110, the control circuit 120, and the temperature-controlled current sink circuit 130 are not limited to specific components.

[0039] For example, please refer to Figure 2A , Figure 2A Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a power supply device 10 according to an embodiment of the present application. The power supply device 10 includes a power switch 100, a first current source 110, a control circuit 120, and a temperature-controlled current sink circuit 130. For the sake of brevity, Figure 2A The power switch 200 is implemented by a N-channel enhancement mode Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET, hereinafter referred to as MOS transistor) whose equivalent circuit is composed of a MOS transistor M1 and a diode D1 in parallel. The operating principle is well known in the art and can be replaced by other forms of power switch without limitation. The power switch 200 can convert an input voltage VIN into an output voltage VOUT (i.e. Figure 1The first power signal P1 and the second power signal P2 are voltage type, and are output to an equivalent output capacitor Cout. The first current source 210 is composed of a current source CS2 and MOS transistors M3-M6, which is a compound current mirror, i.e., MOS transistors M3, M4 form an input stage current mirror, and MOS transistors M5, M6 form an output stage current mirror, to output a current signal I1 to the first node N1. The control circuit 220 includes a current source CS1, a MOS transistor M2, and a resistor R1; the drain of the MOS transistor M2 is electrically connected to the current source CS1, the gate is electrically connected to the first node N1, and the source is electrically connected to the resistor R1. Therefore, the MOS transistor M2 can receive the current signal I1 from the first node N1, convert it into a control signal CTRL to drive the power switch 200. The gate of the MOS transistor M2 is also connected to the ground through a capacitor C1 to buffer the charging of the current signal I1 to the MOS transistor M2, which can also be removed or replaced by other buffering elements.

[0040] In Figure 2A The temperature control current drawing circuit 230 includes temperature sensing elements TS_1-TS_3, an error amplifier 232, a regulating switch 234, and a resistor-capacitor compensator 236. The temperature sensing elements TS_1-TS_3 are arranged on the power switch 200, which can sense the temperature of the arranged position and generate corresponding voltage signals Vt_1-Vt_3. In detail, the temperature sensing elements TS_1-TS_3 are respectively implemented by a bipolar transistor. For the bipolar transistor of each of the temperature sensing elements TS_1-TS_3, the collector and the base are electrically connected to the negative end (-) of the error amplifier 232 and a current source CS3, and the emitter is electrically connected to the ground. In this configuration, the relationship between the voltage signals Vt_1-Vt_3 generated by the temperature sensing elements TS_1-TS_3 and the temperature is as shown in Figure 2B The voltage signals Vt_1-Vt_3 generated by the temperature sensing elements TS_1-TS_3 are negatively temperature related.

[0041] In addition, the positive terminal (+) of the error amplifier 232 is connected to the reference voltage VREF, so when the temperature rises and the potential of one or more of the voltage signals Vt_1 ~ Vt_3 drops below the reference voltage VREF, the error amplifier 232 will generate a high-level adjustment signal Sreg, which, after passing through the resistance-capacitance compensator 236, can drive the adjustment switch 234 to draw current from the first node N1, so as to adjust the current signal I1 input to the control circuit 220. The resistance-capacitance compensator 236 is composed of a resistance R2 and a capacitance C2, which are electrically connected between the adjustment switch 234 and the error amplifier 232, and are used to provide loop stability; the adjustment switch 234 is a cascode circuit composed of MOS transistors M5 and M6, which are electrically connected between the first node N1 and the ground.

[0042] In short, the temperature-controlled current drawing circuit 230 can sense the temperature of the power switch 200, and adjust the size of the adjustment current Ireg drawn from the first node N1 or control the size of the adjustment current Ireg, so as to adjust the size of the current signal I1 flowing into the control circuit 220, and then adjust the control signal CTRL generated by the control circuit 220. In this way, the output of the power switch 200 is adjusted by temperature, which can prevent the power switch 200 from overheating and ensure the stable operation of the system.

[0043] Please continue to refer to Figure 3A , Figure 3A The temperature regulation schematic diagram of the power supply device 20 is shown in FIG. 3. In Figure 3A , the left coordinate axis is the current, the lower coordinate axis is the input voltage VIN, and the right coordinate axis is the temperature; the solid line curve 30 represents the output current Iout of the power switch 200 (i.e. the current through the capacitor Cout), which corresponds to the left and lower coordinate axes; the dashed line curve 31 represents the temperature change of the power switch 200, which corresponds to the right coordinate axis. In addition, in this example, the power supply device 20 starts to regulate the temperature of the power switch 200 at 115°C. It can be seen from Figure 3A that when the power supply device 20 starts (before the input voltage VIN is less than 6V), the power switch 200 can stably provide the output current Iout, and the temperature rises accordingly. As the input voltage VIN increases, after reaching 6V, the temperature of the power switch 200 starts to exceed 115°C, entering the temperature regulation stage, and the temperature-controlled current drawing circuit 230 starts to draw the adjustment current Ireg from the first node N1, so that the output current Iout starts to decrease, so as to avoid the power switch 200 from overheating and ensure the stable operation of the system.

[0044] It should be noted that Figure 3AThis display shows an operating scenario involving the input voltage VIN, output current Iout, and the temperature of the power switch 200. In reality, as the temperature-controlled current draw circuit 230 continues to draw current, the temperature of the power switch 200 may drop below the set 115°C. At this point, the temperature-controlled current draw circuit 230 can reduce or stop drawing current, causing the output current Iout to return to its initial value. The above relationship can be... Figure 3B express, Figure 3B This is a graph showing the relationship between the output current Iout and the temperature of the power switch 200. Figure 3B As can be seen from curve 32, when the temperature of the power switch 200 rises above the set 115°C, the temperature control current extraction circuit 230 starts to extract current, causing the output current Iout to decrease; conversely, if the temperature of the power switch 200 returns from above 115°C to below 115°C, the temperature control current extraction circuit 230 can reduce or stop extracting current, causing the output current Iout to return to its initial value.

[0045] In addition, by Figure 3A , Figure 3B It can be seen that when the temperature of the power switch 200 exceeds 115°C, the temperature control current extraction circuit 230 continuously extracts the regulating current Ireg from the first node N1 until the current signal I1 is completely extracted (equal to 0), at which point the output current Iout equals 0. However, in another embodiment, the designer can appropriately adjust the operation of the regulating switch 234, for example, by changing the dimensions of the MOS transistors M5 and M6, so that the maximum value of the regulating current Ireg is less than the current signal I1. In this case, Figure 3A , Figure 3B The results of the operations will become respectively Figure 4A , Figure 4B ,in, Figure 4A The solid curve 40 and the dashed curve 41 correspond to respectively Figure 3A The solid curve 30 and the dashed curve 31, and Figure 4B Curve 42 corresponds to Figure 3B Curve 32. See also Figure 4A , Figure 4B As can be seen from curves 40-42, when the temperature of the power switch 200 exceeds 115°C, the temperature control current extraction circuit 230 continuously extracts the regulating current Ireg from the first node N1, causing the output current Iout to continuously decrease. However, since the maximum value of the regulating current Ireg is less than the current signal I1, the output current Iout will eventually be maintained at a minimum value and will no longer decrease. Figure 4A , Figure 4B Compared to Figure 3A , Figure 3B To ensure that the system still has a minimum operating current, this is a design option. Modifying the adjustment switch 234 to achieve different operating modes is a skill familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0046] Therefore, the power supply device 20 is able to actively monitor and control the temperature of the power switch 200, and to adjust the temperature in time when the temperature is too high, so as to avoid triggering the thermal shutdown protection mechanism, and to maintain the stable operation of the system. This temperature control method is different from the existing all-or-nothing protection method, and can more effectively balance the requirements of system performance and reliability.

[0047] The power supply device 20 is derived from the power supply device 10, and a person with ordinary skill in the art can make appropriate adjustments without being limited thereto. For example, in addition to appropriately selecting the number and setting position of the temperature sensing elements, the designer can also select other types of temperature sensing elements without being limited to bipolar transistors and specific temperature-related coefficients. Furthermore, the setting of the reference voltage VREF is related to the timing of starting to adjust the power switch 200. That is, the error amplifier 232 compares the reference voltage VREF with the voltage signals Vt_1-Vt_3, and when the temperature rises to cause the voltage signals Vt_1-Vt_3 to be lower than the reference voltage VREF, the error amplifier 232 will drive the adjustment switch 234 to draw current from the first node N1. Therefore, the designer should set the value of the reference voltage VREF according to the needs of the system to determine the timing of the error amplifier 232 driving the adjustment switch 234 to adjust, that is, the setting of the reference voltage VREF is related to the threshold temperature of the power switch 200. As for the implementation, the elements used, the process, etc. of the power switch 200, the first current source 210, the control circuit 220, and the temperature-controlled current drawing circuit 230, they can be appropriately adjusted according to the needs of the system without being limited thereto. For example, in an embodiment, in addition to the temperature sensing elements TS_1-TS_3 being arranged on the power switch 200, the power switch 200, the error amplifier 232, and the adjustment switch 234 can be arranged on the same substrate, and are not limited thereto. In addition, in the embodiment of the power supply device 20, the first current source 210, the control circuit 220, and the temperature-controlled current drawing circuit 230 are driven by the same system voltage VCP, and in another embodiment, they can also be driven by different voltages without being limited thereto.

[0048] In addition, the power supply device 20 can also add other auxiliary circuits. For example, referring to Figure 5 , Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of a power supply device 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The power supply device 50 is derived from the power supply device 20; therefore, identical components are indicated by the same symbols. Compared to the power supply device 20, the power supply device 50 adds an enable circuit 500, which is electrically connected between the first node N1 and the temperature-controlled current extraction circuit 230. The enable circuit 500 can conduct the connection from the first node N1 to the temperature-controlled current extraction circuit 230 according to the enable signal EN. Specifically, the enable circuit 500 is composed of MOS transistors M9 and M10, which can control the connection between MOS transistors M5 and M4 and between MOS transistors M6 and M7 according to the enable signal EN, thereby controlling the operation of the power supply device 50.

[0049] On the other hand, to further improve the stability and reliability of the system, the power supply device 20 may also include overcurrent protection, thereby achieving a two-stage protection effect. That is, in addition to adjusting the output current Iout according to temperature, the system can protect against component damage when an overcurrent occurs. For example, please refer to... Figure 6A , Figure 6A This is a schematic diagram of a power supply device 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The power supply device 60 is derived from the power supply device 20, therefore identical components are labeled with the same symbols. Compared to the power supply device 20, the power supply device 60 adds an overcurrent protection device 600, electrically connected to the control circuit 220 and the first current source 210, used to conduct the current signal I1 to ground based on an overcurrent signal OC. Specifically, the overcurrent protection device 600 is composed of MOS transistors M11 and M12, which can draw current from the first node N1 according to the overcurrent signal OC. In this case, the designer can use the overcurrent protection device 600 as a second-stage temperature regulation mechanism. For example, the temperature-controlled current-drawing circuit 230 can be designed to start drawing the regulating current Ireg when the temperature of the power switch 200 is 115°C, and when the temperature of the power switch 200 reaches 150°C, the overcurrent protection device 600 conducts the current signal I1 to ground. Thus, the operation result of the power supply device 60 can be determined by… Figure 4A , Figure 4B Become respectively Figure 6B , Figure 6C ,in, Figure 6B The solid curve 60 and the dashed curve 61 correspond to respectively Figure 4A The solid curve 40 and the dashed curve 41, and Figure 6C The curve 62 corresponds to Figure 4B Curve 62. See also Figure 6B , Figure 6CAs can be seen from curves 60-62, when the temperature of the power switch 200 exceeds 115°C, the temperature control current extraction circuit 230 continuously extracts the regulating current Ireg from the first node N1, causing the output current Iout to continuously decrease and be maintained at a minimum value; if the temperature of the power switch 200 continues to rise to 150°C, the overcurrent protection device 600 is activated through the overcurrent signal OC to conduct the current signal I1 to the ground terminal, causing the output current Iout to drop to 0, thereby protecting the system.

[0050] It should be noted that, Figure 6B , Figure 6C Therefore Figure 4A , Figure 4B This section explains the operation of the overcurrent protection device 600, specifically when it is applied to... Figure 3A , Figure 3B The same protective effect applies to the operation of the device, as should be apparent to those skilled in the art upon referring to the foregoing description. Furthermore, the enable circuit 500 of the power supply device 50 and the overcurrent protection device 600 of the power supply device 60 can be appropriately integrated; for example, in one embodiment, the overcurrent protection device 600 can be connected between the enable circuit 500 and the temperature-controlled current extraction circuit 230, i.e., the drain of MOS transistor M11 is electrically connected to the source of MOS transistor M10 and the drain of MOS transistor M7; in another embodiment, the overcurrent protection device 600 can be connected between the first node N1 and the enable circuit 500, i.e., the drain of MOS transistor M11 is electrically connected to the first node N1 and the drain of MOS transistor M10.

[0051] The operation modes of the power supply devices 10, 20, 50, and 60 described above can be summarized as a thermal regulation process 70, such as... Figure 7 As shown. The thermal conditioning process 70 may include the following steps:

[0052] Step 700: Begin.

[0053] Step 702: Provide current signal I1.

[0054] Step 704: Convert the current signal I1 into a control signal CTRL to control the power switch 100 or 200 to output the power signal P2 or the output voltage VOUT.

[0055] Step 706: Sensing the temperature at at least one location on power switch 100 or 200 to generate voltage signals Vt_1 to Vt_n.

[0056] Step 708: Generate adjustment signal Sreg based on the difference between reference voltage VREF and voltage signals Vt_1 to Vt_n.

[0057] Step 710: According to the regulation signal Sreg, a regulation current Ireg is drawn by the current signal I1.

[0058] Step 712: End.

[0059] The detailed operation of the thermal regulation procedure 70 can refer to the foregoing description, and will not be described here.

[0060] It is worth noting that the foregoing embodiments illustrate that the power supply devices 10, 20, 50, 60 can actively monitor and control the temperature of the power switches 100 or 200 through the temperature control current drawing circuit 130 or 230, and adjust in time when the temperature is too high. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application realize the control and adjustability of a single power supply device. However, it is not limited thereto, and a person skilled in the art with ordinary knowledge can extend the system according to actual needs during implementation; for example, when multiple outputs are needed, multiple power supply devices can be connected in parallel. For example, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a power supply system 80 of an embodiment of the present application. The power supply system 80 includes power supply devices PS_1 to PS_m, which can be any one of the power supply devices 10, 20, 50, 60, and are arranged in parallel, more specifically, the power switches in the power supply devices PS_1 to PS_m are connected in parallel. Under this architecture, the power supply system 80 can provide higher current to a load 800 than a single power supply device, thereby improving the driving capability.

[0061] Since the power supply devices PS_1 to PS_m are connected in parallel, when one of the power supply devices has a lower on-resistance of the power switch than the on-resistance of the power switches of the other power supply devices due to process variation or other factors, the current will tend to flow through the power switch with the lower on-resistance, which may bear an excessive power burden. In this case, since the power supply device of the embodiment of the present application can actively monitor and control the temperature of the power switch, it can adjust in time when the temperature is too high, and individually reduce the current of the power switch with the temperature that is too high, thereby avoiding triggering the thermal shutdown protection mechanism. In this way, the overall performance of the system can be improved.

[0062] In summary, the power supply device of the present application actively monitors and controls the temperature of the power switch by arranging a temperature sensing element at a key position of the power switch, adjusts the current of the power switch in time to avoid triggering the thermal shutdown protection mechanism, and maintains the stable operation of the system. Therefore, the present application not only effectively prevents the thermal shutdown problem caused by local hot spots or transient large current, but also ensures the reliability of the power switch while maintaining the normal operation of the system.

Claims

1. A power supply device characterized by comprising: The power switch is configured to convert a first power signal into a second power signal according to a control signal. The first current source is configured to provide a current signal to a first node. The control circuit is electrically connected to the power switch, the first current source and the first node, and is configured to convert the current signal into the control signal. The temperature-controlled current drawing circuit includes: at least one temperature sensing element disposed on at least one position of the power switch, and configured to generate at least one voltage signal, the at least one voltage signal being respectively related to a temperature of the at least one position; an error amplifier electrically connected to the at least one temperature sensing element to receive the at least one voltage signal, and configured to generate an adjustment signal according to the at least one voltage signal and a reference voltage; and an adjustment switch electrically connected to the first node and the error amplifier, and configured to draw an adjustment current from the current signal at the first node according to the adjustment signal. Each temperature sensing element of the at least one temperature sensing element is a bipolar transistor, and a collector and a base thereof are electrically connected to the error amplifier and a second current source, and an emitter thereof is electrically connected to a ground terminal. The at least one voltage signal is negatively temperature-related.

2. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein The power switch, the adjustment switch and the error amplifier are disposed on a same substrate.

3. The power supply apparatus of claim 2, wherein The control circuit includes:

4. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein a current source; 5. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein a resistor; and 6. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor having a drain electrically connected to the current source, a gate electrically connected to the first node, and a source electrically connected to the resistor. The temperature-controlled current drawing circuit includes: at least one temperature sensing element disposed on at least one position of the power switch, and configured to generate at least one voltage signal, the at least one voltage signal being respectively related to a temperature of the at least one position; an error amplifier electrically connected to the at least one temperature sensing element to receive the at least one voltage signal, and configured to compare the at least one voltage signal with a reference voltage to generate an adjustment signal; and an adjustment switch electrically connected to the first node and the error amplifier, and configured to draw an adjustment current from the current signal at the first node according to the adjustment signal.

7. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein The power switch of each power supply device of the plurality of power supply devices is in parallel.

8. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein The at least one voltage signal is negatively temperature-related.

9. A power supply system comprising a plurality of power supply devices, characterized by, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 10. The power supply system of claim 9, wherein, ​

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