A control circuit and device

Abstract

This application discloses a control circuit and device for improving circuit reliability. The control circuit includes a boost converter module, a control module, and a high-side switch module. The boost converter module has a boost input terminal, a boost output terminal, and a boost control terminal. The control module has a boost signal control terminal and a power good (PG) signal control terminal. The high-side switch module has a switch input terminal, a switch output terminal, and a switch receiver terminal. The boost input terminal receives an electrical signal from outside the control circuit. The boost output terminal is connected to the switch input terminal. The switch output terminal is connected to a load outside the control circuit. The boost signal control terminal is connected to the boost control terminal, and the PG signal control terminal is connected to the switch receiver terminal. The control module controls the high-side switch module to connect or isolate the boost converter module from the load.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of circuits, and more particularly to a control circuit and device. Background Technology

[0002] Boost converters are widely used in various electronic devices, providing an output voltage higher than the input voltage to ensure stable operation. In existing solutions, boost converters directly supply the output voltage to the load, allowing the load to operate at the required voltage.

[0003] However, in existing solutions, since the output of the boost converter module is directly connected to the load, if the load is short-circuited unexpectedly, overcurrent will occur, which will cause the components in the boost converter module and the load to burn out, resulting in low equipment safety. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a control circuit and device for improving circuit reliability.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a control circuit, including: a boost converter module, a control module, and a high-side switch module;

[0006] The boost converter module is provided with a boost input terminal, a boost output terminal and a boost control terminal; the control module is provided with a boost signal control terminal and a power good PG signal control terminal; and the high-side switch module is provided with a switch input terminal, a switch output terminal and a switch receiver terminal.

[0007] The boost input terminal is used to receive electrical signals from outside the control circuit, and the boost output terminal is connected to the switch input terminal;

[0008] The switch output terminal is used to connect to an external load of the control circuit;

[0009] The boost signal control terminal is connected to the boost control terminal, and the PG signal control terminal is connected to the switch receiving terminal;

[0010] The control module is used to control the high-side switch module so that the boost converter module is connected to or isolated from the load.

[0011] Optionally, the high-side switch module includes: a first PMOS transistor, a first NMOS transistor, and a high-side resistor;

[0012] The source of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the switch input terminal, the drain of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the load as the switch output terminal, the gate of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor, the first end of the high-side resistor is connected to the source of the first PMOS transistor, the second end of the high-side resistor is connected to the gate of the first PMOS transistor, the source of the first NMOS transistor is grounded, and the gate of the first NMOS transistor is connected to the PG signal control terminal as the switch receiving terminal.

[0013] Optionally, the high-side switch module further includes: a protection resistor;

[0014] The gate of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the second end of the high-side resistor and the first end of the protection resistor, respectively. The second end of the protection resistor is connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor, so that the gate of the first PMOS transistor and the second end of the high-side resistor are both connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor through the protection resistor.

[0015] Optionally, the high-side switch module includes: a switch integrated chip;

[0016] The integrated switch chip is provided with a chip input terminal, a chip output terminal, and a chip control terminal. The chip input terminal serves as the switch input terminal and is connected to the boost output terminal of the boost converter module. The chip output terminal serves as the switch output terminal and is connected to the load. The chip control terminal serves as the switch receiver terminal and is connected to the PG signal control terminal.

[0017] Optionally, the high-side switching module includes: a high-side switching transistor and a charge pump;

[0018] The high-side switch tube is provided with a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal and a tube control terminal. The charge pump is provided with a pump input terminal and a pump output terminal. The first connection terminal serves as the switch input terminal and is connected to the boost output terminal. The second connection terminal serves as the switch output terminal and is connected to the load. The tube control terminal is connected to the pump output terminal. The pump input terminal serves as the switch receiving terminal and is connected to the PG signal control terminal.

[0019] Optionally, the high-side switch is a second PMOS transistor;

[0020] The source of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the first connection terminal, the drain of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the load as the second connection terminal, and the gate of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the pump output terminal as the control terminal.

[0021] Optionally, the high-side switch is a second NMOS transistor;

[0022] The drain of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the first connection terminal, the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the load as the second connection terminal, and the gate of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the pump output terminal as the transistor control terminal.

[0023] Optionally, the boost converter module is a boost circuit module.

[0024] Optionally, the boost circuit module includes: an input capacitor, an output capacitor, an inductor, a freewheeling diode, and a third NMOS transistor;

[0025] The first terminal of the inductor is connected to the first terminal of the input capacitor, the second terminal of the input capacitor is grounded, the second terminal of the inductor is connected to the drain of the third NMOS transistor and the anode of the freewheeling diode, the cathode of the freewheeling diode is connected to the first terminal of the output capacitor, the second terminal of the output capacitor is grounded, the source of the third NMOS transistor is grounded, the first terminal of the inductor serves as the boost input terminal, the cathode of the freewheeling diode serves as the boost output terminal and is connected to the high-side switching module, and the gate of the third NMOS transistor serves as the boost control terminal and is connected to the control module.

[0026] A second aspect of this application provides an apparatus including the control circuit described above.

[0027] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the embodiments of this application have the following advantages:

[0028] The control circuit of this application includes a boost converter module, a control module, and a high-side switch module. When the load is normal, the control module controls the high-side switch module to connect the boost converter module to the load. When the load is abnormal (overcurrent), the control module controls the high-side switch module to isolate the boost converter module from the load. In this way, the circuit is broken, the boost converter module will not be affected by the overcurrent, the equipment will not be damaged, the reliability of the circuit is improved, and a better user experience is provided. Attached Figure Description

[0029] 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 recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a control circuit disclosed in this application;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the control circuit disclosed in this application;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the high-side switch module disclosed in this application;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the high-side switch module disclosed in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] This application provides a control circuit and device for improving circuit reliability.

[0036] Boost converters are widely used in various devices to provide stable voltages. For example, they are used in LiDAR systems to provide high voltage to the laser emitter. The most typical example of a boost converter is the boost circuit module, which converts the input voltage into a larger output voltage. In existing solutions, the boost converter directly supplies the output voltage to the load, allowing it to operate at the required voltage. However, because the output of the boost converter is directly connected to the load, a short circuit in the load can cause overcurrent, potentially damaging both the components in the boost converter and the load, thus compromising equipment safety. Furthermore, when the boost converter is not operating, the load experiences the input voltage instead of zero, leading to inaccurate control and malfunctions. To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a control circuit and device equipped with a high-side switch module. When the load experiences overcurrent or is not required to operate, the control module controls the high-side switch module to isolate the boost converter module from the load. This disconnects the circuit, preventing the boost converter module from being affected by overcurrent and ensuring the device remains undamaged. The voltage across the load is zero, thus improving circuit reliability and providing a better user experience.

[0037] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0038] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0039] The following describes a control circuit according to this application. Please refer to... Figure 1 One embodiment of the control circuit of this application includes: a boost converter module, a control module, and a high-side switch module;

[0040] The boost converter module is provided with a boost input terminal, a boost output terminal and a boost control terminal; the control module is provided with a boost signal control terminal and a power good PG signal control terminal; and the high-side switch module is provided with a switch input terminal, a switch output terminal and a switch receiver terminal.

[0041] The boost input terminal is used to receive electrical signals from outside the control circuit, and the boost output terminal is connected to the switch input terminal;

[0042] The switch output terminal is used to connect to an external load of the control circuit;

[0043] The boost signal control terminal is connected to the boost control terminal, and the PG signal control terminal is connected to the switch receiving terminal;

[0044] The control module is used to control the high-side switch module so that the boost converter module is connected to or isolated from the load.

[0045] The working principle of this embodiment will now be explained. The control module will perform detection based on various sensors. If the detected conditions meet the standard (i.e., all conditions are normal), it will control the high-side switch module to directly connect the boost converter module to the load. If the detected conditions do not meet the standard (e.g., the current through the load is too large), it will control the high-side switch module to disconnect the boost converter module from the load and isolate them from each other.

[0046] In this embodiment, a boost converter module, a control module, and a high-side switch module are provided. When the load is normal, the control module controls the high-side switch module to connect the boost converter module to the load. When the load is abnormal (overcurrent), the control module controls the high-side switch module to isolate the boost converter module from the load. In this way, the circuit is broken, the boost converter module will not be affected by the overcurrent, the equipment will not be damaged, the reliability of the circuit is improved, and a better user experience is provided.

[0047] Please see Figures 2 to 4 Another embodiment of the control circuit device of this application includes: a boost converter module, a control module, and a high-side switch module;

[0048] The boost converter module is provided with a boost input terminal, a boost output terminal and a boost control terminal. The control module is provided with a boost signal control terminal and a power good PG signal control terminal. The high-side switch module is provided with a switch input terminal, a switch output terminal and a switch receiver terminal. The boost converter module can be a boost circuit module or other types, which are not limited here.

[0049] The boost input terminal is used to receive electrical signals from outside the control circuit, and the boost output terminal is connected to the switch input terminal;

[0050] The switch output terminal is used to connect to an external load of the control circuit;

[0051] The boost signal control terminal is connected to the boost control terminal, and the PG signal control terminal is connected to the switch receiving terminal;

[0052] The control module is used to control the high-side switch module so that the boost converter module is connected to or isolated from the load.

[0053] The high-side switch module has multiple implementations, which are not limited here. Three implementations are described below. In the first implementation, the high-side switch module includes: a first PMOS transistor P1, a first NMOS transistor N1, and a high-side resistor R1;

[0054] The source of the first PMOS transistor P1 is connected to the boost output terminal as the switch input terminal, the drain of the first PMOS transistor P1 is connected to the load as the switch output terminal, the gate of the first PMOS transistor P1 is connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor N1, the first end of the high-side resistor R1 is connected to the source of the first PMOS transistor P1, the second end of the high-side resistor R1 is connected to the gate of the first PMOS transistor P1, the source of the first NMOS transistor N1 is grounded, and the gate of the first NMOS transistor N1 is connected to the PG signal control terminal as the switch receiving terminal.

[0055] To protect the first PMOS transistor P1, a resistor can be added. Specifically, the high-side switch module also includes a protection resistor.

[0056] The gate of the first PMOS transistor P1 is connected to the second end of the high-side resistor R1 and the first end of the protection resistor, respectively. The second end of the protection resistor is connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor N1, so that the gate of the first PMOS transistor P1 and the second end of the high-side resistor R1 are both connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor N1 through the protection resistor.

[0057] In the second embodiment, the high-side switch module includes: a switch integrated chip;

[0058] The integrated switch chip is provided with a chip input terminal, a chip output terminal, and a chip control terminal. The chip input terminal serves as the switch input terminal and is connected to the boost output terminal of the boost converter module. The chip output terminal serves as the switch output terminal and is connected to the load. The chip control terminal serves as the switch receiver terminal and is connected to the PG signal control terminal.

[0059] In the third embodiment, the high-side switching module includes: a high-side switching transistor and a charge pump;

[0060] The high-side switch tube is provided with a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal and a tube control terminal. The charge pump is provided with a pump input terminal and a pump output terminal. The first connection terminal serves as the switch input terminal and is connected to the boost output terminal. The second connection terminal serves as the switch output terminal and is connected to the load. The tube control terminal is connected to the pump output terminal. The pump input terminal serves as the switch receiving terminal and is connected to the PG signal control terminal.

[0061] In the third embodiment, the high-side switching transistor can be selected from various options, such as a PMOS transistor or an NMOS transistor, etc., and is not specifically limited here. The high-side switching transistor is a second PMOS transistor.

[0062] The source of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the first connection terminal, the drain of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the load as the second connection terminal, and the gate of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the pump output terminal as the control terminal.

[0063] The high-side switch can also be a second NMOS transistor;

[0064] The drain of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the first connection terminal, the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the load as the second connection terminal, and the gate of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the pump output terminal as the transistor control terminal.

[0065] This embodiment uses the first implementation method (without adding a protection resistor) as an example for illustration.

[0066] In this embodiment, the boost converter module is a boost circuit module. Specifically, the boost circuit module includes: an input capacitor C1, an output capacitor C2, an inductor L, a freewheeling diode D, and a third NMOS transistor N3.

[0067] The first terminal of the inductor L is connected to the first terminal of the input capacitor C1, the second terminal of the input capacitor C1 is grounded, the second terminal of the inductor L is connected to the drain of the third NMOS transistor N3 and the anode of the freewheeling diode D, the cathode of the freewheeling diode D is connected to the first terminal of the output capacitor C2, the second terminal of the output capacitor C2 is grounded, the source of the third NMOS transistor N3 is grounded, the first terminal of the inductor L serves as the boost input terminal, the cathode of the freewheeling diode D serves as the boost output terminal and is connected to the high-side switching module, and the gate of the third NMOS transistor N3 serves as the boost control terminal and is connected to the control module.

[0068] The working principle of this embodiment will now be explained. First, the control module controls the third NMOS transistor N3 to turn on, allowing the inductor L to store energy. Then, it controls the third NMOS transistor N3 to turn off, and the energy in the inductor L, combined with the input energy, is prepared to be supplied to the load. The control module outputs a high-level signal to the gate of the first NMOS transistor N1 under three conditions: the control module is operating normally, the current flowing through the load is within the normal range, and the voltage of the cathode of the freewheeling diode D is within a preset range. Only when all three conditions are met will the control module output a high-level signal to the gate of the first NMOS transistor N1. When the first NMOS transistor N1 is on, the gate of the first PMOS transistor P1 is at a low level. When the first PMOS transistor P1 is on, the freewheeling diode D is directly connected to the load. If at least one of the three conditions is not met, the gate of the first NMOS transistor N1 is at a low level, the first NMOS transistor N1 is off, and consequently, the first PMOS transistor P1 is off, isolating the load from the boost converter module.

[0069] In this embodiment, a boost converter module, a control module, and a high-side switch module are provided. When the load is normal, the control module controls the high-side switch module to connect the boost converter module to the load. When the conditions are not met, the control module controls the high-side switch module to isolate the boost converter module from the load. This circuit disconnection prevents the boost converter module from being affected by overcurrent and avoids damage to the equipment, thus improving the reliability of the circuit. In addition, when the load is not required to work, the voltage across the load is zero, providing a better user experience.

[0070] The control circuit of the present application embodiment has been described above. The device of the present application embodiment is described below. One embodiment of the device of the present application embodiment includes the control circuit as described above.

[0071] In this embodiment, based on the characteristics of the control circuit, the load can be protected, the reliability of the device can be improved, and a better user experience can be provided.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0073] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0074] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0075] In addition, in the various embodiments of this utility model, each functional unit can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0076] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A control circuit, characterized in that, include: Boost converter module, control module, and high-side switch module; The boost converter module is provided with a boost input terminal, a boost output terminal and a boost control terminal; the control module is provided with a boost signal control terminal and a power good PG signal control terminal; and the high-side switch module is provided with a switch input terminal, a switch output terminal and a switch receiver terminal. The boost input terminal is used to receive electrical signals from outside the control circuit, and the boost output terminal is connected to the switch input terminal; The switch output terminal is used to connect to an external load of the control circuit; The boost signal control terminal is connected to the boost control terminal, and the PG signal control terminal is connected to the switch receiving terminal; The control module is used to control the high-side switch module so that the boost converter module is connected to or isolated from the load.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-side switching module includes: a first PMOS transistor, a first NMOS transistor, and a high-side resistor; The source of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the switch input terminal, the drain of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the load as the switch output terminal, the gate of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor, the first end of the high-side resistor is connected to the source of the first PMOS transistor, the second end of the high-side resistor is connected to the gate of the first PMOS transistor, the source of the first NMOS transistor is grounded, and the gate of the first NMOS transistor is connected to the PG signal control terminal as the switch receiving terminal.

3. The control circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The high-side switch module also includes: a protection resistor; The gate of the first PMOS transistor is connected to the second end of the high-side resistor and the first end of the protection resistor, respectively. The second end of the protection resistor is connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor, so that the gate of the first PMOS transistor and the second end of the high-side resistor are both connected to the drain of the first NMOS transistor through the protection resistor.

4. The control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-side switch module includes: a switch integrated chip; The integrated switch chip is provided with a chip input terminal, a chip output terminal, and a chip control terminal. The chip input terminal serves as the switch input terminal and is connected to the boost output terminal of the boost converter module. The chip output terminal serves as the switch output terminal and is connected to the load. The chip control terminal serves as the switch receiver terminal and is connected to the PG signal control terminal.

5. The control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-side switching module includes: a high-side switching transistor and a charge pump; The high-side switch tube is provided with a first connection terminal, a second connection terminal and a tube control terminal. The charge pump is provided with a pump input terminal and a pump output terminal. The first connection terminal serves as the switch input terminal and is connected to the boost output terminal. The second connection terminal serves as the switch output terminal and is connected to the load. The tube control terminal is connected to the pump output terminal. The pump input terminal serves as the switch receiving terminal and is connected to the PG signal control terminal.

6. The control circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The high-side switching transistor is a second PMOS transistor; The source of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the first connection terminal, the drain of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the load as the second connection terminal, and the gate of the second PMOS transistor is connected to the pump output terminal as the control terminal.

7. The control circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The high-side switching transistor is a second NMOS transistor; The drain of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the boost output terminal as the first connection terminal, the source of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the load as the second connection terminal, and the gate of the second NMOS transistor is connected to the pump output terminal as the transistor control terminal.

8. The control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boost converter module is a boost circuit module.

9. The control circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that, The boost circuit module includes: an input capacitor, an output capacitor, an inductor, a freewheeling diode, and a third NMOS transistor; The first terminal of the inductor is connected to the first terminal of the input capacitor, the second terminal of the input capacitor is grounded, the second terminal of the inductor is connected to the drain of the third NMOS transistor and the anode of the freewheeling diode, the cathode of the freewheeling diode is connected to the first terminal of the output capacitor, the second terminal of the output capacitor is grounded, the source of the third NMOS transistor is grounded, the first terminal of the inductor serves as the boost input terminal, the cathode of the freewheeling diode serves as the boost output terminal and is connected to the high-side switching module, and the gate of the third NMOS transistor serves as the boost control terminal and is connected to the control module.

10. A device, characterized in that, Includes the control circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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