Hardware Latch Shut-Off Circuit for Overcurrent Power Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply control devices face challenges in ensuring functional safety standards when shutting off power, as they often rely on software execution for safety stop commands and may not adequately address abnormal conditions like overcurrents.
Innovation Solution
A power supply control device is designed with hardware components such as a current detection device, comparison device, shut-off device, latch device, and delay device to detect overcurrents, shut off the gate driving signal, maintain the shut-off state, and release the latch operation after a predetermined delay, all without relying on software execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If software execution is used to shut off power supply control, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to inability to guarantee functional safety standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based control with a hardware-based safety stop circuit that uses electrical components (comparators, latch circuits, transistors) to detect overcurrent conditions and shut off power supply. This substitution of software with hardware circuitry ensures functional safety standards are met while maintaining operational ease.
2Reliability
If hardware components are used to ensure functional safety, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple safety functions into a single unified hardware circuit block that combines current detection, comparison, latch control, and power shut-off capabilities. This merging of functions reduces overall device complexity while maintaining high reliability through hardware-based safety mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety stop circuit is designed as a universal hardware module that can be applied to various power supply control scenarios. The circuit performs multiple functions including overcurrent detection, shut-off control, and latch state management within a single integrated structure, reducing the need for separate components.
3Reliability
If latch circuit is used to maintain safe state, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in restoring normal state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback mechanism where the latch circuit automatically monitors its own state and the power supply status. When normal operating conditions are detected, the circuit automatically resets the latch state through feedback signals, eliminating the need for manual intervention and maintaining ease of operation while ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety stop circuit is designed to be self-resetting through automatic detection of normal operating conditions. The latch circuit automatically returns to its initial state when overcurrent conditions are resolved, making the system self-service capable and maintaining operational ease without requiring external control.
Data Source
AI summary
A power supply control device includes: a power conversion device; a controller; a current detection device; a comparison device configured to output a shut-off start signal when a value of current detected by the current detection device is larger than a preset current threshold value; a shut-off device configured to shut off, based on a shut-off control signal, a conversion operation signal; a latch device configured to output the shut-off control signal based on the shut-off start signal output by the comparison device and to perform, until a latch release signal is input, a latch operation, in which the shut-off device is caused to maintain a state in which a conversion operation signal is shut off; and a delay device configured to output a latch release signal after a delay time elapses, the delay time being determined by components of the delay device.