Lighting Bus Voltage Control Using End-Module Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting systems with LED light sources face challenges in maintaining consistent bus voltage levels, particularly at the ends of power buses, leading to potential brownout events that affect the intensity and color stability of the emitted light.
Innovation Solution
A fixture controller system that includes a power converter circuit and control circuit to regulate the bus voltage across a power bus, using a digital proportional-integral controller to adjust the bus voltage magnitude based on feedback from the end lighting device, ensuring stable operation and preventing brownout events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If lighting devices are serially coupled on a power bus, then the system can power multiple devices efficiently, but the bus voltage drops at the end of the power bus causing brownout events
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit receives feedback about the end bus voltage magnitude from the end lighting device and uses this information to dynamically adjust the target bus voltage control signal. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to compensate for voltage drops in real-time, maintaining reliable operation across multiple serially-coupled devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the target bus voltage parameter based on the measured end bus voltage magnitude. When the end bus voltage drops below expected levels, the control circuit increases the target bus voltage to compensate, thereby maintaining stable operation and preventing brownout events.
2Reliability
If the bus voltage is increased to compensate for voltage drop, then the end device receives sufficient voltage, but the overall system power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the target bus voltage rather than maintaining a fixed high voltage. The control circuit modulates the voltage based on actual needs, increasing it only when necessary to prevent brownout conditions, thereby optimizing power consumption while ensuring reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The end lighting device monitors its own received voltage and communicates this information back to the control circuit, enabling the system to self-regulate and maintain optimal voltage levels without external intervention or wasteful over-volting.
3Device complexity
If a simple voltage regulator is used, then the device complexity is low, but the system cannot dynamically respond to changing voltage conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit implements a feedback mechanism where the end lighting device reports the actual bus voltage received, and the control circuit adjusts the target voltage accordingly. This feedback loop provides dynamic adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit serves multiple functions: it generates the target bus voltage control signal, receives feedback from the end device, processes the feedback information, and dynamically adjusts the voltage output. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, keeping device complexity low while maintaining high adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system maintains consistent bus voltage levels, preventing brownout events and ensuring uniform intensity and color stability of LED lighting across the entire lighting fixture, enhancing the reliability and performance of LED-based lighting systems.
Implementation Method 1
a power converter circuit that is configured to generate a bus voltage on a power bus
Implementation Method 2
The control circuit may be configured to receive an indication of an end bus voltage magnitude of the bus voltage as received by an end lighting device
Implementation Method 3
using a digital proportional-integral controller to adjust the bus voltage magnitude based on feedback from the end lighting device
Data Source
AI summary
A system may include a plurality of master lighting modules and a fixture controller. The fixture control may include a power converter circuit that is configured to generate a bus voltage on a power bus. The plurality of master lighting modules may be serially-coupled on the power bus. The fixture controller may include a control circuit that is configured to receive an indication of a magnitude of an end bus voltage at an end master lighting module. The end master lighting module may be the master lighting module that is located furthest from the fixture controller along the power bus. The control circuit may be configured to generate a target bus voltage control signal based on the magnitude of the end bus voltage. The power converter circuit may be configured to control a magnitude of the bus voltage based on the target bus voltage control signal.