Power Supply Over-Voltage Protection via Phase Modulator Inductor Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices are vulnerable to damage from unstable power inputs, particularly surge voltages and excessive currents, which can exceed the maximum withstanding voltage or current, leading to potential damage or burning of components like central processing units during power supply or charging.
Innovation Solution
A power supply device incorporating a power supply module, a voltage regulator module with a phase modulator circuit, and an over-voltage protection module that detects potential deviations using inductors and transistors to selectively conduct low-side power transistors and provide over-voltage protection during the initial startup and normal operation, ensuring stable voltage and current delivery to the load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If power supply device provides high power output, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to over-voltage damage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The over-voltage protection module performs preliminary detection of the inductor's potential before the main power switch is fully enabled. By detecting abnormal potential early in the startup sequence (before EN signal activates the main power transistor), the system can prevent over-voltage from reaching the load, thus protecting components while allowing high power operation when conditions are normal.
2Device complexity
If power supply device operates without over-voltage protection, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors increase due to surge voltage damage
Solution Approach 1:
The over-voltage protection module acts as an intermediary between the power supply module and the load. It includes a detection circuit that monitors the inductor's potential and a control circuit that can selectively enable or disable the low-side power transistor based on detected conditions. This intermediary structure adds minimal complexity while effectively blocking harmful surge voltages from reaching the load.
3Reliability
If detection of inductor potential is added, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The over-voltage protection module is integrated with the existing phase modulator circuit by sharing the inductor as a common component. The detection circuit uses the inductor's potential that already exists in the power conversion circuit, rather than adding separate sensing components. The control circuit merges the detection function with the existing low-side power transistor control, combining multiple functions into a unified structure that minimizes additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A power supply device includes a power supply module, a voltage regulator module and an over-voltage protection (OVP) module. The power supply module is utilized to provide a standby voltage signal. The voltage regulator module includes a phase modulator circuit. The phase modulator circuit includes a high-side power transistor, a low-side power transistor and a phase inductor. The OVP module is utilized to transmit the standby voltage signal to the phase modulator circuit and detect a detection potential on the phase modulator circuit. The OVP module selectively conducts the low-side power transistor of the phase modulator circuit according to the detection potential.