Power Control Chip with Sink Voltage Feedback and Overvoltage Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power supply chips often provide excessive output voltage due to abnormal requests from external chips, leading to potential damage, and actual voltages received by external chips are lower than expected due to line resistance, causing inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A control chip with a connection port, encoder, decoder, and control circuit that adjusts output voltage based on actual and protect-point voltages received by the sink device, using communication protocols to ensure appropriate voltage levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the power supply chip provides output voltage according to the external chip's request, then the external chip can operate, but the external chip may be damaged by excessive voltage from abnormal requests
Solution Approach 1:
The control chip performs preliminary actions by sending inquiry signals to detect the sink device's voltage requirements and capabilities before providing power. The control circuit determines whether to operate in compensation mode or setting mode based on these preliminary detections, ensuring safe voltage provisioning before actual power delivery occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the control chip receives acknowledgement signals from the sink device indicating voltage requirements and actual received voltage. Based on this feedback, the control circuit adjusts the output voltage dynamically - operating in compensation mode when voltage drop needs correction or in setting mode when protect-point voltage is detected, thereby preventing overvoltage damage.
2Reliability
If the power supply chip provides higher output voltage to compensate for line resistance, then the sink device receives adequate voltage, but the sink device may receive excessive voltage causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit dynamically adjusts the output voltage based on real-time feedback from the sink device. The system transitions between compensation mode (when voltage drop compensation is needed) and setting mode (when protect-point voltage is detected), making the voltage provision adaptive rather than static, thus preventing both undervoltage and overvoltage conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control chip changes the output voltage parameter dynamically based on detected conditions. When the sink device reports actual voltage lower than expected, the control circuit increases output voltage in compensation mode. When protect-point voltage is detected, it switches to setting mode to maintain voltage at safe levels, thereby preventing parameter-related damage.
3Reliability
If the control chip detects actual voltage received by the sink device, then voltage drop can be compensated, but communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface serves multiple functions: it sends inquiry signals to detect sink device voltage requirements, receives acknowledgement signals with actual voltage information, and enables mode switching between compensation and setting operations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated detection mechanisms, optimizing the balance between detection accuracy and communication efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A control chip providing power to a sink device and including a connection port, an encoder, a decoder, and a control circuit is provided. The connection port provides an output voltage and an inquiry signal to the sink device, and receives an acknowledgement signal provided by the sink device. The encoder generates the inquiry signal. The decoder decodes the acknowledgement signal to generate a decoded result. In a compensation mode, the control circuit obtains an actual voltage received by the sink device according to the decoded result and adjusts the output voltage according to the actual voltage received by the sink device. In a setting mode, the control circuit obtains a protect-point voltage of the sink device according to the decoded result and adjusts the output voltage according to the protect-point voltage of the sink device to prevent the output voltage from being higher than the protect-point voltage.