Power Supply Control Circuit Pin Reduction via Phase Division
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply control circuits require multiple pins and area on integrated circuits (ICs) to detect bulk line over voltage and maximum duty limitations, leading to increased pin count and occupied area, which is inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A control circuit with a phase dividing circuit that generates two detection signals in response to the levels of a switching signal, allowing two independently adjusted protection circuits to be detected via a single pin of the IC, thereby reducing the pin count and occupied area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two separate detection terminals are used for bulk line over voltage detection and maximum duty limitation detection, then the protection functions are independent and reliable, but the pin quantity of the IC increases and the occupied area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate detection terminals into a single shared detection terminal. The phase dividing circuit generates two detection signals from one switching signal, allowing both bulk line over voltage detection and maximum duty limitation detection to share the same physical pin, thereby reducing IC pin quantity and occupied area while maintaining independent protection functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the detection signals in time domain by using a phase dividing circuit. The switching signal is divided into different phase segments, where one phase segment corresponds to bulk line over voltage detection and another phase segment corresponds to maximum duty limitation detection, enabling functional separation through temporal segmentation rather than spatial separation
2Reliability
If two separate detection terminals are used for bulk line over voltage detection and maximum duty limitation detection, then the detection functions are independent, but the pin quantity of the IC increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two detection terminals into one shared terminal. The phase dividing circuit processes a single switching signal to generate two distinct detection signals that are fed to different protection circuits, allowing the IC to maintain two independent detection functions while using only one physical pin, thus reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic action through the phase dividing circuit that divides the switching signal into different phase periods. During different time periods of the switching cycle, the single detection terminal serves different detection purposes, enabling multiplexed operation that reduces pin quantity while maintaining functional independence
Data Source
AI summary
A control circuit for controlling a power supply is revealed. The control circuit is used to generate a switching signal for switching the power supply. The control circuit has a detection terminal for detecting a status of the power supply. A first protection circuit is coupled to the detection terminal and to receive a first detection signal via the detection terminal, and the first protection generates a limit signal in response to the first detection signal, for limiting output of the power supply. A second protection circuit is coupled to the detection terminal and to receive a detection signal via thereto, and the second protection generates a protecting signal, for cutting off the output of the power supply, in response to the first detection signal. A phase dividing circuit is coupled to the detection terminal, the first protection circuit and the second protection circuit, and to generate the first and second detection signal in response to the level of the switching signal, for achieving that two independently adjusted protection circuit are detected by one pin of an integrated circuit (IC) to prevent the IC from increasing of the pin amount. It further reduces the occupied area of the IC.