Power Converter Controller Auxiliary Voltage Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power converters face challenges in regulating multiple outputs, particularly when the main load decreases, leading to potential voltage drops and ripples in auxiliary outputs, especially when there is no feedback path from auxiliary outputs to the controller, making it costly to implement stable regulation across all outputs.
Innovation Solution
A power converter controller that receives an output indication and supply voltage, determining and controlling the on-times of a primary side switch to maintain stable output voltages by selectively extending burst lengths based on the supply voltage, ensuring sufficient power delivery to auxiliary outputs even under varying load conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single power supply is used to supply both main load and auxiliary loads, then cost is reduced, but voltage stability at auxiliary outputs deteriorates when main load decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that monitors the supply voltage (which reflects auxiliary load conditions) and adjusts the primary side switch on-times accordingly. When auxiliary load increases causing supply voltage to drop, the controller extends burst length to maintain voltage stability, resolving the contradiction between using a single power supply and maintaining stable auxiliary output voltage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the supply voltage itself as the feedback signal, allowing the power supply to self-regulate. The controller detects supply voltage variations caused by auxiliary load changes and automatically adjusts switching parameters, enabling the single power supply to maintain stability without additional feedback circuits from auxiliary outputs.
2Device complexity
If conventional feedback regulation is used for main output only, then device complexity is reduced, but auxiliary output voltage drops when main load decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the supply voltage serve dual purposes: both as power source for the controller and as feedback signal indicating auxiliary load conditions. This multi-functionality allows the controller to regulate auxiliary output voltage without adding separate feedback circuits, maintaining low device complexity while improving voltage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply voltage acts as an intermediary that indirectly reflects auxiliary load conditions. Instead of directly monitoring auxiliary output voltage (which would require additional feedback paths), the controller uses supply voltage variations as a mediator to detect and compensate for auxiliary load changes, maintaining voltage stability with minimal added complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple feedback signals are combined for regulation, then voltage regulation stability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential feedback information needed for auxiliary voltage regulation from the complex system of multiple feedback signals. By using solely the supply voltage as the feedback source, the invention eliminates the need to combine multiple feedback signals while still achieving stable auxiliary output voltage regulation, thereby reducing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Power converter controllers, power converters and corresponding methods are provided. A power converter controller may have a first input for receiving an indication of an output of the power converter and a second input operative to receive a supply voltage. A control circuit of the power converter controller (10) controls a primary side switch of the power converter based on both the supply voltage and the indication.