Primary-Side IR Drop Compensation for Power Adaptors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional IR drop compensation methods for power adaptors with power negotiation capabilities are complex, expensive, and less effective when output voltage varies, especially on the secondary-side, leading to delayed and inefficient voltage adjustment.
Innovation Solution
An adaptor with a converting unit, current sense unit, IR drop detection unit, and control unit that uses a transformer with primary and secondary windings to sense output current and adjust output voltage based on feedback signals, effectively compensating for cable resistance-induced voltage drops through a switch-controlled voltage divider.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional secondary-side cable IR drop compensation is used, then voltage drop compensation is provided, but the compensation is delayed and less effective when output voltage is varied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by performing IR drop compensation on the primary side of the transformer rather than the secondary side. The control circuit measures the output current and calculates the voltage drop, then adjusts the primary voltage accordingly to compensate for the cable resistance. This inversion allows for more effective and timely compensation when output voltage varies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control circuit continuously monitors the output current through a current sense unit, calculates the corresponding voltage drop based on cable resistance, and adjusts the primary voltage in real-time to maintain the required output voltage level despite cable IR drop.
2Reliability
If conventional secondary-side cable IR drop compensation is used, then voltage compensation is achieved, but the design becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the IR drop compensation function with the existing primary-side voltage control circuitry. The control circuit integrates current sensing, voltage drop calculation, and primary voltage adjustment in a unified control mechanism, eliminating the need for separate secondary-side compensation components and reducing overall circuit complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit is designed to perform multiple functions: voltage conversion, current sensing, voltage drop calculation, and adaptive voltage adjustment. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for dedicated secondary-side compensation hardware, simplifying the overall design while maintaining effective IR drop compensation capability.
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
This solution provides efficient and cost-effective IR drop compensation, ensuring the output voltage meets the computing device's requirements by dynamically adjusting the output voltage based on current sense signals, reducing the need for additional components and improving compensation speed.
Implementation Method 1
a converting unit configured to convert a source voltage to an output voltage... The converting unit includes a transformer having primary windings and secondary windings
Implementation Method 2
The current sense unit may include a sense resistor connected to the secondary windings and an operational amplifier, where the operational amplifier is configured to sense the output current through the sense resistor
Data Source
AI summary
According to an aspect, an adaptor may include a converting unit configured to convert a source voltage to an output voltage to be provided to a computing device via a cable. The converting unit includes a transformer having primary windings and secondary windings. The adaptor includes a current sense unit configured to obtain a current sense signal, where the current sense signal indicates an output current produced by the secondary windings of the transformer. The adaptor includes an IR drop detection unit configured to determine a feedback signal representing a voltage drop caused by the cable based on the current sense signal and the output voltage of the converting unit, and a control unit configured to adjust the output voltage of the converting unit to account for the voltage drop represented by the feedback signal.