Communicating across galvanic isolation
AssigneePower Integrations, Inc.
InventorsMatthias Peter, Jan Thalheim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power conversion system comprising a system controller configured to generate an input signal in response to a system input and a switch controller coupled to the system controller, the switch controller configured to control a power switch. The switch controller comprises a driver interface configured to receive the input signal that indicates whether the power switch should be ON or OFF, the driver interface further configured to transmit one or more current pulses across a galvanic isolation using an inductive coupling. The driver interface further comprises a first local power supply configured to increase an output voltage of the first local power supply when a transmission of current pulses is imminent.
Claims23
A power conversion system, comprising:
- a system controller configured to generate an input signal in response to a system input;
- and
- a switch controller coupled to the system controller, the switch controller configured to control a power switch, the switch controller comprising:
- a driver interface configured to receive the input signal that indicates whether the power switch should be ON or OFF, the driver interface further configured to transmit one or more current pulses across a galvanic isolation using an inductive coupling, wherein the driver interface comprises:
- a first local power supply configured to increase an output voltage of the first local power supply when a transmission of current pulses is imminent;
- and
- a primary side decoder circuit configured to receive the input signal and generate a pulse request signal that indicates to the first local power supply the transmission of current pulses is imminent;
- and
- a drive circuit configured to receive a receiver signal induced by the inductive coupling and control the power switch to an ON state or an Off state, the drive circuit comprising:
- a second local power supply;
- a decoder circuit configured to receive the receiver signal, the decoder circuit further configured to generate a decoded signal in response to the receiver signal;
- and
- a driver configured to receive the decoded signal, the driver further configured to output a drive signal to control the power switch to the ON or OFF state.
A switch controller, comprising:
- a primary side conductive loop;
- a secondary-side conductive loop, wherein the primary side conductive loop and the secondary-side conductive loop are configured to provide galvanic isolation;
- a primary-side driver interface configured to control a power switch, the primary-side driver interface comprising:
- a pulse generator configured to receive an input pulse signal which provides information for the power switch, the pulse generator further configured to generate a pulse request signal to the primary side conductive loop when one or more current pulses by an output stage is imminent;
- a local power supply coupled to the pulse generator, the local power supply configured to receive the pulse request signal and provide power to the primary-side driver interface;
- and
- a secondary-side drive circuit, the secondary-side drive circuit comprising:
- a secondary-side decoder circuit coupled to the secondary-side conductive loop, the secondary-side decoder circuit further configured to receive a receiver voltage induced in the secondary-side conductive loop and generate a decoded signal;
- and
- a driver circuit coupled to the secondary-side decoder circuit, the driver circuit further configured to provide a drive signal to the power switch in response to the decoded signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.