Flyback converter with a variable frequency discontinuous mode and valley sensing

A conversion control circuit for use in a flyback power converter circuit, wherein the flyback power converter circuit is configured to operably generate a switching signal for controlling a primary side switch, so as to control the primary side winding of a power transformer of the flyback power converter circuit, thereby converting an input power to an output power at a secondary side winding of the power transformer;

• the conversion control circuit comprising:
• a frequency upper limit masking circuit, which is configured to operably obtain a turned-ON time point according to the switching signal, wherein in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time, the frequency upper limit masking circuit is configured to operably obtain a frequency upper limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the upper limit frequency, so as to generate a frequency upper limit masking signal, wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• a valley detection circuit, which is configured to operably generate a valley detection signal according to a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch, wherein the valley detection signal is indicative of an occurrence time point of at least one valley in the ringing signal during the dead time;
• an upper limit determination circuit, which is configured to operably select a valley of a predetermined serial number as the occurrence time point of the upper limit locked valley according to the frequency upper limit masking signal and the valley detection signal during an upper limit selection period, so as to generate an upper limit determination signal, wherein the upper limit selection period is a period starting from a time point at which the frequency upper limit masking period ends;
• and
• a switching signal generation circuit, which is configured to operably compare the feedback compensation signal with a ramp signal, so as to generate a reset signal, wherein the switching signal generation circuit is configured to operably generate the switching signal according to the reset signal and the upper limit determination signal, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the upper limit locked valley;
• wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein the conversion control circuit is configured to operably adjust an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not higher than the upper limit frequency in the DCM.

A control method, which is configured to operably control a flyback power converter circuit, so that an input power is converted to an output power, thus supplying the output power to a load circuit;

• the control method comprising:
• generating a switching signal according to a feedback compensation signal, so as to control the primary side switch and thereby controlling the primary side winding, to convert the input power to the output power at a secondary side winding of the power transformer;
• in a case wherein the flyback power converter circuit operates in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time in the DCM, calculating an upper limit frequency corresponding to the output current according to a frequency upper limit function, and obtaining a frequency upper limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the upper limit frequency, wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• during an upper limit selection period, selecting a valley among one or more valleys in a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch as an upper limit locked valley, so as to once again turn ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the upper limit locked valley, wherein the upper limit selection period is a period starting from a time point at which the frequency upper limit masking period ends;
• and
• adjusting an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not higher than the upper limit frequency in the DCM.

A flyback power converter circuit, which is configured to operably convert an input power to an output power, so as to supply the output power to a load circuit, wherein the input power includes an input voltage and an input current, whereas, the output power includes an output voltage and an output current;

• the flyback power converter circuit comprising:
• a power transformer, which is coupled between the input voltage and the output voltage via electromagnetic induction, wherein the power transformer includes a primary side winding coupled to the input voltage and a secondary side winding coupled to the output voltage;
• a primary side switch coupled to the primary side winding, wherein the primary side switch is configured to operably control the primary side winding, so as to convert the input voltage, whereby the secondary side winding generates the output voltage;
• and
• a conversion control circuit, which is configured to operably generate a switching signal according to a feedback compensation signal, so as to control the primary side switch, thus controlling the primary side winding;
• wherein in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably calculate a lower limit frequency corresponding to the output current according to a frequency lower limit function, and to operably obtain a frequency lower limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the lower limit frequency, wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• and wherein during a lower limit selection period, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably select a valley among one or more valleys in a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch as a lower limit locked valley, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the lower limit locked valley, wherein the lower limit selection period is a period prior to a time point at which the frequency lower limit masking period ends;
• wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein the conversion control circuit is configured to operably adjust an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not lower than the lower limit frequency in the DCM.

A conversion control circuit for use in a flyback power converter circuit, wherein the flyback power converter circuit is configured to operably generate a switching signal for controlling a primary side switch, so as to control the primary side winding of a power transformer of the flyback power converter circuit, thereby converting an input power to an output power at a secondary side winding of the power transformer;

• the conversion control circuit comprising:
• a frequency lower limit masking circuit, which is configured to operably obtain a turned-ON time point according to the switching signal, wherein in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time, the frequency lower limit masking circuit is configured to operably obtain a frequency lower limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the lower limit frequency, so as to generate a frequency lower limit masking signal, wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• a valley detection circuit, which is configured to operably generate a valley detection signal according to a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch, wherein the valley detection signal is indicative of an occurrence time point of at least one valley in the ringing signal during the dead time;
• a lower limit determination circuit, which is configured to operably select a valley of a predetermined serial number as the occurrence time point of the lower limit locked valley according to the frequency lower limit masking signal and the valley detection signal during a lower limit selection period, so as to generate a lower limit determination signal, wherein the lower limit selection period is a period prior to a time point at which the frequency lower limit masking period ends;
• and
• a switching signal generation circuit, which is configured to operably compare the feedback compensation signal with a ramp signal, so as to generate a reset signal, and to operably generate the switching signal according to the reset signal and the lower limit determination signal, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the lower limit locked valley;
• wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein the conversion control circuit is configured to operably adjust an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not lower than the lower limit frequency in the DCM.

A control method, which is configured to operably control a flyback power converter circuit, so that an input power is converted to an output power, thus supplying the output power to a load circuit;

• the control method comprising:
• generating a switching signal according to a feedback compensation signal, so as to control the primary side switch and thereby controlling the primary side winding, to convert the input power to the output power at a secondary side winding of the power transformer;
• in a case wherein the flyback power converter circuit operates in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time in the DCM, calculating a lower limit frequency corresponding to the output current according to a frequency lower limit function, and obtaining a frequency lower limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the lower limit frequency, wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• during a lower limit selection period, selecting a valley among one or more valleys in a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch as a lower limit locked valley, so as to once again turn ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the lower limit locked valley, wherein the lower limit selection period is a period prior to a time point at which the frequency lower limit masking period ends;
• and
• adjusting an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not lower than the lower limit frequency in the DCM.

A flyback power converter circuit, which is configured to operably convert an input power to an output power, so as to supply the output power to a load circuit, wherein the input power includes an input voltage and an input current, whereas, the output power includes an output voltage and an output current;

• the flyback power converter circuit comprising:
• a power transformer, which is coupled between the input voltage and the output voltage via electromagnetic induction, wherein the power transformer includes:
• a primary side winding coupled to the input voltage and a secondary side winding coupled to the output voltage;
• a primary side switch coupled to the primary side winding, wherein the primary side switch is configured to operably control the primary side winding, so as to convert the input voltage, whereby the secondary side winding generates the output voltage;
• and
• a conversion control circuit, which is configured to operably generate a switching signal according to a feedback compensation signal, so as to control the primary side switch, thus controlling the primary side winding;
• wherein in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably calculate an upper limit frequency corresponding to the output current according to a frequency upper limit function, and to operably obtain a frequency upper limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the upper limit frequency, wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• wherein in DCM, during the dead time, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably calculate a lower limit frequency corresponding to the output current according to a frequency lower limit function, and to operably obtain a frequency lower limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the lower limit frequency, wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is inversely correlated to the level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein the conversion control circuit is configured to operably adjust an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not higher than the upper limit frequency in the DCM;
• wherein the switching frequency is not lower than the lower limit frequency in the DCM;
• wherein when an occurrence number of one or more valleys in a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch during the frequency upper limit masking period is not lower than an occurrence number of one or more valleys in the ringing signal during a previous frequency upper limit masking period in a previous switching period, during an upper limit selection period, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably select a valley among the one or more valleys in the ringing signal of the present switching period as an upper limit locked valley, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the upper limit locked valley, wherein the upper limit selection period is a period starting from a time point at which the frequency upper limit masking period ends;
• wherein when an occurrence number of one or more valleys in the ringing signal related to the voltage across the primary side switch during the frequency upper limit masking period is lower than an occurrence number of one or more valleys in the ringing signal during a previous frequency upper limit masking period in a previous switching period, during a lower limit selection period, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably select a valley among the one or more valleys in the ringing signal of the present switching period as a lower limit locked valley, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the lower limit locked valley, wherein the lower limit selection period is a period prior to a time point at which the frequency lower limit masking period ends.

A conversion control circuit for use in a flyback power converter circuit, wherein the flyback power converter circuit is configured to operably generate a switching signal for controlling a primary side switch, so as to control the primary side winding of a power transformer of the flyback power converter circuit, thereby converting an input power to an output power at a secondary side winding of the power transformer;

• the conversion control circuit comprising:
• a frequency upper limit masking circuit, which is configured to operably obtain a turned-ON time point according to the switching signal, wherein in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time, the frequency upper limit masking circuit is configured to operably obtain a frequency upper limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the upper limit frequency, so as to generate a frequency upper limit masking signal, wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• a frequency lower limit masking circuit, which is configured to operably obtain the turned-ON time point according to the switching signal, wherein in the DCM, during the dead time, the frequency lower limit masking circuit is also configured to operably obtain a frequency lower limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the lower limit frequency, so as to generate a frequency lower limit masking signal, wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is a period starting from the time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• a valley detection circuit, which is configured to operably generate a valley detection signal according to a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch, wherein the valley detection signal is indicative of an occurrence time point of at least one valley in the ringing signal during the dead time;
• a determination circuit, which is configured to operably determine whether the occurrence number of one or more valleys in the ringing signal during the frequency upper limit masking period is lower than the occurrence number of valleys in the ringing signal during a previous switching period according to the frequency upper limit masking signal, the frequency lower limit masking signal and the valley detection signal, so as to generate a determination signal;
• a switching signal generation circuit, which is configured to operably compare the feedback compensation signal with a ramp signal, so as to generate a reset signal, wherein the switching signal generation circuit is configured to operably generate the switching signal according to the reset signal and the determination signal, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the upper limit locked valley;
• wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein the conversion control circuit is configured to operably adjust an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not higher than the upper limit frequency in the DCM;
• wherein the switching frequency is not lower than the lower limit frequency in the DCM;
• wherein when an occurrence number of one or more valleys in a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch during the frequency upper limit masking period is not lower than an occurrence number of valleys in the ringing signal during a previous frequency upper limit masking period in the previous switching period, during an upper limit selection period, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably select a valley among one or more valleys in the ringing signal as an upper limit locked valley, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the upper limit locked valley, wherein the upper limit selection period is a period starting from a time point at which the frequency upper limit masking period ends;
• wherein when an occurrence number of one or more valleys in the ringing signal during the frequency upper limit masking period is lower than an occurrence number of valleys in the ringing signal during the previous frequency upper limit masking period in the previous switching period, during a lower limit selection period, the conversion control circuit is configured to operably select a valley among one or more valleys in the ringing signal as a lower limit locked valley, so that the conversion control circuit once again turns ON the primary side switch at an occurrence time point of the lower limit locked valley, wherein the lower limit selection period is a period prior to a time point at which the frequency lower limit masking period ends.

A control method, which is configured to operably control a flyback power converter circuit, so that an input power is converted to an output power, thus supplying the output power to a load circuit;

• the control method comprising:
• generating a switching signal according to a feedback compensation signal, so as to control the primary side switch and thereby controlling the primary side winding, to convert the input power to the output power at a secondary side winding of the power transformer;
• in a case wherein the flyback power converter circuit operates in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time in the DCM, calculating an upper limit frequency corresponding to the output current according to a frequency upper limit function, and obtaining a frequency upper limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the upper limit frequency, wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is a period starting from a time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• in a case wherein the flyback power converter circuit operates in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), during a dead time in the DCM, calculating a lower limit frequency corresponding to the output current according to a frequency lower limit function, and obtaining a frequency lower limit masking period according to a reciprocal of the lower limit frequency, wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is a period starting from the time point at which the primary side switch begins to be turned ON;
• wherein when an occurrence number of one or more valleys in a ringing signal related to a voltage across the primary side switch during the frequency upper limit masking period is not lower than an occurrence number of valleys in the ringing signal during a previous frequency upper limit masking period in a previous switching period, during an upper limit selection period, selecting a valley among one or more valleys in the ringing signal as an upper limit locked valley, so that the primary side switch is once again turned ON at an occurrence time point of the upper limit locked valley, wherein the upper limit selection period is a period starting from a time point at which the frequency upper limit masking period ends;
• wherein when an occurrence number of one or more valleys in the ringing signal during the frequency upper limit masking period is lower than an occurrence number of valleys in the ringing signal during the previous frequency upper limit masking period in the previous switching period, during a lower limit selection period, selecting a valley among one or more valleys in the ringing signal of the voltage across the primary side switch as a lower limit locked valley, so that the primary side switch is once again turned ON at an occurrence time point of the lower limit locked valley, wherein the lower limit selection period is a period prior to a time point at which the frequency lower limit masking period ends;
• and
• adjusting an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein the frequency upper limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein the frequency lower limit masking period is inversely correlated to a level of the output current;
• wherein a switching period is defined as a period between turned-ON time points of the primary side switch at two immediately consecutive cycles;
• wherein the conversion control circuit is configured to operably adjust an ON period of the primary side switch according to the feedback compensation signal, so as to regulate the output voltage or the output current;
• wherein a reciprocal of the switching period is defined as a switching frequency, and wherein the switching frequency is not higher than the upper limit frequency in the DCM;
• wherein the switching frequency is not lower than the lower limit frequency in the DCM.