US 12,119,738 B2 · TEC controller clamp circuit

Abstract

Circuitry and techniques described herein can use a clamp circuit to provide back-drive compensation in applications where a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) device is to be controlled. A back-drive compensation circuit can be used to inhibit or prevent a linear output stage of a TEC control circuit from being forced out of its intended operating range. The clamp circuit can be implemented using a variety of circuit topologies, such as including a comparator arrangement with hysteresis. In another approach, a linear amplifier topology can provide clamping behavior, such as by injecting or sinking a current at the output node or an intermediate node to inhibit or prevent the output node or intermediate node from being driven outside a specified voltage range by an external source.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A thermoelectric cooler (TEC) control circuit to control a temperature of a TEC device by driving the TEC device differentially, the TEC control circuit comprising:

a linear regulator circuit comprising an output to drive a TEC device first input node;
a switched-mode regulator circuit comprising an output to drive a TEC device second input node;
a current sensing circuit to provide a signal indicative of a current sourced or sunk by the TEC device through the output of the linear regulator circuit;
and
a back-drive compensation circuit comprising a difference amplifier having an input coupled to the TEC device first input node and an output to drive a clamp circuit to inhibit the TEC device first input node from being driven beyond a specified reference voltage corresponding to a transition between heating and cooling operational modes of the TEC device.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

TEC controller clamp circuit

Life of this patent

TEC controller clamp circuit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20