Dual level current limit apparatus and method
AssigneeMicrosemi Corporation
InventorBruce FERGUSON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dual level current limit apparatus constituted of: an electronically controlled switch coupled between a load and a line voltage; and a control circuitry arranged to alternately: control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between a predetermined first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined reference voltage, and control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between said first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined second function of the load voltage.
Claims8
A dual level current limit apparatus comprising:
- an electronically controlled switch, a first terminal of said electronically controlled switch coupled to a load and a second terminal of said electronically controlled switch coupled to a line voltage;
- a reference circuitry arranged to alternately output a predetermined reference voltage and a predetermined first function of the load voltage;
- a first differential amplifier, a first input of said first differential amplifier arranged to receive a predetermined second function of the magnitude of current flowing through said electronically controlled switch, a second input of said first differential amplifier arranged to receive said output of said reference circuitry and an output of said first differential amplifier coupled to a third terminal of said electronically controlled circuitry such that the magnitude of the current flowing through said electronically controlled switch is limited responsive to the difference between said current magnitude second function and said reference circuitry output.
A dual level current limit apparatus comprising:
- an electronically controlled switch coupled between a load and a line voltage;
- and
- a control circuitry arranged to alternately:
- control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between a predetermined first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined reference voltage, and
- control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between said first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined second function of the load voltage.
A dual level current limiting method, the method comprising, alternately:
- limiting the magnitude of current flowing through an electronically controlled switch coupled between a load and a line voltage responsive to the difference between a predetermined first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined reference voltage;
- and
- limiting the magnitude of current flowing through the electronically controlled switch responsive to the difference between said first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined second function of the load voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.