Method and apparatus for power converter fault condition detection
AssigneePower Integrations, Inc.
InventorsAlex B. Djenguerian, Erdem Bircan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An example controller includes a fault detector and a control. The fault detector is to be coupled to a feedback circuit of a power converter to detect a fault condition in the power converter in response to an input voltage of the power converter. The control is coupled to the fault detector and is to be coupled to control the switching of a power switch to regulate an output of the power converter. The control is coupled to inhibit the switching of the power switch in response to the fault detector detecting the fault condition during the switching of the power switch.
Claims9
An integrated circuit controller for a power converter, the controller comprising:
- a control coupled to control switching of a power switch to regulate an output of the power converter;
- a sensor coupled to receive a signal from a terminal of the integrated circuit controller, the signal from the terminal to represent an input voltage of the power converter during at least a portion of an ON state of the power switch, the signal from the terminal to represent an output voltage of the power converter during at least a portion of an OFF state of the power switch, wherein the sensor is coupled to sample the signal from the terminal during the portion of the ON state of the power switch;
- and
- a fault detector coupled between the sensor and the control, wherein the fault detector is coupled to detect a fault condition of the power converter in response to the sampled signal, wherein the control is coupled to inhibit the switching of the power switch to reduce a power output level of the power converter in response to the fault detector detecting the fault condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.