Phase-cut dimming circuit
AssigneeMicrosemi Corporation
InventorsPierre Irissou, Etienne Colmet-Daage, Bernard Drexler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, systems, and devices are described for sensing a phase-cut dimming signal and outputting a control signal compatible with a switching power circuit. Embodiments of the invention generate at least one of a low-frequency pulse-wave-modulated control signal, an analog output control signal, or a digital (e.g., higher-frequency pulse-wave-modulated) output control signal. Some embodiments further provide preloading and/or startup control functionality to allow proper functioning of the circuitry under small-conduction-angle (i.e., highly dimmed) conditions.
Claims30
A dimmer controller circuit arrangement for use in a phase-cut dimming environment, the circuit arrangement comprising:
- a sensing module, configured to detect a conduction angle from a phase-cut voltage signal, the phase-cut voltage signal being generated by periodically cutting a periodic input voltage signal at the conduction angle;
- a logic processing module in operative communication with the sensing module and configured to generate a modulated output signal as a function of the conduction angle;
- and
- a load control signal generator module, in operative communication with the logic processing module and configured to
- generate a proportional output signal as a function of the modulated output signal;
- buffer the proportional output signal to generate an analog output signal such that the analog output signal is mathematically related to the conduction angle;
- and
- output a load control signal responsive to the analog output signal.
A circuit arrangement for use with a phase-cut dimming circuit, the circuit arrangement comprising:
- a phase-cut dimming module, configured to receive a periodic input voltage signal and cut the input voltage signal at a conduction angle to generate a phase-cut signal;
- a rectifier module, configured to rectify the phase-cut voltage signal to generate a bus voltage signal;
- and
- a dimmer controller module, operable to convert the phase-cut voltage signal to a load control signal as a function of the conduction angle, the dimmer controller module comprising:
- a sensing module, configured to detect the conduction angle from the phase-cut voltage signal;
- a logic processing module in operative communication with the sensing module and configured to generate a modulated output signal as a function of the conduction angle;
- and
- a load control signal generator module, in operative communication with the logic processing module and configured to:
- generate a proportional output signal as a function of the modulated output signal;
- buffer the proportional output signal to generate an analog output signal such that the analog output signal is mathematically related to the conduction angle;
- and
- output a load control signal responsive to the analog output signal.
A method for controlling a switched load using phase-cut dimming, the method comprising:
- receiving a phase-cut voltage signal, the phase-cut voltage signal being generated by periodically cutting a periodic input voltage signal at a conduction angle;
- detecting the conduction angle from the phase-cut voltage signal;
- generating a modulated output signal as a function of the conduction angle;
- generating a load control signal as a function of the modulated output signal;
- generating a proportional output signal as a function of the modulated output signal;
- and
- buffering the proportional output signal to generate an analog output signal such that the analog output signal is mathematically related to the conduction angle,
- wherein the load control signal comprises the analog output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.