Voltage conversion device and method of operation
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorJeffrey Anthony Morroni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A voltage conversion device includes a transformer and at least one transistor. The transformer has a primary side and a secondary side, the secondary side being couplable to a load. The output voltage of the voltage conversion device is coupled across the load. The at least one transistor is coupled to the primary side of the transformer and regulates the output voltage of the voltage conversion device. The output voltage is partially a function of the duty cycle of the at least one transistor. The switching frequency of the at least one transistor is decreased in response to a transient increase in load current.
Claims16
A voltage conversion system comprising:
- a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, the secondary side being couplable to a load, wherein an output voltage of the voltage conversion system is couplable across the load;
- at least one transistor coupled to the primary side of the transformer, to regulate the output voltage of the voltage conversion system in response to a periodic transistor driver signal that turns the transistor on and off, wherein the output voltage is a function of at least:
- a duty cycle of the transistor driver signal;
- and a switching frequency of the transistor driver signal;
- and
- a control circuit to:
- receive the output voltage and compare it with a reference voltage to generate an error signal representing a difference between the output voltage and the reference voltage;
- and in response to the error signal, generate the transistor driver signal;
- wherein the control circuit includes transient detection circuitry to:
- in response to the error signal, detect whether a transient increase in load current exists and whether a steady state in load current exists;
- in response to detecting the transient increase in load current, generate the transistor driver signal to increase an on-time of the transistor by decreasing the switching frequency without increasing the duty cycle;
- and, in response to detecting the steady state in load current, generate the transistor driver signal by regulating the duty cycle without changing the switching frequency.
A voltage conversion device comprising:
- a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, the secondary side being couplable to a load, wherein an output voltage of the voltage conversion device is couplable across the load;
- at least one transistor coupled to the primary side of the transformer, to regulate the output voltage of the voltage conversion device, wherein the output voltage is a function of at least:
- a duty cycle of the transistor;
- and a switching frequency of the transistor;
- and
- a control circuit to regulate the duty cycle and the switching frequency of the transistor in response to a difference between the output voltage and a reference voltage;
- wherein the control circuit includes transient detection circuitry to:
- in response to the output voltage, detect whether a transient increase in load current exists and whether a steady state in load current exists;
- in response to detecting the transient increase in load current, increase an on-time of the transistor by decreasing the switching frequency without increasing the duty cycle of the transistor;
- and, in response to detecting the steady state in load current, regulate the duty cycle without changing the switching frequency of the transistor.
A method of operating a voltage conversion device that includes a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, the secondary side being couplable to a load, wherein an output voltage of the voltage conversion device is couplable across the load, the method comprising:
- comparing the output voltage of the voltage conversion device with a reference voltage to generate an error signal representing a difference between the output voltage and the reference voltage;
- and
- in response to the error signal, generating a transistor driver signal to regulate at least one transistor coupled to the primary side of the transformer, wherein the output voltage of the voltage conversion device is a function of at least:
- a duty cycle of the transistor driver signal;
- and a switching frequency of the transistor driver signal;
- wherein generating the transistor driver signal includes:
- in response to the error signal, detecting whether a transient increase in load current exists and whether a steady state in load current exists;
- in response to detecting the transient increase in load current, generating the transistor driver signal to increase an on-time of the transistor by decreasing the switching frequency without increasing the duty cycle;
- and, in response to detecting the steady state in load current, generating the transistor driver signal by regulating the duty cycle without changing the switching frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.