See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/332739072

Simple circuits for power electronics

Conference Paper · April 2019

CITATIONS READS

0 2,652

1 author:

Francesc Casanellas
ALP, S.C.
24 PUBLICATIONS 275 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Francesc Casanellas on 29 April 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Simple circuits for power electronics
Presented at the IEEE seminar of September 2006, Gijón
Translated and updated from the Spanish original (May 2019).
Francesc Casanellas, CEng, MIET, SMIEEE

Abstract: New circuits for inverters and power II. SIMPLE FLY-BACK CONVERTER WITH
converters are described, that have in common their LOW E.M.I. AND VERY FAST RESPONSE
simplicity. Fig. 2 shows a very simple fly-back converter, but
with very good performance. It works in the boundary
I. INVERTER [1] [2]
of the discontinuous mode, so the output diodes start to
One problem of the high voltage power inverters
conduct when its current is null, and there is no
is how to drive the MOSFET of the positive side. The
problem caused by the recovery charge. Turn on of the
circuit shown in fig.1 is possibly the simplest
main transistor Q1 is relatively slow, so the EMI are so
configuration, and is extremely fast.
low that usually no filters are necessary.
Another advantage of this circuit is the main
transistor Vcb0 of 1200V, so it is much rugged than most
power supply integrated circuits.
It has extremely fast response and inherent stability.
Feedback gain can be adjusted via R5.

Fig. 1. MOSFET inverter

The inverter has the usual blocking diodes D4, D6

and the anti-parallel diodes D5, D8.
When Q3 is turned on, Q2 gate is shorted to ground
through R4, which limits de discharge current and Fig. 2. SMPS Fly-back.
dampens oscillations. C3 is charged to +12 V through
D2. The negative dV/dt in C4 creates a current that is Base current of Q1 starts through R1-R3-R6. The
diverted by D3 and blocks Q1. voltage drop through LED1 (a red LED that acts as a
When the gate in Q3 goes low, Q3 turns off. The low voltage zener and at the same time shows that the
current C4·dV/dt flows through the base of Q1 and this supply is working) is higher than Vbe of Q1 plus Vf of
transistor charges the drain capacitance or Q3 and the D6. The base current of Q1has a positive feedback
gate capacitance of Q2, that turns on. R3 allows that Q1 thanks to the auxiliary winding of the transformer and
stays on, after the transient, compensating the leakage D4. Collector current increases (I = V·t/L) until the
current of Q3. voltage in the shunt resistor R13 triggers the transistor
For a short while (some tenths of nanoseconds), pair Q2-Q3, connected as a thyristor. The emitter
specially when Q3 turns off and Q2 turns on, both voltage is the voltage drop in R13 plus the voltage in
MOSFETS are conducting. A small inductor L1 limits D4, so Q1 turns off very fast. Then the voltage in the
the current. Often a simple ferrite bead can be used. auxiliary winding inverts and through LED1, the
D1, R1 and C2 remove the energy stored in L1. current in R1-R3 is diverted from the base of Q1. When
Component values correspond to a three-phased all the energy in T1 is transferred to the secondary, this
inverter for 0,75 kW, 230 V motors. The same voltage stops and the cycle restarts.
configuration has been used at 800 V D.C. and
The output voltage is controlled by Z1, OC1 and
thousands of invereters have been built. More details
R11. The feedback gain is controlled by the value of
in ref. [1]. A variant with an additional transistor for a
R5.
higher gate current is described in [2].
The components shown in the schematics are
chosen for a 10 W supply. But with the selected power
transistor (2 A), much higher powers can be achieved.
 For better output voltage accuracy, a TL431 can be capacitances create high di/dt which is the cause of
used, instead of Z1. noise. This converter achieves very low noise level
switching current on very slowly at nearly zero voltage.
IV. SIMPLE MOSFET FLY-BACK The converter works in the boundary between
CONVERTER discontinuous and continuous mode, and switches on
Figure 3 shows a fly-back converter similar to the when the drain voltage is at its lowest value.
previous one, but using a MOSFET. The advantage is To avoid to work with low gate voltages, which
that the frequency can be higher and the transformer would cause excessive MOSFET losses, ZD1 conducts
smaller. The operation is quite similar to the previous and enables the input gate of the 4093 when the voltage
is high enough. When the supply starts, the auxiliary
one, but the LED and diodes are replaced by C6, which
non isolated winding through D3 keeps the gate input
avoids that the auxiliary winding short-circuits the
high.
starting current from R3.
When the MOSFET is on, current increases linearly
until the base of Q5 starts to conduct and this transistor
turns the MOSFET off. Then the flyback operation
starts, and the primary energy charges the output
capacitors. During this stage, D5-R6 keep Q5
conducting and the MOSFET off. When the energy has
discharged, D5 stops conduction as well as the
secondary diodes (so no recovery problems exist).
The constant time of C5-R5 keeps the MOSFET off
for a while: The output capacitance of the MOSFET
(plus parasitic capacitance of the primary) resonates
with the primary inductance and the voltage decreases.
C5-R5 are chosen to allow the MOSFET to turn on
when the voltage has reached the minimum value. The
values shown are valid only for a particular case.
Fig. 3. Fly-back with MOSFET In this way not only turn on losses are reduced, but
also the electrical noise. Voltage regulation is done in
V. “QUASI-RESONANT FLY-BACK a traditional way using a TL431. Optocoupler current
CONVERTER USES A SIMPLE CMOS IC [3]. is added to the shunt current.
Fig. 4 shows a fly-back power supply which Because the MOSFET turns on when current is 0,
has very low noise and uses a simple CMOS 4093 the gate resistor may be very high, so parasitic
integrated circuit for the control. The electrical noise of
a converter is produced mainly when current is
switched on: diode recovery and charge of parasitic
capacitances are charged slowly, further reducing
switching noise.
The circuit around Q4 is optional and can be used
in most power supplies. Its kills the current glitch when
Q3 turns on, being much effective than the usual RC,
and allowing a very low duty cycle at low loads.

VI. MOSFETS IN SERIES FOR HIGH

VOLTAGE
Using MOSFETs in series is easier than it may
seem. Fig. 5 shows a 250 W forward converter working
up to 400 V input. It uses two 500 V MOSFETs. As the
silicon area is proportional to the square of the voltage,
it is more effective to use two 500 V MOSFETs than
one of 800 V.
Fig. 6. 1700 V converter

VII. GLITCH SUPPRESSOR [4]

Diode reverse charge and parasitic capacitances
cause a peak of current when the main switch turns on.

Fig. 5. Converter with MOSFETs in series.

Fig. 7. Glitch suppressor.
Q1 supports the supply voltage, and Q2 the
reflected voltage that appears when both MOSFETs The typical solution is an RC filter as shown in fig.
turn off. 7A. The RC widens the glitch, as well as decreasing its
When Q1 is on, R1 keeps C1 charged and Q2 height. On light loads, the pulse is so narrow that its
conducting. When Q1 turns off, its voltage drain raises height is lower than that of the filtered glitch, so the
fast and when ZD1 conducts Q2 gate is fully current stops prematurely and the converter becomes
discharged and Q2 turns off too. The drain voltage of unstable.
Q1 is limited to Vdc by ZD1 and D1. The circuit shown in fig. 7B shorts the initial glitch
When Q1 turns on, C1 charges Q2 gate. The circuit allowing a better stability at low loads and better
can be used with a fly-back converter. current limit when the output voltage changes.
This topology is very usefull for power supplies
working at 380-415 V A.C. input (up to 600 V D.C.)
Fig. 6 shows an 80 W buck converter working at
1700 V input. It uses two 1000 V MOSFETs in series.
When both MOSFETs are off, Q2 gate is kept to Vdc/2
by R1-R8 and R9-R10 avoid any voltage imbalance
due to the drain-source leakage current.
The snubbers allow the share the voltage between
the two MOSFETS during commutation times. C1 has
the same function as in the previous circuit.

Fig. 8. RC and active glitch suppressors

 Fig. 8 shows the current signal in R2, for high and The output voltage can be adjusted a little by
low load of a converter working in discontinuous changing the value of R5. R1 and C3 limit the slope of
mode, and the input signal to the IC with an RC and an the input pulse, and are not indispensable.
active glitch suppressor.
Component values that work for most converters
are C1 = 47 pF, R3 = 4,7 kΩ, R4 = 1 kΩ.

VIII. SLOPE COMPENSATION

The classic recommended circuit is shown in fig.
9A. But it has some drawbacks: the base current of Q2
interferes with the oscillator circuit and it can only be
used with controllers having the oscillator ramp
accessible.
The circuit shown in fig. 9B is universal and does
not charge the oscillator. The ramp is created by R2-
C6. When the MOSFET turns off, the ramp is reset
through D1. For a full explanation of the slope
compensation and the calculation of the components,
see ref. [5]. Fig. 10. Overvoltage protected power supply

The quiescent current is lower than 1 mA. If a lower

current is required, R5 value can be increased. For
example, with 10 kΩ, the quiescent current is about 120
µA. But then the output voltage drops to about 3,7 V
and the zener voltage of ZD1 has to be changed to 5,6
V.
An advantage of this power supply over other ones
is that the output can sink current through ZD1 and Q3.
So protection diodes to the positive can be used.

X. POWER SUPPLY FOR LEDS.

Most circuits to supply power LEDs from a
relatively high voltage, have the configuration shown
in fig. 11, where U1 works at constant frequency and
turns off Q1 when the current reaches a certain limit.

Fig. 9. Slope compensation

IX. OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTED LINEAR

POWER SUPPLY [6]
Fig. 10 shows a power supply that was designed for
cars, where the formidable pulse of "load dump"
(battery disconnected at high speed) requires high
energy voltage suppressors. In spite of trying to absorb
the energy of the overvoltage, this circuit shuts off
Fig. 11. Current supply for LEDs
when the overvoltage appears. It withstands without
problem 200 V pulses: when an overvoltage appears, This circuit cannot allow to control the LED
ZD2 conducts, and turns off Q1, through Q2. current with high accuracy. Most integrated circuits
Without any additional component for (UC38…, UCC38…, HV9910, etc.) have 10%
compensation, the regulator is very stable and has a accuracy of the current limit. The normal accuracy of
very fast response. the inductor is 10% and when the ripple changes, as the
current its limited by its peak, the average current XI. FREQUENCY MODULATION ("JITTER")
changes. TO DECREASE E.M.I.
To increase the current accuracy, we have inverted A trick to decrease the interference level in power
the usual configuration. In fig. 12 the LEDs are in the converters is to use a modulation frequency to spread
negative side, and thanks to the way D1 is connected, the interference energy through a frequency band
all the LED current goes through the shunt resistor In most power supplies fed from A.C. mains this
R1. The average current can be obtained with a can be made very simply with only two components,
simple filter. Most PWM controllers have a reference as shown in fig. 14. R1 and C1 modulate the
voltage with 2% accuracy. Even a simple comparator frequency at the 100 Hz of the ripple supply voltage.
with hysteresis can be used as a control, as shown if The ripple, increases with the load, so the
fig. 13. modulation increases with the load, which is
favourable.

Fig. 14. Modulation of the switching frequency.

Fig 12. Accurate current controlled LED supply.

REFERENCES
[1] F. Casanellas. “Circuit makes simple high voltage
inverter”. EDN, May 27, 2004.
[2] Patents: US4802075, EP0274336
[3] F. Casanellas. “Quasi resonant converter uses a simple
CMOS IC”. EDN, April 15, 2004.
[4] F. Casanellas. “Deglitcher for more stable switching
power supplies”. Electronics World, November 1996.
[5] F. Casanellas. “New slope compensation method
stabilizes switchers”. EDN, March 25, 2016
[6] F. Casanellas, “Power supply meets automotive-
transient voltage-specs”. EDN, September 18, 2008.

Fig. 13. Accurate current controlled LED supply using a comparator.

 MORE PAPERS ON POWER ELECTRONICS:

“Compensación del Tiempo Muerto y de los Retardos en Inversores y Amplificadores de Potencia Clase D (Dead
time compensation)”. Eurofach Electronica, núm. 329, 2004, pp. 60-63.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262562172

“Losses in PWM inverters using IGBTs”. IEE Proceedings -Electr. Power Appl., Vol. 141, No. 5, September
1994.

“Improvements in phase shift full bridge converters” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281242618

“Synchronous rectification for forward converters”

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265602097
https://www.academia.edu/28085536

“Cálculo de los elementos pasivos de conmutación en un inversor con SCR”. Mundo Electrónico, 1984, no. 144.
Update and English translation:
“Calculation of the passive components and the commutating current in an assisted turn off inverter”.
Seminario anual de automática, electrónica industrial y automación, Gijón, 2006.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262562262
https://www.academia.edu/28085534

View publication stats