Patent ID: 7969756
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: G06F,H02J,H02M

Abstract:
1. An arrangement for monitoring a switching power converter for converting source direct voltage to one or more specific output voltages, said switching power converter having circuit components including switches, capacitors, and inductors for effectuating the power conversion, the operation of the switches, capacitors, and inductors resulting in a ripple voltage, said arrangement comprising: a voltage estimator for estimating the output ripple voltage of said converter in the time domain, said estimator using data about parameters of the circuit components having non-linear parameters and two or more state equations corresponding to two or more states that said power converter switches between, for generating said estimate of the output ripple voltage of said power converter; a comparator coupled to said power converter and to said voltage estimator, for comparing at least said ripple voltage of said converter with the estimate of output ripple voltage of said converter to produce a difference signal representing the deviation of said ripple voltage of said converter from the estimate of said ripple voltage of said converter; and a threshold arrangement coupled to said comparator for receiving said difference signal, and for generating an alarm signal when said difference signal exceeds a threshold.