Patent ID: 7294993
Filing Date: 2007-11-13
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
1. A power supply for powering an electrical load, the electrical load generating load characteristic data that determines a power supply characteristic to be provided to the electrical load from the power supply, the power supply comprising: a voltage regulator for generating an output voltage to be provided as the input voltage for powering the electrical load, the voltage regulator being responsive to a reference signal for setting a characteristic of the power supply; and a control circuit for generating the reference signal for the voltage regulator, the control circuit being responsive to the load characteristic data from the electrical load and to a selection input from one selection pin for selecting one of three or more electrical load types, each electrical load type having an assigned voltage range, the selection being performed using the one selection pin with respect to a common pin, whereby the selection input determines the type of electrical load to enable the load characteristic data to be evaluated by the control circuit to generate the reference signal for the regulator, wherein a first type of electrical load is selected when the selection pin is at a first voltage rang, a second type of electrical load is selected when the selection pin is at a second voltage range, and a third type of electrical load is selected when the selection pin is at a third voltage range.