An embodiment method for controlling a power factor correction circuit includes detecting an AC zero voltage crossing point, detecting a current flowing through an inductor, and reducing a distortion of the current flowing through the inductor by determining a current at the AC zero voltage crossing point as a resistive current, an inductive current, or a capacitive current and controlling each of a plurality of switching elements from a time point when the AC zero voltage crossing point is detected based upon a result of determining the current.

A zero-crossing detector to be installed in a ceiling fan includes: a first terminal; a second terminal; and a rectifier, an adjustor and a feedback generator that cooperatively generate a current signal based on an AC voltage between the first and second terminals. The current signal has a non-zero magnitude when the AC voltage causes a potential at the first terminal to be greater than a potential at the second terminal, and has a zero magnitude when otherwise. An average of the non-zero magnitude of the current signal is greater when the adjustor is in a working state than when the adjustor is in a power saving state. The feedback generator generates a feedback signal based on the current signal.

An Active Clamp Flyback (ACF) converter includes a transformer module, a clamping module, and a controller. The controller is configured to: after the transformer module starts secondary side discharging, control the clamping module to start receiving leakage inductance power from the transformer module; and after controlling the clamping module to stop receiving the leakage inductance power from the transformer module, control the clamping module to release the leakage inductance power to the transformer module. The leakage inductance power released by the clamping module to the transformer module is used by the transformer module to restore a soft switching state based on the leakage inductance power. In a process of transferring the leakage inductance power to a clamping capacitor, the clamping module is in an enabled state. This reduces a loss caused by the clamping module to the leakage inductance power, and helps reduce overall loss caused by the ACF converter.

A primary controller configured for use in a power converter comprising a control circuit configured to determine a mode of operation of the power converter in response to a drive signal of a power switch. The control circuit further configured to generate a control signal in response to a signal representative of the mode of operation of the power converter, wherein the control signal represents a delay time to enable a turn on of the power switch after a turn off of a clamp switch. The control circuit further configured to generate a clamp drive signal to control the clamp switch. The primary controller further comprises a drive circuit configured to generate a drive signal to enable the power switch to transfer energy from an input of the power converter to an output of the power converter.

A zero-voltage-switching control circuit for a switching power supply having a main power switch and a synchronous rectifier switch, is configured to: control the synchronous rectifier switch to be turned on for a first time period before the main power switch is turned on and after a current flowing through the synchronous rectifier switch is decreased to zero according to a switching operation of the main power switch in a previous switching period of the main power switch; and where a drain-source voltage of the main power switch is decreased when the main power switch is turned on, in order to reduce conduction loss.

During a first mode of operation, a zero current detect (ZCD) signal is asserted in response to detecting a zero current condition at a switch node of a power converter. The power converter enters a light load mode of operation when the ZCD signal is asserted between a beginning point and a trigger point of a period of a PWM signal. A compensator voltage is generated based on a feedback voltage indicative of an output voltage. The compensator voltage is compared to a threshold voltage that represents a limit for the compensator voltage during the light load mode of operation determined over a range of the output voltage. The power converter exits the light load mode back to the first mode of operation in response to the compensator voltage being beyond the threshold voltage.

An apparatus includes a high-pass filter circuit configured to receive a drain-source voltage from a drain node of a synchronous rectifier switch at a secondary-side of a power converter and to generate a filtered drain-source voltage using the received drain-source voltage. A current comparison circuit of the apparatus is configured to receive a current indicative of a current through the synchronous rectifier switch and to generate a current comparison signal using the received current. An auto-tuning controller of the apparatus is configured to turn the synchronous rectifier switch on upon determining a body diode conduction of the synchronous rectifier switch, commence an auto-tuned delay upon determining that the current through the synchronous rectifier switch has changed direction, turn the synchronous rectifier switch off upon expiration of the auto-tuned delay, and update, during a detection window of time, a duration of the auto-tuned delay based on the filtered drain-source voltage.

A circuit breaker comprises a solid-state bidirectional switch, a switch control circuit, current and voltage sensors, and a processor. The solid-state bidirectional switch is connected between a line input terminal and a load output terminal of the circuit breaker, and configured to be placed in a switched-on state and a switched-off state. The switch control circuit control operation of the bidirectional switch. The current sensor is configured to sense a magnitude of current flowing in an electrical path between the line input and load output terminals and generate a current sense signal. The voltage sensor is configured to sense a magnitude of voltage on the electrical path and generate a voltage sense signal. The processor is configured to process the current and voltage sense signals to determine operational status information of the circuit breaker, a fault event, and power usage information of a load connected to the load output terminal.

A discontinuous current mode (DCM) DC-DC converter with high efficiency is shown, which includes an inductor, power transistors providing a charging path and a discharging path for an output voltage of the DCM DC-DC converter through the inductor, a driver driving the power transistors, a load detector, and a dynamic driver controller. The load detector determines the loading state of the DCM DC-DC converter based on the output voltage. The dynamic driver controller controls the driver to provide an enhanced charging capability or a normal charging capability through the charging path, depending on the loading state.

A switch control circuit and switch control method are provided. The switch control circuit and switch control method compensate an error of a load current that occurs because of the changing of a slope of an inductor current based on the increase and decrease of an input voltage. The switch control circuit includes a current compensation device that adjusts a gate on time based on a RC resistor and a control signal that senses a gate terminal of a control switch. The current compensation device compensates an error that occurs due to a signal delay to a gate terminal by increasing or decreasing a reference voltage or a sensing voltage, according to an increase or a decrease of an input voltage.