A power supply, including a primary pre-converter, coupled to supplying mains, configured to receive an AC voltage at low frequency and output a high DC voltage, and further configured to receive the high DC voltage and to output the alternating current; a primary converter, disposed on a primary side of the power supply, coupled to the high DC voltage from the primary pre-converter; an isolating transformer to receive the high frequency AC voltage and output a high frequency secondary AC voltage, and to receive a high frequency secondary AC current and to output primary high frequency AC current; and an output converter, on a secondary side of the power supply, wherein the output converter is configured to receive high frequency AC voltage from the isolating transformer and to output a DC voltage of a first or second polarity to an output, and wherein the output converter is configured to receive DC current of a first or second direction from the output and to output a high frequency AC current to the isolating transformer.

A method and apparatus for secondary side current mode control of a converter are provided. In the method and apparatus, an output voltage of the converter is detected, where the converter has primary and secondary windings that are galvanically isolated in respective primary and secondary sides. A secondary control signal is generated in the secondary side based at least in part on the output voltage and a reference voltage. The secondary control signal is converted to a primary control signal provided in the primary side. The converter is driven in the primary side based at least in part on the primary control signal and a current sense signal indicative of a current flowing through the primary winding.

A power supply, including a primary pre-converter, coupled to supplying mains, configured to receive an AC voltage at low frequency and output a high DC voltage, and further configured to receive the high DC voltage and to output the alternating current; a primary converter, disposed on a primary side of the power supply, coupled to the high DC voltage from the primary pre-converter; an isolating transformer to receive the high frequency AC voltage and output a high frequency secondary AC voltage, and to receive a high frequency secondary AC current and to output primary high frequency AC current; and an output converter, on a secondary side of the power supply, wherein the output converter is configured to receive high frequency AC voltage from the isolating transformer and to output a DC voltage of a first or second polarity to an output, and wherein the output converter is configured to receive DC current of a first or second direction from the output and to output a high frequency AC current to the isolating transformer.

A method and apparatus for secondary side current mode control of a converter are provided. In the method and apparatus, an output voltage of the converter is detected, where the converter has primary and secondary windings that are galvanically isolated in respective primary and secondary sides. A secondary control signal is generated in the secondary side based at least in part on the output voltage and a reference voltage. The secondary control signal is converted to a primary control signal provided in the primary side. The converter is driven in the primary side based at least in part on the primary control signal and a current sense signal indicative of a current flowing through the primary winding.

A passive boost network configured to boost and output an AC power signal having a predetermined frequency, can include: an input port; an output port configured to provide the AC power signal; first and second passive components coupled in series between first and second terminals of the input port; a third passive component coupled in series with the second passive component between first and second terminals of the output port; and where the first passive component is one of a capacitor and an inductor, and the second and third passive components are each the other of the capacitor and the inductor.

A power supply, including a primary pre-converter, coupled to supplying mains, configured to receive an AC voltage at low frequency and output a high DC voltage, and further configured to receive the high DC voltage and to output the alternating current; a primary converter, disposed on a primary side of the power supply, coupled to the high DC voltage from the primary pre-converter; an isolating transformer to receive the high frequency AC voltage and output a high frequency secondary AC voltage, and to receive a high frequency secondary AC current and to output primary high frequency AC current; and an output converter, on a secondary side of the power supply, wherein the output converter is configured to receive high frequency AC voltage from the isolating transformer and to output a DC voltage of a first or second polarity to an output, and wherein the output converter is configured to receive DC current of a first or second direction from the output and to output a high frequency AC current to the isolating transformer.

A method and apparatus for secondary side current mode control of a converter are provided. In the method and apparatus, an output voltage of the converter is detected, where the converter has primary and secondary windings that are galvanically isolated in respective primary and secondary sides. A secondary control signal is generated in the secondary side based at least in part on the output voltage and a reference voltage. The secondary control signal is converted to a primary control signal provided in the primary side. The converter is driven in the primary side based at least in part on the primary control signal and a current sense signal indicative of a current flowing through the primary winding.

A passive boost network configured to boost and output an AC power signal having a predetermined frequency, can include: an input port; an output port configured to provide the AC power signal; first and second passive components coupled in series between first and second terminals of the input port; a third passive component coupled in series with the second passive component between first and second terminals of the output port; and where the first passive component is one of a capacitor and an inductor, and the second and third passive components are each the other of the capacitor and the inductor.

The present disclosure attempts to improve performance of a semiconductor apparatus including a power transistor such as an IGBT. In a semiconductor apparatus, an IGBT module 110 includes IGBT elements SWa and SWb connected in parallel to each other, a resistor R1a connected to a gate terminal of the IGBT element SWa, and a diode D1a connected in parallel to the resistor R1a. In the diode D1a, a direction toward the gate terminal of the IGBT element SWa is a forward direction. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent gate oscillation and to improve switching characteristics.

The invention relates to a gate unit (22) for controlling a gate commutated thyristor (21), comprising: a voltage selector (26) for selectively applying a high supply potential (V.sub.pos), a middle supply potential (V.sub.mid), and a low supply potential (V.sub.neg); a nonlinear inductor (27) serially coupled between the output of the voltage selector (26); a gate control unit (23) configured to control the voltage selector (26) to control switching of the gate commutated thyristor (21) in its turn-on state comprising a turn-on pulse generation, a positive-gate-voltage backporch operation, a negative-gate-voltage backporch operation and a retrigger pulse generation; wherein the nonlinear inductor (27) has a nonlinearity to have a high inductance during any of the backporch operations and to have a low inductance during the turn-on pulse generation and retrigger pulse generation.