This invention is in the field of digital audio amplifiers, and is more specifically directed to overload protection at the output of digital audio amplifiers.
In recent years, digital signal processing techniques have become prevalent in many electronic systems. Tremendous increases in the switching speed of digital circuits have enabled digital signal processing to replace, in large part, analog circuits in many applications. For example, the sampling rates of modern digital signal processing are sufficiently fast that digital techniques have become widely implemented in audio electronic applications.
Digital techniques for audio signal processing now extend to the driving of the audio output amplifiers. A new class of amplifier circuits has now become popular in many audio applications, namely “class D” amplifiers. Class D amplifiers drive a complementary output signal that is digital in nature, with the output voltage swinging fully from “rail-to-rail” at a duty cycle that varies with the audio information. Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) output drive transistors are thus suitable for class D amplifiers, as such devices are capable of high, full-rail, switching rates such as desired for digital applications. As known in the art, CMOS drivers conduct extremely low DC current, and their resulting efficiency is especially beneficial in portable and automotive audio applications, as well as in small form factor systems such as flat-panel LCD and plasma televisions, and DVD receivers. The ability to realize the audio output amplifier in CMOS has also enabled integration of an audio output amplifier with other circuitry in the audio system, further improving efficiency and also reducing manufacturing cost of the system. This integration also provides performance benefits resulting from close device matching between the output devices and the upstream circuits, and from reduced signal attenuation.
As is well known in the art, it is important to provide overload protection at the output of power amplifiers in order to spare the amplifier outputs from overcurrent conditions, such as inadvertent short circuits due to misuse, misinstallation, or speaker failure. In conventional digital (class D) audio amplifier systems, the current from the output amplifier is monitored and, if the output current exceeds a certain limit, the power stage FET drivers are turned off. The audio amplifier typically must be reset, or powered-down and then powered-up, in order to clear the overload fault and drive the audio output. Examples of conventional class D audio power amplifiers with overload or overcurrent protection are described in Brotton, “Sound advice for Class D amplifiers”, EDN (Apr. 28, 2005), pp. 65 through 70; and in Berkhout, “Integrated Overcurrent Protection for Class D Power Stages”, 29th European Solid-State Circuits Conference: ESSCIRC 2003 (September 2003), Paper C30.2.
It has been observed, however, that the dynamic impedance that modern typical loudspeakers present to output amplifiers can inadvertently trip the overcurrent protection of conventional digital audio amplifiers, shutting down the amplifier system and requiring a reset by the user, even though a dangerous short circuit condition was not in fact present. This is of course undesirable, and extremely annoying to the user of the system. As a result, conventional power amplifiers are typically designed to have extremely high output current margins relative to the current that is actually required to drive the nominal resistive load of the loudspeakers to full power. In other words, the dynamic impedance presented by modern loudspeakers when playing rapidly changing audio content is often sufficient to trip the overcurrent protection system inadvertently, unless the overcurrent protection system is greatly overdesigned. Of course, overdesign of the audio amplifier to provide accurate overload protection increases the cost of the audio amplifier.
Other conventional digital audio amplifier systems address this problem by providing an auto-recovery function, by way of which the output power stages automatically reset at a selected time after tripping off due to overload. Examples of conventional audio amplifier devices providing this functionality include the TDA8920B class-D power amplifier announced by Philips Electronics N.V., and the TK2150 digital audio amplifier driver announced by Tripath Technology, Inc. While such auto-recovery functionality keeps the audio content playing despite overload trips resulting from dynamic overload, the resulting audio output is very unpleasant.
By way of further background, the use of cycle-by-cycle overload protection as applied to switching power supplies is known in the art, an example of which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,665.