Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110050316 | POWER TRANSISTOR WITH TURN OFF CONTROL AND METHOD FOR OPERATING - A circuit has a power transistor, a driver control circuit, a variable clamp circuit and a turn-off control circuit. The power transistor has a first current electrode coupled to a first power supply terminal, a second current electrode as an output of the circuit, and a control electrode. The driver control circuit has an output coupled to the control electrode of the power transistor for controlling the power transistor during an active mode of the circuit. The variable clamp circuit is coupled between the output of circuit and the first power supply terminal. The turn-off control circuit is coupled to the variable clamp circuit and selects clamping levels of the variable clamp circuit during a transition from the active mode to an inactive mode of the circuit. | 03-03-2011 |
20110050322 | SWITCHING CIRCUIT WITH GATE DRIVER HAVING PRECHARGE PERIOD AND METHOD THEREFOR - A switching circuit includes first and second transistors, and a driver circuit. The first transistor has a first current electrode coupled to a first power supply voltage terminal, a second current electrode, and a control electrode. The second transistor has a first current electrode coupled to the second current electrode of the first transistor, a second current electrode coupled to a second power supply voltage terminal, and a control electrode. The driver circuit has an input for receiving an input signal, and an output coupled to the control electrode of the first transistor. The driver circuit precharges the control electrode of the first transistor to a first predetermined voltage, and in response to the input signal transitioning from a first logic state to a second logic state, the driver circuit provides a second predetermined voltage to the control electrode of the first transistor to cause the first transistor to be conductive. | 03-03-2011 |
20110057592 | POWER TRANSISTOR CIRCUIT - A power transistor has a first current electrode coupled to a first power supply terminal and a second current electrode as an output of the circuit. A driver control circuit is coupled between a first and a second internal power supply node and is coupled to a control electrode of the power transistor. A first switch selectively couples the first power supply terminal to the first internal power supply node. A second power supply terminal is coupled to the second internal power supply node. A diode has an anode coupled to the second internal power supply node. A second switch is coupled between the diode and the output of the circuit such that, when the circuit is in active mode, it selectively couples the cathode of the diode to the output of the circuit based on whether or not the second power supply terminal is coupled to an external ground. | 03-10-2011 |
20110210709 | MULTIMODE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A MULTIMODE VOLTAGE REGULATOR OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND AN OUTPUT CURRENT TO A LOAD - A multimode voltage regulator comprises an output for providing a regulator output voltage Vdd and an output current to a load and a low power reference voltage source having a reference voltage output providing the regulator output voltage Vdd, when in a first low power mode the output current is not greater than a threshold value. It may comprise a buffer amplifier having an output providing the regulator output voltage Vdd, when the output current is greater than the threshold value and a first bias voltage input being connected in a second low power mode to the reference voltage output when the output current is greater than the threshold value for less than a predefined time. And it may comprise a mode controller for automatically determining the output current and automatically switching from first low power mode to second low power mode. | 09-01-2011 |
20110260772 | OPEN CIRCUIT DETECTOR AND METHOD THEREFORE - A circuit comprises a switch, a driver circuit, and an open circuit detector. The switch has a first current electrode coupled to a power supply terminal, a second current electrode coupled to supply a current to a load, and a control electrode. The driver circuit has an input for receiving a control signal, and an output coupled to the control electrode of the switch. The open circuit detector has a first terminal coupled to receive a voltage from a bootstrap capacitor, a second terminal coupled to the power supply terminal, and a control terminal coupled to the driver circuit. The open circuit detector detects an open circuit, and in response, provides a signal at the control terminal for causing the driver circuit to open the switch. | 10-27-2011 |
20120275070 | LOAD CONTROL AND PROTECTION SYSTEM - A control and protection system has a DC terminal (DCT), for connection to a DC bus (DCB), a load terminal (LT) for connection to a LOAD, a ground terminal (GT) for connection to an external ground bus (EGB), and an INPUT terminal for receiving ON/OFF commands. An internal ground bus (IGB) of the system is normally coupled to the EGB via the GT. But if a ground fault disconnects the GT from the EGB, the system automatically couples the IGB to the LT, thereby providing a synthetic ground that facilitates continued operation of the system and any peripheral circuits coupled between the DCB and the GT. Any peripheral circuit current passing through the system to the EGB is prevented from causing improper operation of the LOAD by automatically adjusting a series impedance that it passes through between the GT and the LT before reaching the LOAD and EGB. | 11-01-2012 |
20120326690 | MOS TRANSISTOR DRAIN-TO-GATE LEAKAGE PROTECTION CIRCUIT AND METHOD THEREFOR - A circuit having an active mode and a sleep mode includes a power transistor, an amplifier, and a protection circuit. The power transistor has a first current electrode coupled to a first power supply terminal, a second current electrode as an output of the circuit for coupling to a load, and a control electrode, wherein the power transistor is characterized by having a threshold voltage and a leakage current, wherein the leakage current occurs between the control electrode and the first current electrode during the sleep mode. The amplifier has an output coupled to the control electrode of the power transistor that provides an active output during the active mode. The protection circuit detects the leakage current and prevents the leakage current from developing a voltage on the control electrode of the power transistor that exceeds the threshold voltage of the power transistor. | 12-27-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090029656 | LIN BUS NETWORK, INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND METHOD OF COMMUNICATING THEREON - A LIN network comprises a transmit driver and a receive comparator for communicating low frequency signals on a single communication bus. The transmit driver is operably coupled to a high frequency detector to detect a high frequency component on the low frequency signal. In response to detecting the high frequency component the LIN network is arranged to perform one or both of the following: route the low frequency signal having a high frequency component through a low pass filter; and/or bypass the low frequency signal having a high frequency component from passing through an active device operably coupled between the transmit driver and the single communication bus. | 01-29-2009 |
20100166085 | LIN NETWORK, INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND METHOD THEREFOR - A LIN network comprises a transmit driver for communicating on a single communication bus. A slope control module is operably coupled to a supply voltage and arranged to identify a voltage transition, and in response thereto and via control of the transmit driver selectively apply one of: a first voltage transition mode comprising a constant DV/DT slope transition, or a second voltage transition mode comprising a fixed time transition. | 07-01-2010 |
20100181987 | START-UP CIRCUIT ELEMENT FOR A CONTROLLED ELECTRICAL SUPPLY - Electrical supply apparatus comprising a start-up circuit element coupled to an output element for ensuring reliable start-up when first connected to a source of power. The start-up circuit element comprises first and second branches with current mirror coupling therebetween. The first branch comprises first and second transistors of opposite polarities for connection in series between the source of power and ground and a leakage path to ground in parallel with the second transistor for start-up current for the first transistor of the first branch in response to application of voltage from the source of power. The current mirror coupling between the first and second branches responds to start-up of the first transistor of the first branch to start up a first transistor of the second branch and provide start-up current to the output element. The second branch may comprise a control element connected to turn off the second transistor of the first branch on start up of the output element and turn off the first transistors. Alternatively, the start-up circuit may have elements common with the output circuit and remain conductive after the output circuit starts. | 07-22-2010 |
20100295524 | LOW DROP-OUT DC VOLTAGE REGULATOR - A low drop-out DC voltage regulator comprising an output pass element for controlling an output voltage (v) of power supplied from a power supply through the output pass element to a load (R), a source of a reference voltage (v), and a feedback loop for providing to the output pass element a control signal tending to correct error in the output voltage. The feedback loop includes a differential module responsive to relative values of the output voltage (v) and the reference voltage (v) and an intermediate module driven by the differential module for providing the control signal. The differential module presents the widest bandwidth of the modules of the regulator and the differential module presents a frequency pole that is higher than the cut-off frequency of the regulator, at which its regulation gain becomes less than one. | 11-25-2010 |
20100308788 | BAND-GAP VOLTAGE REFERENCE CIRCUIT - A band-gap voltage reference circuit comprising first and second branches respectively including first and second groups of transistors of different emitter current conduction areas and current sources for running the first and second groups of transistors at different emitter current densities to generate respective base-emitter voltages, and output terminals connected to receive a regulated voltage (Vout) which is a function of the base-emitter voltages of the first and second groups of transistors. Each of the first and second groups includes at least one npn-type transistor and at least one pnp transistor connected with their emitter-collector paths in series in the respective one of the branches so as to present cumulated base-emitter voltages across the respective group. The output voltage at the output terminals is responsive both to a difference (ΔVbep+n) between the cumulated base-emitter voltages of the first and second branches and to the cumulated base-emitter voltage (Vbep+n) of that one of the first and second groups with higher emitter current density. | 12-09-2010 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150108936 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A BOOTSTRAP CHARGE STORAGE DEVICE - A charging circuit for at least one bootstrap charge storage element within an inertial load driver circuit is described, the at least one bootstrap charge storage element comprising a first node operably coupled to an output node of at least one switching element of the inertial load driver circuit. The charging circuit comprises at least one current source controllable to provide a current to a second node of the at least one bootstrap charge storage element, and at least one detection component arranged to receive at a first input thereof an indication of a voltage level at the output node of the at least one switching element of the inertial load driver circuit, detect when the voltage level at the output node of the switching element of the inertial load driver circuit is below a negative threshold voltage level, and control the at least one current source to provide a current to the second node of the at least one bootstrap charge storage element when the voltage level at the output node of the switching element of the inertial load driver circuit is below the negative threshold voltage level. | 04-23-2015 |
20150188426 | POWER SWITCHING DEVICE, THREE PHASE BRIDGE INVERTER, AND METHOD OF OPERATING A POWER SWITCHING DEVICE - A power switching device connected or connectable between a power supply and a load is described. The device may have at least two different operating states, each operating state having a different level of said output voltage associated with it. The power switching device may comprise: a power terminal connected or connectable to said power supply; a load terminal connected or connectable to said load, for providing said output voltage; a power switch connected between said power terminal and said load terminal and arranged to be conductive in a first one of said operating states; a power conductor connected between said power terminal and said load terminal in at least one of said states, wherein an electrical current through said power conductor changes in response to said power switch being turned off, thereby causing self-induction in said power conductor; and a control unit arranged to control said power switch in real-time on the basis of a real-time level of said voltage across said power conductor so as to turn off said power switch in a continuous or stepwise or pulsed manner to prevent a voltage across said power conductor from exceeding a maximum allowed level. A three-phase bridge inverter and a method of operating a power switching device are also described. | 07-02-2015 |
20150234415 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ELECTRICAL ISOLATION - An isolation circuit arranged to provide electrical isolation between at least one control module and at least one driver module. The isolation circuit comprises at least one boost circuit arranged to receive at least one control signal from the at least one control module, and boost the at least one control signal from a first voltage level signal to an increased voltage level signal. The isolation circuit further comprising at least a first capacitive isolation component comprising a first electrically conductive element and at least one further electrically conductive element formed from at least a part of printed circuit board layer, the first and at least one further electrically conductive elements being electrically isolated with respect to one another and arranged to comprise capacitive characteristics there between. | 08-20-2015 |
20150280705 | START-UP TECHNIQUE AND SYSTEM FOR A SELF-POWERED GATE DRIVE CIRCUIT - A start-up method for a self-powered gate drive circuit driving a power transistor gate. The method comprises charging, with a single-supply voltage, a first supply capacitor of a first gate drive circuit; switching on a first power transistor by applying a current supplied by a discharge of the first supply capacitor of the first gate drive circuit to the gate of the first power transistor; charging a second supply capacitor of the first gate drive circuit using an output signal from the first power transistor; and re-charging the first supply capacitor by applying a current supplied by a discharge of the second supply capacitor to the first capacitor. | 10-01-2015 |
20150280706 | SELF-POWERED GATE DRIVE CIRCUIT APPARATUS AND METHOD - A self-powered gate drive circuit comprising a first capacitor electrically coupled to a power semiconductor collector node of the circuit; a first switch arranged between the first capacitor and a second capacitor, the first switch electrically coupling the first and second capacitors when switched on; the second capacitor; a first diode, the first diode anode electrically coupled to the first capacitor and the first diode cathode electrically coupled to the first switch; a second diode, the second diode cathode electrically coupled to the first capacitor and the second diode anode electrically coupled with a ground node of the circuit; and a second switch, wherein the second switch electrically couples the second capacitor with a power semiconductor gate node when switched on. | 10-01-2015 |
20150288356 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRIVING A POWER TRANSISTOR GATE - A gate drive circuit includes a first switch electrically coupled to a single-supply input voltage node, the first switch electrically coupling the voltage node with a first capacitor if switched on; a second switch electrically coupled to a ground node, the second switch electrically coupling the first capacitor with the ground node if switched on; and the first capacitor. A first capacitor lead of the first capacitor is electrically coupled to the first and second switches and a second capacitor lead of the first capacitor is arranged to connect with a power transistor gate. | 10-08-2015 |