Power driver circuit
US5504449A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 9, 1992 |
| Grant date | Apr 2, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 9, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/691
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A power driver circuit for turning a semiconductor switching device on and off in response to receipt of a control signal includes a trigger circuit that turns on a latching switch at a speed that is independent of the rate of change of the control signal. The trigger circuit is responsive to the control signal to apply a current from the semiconductor switching device to the latching switch. A high speed SCR may be used as the latching switch and may be triggered by a small trigger current from the gate of the semiconductor switching device fed to both the anode and cathode gates of the SCR. High speed diodes may also be used to increase the speed of the circuit. The power driver circuit improves the efficiency of the semiconductor switching device by decreasing the time the switching device spends in transition its two steady states.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.