Circuit arrangement for regulating the load current of a power MOSFET

US5656968A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Rainald Sander · Oberhaching, DE
• Jenoe Tihanyi · Tauberbischofsheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 15, 1995
• Grant date: Aug 12, 1997
• Expiry date: Nov 15, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03K17/0822
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In a circuit arrangement for regulating the load current of a power MOSFET, the drain-source voltage of the power MOSFET is imaged onto the input of a second MOSFET connected between a gate terminal and source terminal of the power MOSFET. When the input voltage exceeds the cut-off voltage, then the gate-source voltage at the power MOSFET is regulated back to a value that corresponds to the sum of the cut-off voltages of the second MOSFET and a third MOSFET. The gate terminals of third MOSFET and the power MOSFET are connected to one another.