Soft-switching driver output stage and method
US5812010A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 9, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 22, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 9, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/163
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A circuit for and a method of driving first and second power transistors arranged in series in a half-bridge configuration provides for soft turn-on of the power transistors when there is a change of state in the input voltage. When the input voltage initially changes state, the gate drive voltage of one of the power transistors is raised to a voltage barely above its threshold value for a predetermined interval. The gate drive voltage of this power transistor is then raised to the supply voltage value. When the input voltage again changes state, the transistor is turned off, and the other transistor is turned on in a similar manner. As a result, when one of the transistors is turned on, current transients in the other transistor is reduced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.