Fault and short-circuit protected output driver
US9906214B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 4, 2015 |
| Grant date | Feb 27, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 22, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/284
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A driver and protection circuit for driving a power switch is disclosed. The driver and protection circuit includes a fault detection block configured to detect a discrepancy between a reference drive signal and a measured voltage at a gate of the power switch. The driver and protection circuit also includes a short circuit detection block configured to detect a gate-to-source short circuit or a gate-to-drain short circuit of the power switch. The driver and protection circuit further includes a latch coupled to the fault detection block and the short circuit detection block to selectively turn off an output driver coupled to the gate of the power switch when a fault or a short circuit is detected, and wherein the latch is configured to send a diagnostic signal when the fault or the short circuit is detected.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.