Infineon Technologies Ag

Alexander Mayer

Robert Illing

Christian Djelassi

Christian Djelassi-Tscheck

Marco Faricelli

Markus Ladurner

Florian Brugger

Dieter Haerle

Markus Zannoth

Luca Petruzzi

Mario Tripolt

Andreas Peter Meiser

Jens Barrenscheen

Andrea Baschirotto

Marcus Nuebling

Albino Pidutti

Christian Heiling

Benno Koeppl

Hubert Rothleitner

Michael Nelhiebel

Joachim Schnabel

Hans-Peter Kreuter

Paolo Del Croce

Alberto Zanardi

Bernhard Auer

Herbert Hopfgartner

David Jansson

Gebhart Dippold

Andreas Tschmelitsch

Christof Marc Glanzer

Francesca Romano

Guenter Herzele

Sergio De Gasperi

Ioan-Alexandru Tranca

Bernhard Marinelli

Matthias Kogler

In general, the disclosure describes circuits and techniques to operate power switch driver circuits as well as techniques to dynamically change configuration parameters. The power switch driver circuit of this disclosure may be configured to received communication signals along the same signal paths as for pulse modulated switching control signals. In other words, the power switch driver circuit may receive a main function signaling, switching the power switches on and off, overlaid with a secondary function signaling, communication, which may include configuration parameters. In this manner the power switch driver circuit may receive both switching (commutation) function and communication function along the same signal path.

Configuration of gate drivers with shoot through protection

A circuit may comprise an electronic switch with a load current path, which is switched between an output node and a supply node and is designed to connect or disconnect the output node to or from the supply node in accordance with a control signal. The circuit further comprises a control circuit which is designed to generate the control signal based on an input signal, and a current monitoring circuit which is designed to receive a current measurement signal that represents the load current flowing through the load current path, and to generate a protective signal, based on the current measurement signal, which indicates whether the output node should be disconnected from the supply node. The circuit further comprises a reverse current detection circuit, which is designed to detect that the load current is flowing in the reverse direction, namely from the output node to the supply node.

Intelligent semiconductor switch

A circuit arrangement for driving a semiconductor switch includes an undervoltage detection circuit to indicate an undervoltage state when a supply voltage falls below a voltage threshold value. A temperature detection circuit indicates that a temperature of a semiconductor switch exceeds a temperature threshold value. A control circuit for driving the semiconductor switch deactivates the semiconductor switch when the undervoltage detection circuit indicates an undervoltage state, and to reactivate the semiconductor switch when the undervoltage detection circuit no longer indicates an undervoltage state. In this case, the reactivation is delayed by a defined delay time when the semiconductor switch was previously deactivated due to an undervoltage state and the temperature detection circuit indicates that the temperature of the semiconductor switch exceeds the temperature threshold value.

Semiconductor switch controller

A circuit may include a load transistor and a current measuring circuit that is coupled to the load transistor. The load transistor has a main current path, which is connected between a first supply node and an output pin for connecting a load. The current measuring circuit has a sense transistor coupled to the load transistor. The current measuring circuit is designed to deliver a measuring current that represents a load current flowing through the load transistor. The circuit may also include an analog-to-digital converter with a current input, and a digital-to-analog converter. The analog-to-digital converter is designed to output a digital signal representing an input current of the analog-to-digital converter. The digital-to-analog converter is designed to output an output current that depends on the digital signal. A control circuit is designed to output the measuring current.

Current measurement circuit with multiple operation modes

An electronic fuse circuit includes an electronic switch with a load current path coupled between an output node and a supply node and that connects or disconnects the output node and the supply node in accordance with a drive signal. The circuit includes a control circuit to generate the drive signal based on an input signal. A monitoring circuit is included in the control circuit to receive a current sense signal representing the load current passing through the load current path and to determine a first protection signal based on the current sense signal and a wire parameter. The first protection signal is indicative of whether to disconnect the output node from supply node. The control circuit changes from normal mode to idle mode when the load current is below a given current threshold and another criterion is fulfilled.

Smart electronic switch

An integrated circuit may include a power transistor coupled between a supply pin and an output pin; a current sensing circuit configured to sense a load current passing through the power transistor and to provide a respective current sense signal; a first configuration pin; a current output circuit configured to provide a diagnosis current at a current output pin; a diagnosis pin for receiving a diagnosis request signal; and a control circuit configured to: select a characteristic curve representing a current versus time characteristic dependent on a external circuit connected to the first configuration pin; generate a drive signal for the power transistor dependent on the selected characteristic curve and the current sense signal; and control&#x2014;dependent on a pulse pattern of the diagnosis request signal&#x2014;the current output circuit to set the value of the diagnosis current such that it represents the load current or the selected characteristic curve.

In some examples, a device includes a power structure and a sensing structure that is electrically isolated from the power structure. The device also includes processing circuitry configured to determine whether the sensing structure includes a prognostic health indicator, wherein the prognostic health indicator is indicative of a health of the power structure.

Prognostic health management for power devices

A current sensing circuit includes load transistors having a current path coupled between a power terminal and corresponding load terminals, sense transistors having a current path coupled between the power terminal and corresponding sense terminals, each sense transistor being coupled to a respective load transistor, N-channel transistors having a current path coupled between a respective sense transistor and a respective sense terminal, an amplifier for selectively equalizing the voltages across one of the load transistors and one of the sense transistors, and bypass circuits coupled to a bulk terminal of the N-channel transistors.

Robust current sensing during inverse current load conditions

An embodiment electronic circuit includes an electronic switch comprising a load path, and a control circuit configured to drive the electronic switch. The control circuit is configured to operate in one of at least two operation modes. The at least two operation modes comprise a first operation mode and a second operation mode. The control circuit, in the second operation mode, is configured to perform a set of basic functions and, in the first operation mode, is configured to perform the set of basic functions and at least one additional function. The at least one additional function comprises generating a first protection signal based on a current-time-characteristic of a load current of the electronic switch and driving the electronic switch based on the first protection signal.

Electronic switching and protection circuit with several operation modes

An integrated circuit is described herein. In accordance with one embodiment the circuit includes a transistor coupled between a supply pin and an output pin, a current output circuit configured to provide a diagnosis current at an current output pin, a current sensing circuit coupled to the transistor and configured to generate a first current sense signal indicative of a load current passing through the transistor and a second current sense signal indicative of the load current. The current output circuit is configured to select, dependent on a control signal, one of the following as diagnosis current: the first current sense signal and the second current sense signal.

A circuit may include an electronic switch that has a load current path coupled between an output node and a supply node and that is configured to connect or disconnect the output node and the supply node in accordance with a drive signal. Further, the circuit includes a monitoring circuit that is configured to receive a current sense signal, which represents the load current passing through the load current path, and that is further configured to determine a protection signal based on the current sense signal, a state of the monitoring circuit, and at least one wire parameter. The wire parameter characterizes a wire that is&#x2014;during operation&#x2014;connected to the output node, and the protection signal is indicative of whether to disconnect the output node from supply node. Further, the circuit includes a protection circuit connected to the monitoring circuit.

A method includes monitoring a load path voltage and an operating parameter of the transistor device; operating the transistor device in a normal mode when the operating parameter is below a threshold associated with the operating parameter, where operating the transistor device in the normal mode includes operating the transistor device in one of an on-state or an off-state based on a drive signal; and operating the transistor device in a fault mode upon detecting a fault based on comparing the operating parameter with the threshold. Operating the transistor device in the fault mode includes switching off the transistor device, operating the transistor device in the on-state includes adjusting the threshold in accordance with a first characteristic curve dependent on the load path voltage, and operating the transistor device in the off-state includes adjusting the threshold according to a second characteristic curve different from the first characteristic curve.

Method for operating a transistor device and electronic circuit with a transistor device

A driver circuit associated with a power electronic system is disclosed. The driver circuit comprises a gate driver circuit configured to drive a switching circuit comprising a plurality of switches in parallel, each switch comprising a respective source bondwire. The driver circuit further comprises a bondwire fault detection circuit comprising a gate charge estimation circuit configured to measure a parameter of the switching circuit comprising a gate charge of the switching circuit or a parameter indicative of the gate charge associated with the switching circuit. The bondwire fault detection circuit further comprises a detection circuit configured to detect a fault associated with at least one source bondwire of the switching circuit, based on the measured parameter of the switching circuit.

Method and circuit for detecting a loss of a bondwire in a power switch

A circuit comprises a first metal-oxide semiconductor, MOS, power transistor having a first gate terminal, a first drain terminal, and a first source terminal, a second MOS power transistor having a second gate terminal, a second drain terminal, and a second source terminal, and a switch connected in-between the first gate terminal and the second gate terminal and configured to selectively couple the first gate terminal and the second gate terminal.

MOS power transistors in parallel channel configuration

An embodiment method includes detecting an inverse current condition at a switch, and driving a node associated with a switch driver driving the switch to a predetermined voltage in response to the detection of an inverse current condition at the switch. An embodiment switch device includes a switch driver configured to be coupled to a control terminal of a switch, an inverse current detector configured to detect an inverse current condition at the first and second load terminals of the switch, and a voltage driver configured to drive a node associated with the switch driver to a predetermined voltage in response to the inverse current detector detecting an inverse current condition.

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Treffen, Austria

Alexander Mayer