Eaton Corporation

Anthony Olivo

George William Oughton, Jr

A resonant tank circuit has an output port configured to be coupled to a load comprising a current-controlled semiconductor device, such as a diode, thyristor, transistor or the like. A voltage generator circuit is configured to intermittently apply voltages to an input port of the resonant tank circuit in successive intervals having a duration equal to or greater than a resonant period of the resonant tank circuit. Such an arrangement may be used, for example, to drive a static switch.

Resonant tank drive circuits for current-controlled semiconductor devices

A transistor driver includes an inductor coupled to a gate terminal of a transistor and a switching circuit coupled to the inductor and configured to charge a capacitance at a gate terminal of the transistor from a source via the inductor responsive to a first state of a control input, to block discharge of the charged capacitance responsive to a voltage at the gate terminal and to return charge from the charged capacitance to the source responsive to transition of the control input to a second state. The switching circuit may include a switch coupled in series with the inductor and the source and configured to conduct responsive to transition of the control input to the first state and a rectifier coupled in series with the inductor and the source and configured to block discharge of the charged capacitance responsive to the voltage at the gate terminal.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Anthony Olivo