Exide Elecronics Corp.

Eric Menzel

George William Oughton, Jr

Joseph Charles Paulakonis

Steven R Widener

A gate-drive circuit (10) is an interface between a clock (12) and control circuit (14) and a circuit (16) comprising an isolated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices. The clock (12) provides two complementary clock signals (CLK1, CLK2) to the gate-drive circuit (10); the control circuit provides a signal (ENABLE) for turning the gate-drive circuit on and off, and the gate-drive circuit outputs isolated supply voltages (+RAIL, -RAIL), a drive signal (GATE), and a common reference signal (EMITTER). The control signal is sent across an isolation boundary via a 2-MHz push-pull converter in the gate-drive circuit (10). A transformer (T1) in the gate-drive circuit provides the isolation boundary. The power required to switch the IGBT device (16) is sent through the same 2-MHz converter. The secondary of the 2-MHz push-pull transformer (T1) is referenced to the IGBT emitter. As the primary side circuitry receives 'on' signals from the control board (14), the converter runs and charges secondary-side bulk storage capacitors (C16, C18) in the gate-drive circuit. The gate voltage of the IGBT device is held off until the bulk storage capacitors are charged to a minimum value. When the capacitors have charged, the IGBT gate is turned on as the signal is received from the push-pull converter. The gate is then turned off by a negative voltage when the signal received from the converter is removed.

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Wake Forest, NC, United States of America

Eric Menzel