Infineon Technologies Ag

Markus Ladurner

Robert Illing

Christian Djelassi

David Jansson

Luca Petruzzi

Bernhard Auer

Alexander Mayer

Paolo Del Croce

Albino Pidutti

Christian Djelassi-Tscheck

Hans-Peter Kreuter

Alberto Zanardi

Daniel Mayer

Arno Rabenstein

Mario Tripolt

Adrian Apostol

Christof Marc Glanzer

Bernhard Meldt

Octavian Barbu

Vasile Matei

Bernhard Marinelli

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

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 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 a first operation mode and a second operation mode based at least on a level of a load current of the electronic switch. In the first operation mode the control circuit is configured to generate a first protection signal based on a current-time-characteristic of the load current and drive the electronic switch based on the first protection signal. The control circuit is configured to generate a status signal such that the status signal has a wakeup pulse when the operation mode changes from the second operation mode to the first operation mode and, after the wakeup pulse, a signal level representing a level of the load current.

Electronic switching and protection circuit with wakeup function

A driver circuit for an electronic switch is described herein. According to one embodiment the driver circuit includes an input buffer with an input node for receiving a buffer input signal, a pull-down circuit coupled to the input node and a ground node, and a pull-up circuit coupled to the input node and a supply node. The driver circuit further includes control circuitry configured to activate either the pull-down circuit or the pull-up circuit. The pull-up circuit is activated when the voltage level of the buffer input signal is above a first threshold, and the pull-down circuit is activated when the voltage level of the buffer input signal is below a second threshold.

Driver circuit for electronic switch

Examples disclosed herein involve integrated circuit chip arrangements. An example integrated circuit (IC) package may include a first semiconductor chip that includes a first metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) and a second semiconductor chip mounted within a housing of the IC package. The second semiconductor chip may include a second MOSFET and a control circuit configured with a first driver for the first MOSFET and a second driver for the second MOSFET. The first semiconductor chip may be mounted to the second semiconductor chip opposite a base of the IC package.

Integrated circuit (IC) chip arrangement

A multi-channel device with a single diagnosis status pin may be configured to detect if one or more channels has a fault. The multi-channel device, which may operate within a system, can communicate which channel, of a plurality of channels, has the fault using only a single diagnosis status pin and no additional diagnosis control pins. The multi-channel device may output a fault signal on the diagnosis status pin and in response to an interrogation input signal on the same channel as a fault channel indicate to the system which channel is the fault channel.

Multi-channel fault detection with a single diagnosis output

In some examples, a device includes a set of switches configured to deliver current to an output node of the device, wherein the set of switches includes a first switch including a first control terminal and a second switch including a second control terminal, wherein a width-length ratio of the second switch is larger than a width-length ratio of the first switch, and wherein the first switch is electrically connected in parallel with the second switch. The device further includes control circuitry configured to deliver a first control signal to the first control terminal and deliver a second control signal to the second control terminal concurrently with delivering the first control signal to the first control terminal.

Control circuitry for controlling a set of switches

An embodiment electronic circuit includes an electronic switch comprising a load path, a first protection circuit configured to generate a first protection signal based on a current-time-characteristic of a load current through the load path of the electronic switch, and a drive circuit configured to drive the electronic switch based on the first protection signal. The first protection circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive an ADC input signal representing the load current, to sample the ADC input signal once in each of a plurality of successive sampling periods, and to output an ADC output signal that includes a sequence of values such that each of the values represents a respective sample of the ADC input signal. The ADC is configured to pseudo-randomly select a sample time in each sampling period.

Electronic switching and protection circuit

A transistor monolithically integrated in a semiconductor body includes a first sub-transistor and a second sub-transistor that both include a first and second load contacts and a control contact for controlling an electric current through a load path. The first load contact of the first sub-transistor is electrically connected to the first load contact of the second sub-transistor and the second load contact of the first sub-transistor is electrically connected to the second load contact of the second sub-transistor. A control circuit is configured to cause the first sub-transistor to switch from a first state to a second state at a first point of time and to cause the second sub-transistor to switch from the first state to the second state at a second point of time subsequent to the first point of time.

Method for controlling a semiconductor component

An embodiment electronic circuit includes an electronic switch comprising a load path, a first protection circuit configured to generate a first protection signal based on a current-time-characteristic of a load current through the load path of the electronic switch, and a drive circuit configured to drive the electronic switch based on the first protection signal. The first protection circuit includes a logarithmic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive an ADC input signal representing the load current and to output an ADC output signal that includes a sequence of values such that each of the values represents a respective sample of the ADC input signal, a filter configured to filter the ADC output signal and output a filter output signal, and a comparator circuit configured to generate the first protection signal based on comparing the filter output signal with a predefined threshold.

Electronic switching and protection circuit with a logarithmic ADC

Devices and methods comprising a switch and an overload detection are disclosed. When an overload detection is detected, a first retry scheme followed by a second retry scheme different from the first retry scheme may be applied. If the overload condition persists, the switch may be disabled.

Power switch device

A power circuit is described that includes a switch coupled to a resistive-inductive-capacitive load and a driver coupled to the switch. The driver is configured to detect an emergency event within the power circuit. After detecting the emergency event within the power circuit, the driver is further configured to perform a controlled emergency switch-off operation of the switch to minimize the maximum temperature of the switch during the detected emergency event and switch-off operation.

Controlled switch-off of a power switch

A semiconductor device is disclosed. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention the device includes a semiconductor chip having a substrate, a first supply terminal electrically coupled to the substrate to provide a first supply potential (V) and a load current to the substrate, and a second supply terminal operably provided with a second supply potential. A first vertical transistor is integrated in the semiconductor chip and electrically coupled between the supply terminal and an output terminal. The first vertical transistor is configured to provide a current path for the load current to the output terminal in accordance with a control signal, which is provided to a gate electrode of the first vertical transistor.

Reverse polarity protection for n-substrate high-side switches

An embodiment method for power switch temperature control comprises monitoring a power transistor for a delta-temperature fault, and monitoring the power transistor for an over-temperature fault. If a delta-temperature fault is detected, then the power transistor is commanded to turn off. If an over-temperature fault is detected, then the power transistor is commanded to turn off, and delta-temperature hysteresis cycling is disabled.

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Villach, Austria

Markus Ladurner