Infineon Technologies Ag

Infineon Technologies Austria Ag

Michael Asam

Andre Mourrier

Markus Winkler

Mirko Bernardoni

Winfried Bakalski

Matthias Stecher

Rainald Sander

Markus Zannoth

Christian Djelassi-Tscheck

Mario Tripolt

Mihai-Alexandru Ionescu

Helmut Herrmann

Carmelo Giunta

David Jacquinod

Louis Janinet

Robert Illing

Alfons Graf

Stefan Herzinger

Gunther Kraut

Martin Simon

Veli Kartal

Peter Pfann

Wolfgang Horchler

Krzysztof Kitlinski

Redouane Djeghader

Ardit Tabaku

Xiaopin Zhang

Denis Bilstein

Michael Ruprecht

Martin Ringswirth

Christoph Schulz-Linkholt

In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit for driving an electronic switch includes a control circuit configured to trigger a switch-on and a switch-off of the electronic switch in accordance with an input signal, wherein the control circuit is further configured to trigger the switch-off of the electronic switch in response to an under-voltage signal signaling an under-voltage state; and an under-voltage detection circuit configured to signal the under-voltage state when a supply voltage received at a supply node is below an under-voltage threshold value, wherein the under-voltage threshold value depends on a load current passing through the electronic switch.

Smart electronic switch

According to an embodiment, a current monitoring circuit includes a signal shaping unit configured to receive a current sense signal and provide a modified current signal; a filter configured to receive the modified current signal and to provide a respective filtered signal; a comparator configured to receive the filtered signal and a threshold value and to indicate when the filtered signal exceeds the threshold value. The signal shaping unit is configured to calculate a level of the modified current signal from a corresponding level of the current sense signal in accordance with non-linear function.

A method for operating an electronic switch is described hereinafter. According to one exemplary embodiment, the method (for an electronic switch in the switched on state) comprises detecting whether there is an undervoltage condition at a supply voltage node and providing an undervoltage signal which indicates an undervoltage condition. The method further comprises switching off the electronic switch if the undervoltage signal indicates an undervoltage condition and switching (back) on the electronic switch if the undervoltage signal no longer indicates an undervoltage condition. If the undervoltage signal indicates an undervoltage condition during a switch-on process of the electronic switch, the electronic switch is switched off again and switching back on is prevented for a defined period of time, irrespective of the undervoltage signal. Moreover, a corresponding circuit is described.

Undervoltage protection and control circuit for electronic switches

A circuit for controlling electrical power is described herein. In accordance with one embodiment, the circuit comprises: a circuit node operably connected to a pass element configured to be switched on and off in accordance with a drive signal applied at the circuit node; a communication interface configured to receive data from an external controller operably connected to the communication interface; and a control circuit configured to generate, in a first mode of operation, the drive signal dependent on parameters of a first parameter set and based on data received via the communication interface, and to generate, in a second mode of operation, the drive signal dependent on parameters of a second parameter set while discarding data received via the communication interface.

Driver for power distribution switch

A circuit includes a monitor circuit. The monitor circuit includes a nonlinear functional unit configured to receive a current sense signal and to generate a power signal representing the power of the current sense signal. The circuit further includes a first filter configured to receive the power signal and to generate a first filtered signal and a second filter configured to receive an input signal that depends on the current sense signal and to generate a second filtered signal. A comparator circuit is configured to receive the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal and to compare the first filtered signal with a first threshold value and the second filtered signal with a second threshold value. The protection signal is indicative of whether the first filtered signal exceeds the first threshold value or the second filtered signal exceeds the second threshold value.

In some examples, a device includes a control circuit configured to deliver driving signals to a switch. The device also includes a testing circuit configured to cause the control circuit to toggle the switch at a first instance and determine a parameter magnitude at the switch at a second instance after toggling the switch at the first instance by at least determining a voltage magnitude at the switch at the second instance. The testing circuit is also configured to cause the control circuit to toggle the switch after the second instance and determine a parameter magnitude at the switch at a third instance after toggling the switch after the second instance. The testing circuit is further configured to generate an output based on the determined parameter magnitudes at the switch at the second and third instances.

Status check for a switch

Voltage supply circuitry includes a high-side pin and a low-side pin configured to couple to a storage element and an output pin. The voltage supply further includes a high-side switching element configured to electrically couple the positive supply pin and the low-side pin based on a high-side control signal and a low-side switching element configured to electrically couple the reference supply pin and the low-side pin based on a low-side control signal. The voltage supply further including driver circuitry configured to generate the high-side control signal and the low-side control signal for operating in a charge pump mode when the storage element is arranged in a charge pump configuration with the voltage supply circuitry and to generate the high-side control signal and the low-side control signal for operating in a boost converter mode when the storage element is arranged in a boost converter configuration with the voltage supply circuitry.

Voltage supply circuitry with charge pump mode and boost converter mode

In some examples, a device includes at least one input node configured to receive a signal indicating a current through a conductor to a load. The device also includes circuitry configured to determine a first magnitude of the received signal in a first frequency range by applying a first bandpass filter to the received signal. The circuitry is also configured to determine a second magnitude of the received signal in a second frequency range by applying a second bandpass filter to the received signal. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine that an electric arc has occurred on the conductor based on the first magnitude and the second magnitude.

Electric arc detection based on frequency analysis

Current measurement device and methods are provided. An output signal is provided based on a voltage across a resistive element. A correction circuit is configured to estimate an indication of a temperature change of the resistive element based on the voltage across the resistive element and to correct the output of the current measurement device based on the indication of the temperature change and a measured temperature.

Current measurement device, current measurement method and calibration method

Methods and devices are discussed relating to testing of MOS switch transistors. For example, at least two different test measurements may be performed, and a fault state may be determined based on the at least two test measurements.

Testing MOS power switches

A line protection device includes terminals to connect the line protection device in series with an electric line. A current sensor of the line protection device senses a value of electric current through the electric line. A digital filter circuit of the line protection device performs digital filtering of the value of electric current. Depending on the digitally filtered value of the electric current, a switch control circuit of the line protection device controls a switch to interrupt flow of the electric current through the line.

Digital line protection

A line protection device includes a current sensor, a digital filter circuit, a switch control circuit, and a non-volatile memory circuit. The current sensor is adapted to a sense a value of electric current through the electric line. The digital filter circuit is adapted to perform digital filtering of the value of electric current. The switch control circuit is adapted to control a switch to interrupt flow of the electric current through the electric line depending on the digitally filtered value of the electric current. The non-volatile memory circuit is adapted to store a state of the digital filter circuit.

Digital line protection with supply voltage drop safety

A power switch device includes a switch which is configured to switch a load signal between an on state and an off state. A first terminal and a second terminal of the power switch device are configured to provide a supply voltage to the power switch device. The second terminal is further configured to provide a control signal to the power switch device. The control signal is generated by disconnecting the second terminal from an external voltage source. A storage circuit of the power switch device is configured to capacitively store a status of the supply voltage. A control circuit of the power switch device is configured to control operation of the power switch device depending on the stored status of the supply voltage.

Power switch control by supply voltage terminal

A transistor is disclosed that includes a semiconductor body having a first horizontal surface. A drift region is arranged in the semiconductor body. A plurality of gate electrodes is arranged in trenches of the semiconductor body. The trenches have a longitudinal direction and extending parallel relative to each other. The longitudinal direction of the trenches extends in a first lateral direction of the semiconductor body. The body regions and the source regions are arranged between the trenches. The body regions are arranged between the drift region and the source regions in a vertical direction of the semiconductor body. In the first horizontal surface, the source regions and the body regions are arranged alternately in the first lateral direction. A source electrode is electrically connected to the source regions and the body regions in the first horizontal surface.

Vertical transistor with improved robustness

Switch devices with a first switching path and a second switching path are provided in some embodiments. When a voltage drop across the first switching path exceeds a predetermined voltage, the second switch may be activated.

Growing community of inventors

Sainbach, Germany

Michael Asam