Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics (rousset) Sas

Stmicroelectronics (china) Investment Co. Ltd

Vincenzo Randazzo

Mirko Dondini

Atanasio La Barbera

Calogero Andrea Trecarichi

Giovanni Susinna

Alberto Marzo

Vanni Poletto

Natale Aiello

Giovanni Luca Torrisi

Enrico Castro

Roberto Crisafulli

Ping Chen

Antoine Pavlin

Romeo Letor

Hui Yan

Atanasio Labarbera

Andrea Camillo Re

Embodiments are directed to electronic fuse devices and systems. One such electronic fuse includes current sensing circuitry that senses a current in a conductor coupled between a power supply and a load, and generates a current sensing signal indicative of the sensed current. I2t circuitry receives the current sensing signal and determines whether the sensed current exceeds an I2t curve of the conductor. The electronic fuse further includes at least one of external MOSFET temperature sensing circuitry that senses a temperature of an external MOSFET coupled to the conductor, low current bypass circuitry that supplies a reduced current to the load in a low power consumption mode during which the external MOSFET is in a non-conductive state, or desaturation sensing circuitry that senses a drain-source voltage of the external MOSFET.

Electronic fuse systems and devices

A circuit for reverse battery protection includes an isolation circuit and a control circuit. The isolation is circuit coupled between a gate output of an electronic fuse (E-fuse) and at least one external metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The E-fuse is coupled between a battery voltage pin and an external ground pin and further coupled to a microcontroller. The isolation circuit is configured to disconnect the gate output from the at least one external MOSFET when the battery is installed with reverse polarity. The control circuit is coupled between the external ground pin and the at least one external MOSFET. The control circuit is configured to turn on the at least one external MOSFET when the battery is installed with the reverse polarity.

Reverse battery protection circuit with isolation and reverse polarity circuits

In embodiments, a capacitance is coupled to a source of electrical charge via a drain to source current flow path through a field-effect transistor. The capacitance is pre-charged by making the field-effect transistor selectively conductive in response to the gate-source voltage of the field-effect transistor exceeding a threshold. The difference between the gate-source voltage of the field-effect transistor and the threshold provides an overdrive value of the field-effect transistor. The gate of the field-effect transistor is driven with a variable gate-source voltage having as a target maintaining a constant overdrive value. Electrical charge is controllably transferred from the source to the capacitance via the drain to source current flow path through the field-effect transistor avoiding undesirably high inrush currents.

Capacitor charging method, corresponding circuit and device

An electronic device such as an e-fuse includes analog circuitry configured to be set to one or more self-test configurations. To that effect the device has self-test controller circuitry in turn including: an analog configuration and sensing circuit configured to set the analog circuitry to one or more self-test configurations and to sense test signals occurring in the analog circuitry set to such self-test configurations, a data acquisition circuit configured to acquire and convert to digital the test signals sensed at the analog sensing circuit, and a fault event detection circuit configured to check the test signals converted to digital against reference parameters. The device includes integrated therein a self-test controller configured to control parts or stages of the device to configure circuits, acquire data and control test execution under the coordination of a test sequencer.

Electronic device and corresponding self-test method

Current absorption management for an electronic fuse coupled between an electrical supply source node and an electrical load node selectively controls a high current electronic switch and a low current electronic switch coupled in parallel between the electrical supply source node and the electrical load node. The high current and low current electronic switches are alternatively actuated: in a first mode where the high current electronic switch is turned on and the low current electronic switch is turned off, and in a second mode where the high current electronic switch is turned off and the low current electronic switch is turned on. Change to the second mode may be made in response to a standby state or a sensing of a lower current in the electrical load. Conversely, change to the first mode may be made in response to a sensing of a higher current in the electrical load.

Current absorption management circuit, corresponding system and method

An electronic system for driving a lamp of a blinker of a vehicle may include a switch having a first input terminal configured to receive a battery voltage, a second input control terminal configured to receive a control signal for operating the switch, and an output terminal. The system may also include a change-over switch configured to connect, alternatively, the output terminal of the switch to the lamp and to a high impedance reference. The system may also include an electronic device connected to the switch and configured to detect a voltage drop between the first input terminal and the output terminal, and, based upon the voltage drop, generate the control signal to have a value to maintain the switch open for a time interval, and generate the control signal to have a second value to maintain the switch closed for another time interval.

Electronic device and method for driving the lamps of the blinkers of a vehicle

An electronic thermal protection circuit is for high currents which can occur in the start-up phase in lighting converters. The circuit is associated with a power device having an output terminal connected to an electric load and at least one control terminal receiving a predetermined driving current value by a driving circuit portion. Advantageously, an integrated temperature sensor is provided to detect the temperature of the power device, and an output stage is connected downstream of the sensor to switch off the driving circuit portion when a predetermined operation temperature is exceeded.

Protection circuit against high currents in lighting converters

Herein described is a driver circuit of a fluorescent lamp having a first and a second electrode and igniting when the voltage between the first and second Electrode exceeds a given threshold voltage. The driver circuit comprises an inductance coupled to a supply voltage and to a terminal of the first electrode a first condenser coupled to the other terminal of the first electrode and to a terminal of the second electrode, a control device comprising a first and a second system of switches capable of guaranteeing oscillations of a voltage signal on the inductance and on the first condenser up to the ignition of the lamp. The driver circuit comprises a device associated to the control device and capable of acting on the first system of switches so as to regulate the frequency of the oscillations from a frequency greater than the resonance frequency of the inductance and of the first condenser to the same resonance frequency so as to guarantee a preheating of the first and second electrodes. The device is sensitive to the depletion of gas of the lamp and is capable of sending a turn-off signal to the control device.

Fluorescent lamp driver circuit

The voltage converter circuit has first and second input terminals, and first and second output nodes, and comprises: a first power switch connected between the first input terminal and the first output node; a second power switch connected between the first output node and the second input terminal; a first delay circuit having first and second terminals connected between the first input terminal and a control terminal of the first power switch; and a second delay circuit having first and second terminals connected between the first output terminal and a control terminal of the second power switch. Each delay circuit detects a variation in the voltage supplied on the respective first terminal and detects an operating condition of the respective power switch on the second terminal, and supplies to the control terminal of the respective power switch a switching on delay signal.

Voltage converter circuit with self-oscillating half-bridge configuration and with protection against hard switching

A voltage converter circuit with a self-oscillating half-bridge configuration has a first and a second input terminal, and a first and a second output terminal, and including: a first power switch coupled between the first input terminal and the first output terminal, a second power switch coupled between the first output terminal and the second input terminal, a first voltage sensor having a first and a second sensing terminals coupled between the first input terminal and a control terminal of the first power switch, and a second voltage sensor having a first and a second sensing terminals coupled between the first output terminal and a control terminal of the second power switch. Each voltage sensor detects a voltage variation supplied on its respective first sensing terminal and generates on the respective second sensing terminal an activation potential for the respective power switch.

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Biancavilla, Italy

Vincenzo Randazzo