Rockwell International Corporation

William A McFall

Patrick E McCollum

Stanley A White

James F Kirk

Daryl T Butcher

Howard K Lane

Donald V Anderson, Jr

Richard Plesset

An electrical switch or power controller is provided controlling the application of a source voltage to a load under the control of an electrical command signal, resulting in the development of a load current in response to said electrical command signal comprising: a semiconductor switching means having a predetermined non-bounce switching characteristic, being responsive to a semiconductor switching means operating signal for connecting said load to said voltage, an electromechanical switch means having a low voltage drop in a conducting condition, being responsive to an electromechanical switching means operating signal and being connected in parallel with the semiconductor switching means for connecting the load to the source voltage, control means responsive to the command electrical signal for providing the semiconductor switching means operating signal and the electromechanical switching means operating signal, whereby the semiconductor switching means predetermined non-bounce switching characteristics provide a bounce free closure of the conduction path from the source voltage to the load and the electromechanical switching means provide a reduced voltage drop across the conduction path thereby reducing the invention electrical switch power dissipation.

Electrical switch

A monolithic solid state power controller generally comprises a power supply, zero voltage crossing detector, operator interface circuitry, current sensing and trip timing logic (having zero current detection capability), drive circuitry, and a power switch. The current sensing and trip timing logic functions are implemented in a monolithic device which provides flexible mode of operation of the switch, operator command validation, status and mode indication, drive enablement in synchronization with zero voltage crossing of the source voltage, and tripout operation in synchronization with zero current crossing in the load current. Both fast trip (in response to catastrophic overcurrent) and timed trip (in response to overcurrent conditions occurring over a period of time) capabilities are provided.

Monolithic solid state power controller

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Fullerton, CA, United States of America

William A McFall