Abb Research Ltd.

Abb Schweiz Ag

Yanick Lobsiger

Johann Kolar

Matti Laitinen

Dominik Bortis

Gerold Knapp

Johann Walter Kolar

Patrick Schmid

Thomas Friedli

An exemplary gate drive circuit and method are disclosed for controlling a gate-controlled component, the gate drive circuit having a PI controller adapted to receive an input reference signal and to control a gate voltage of the gate-controlled component. The gate drive circuit can include a first feedback loop for the PI controller, the first feedback loop having a first gain (k), a second feedback loop for the PI controller, the second feedback loop having a second gain (k), and a clipping circuit adapted to modify a feedback signal in the second feedback loop during turn-on of the gate-controlled component when the time derivative of the collector current is negative. The first feedback loop can include a first blanking circuit adapted to cut the feedback loop when the gate-controlled component is in a blocking state.

Active gate drive circuit

An exemplary apparatus and method for using intelligent gate driver units with distributed intelligence to control antiparallel power modules or parallel-connected electrical switching devices like IGBTs is disclosed. The intelligent gate drive units use the intelligence to balance the currents of the switching devices, even in dynamic switching events. The intelligent gate driver units can use master-slave or daisy chain control structures and instantaneous or time integral differences of the currents of parallel-connected switching devices as control parameters. Instead of balancing the currents, temperature can also be balanced with the intelligent gate driver units.

Gate driver unit for electrical switching device

Growing community of inventors

Aarau, Switzerland

Yanick Lobsiger