The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 04, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 21, 1995
Rik Wivina De Doncker, Malvern, PA (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A GTO gate driver circuit includes a GTO; a MOS gate driver; a turn-on rectifier for receiving power from a high voltage isolation transformer; a turn-on capacitor coupled in parallel with the turn-on rectifier; and a turn-on MOSFET having a drain coupled to a first side of the turn-on capacitor, a gate coupled to the MOS gate driver, and a source coupled to a gate of the GTO. In one embodiment the circuit includes a turn-off rectifier coupled to the turn-on rectifier; a turn-off capacitor coupled in parallel to the turn-off rectifier with a cathode of the GTO being coupled to a second side of the turn-on capacitor and a first side of the turn-off capacitor; and a turn-off MCT having a gate coupled to the MOS gate driver, an anode coupled to the source of the MOSFET and a cathode coupled to a second side of the turn-off capacitor. In an alternative embodiment the circuit includes a turn-off rectifier; a turn-off capacitor coupled in parallel to the turn-off rectifier; and a turn-off MCT having a gate coupled to the MOS gate driver, an anode coupled to one side of the turn-off capacitor, and a cathode coupled the cathode of the GTO. Either embodiment may further include a detection logic unit for evaluating the current to monitor for GTO failure conditions or for modulating the current for information transfer to the MOS gate driver.