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. 07, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 29, 1998
Laszlo Balogh, Merrimack, NH (US);
Unitrode Corporation, Merrimack, NH (US);
Abstract
Leading-edge blanking circuits blank the leading edge of a current sense signal generated by sensing circuitry sensing the current through a switching field-effect transistor. A current sensor is employed to sense the magnitude of gate current being provided to the gate of the switching transistor by a driver circuit. A comparator indicates whether the sensed magnitude of the gate current exceeds a predetermined threshold current. A blanking circuit component, such as a transistor connected to ground, is also used. In one blanking circuit, the blanking component forces the current sense signal to zero when the comparator indicates that the gate current of the switching transistor exceeds the threshold current, and otherwise allows the value of the current sense signal to be determined by the current-sensing circuitry. In another blanking circuit, a latch is interposed between the comparator and the blanking component. The latch generates a blanking control signal to control the blanking component. The blanking control signal becomes asserted upon the assertion of a switching-control signal that controls the driver circuit, and becomes deasserted when the comparator indicates that the gate current of the switching transistor has diminished to below the threshold current. In both circuits the blanking interval ends when the gate current has sufficiently diminished, indicating that the initial spike in the switching transistor current has subsided.