Resistor emulation and gate boost

• US 10,199,916 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (Richard Scheubeck Beteiligungs-Gmbh & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH (Richard Scheubeck Beteiligungs-Gmbh & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Snook, Mark, Leedham, Robert John, Lyle, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Emily P
• Application Number:
  US15/515,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20170302151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0054 Transistor switching losses periodically suspending operation of switching converter in low power mode H02M1/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0406 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/042 by feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit H03K17/0403, H03K17/0406 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/063 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0822 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0828 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/165 by feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/168 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/08 by limiting; by thresholding; by slicing, i.e. combined limiting and thresholding H03K5/07 takes precedence; comparing one pulse with another H03K5/22; providing a determined threshold for switching H03K17/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A power switch driver for driving a control terminal of a power switch to drive a load, the power switch driver having a negative feedback circuit to control current delivered to the control terminal. The negative feedback circuit has a current output circuit having a current source and a current sink and serving for providing the current of the control terminal and configured to receive an output current control signal to control a magnitude of the current provided by the current output circuit, a terminal voltage input circuit for receiving a voltage from the control terminal and to output an indication of the voltage, an amplifier coupled to the terminal voltage input circuit for amplifying the terminal voltage indication to generate an amplifier output, and a reference voltage input circuit for receiving a reference voltage, having at least one resistor, and coupled to a charge supply input of the amplifier.

Claims

1. A power switch driver for driving a control terminal of a power switch to drive a load, the power switch driver having a negative feedback circuit to control current delivered to the control terminal, the negative feedback circuit comprising:

a current output circuit having a current source and a current sink and serving for providing the current of the control terminal and configured to receive an output current control signal to control a magnitude of the current provided by the current output circuit;

a terminal voltage input circuit for receiving a voltage from the control terminal and to output an indication of the voltage;

an amplifier coupled to the terminal voltage input circuit for amplifying the terminal voltage indication to generate an amplifier output; and

a reference voltage input circuit for receiving a reference voltage, having at least one resistor, and coupled to a charge supply input of the amplifier,

wherein,

to emulate a resistance of the power switch driver, the reference voltage and the one resistor determine a reference current to be sent to the amplifier,

the power switch driver is configured to generate the output current control signal dependent on the amplifier output, and

the power switch driver is configured to reduce the current provided by the current output circuit in response to an increase in the voltage received by the terminal voltage input circuit.

2. The power switch driver of claim 1, wherein the at least one resistor is a controllable resistor.

3. The power switch driver of claim 1, wherein the terminal voltage input circuit has a coupling to the reference voltage input circuit, to effectively increase an impedance presented to the control terminal.

4. The power switch driver of claim 1, wherein the power switch driver has an offset voltage input circuit having an input line to receive an offset voltage and having a comparator to compare the indication of a voltage of the terminal voltage input circuit to the offset voltage, the offset voltage input circuit to allow a limit of variation of the voltage from the terminal to be set by the offset voltage when the power switch driver is operated to drive the power switch.

5. The power switch driver of claim 1, further comprising:

a coupling switch to disable dependency of control of the amplifier on the voltage of the terminal voltage input circuit, the power switch driver having a current detector for monitoring a current through the load and being configured to disable the dependency when the current detector indicates that the monitored current is below a threshold current, the power switch driver providing a substantially constant current to the current output circuit when the dependency is disabled.

6. A power converter comprising the power switch driver of claim 1.

7. The power switch driver of claim 1, wherein the power switch comprises one of an IGBT, MOSFET, H EMT or JFET, the power switch having silicon carbide, gallium nitride and/or silicon.

8. A power converter comprising power switch driver for driving a first power switch of the power converter or a second power switch of the power converter, the power switch having a negative feedback circuit for controlling current delivered to the control terminal,

the negative feedback circuit comprising:

a current output circuit having a current source and a current sink, the current output circuit providing current to the control terminal and configured to receive an output current control signal for controlling a magnitude of a current provided by the current output circuit;

a terminal voltage input circuit for receiving a voltage from the control terminal and for outputting an indication of the voltage;

an amplifier coupled to the terminal voltage input circuit for amplifying the terminal voltage indication to generate an amplifier output; and

a reference voltage input circuit for receiving a reference voltage, having at least one resistor, and coupled to a charge supply input of the amplifier,

wherein,

the power switch driver generates the output current control signal dependent on the amplifier output, and

the power switch driver reduces the current provided by the current output circuit in response to an increase in a voltage received by the terminal voltage input circuit;

the power switch driver further comprising a coupling switch for disabling dependency of control of the amplifier on the voltage of the terminal voltage input circuit, the driver having a current detector for monitoring a current through the load and disabling the dependency when the current detector indicates that the monitored current is below a threshold current, the power switch driver providing a substantially constant current to the current output circuit when the dependency is disabled;

the power converter having at least one half bridge circuit having a series connection of the first power switch and the second power switch, the first and second power switches configured to alternately pass current for driving the load coupled to an output line of the half bridge circuit, each of the first and second power switches being coupled in parallel with a diode,

the at least one resistor of the power switch driver is a controllable resistor, the power converter further comprising;

a turn-on detector for indicating at least a start of a turn-on period of increasing current through at least one of the power switches,

the power converter is configured to control the coupling switch based on the turn-on detector indication to allow the dependency of control of the amplifier on the voltage of the terminal voltage input circuit during the turn-on period.

9. The power converter of claim 8, wherein the turn-on detector is configured to detect an increase in rate of change of the current through the first or the second power switch and a subsequent decrease in the rate of change to indicate pendency of the turn-on period.

10. The power converter of claim 8, configured to control the coupling switch of the power switch driver to allow the dependency of control of the amplifier on the voltage of the terminal voltage input circuit during a period subsequent to the turn-on period, the power converter configured to increase resistance of the controllable resistor of the driver at the start of the subsequent period.

11. The power converter of claim 8, configured to control the coupling switch the power switch driver to disable the dependency of control of the amplifier on the voltage of the terminal voltage input circuit during a period subsequent to the turn-on period, the power converter to deliver a substantially constant the current of the current output circuit during the subsequent period.

12. The power converter of claim 8, further comprising a timing detector to indicate at least one of:

a reversal of direction of rate of change of the current through the first or second power switch at a start of the subsequent period;

a decrease in the rate of change of the current through the first or second power switch at the end of the subsequent period; and

a voltage across the power switch below a threshold value at the end of the subsequent period,

wherein

the power converter is configured to perform the control of the coupling switch to control a duration of the dependency responsive to the indication.

13. A power converter comprising the power switch driver for driving a first power switch of the power converter or a second power switch of the power converter, the power switch having a negative feedback circuit for controlling current delivered to the control terminal,

the negative feedback circuit comprising:

a current output circuit having a current source and a current sink, the current output circuit providing current to the control terminal and configured to receive an output current control signal for controlling a magnitude of a current provided by the current output circuit;

a terminal voltage input circuit for receiving a voltage from the control terminal and for outputting an indication of the voltage;

an amplifier coupled to the terminal voltage input circuit for amplifying the terminal voltage indication to generate an amplifier output; and

a reference voltage input circuit for receiving a reference voltage, having at least one resistor, and coupled to a charge supply input of the amplifier,

wherein,

the power switch driver generates the output current control signal dependent on the amplifier output, and

the power switch driver reduces the current provided by the current output circuit in response to an increase in a voltage received by the terminal voltage input circuit;

the power converter has at least one half bridge circuit having a series connection of the first power switch and the second power switch, the first and second power switches configured to alternately pass current for driving the load coupled to an output line of the half bridge circuit, each of the first and second power switches being coupled in parallel with a commutation diode,

the at least one resistor of the power switch driver is a controllable resistor, the power converter further comprising;

a timer circuit to measure duration of at least one phase of a switching cycle of the power switch, wherein

the power converter is configured to adjust resistance of the controllable resistor in response to the measured duration.