ADAPTIVE GATE DRIVE FOR SWITCHING DEVICES OF INVERTER
First Claim
1. A circuit for operating a semiconductor switching device having a gate and having a turn-on behavior and a turn-off behavior, the circuit comprising:
- control circuitry providing signals for operating the switching device, the control circuitry receiving an operating condition of the switching device and having a plurality of operating points of the switching device stored in the control circuitry, each operating point associated with a corresponding control signal for the switching device;
power circuitry coupled between the control circuitry and the switching device, the power circuitry receiving the control signals from the control circuitry and providing drive signals to the gate of the switching device to operate the switching device based on the control signal;
wherein the control circuitry compares the operating condition measured from the switching device to the plurality of operating points stored in the control circuitry and sends the corresponding control signal to the power circuitry, and wherein the power circuitry receives the corresponding control signal from the control circuitry and provides a drive signal to the gate of the switching device to control the turn-on or turn-off behavior of the switching device based on the measured operating conditions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An adaptive gate drive for an inverter includes control circuitry having a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and includes power circuitry having a plurality of FETs for operating a switching device, such as a Trench Gate Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT device). The control circuitry provides switching signals for operating the switching device. In addition, the control circuitry receives signals of output current of the IGBT device, temperature of the IGBT device, and DC link voltage. The FPGA has a plurality of operating points stored therein. Each operating point has corresponding parameters for a control signal that is used to control the turn-on or turn-off behavior of the IGBT device. During operation, the control circuitry compares the measured current, voltage and temperature operating points stored in the FPGA and sends the corresponding parameters to the gate drive circuit. The gate drive modifies the signal on the gate of the IGBT accordingly and thereby optimizes the turn-on and/or turn-off behavior of the device based on actual operating conditions.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A circuit for operating a semiconductor switching device having a gate and having a turn-on behavior and a turn-off behavior, the circuit comprising:
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control circuitry providing signals for operating the switching device, the control circuitry receiving an operating condition of the switching device and having a plurality of operating points of the switching device stored in the control circuitry, each operating point associated with a corresponding control signal for the switching device;
power circuitry coupled between the control circuitry and the switching device, the power circuitry receiving the control signals from the control circuitry and providing drive signals to the gate of the switching device to operate the switching device based on the control signal;
wherein the control circuitry compares the operating condition measured from the switching device to the plurality of operating points stored in the control circuitry and sends the corresponding control signal to the power circuitry, and wherein the power circuitry receives the corresponding control signal from the control circuitry and provides a drive signal to the gate of the switching device to control the turn-on or turn-off behavior of the switching device based on the measured operating conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An inverter comprising:
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a plurality of switching devices providing output power, each switching device having a gate, a turn-on behavior, and a turn-off behavior;
control circuitry providing switching signals for operating the switching devices, the control circuitry receiving operating conditions measured from the inverter and having a plurality of operating points of the inverter stored in the control circuitry, each operating point associated with a corresponding control signal; and
power circuitry coupled between the control circuitry and the switching devices, the power circuitry receiving the switching signals from the control circuitry and providing drive signals to the gates of the switching devices to operate the switching devices, wherein the control circuitry compares the operating conditions measured from the inverter to the plurality of operating points stored in the control circuitry and sends the corresponding control signals to the power circuitry, and wherein the power circuitry receives the corresponding control signals from the control circuitry and provides drive signals to the gates of the switching devices to control the turn-on or turn-off behaviors of the switching devices.
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25. A circuit for operating a switching device of an inverter, the switching device having a gate, a turn-on behavior, and a turn-off behavior, the circuit comprising:
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means for driving the switching device with switching signals;
means for measuring an operating condition from the inverter;
means for determining a control signal from the operating condition measured from the inverter; and
means for driving the switching device with the control signal to control the turn-on or turn-off behavior of the switching device based on the operating condition measured from the inverter. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method of controlling a turn-on behavior or a turn-off behavior of a switching device of an inverter, comprising the steps of:
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driving the switching device with switching signals;
measuring an operating condition from the inverter;
determining a control signal from the operating condition measured from the inverter; and
controlling the turn-on or turn-off behavior of the switching device by driving the switching device with the control signal based on the operating condition measured from the inverter. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification