POWER CONVERTER DRIVER WITH SPLIT POWER SUPPLY

• US 20080180083A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Americas Corp. (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Zhang, Jason, Briere, Michael A., Bahramian, HamidTony
• Granted Patent: US 8,063,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/371
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/538 in a push-pull configuration H02M7/5375 takes precedence ; with oscillating arrangements H02M7/53832, H02M7/53846
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6871 the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0036 Means reducing energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/012 Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption
• 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 converter driver that is supplied with two different voltages.

Claims

1. A driver arrangement comprising:

a high side driver to drive a high side switch of a half-bridge supplied by a first voltage; and

a low side driver to drive a low side switch of said half-bridge supplied by a second voltage different from said first voltage.

2. The driver arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first voltage is higher than said second voltage.

3. The driver arrangement of claim 1, wherein said low side switch is a synchronous switch of a buck converter.

4. The driver arrangement of claim 1, wherein said first voltage is 6.5 volts and said second switch is five volts.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said low side driver includes a low side driver half-bridge having a high side driver switch and a low side driver switch, wherein said low side driver half-bridge is connected between said second voltage and a ground voltage, and wherein said high side driver switch is coupled to a predriver which is supplied by said first voltage.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said half-bridge is coupled between a bus voltage and ground, one of said first and second voltages is supplied from an external source, and the other one of said first and second voltage is derived from said bus voltage.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein said second voltage is supplied from an external source and said first voltage is derived from said bus voltage.

8. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein a linear drop out regulator is used to derive said another voltage.

9. The arrangement of claim 7, wherein a linear drop out regulator is used to derive said first voltage.

10. A driver arrangement for driving a power semiconductor switch, comprising:

a driver circuit coupled between a voltage and ground; and

a predriver driver circuit supplied with another voltage.

11. The driver arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said voltage is less than said another voltage.

12. The driver arrangement of claim 10, wherein said voltage is supplied from an external voltage source and said another voltage is derived from a bus voltage.

13. The driver arrangement of claim 12, wherein said another voltage is derived using a linear drop out regulator.

14. The driver arrangement of claim 10, wherein said driver circuit is a half-bridge.

15. The driver arrangement of claim 14, wherein a predriver associated with said high side switch of said half-bridge is supplied with said another voltage.

16. The driver arrangement of claim 10, wherein said driver is coupled to a switch of a half-bridge.

17. The driver arrangement of claim 16, wherein said switch of said half-bridge is a low side switch.

18. The driver arrangement of claim 16, wherein said switch of said half-bridge is a synchronous switch of a buck converter.

19. A driver arrangement comprising:

a high side pre-driver to drive a high side switch of a driver supplied by a first voltage; and

a low side pre-driver to drive a low side switch of said driver supplied by a second voltage different from said first voltage.

20. The driver arrangement of claim 19, wherein said first voltage is higher than said second voltage.

21. The driver arrangement of claim 19, wherein said first voltage is 6.5 volts and said second switch is five volts.

22. The driver arrangement of claim 19, further comprising a high side pre-driver driver and a low side pre-driver driver each supplied by said second voltage.

23. The driver arrangement of claim 19, wherein said driver is configured to drive a switch of a half-bridge.

24. The driver arrangement of claim 23, wherein said half-bridge is a part of a power block of a buck converter.