CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20130106470A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Inventors: TAKAGIWA, Kazumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,473,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/109
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2607 Circuits therefor G01R31/2642 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/166 Soft switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/167 using parallel switching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/168 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/56 by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices using diodes H03K17/74
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0027 Measuring means of, e.g. currents through or voltages across the switch

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provides a device that is capable of accurately measuring an output current of a transistor, controls the drive of a switching element, by using an existing IC tester without any evaluation board improvement. The control device according to one aspect of the present invention has: a drive circuit, a plurality of transistors for controlling the drive of a switching element and a transistor operation controller. A transistor for turning the switching element OFF is configured by a plurality of transistors. The transistor operation controller, in a normal operation, performs ON/OFF control on the two transistors simultaneously or collectively by means of the same drive signal output from the drive circuit. In a test operation, the transistor operation controller sequentially selects one of the transistors and supplies the same drive signal to the selected transistor, to drive the transistors individually.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling the drive of a voltage-controlled switching element, the control device comprising:

a drive circuit that generates and outputs a drive signal corresponding to an input signal;

a plurality of transistors that are driven by the drive signal output from the drive circuit and control the drive of the switching element; and

a transistor operation controller that controls operations of the plurality of transistors,

wherein the transistor operation controller, in a normal operation, supplies the same drive signal, which is output from the drive circuit, to the plurality of transistors in order to collectively operate the plurality of transistors, and, in a test operation, sequentially selects any one of the plurality of transistors and supplies the same drive signal to the selected transistor in order to individually operate the plurality of transistors.

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input terminal to which the input signal is input;

an output terminal to which output parts of the plurality of transistors are connected in common;

a power supply terminal to which a power supply voltage is supplied; and

a reference voltage terminal that serves as a reference voltage.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the transistor exhibits a withstand voltage of 20 V or higher.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the transistor either charges or discharges a gate of the switching element.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the transistor is configured by a plurality of first transistors for turning the switching element ON and a plurality of second transistors for turning the switching element OFF, and wherein

the transistor operation controller,

in the normal operation, supplies a first drive signal, which is output from the drive circuit, to the plurality of first transistors in order to collectively operate the plurality of first transistors, and supplies a second drive signal, which is output from the drive circuit, to the plurality of second transistors in order to collectively operate the plurality of second transistors, and,

in the test operation, sequentially selects any one of the plurality of first transistors and supplies the first drive signal to the selected first transistor in order to operate the plurality of first transistors individually, and sequentially selects any one of the plurality of second transistors and supplies the second drive signal to the selected second transistor in order to operate the plurality of second transistors individually.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of the transistors of different functions are provided to perform operations corresponding to specificity of the drive control performed on the switching element, and

at least one of the plurality of transistors of different functions is configured by a plurality of transistors having the same function.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the transistor operation controller has a gate circuit provided between the drive circuit and the plurality of transistors, and

the gate circuit, in a normal operation, supplies the drive signal output from the drive circuit, to any gates of the plurality of transistors, and, in a test operation, supplies the drive signal to the gates of the plurality of transistors selectively in response to a test signal obtained from outside.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the transistor operation controller has:

a gate circuit provided between the drive circuit and the plurality of transistors; and

a shift register that serially inputs input data, and converts and outputs the input data in parallel, wherein

the gate circuit, in a normal operation, supplies the drive signal output from the drive circuit, to any gates of the plurality of transistors, and, in a test operation, supplies the drive signal to the gates of the plurality of transistors selectively in response to the data output from the shift register.

9. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising an overcurrent detection circuit that receives input of part of a current flowing to the switching element, detects, based on the input current, whether the current flowing to the switching element is an overcurrent or not, and outputs an overcurrent detection signal to the drive circuit upon detection of an overcurrent.

10. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising an overheat detection circuit that receives input of a detection current of a temperature sensor that detects part of a current flowing to the switching element, determines, based on the input detection current, whether the switching element is overheated or not, and outputs an overheat detection signal to the drive circuit when determined that the switching element is overheated.

11. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply voltage detection circuit that detects a power supply voltage to be supplied to a power supply terminal, and outputs a power supply voltage abnormal signal to the drive circuit when the detected voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

12. The control device according to claim 9, further comprising:

an alarm terminal, wherein

when the overcurrent detection signal is output from the overcurrent detection circuit, the overheat detection signal is output from the overheat detection circuit, or a potential drop detection signal is output from the potential drop detection circuit, the drive circuit outputs an alarm signal to the alarm terminal and stops outputting the alarm signal when an alarm factor is eliminated.