Semiconductor power module and drive system for electric motor

• US 9,831,816 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Nozawa, Toshiya, Kondo, Yoshitaro, Sugawara, Yusuke, Kamimura, Shoichi, Maeda, Masatoshi, Shirai, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/232,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 31840012, 31840014, 318484, 320114, 15412
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/027 the fault being an over-current
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/68 based on the temperature of a drive component or a semiconductor component

Abstract

Erroneous mounting of a semiconductor power module can be more easily detected. A semiconductor power module (9) according to the present invention includes: a status signal generation unit (90) configured to detect a status in the semiconductor power module (9) and generate and output a status signal indicating the detected status; an identification information storage unit (91) configured to preliminarily store identification information for identifying the semiconductor power module (9) and output an identification signal indicating the identification information; and a switching unit (92) configured to select one of the status signal output from the status signal generation unit (90) and the identification signal output from the identification information storage unit (91) and output the selected signal to an outside of the semiconductor power module (9).

Claims

1. A semiconductor power module configured to drive an electric motor, the semiconductor power module comprising:

a temperature signal generation unit configured to detect a temperature in the semiconductor power module, generate a signal indicating the detected temperature, and output the signal;

an identification information storage unit configured to preliminarily store identification information for identifying the semiconductor power module, and output an identification signal indicating the identification information;

a switching unit configured to select one of the signal output from the temperature signal generation unit and the identification signal output from the identification information storage unit, and output the selected signal outside of the semiconductor power module;

a fault output signal generation unit configured to generate a fault output signal indicating whether or not the semiconductor power module is abnormal, and output the fault output signal to the outside of the semiconductor power module; and

a rising edge detection unit configured to detect that the fault output signal output from the fault output signal generation unit is switched from a status indicating that the semiconductor power module is abnormal to a status indicating that the semiconductor power module is normal,

wherein the switching unit selects the identification signal during a predetermined period after the semiconductor power module is restored to a normal operational state,

wherein the rising edge detection unit outputs, to the switching unit, an indication signal indicating selection of the identification signal during a predetermined period after the detection that the fault output signal is switched from the status indicating that the semiconductor power module is abnormal to the status indicating that the semiconductor power module is normal, and

wherein the switching unit selects the identification signal during a period in which the indication signal is output from the rising edge detection unit, the period being set as a predetermined period after the semiconductor power module is restored to the normal operational state.

2. The semiconductor power module according to claim 1, further comprising a rising edge detection unit configured to detect a request signal received from an external circuit after a lapse of a predetermined period as a period required for a voltage of the semiconductor power module to stabilize after power-on of the semiconductor power module, wherein

the rising edge detection unit outputs, to the switching unit, an indication signal indicating selection of the identification signal during the predetermined period after the detection of the request signal from the external circuit, and

the switching unit selects the identification signal during a period in which the indication signal is output from the detection unit, the period being set as the predetermined period after the semiconductor power module is restored to the normal operational state.

3. The semiconductor power module according to claim 1, further comprising an under voltage lock out unit configured to determine whether or not a voltage supplied to the semiconductor power module is less than a predetermined voltage threshold, the predetermined voltage threshold being set as a minimum voltage necessary for a normal operation of the semiconductor power module,

wherein when the under voltage lock out unit determines that the voltage supplied to the semiconductor power module is equal to or greater than the voltage threshold, the fault output signal generation unit switches the fault output signal to the status indicating that the semiconductor power module is normal.

4. The semiconductor power module according to claim 1, further comprising an overcurrent detection unit configured to determine whether or not a current supplied to the semiconductor power module is equal or greater than a predetermined current threshold, a current equal to or greater than the predetermined current threshold being determined to be an overcurrent, and

when the overcurrent detection unit determines that the current supplied to the semiconductor power module is less than the current threshold, the fault output signal generation unit switches the fault output signal to the status indicating that the semiconductor power module is normal.

5. A semiconductor power module comprising:

a power element; and

a control unit configured to control an operation of the power element,

wherein the control unit includes;

a detection terminal;

a temperature signal generation unit configured to detect a temperature in the semiconductor power module and output a signal indicating the detected temperature;

an identification information storage unit configured to store identification information and output an identification signal indicating the identification information; and

a switching unit configured to select one of the signal and the identification signal and output the selected signal to an outside of the semiconductor power module via the detection terminal

wherein the detection terminal is a first detection terminal,

the control unit further includes;

a second detection terminal; and

a fault detection unit configured to output a fault detection signal outside via the second detection terminal, the fault detection signal indicating a fault state of the semiconductor power module, and

the switching unit selects the identification signal according to a change of the fault detection signal and outputs the identification signal to the outside of the semiconductor power module via the first detection terminal, and then selects the signal indicating the detected temperature and outputs the signal indicating the detected temperature to the outside of the semiconductor power module via the first detection terminal.

6. The semiconductor power module according to claim 5, wherein during a predetermined period after the fault detection signal indicates a change from a fault state to a normal state, the switching unit selects the identification signal and outputs the identification signal from the first detection terminal.

7. The semiconductor power module according to claim 5, wherein after a lapse of a predetermined period required for an operation of the semiconductor power module to stabilize after a power supply voltage is supplied to the semiconductor power module, the switching unit selects the identification signal during a predetermined period and outputs the identification signal from the detection terminal.

8. A drive system for an electric motor, comprising:

a semiconductor power module including a power element and a control unit configured to control the power element; and

a power module control unit configured to control the semiconductor power module, wherein

the control unit includes;

first and second detection terminals;

a fault detection unit configured to output a fault detection signal to the power module control unit via the first detection terminal, the fault detection signal indicating a fault state of the semiconductor power module;

a temperature signal generation unit configured to detect a temperature in the semiconductor power module and output a signal indicating the detected temperature via the second detection terminal; and

an identification information storage unit configured to store identification information and output an identification signal indicating the identification information; and

a switching unit configured to select one of the signal indicating the temperature and the identification signal according to the fault detection signal, and supply the selected signal to the power module control unit via the second detection terminal, and

during a predetermined period after the fault detection signal detects that the semiconductor power module is in a normal state, the power module control unit acquires a signal output from the second detection terminal as the identification signal, and after the predetermined period, the power module control unit acquires the signal indicating the detected temperature.