INTEGRATED CIRCUIT-BASED DRIVE CIRCUIT FOR DRIVING VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED SWITCHING DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE DRIVE CIRCUIT
First Claim
1. A drive circuit for driving a voltage-controlled type of driven switching device, the drive circuit comprising an integrated circuit and including a charging path for supplying a charging current to a control terminal of said driven switching device, wherein said drive circuit comprises a resistor and an external switching device, said resistor connected in series with an input terminal and an output terminal of said external switching device in said charging path, and wherein said integrated circuit comprises:
- an internal switching device connected in a Darlington configuration to said external switching device, anda control circuit configured for applying a control signal to a control terminal of said internal switching device, for regulating a voltage drop across said resistor to a predetermined value.
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Abstract
A drive circuit supplies a charging current via a charging path to drive the control terminal of a voltage-controlled switching device, with a resistor and a switching device being connected in series in the charging path. A control circuit in an integrated circuit of the drive circuit operates an internal switching device such as to selectively enable/interrupt the charging current and to regulate the voltage drop across the resistor to a fixed value. The switching device connected in the charging path can be readily changed from the internal switching device to an external switching device, in accordance with the operating requirements of the driven switching device.
23 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A drive circuit for driving a voltage-controlled type of driven switching device, the drive circuit comprising an integrated circuit and including a charging path for supplying a charging current to a control terminal of said driven switching device, wherein said drive circuit comprises a resistor and an external switching device, said resistor connected in series with an input terminal and an output terminal of said external switching device in said charging path, and wherein said integrated circuit comprises:
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an internal switching device connected in a Darlington configuration to said external switching device, and a control circuit configured for applying a control signal to a control terminal of said internal switching device, for regulating a voltage drop across said resistor to a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A drive circuit for driving a voltage-controlled type of driven switching device, the drive circuit comprising an integrated circuit and including a charging path for supplying a charging current to a control terminal of said driven switching device, said integrated circuit including an internal switching device controllable for regulating a value of a current, and a control circuit configured to produce a control signal from an output terminal, for selectively enabling and interrupting a flow of said charging current;
wherein said integrated circuit comprises a changeover circuit responsive to a signal applied to an external input terminal of said integrated circuit for selectively establishing a first connection condition in which said output terminal of said control circuit is connected to an internal element of said integrated circuit for thereby connecting an internal current regulating device of said integrated circuit into said charging path, and a second connection condition in which said output terminal of the control circuit is connected to an external output terminal of said integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of manufacturing a drive circuit incorporating an integrated circuit, the drive circuit configured for driving a voltage-controlled type of driven switching device by supplying a charging current through a charging path to charge a control terminal of said driven switching device, the method comprising:
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a formation step of forming an internal switching device and a control circuit in said integrated circuit, said control circuit being operable for controlling said internal switching device to selectively enable and interrupt a flow of said charging current; a judgement step of judging whether or not said charging current is to pass via said internal switching device, said judgement being based upon utilization requirements of said driven switching device; an external connection step, executed when a negative decision is reached in said judgement step, of providing an external switching device outside said integrated circuit, and connecting said external switching device to said control terminal of the driven switching device and to said integrated circuit such as to establish said charging path as a path via said external switching device; and an internal connection step, executed when an affirmative decision is reached in said judgement step, of connecting said internal switching device to said control terminal of said driven switching device such as to establish said charging path as a path via said internal switching device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification