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US 10,473,710 B2Granted
Desaturation detection circuit and desaturation circuit monitoring function
AssigneeAvago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited
InventorPatrick Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, circuits, and chips for protecting transistors and circuits containing transistors are provided. As an example, a transistor (e.g., an Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)) monitoring system is disclosed to include an IGBT desaturation detection circuit that is configured to check and monitor desaturation functionality of the IGBT before startup of the IGBT as well as during operation of the IGBT.
Claims20
A circuit, comprising:
- at least one Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) having a gate, collector, and emitter;
- a detector circuit coupled to the IGBT and including an output that outputs a driver current for the IGBT based on a signal detected by the detector circuit;
- an IGBT desaturation detection circuit coupled to the output of the detector circuit and that checks and monitors desaturation functionality of the IGBT before startup of the IGBT and during operation of the IGBT, wherein the IGBT desaturation detection circuit comprises a blanking capacitor discharge circuit that includes a blanking capacitor that is active during a transition of the IGBT from an off state to an on state;
- and
- a delay circuit coupled between the gate of the IGBT and the output of the detector circuit and that delays the transition of the IGBT from the off state to the on state by a delay period to test functionality of the IGBT desaturation detection circuit.
2 more elements
An Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) monitoring system, comprising:
- a detector circuit including an output that outputs a driver current for an IGBT based on a signal detected by the detector circuit;
- an IGBT desaturation detection circuit that checks and monitors desaturation functionality of the IGBT before startup of the IGBT and during operation of the IGBT;
- and
- a delay circuit coupled between the IGBT and the output of the detector circuit and that delays the startup of the IGBT by a delay period to test functionality of the IGBT desaturation detection circuit.
1 more element
An isolation system, comprising:
- a first circuit operating at a first voltage;
- a second circuit operating at a second voltage, wherein the second circuit receives information from the first circuit across an isolation boundary that inhibits electrical communication between the first circuit and second circuit;
- an Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) having a gate, collector, and emitter in electrical communication with the second circuit;
- a desaturation detection circuit that checks and monitors desaturation functionality of the IGBT before startup of the IGBT and during operation of the IGBT;
- and
- a delay circuit coupled to the gate of the IGBT and that delays the startup of the IGBT by a delay period to test functionality of the desaturation detection circuit.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.