System for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load

A system for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load, comprising:

• an output capacitor coupled in parallel with the load;
• a transistor having a gate, a collector configured to be coupled to the power source, and an emitter configured to be coupled to the load;
• a supply resistor having a first supply terminal directly electrically coupled to the collector of the transistor and a second supply terminal directly electrically coupled to the emitter of the transistor, the supply resistor being configured to provide a resistor charging current from the power source to the output capacitor to charge the output capacitor in response to initial power being provided by the power source;
• a gate resistor having a first terminal coupled to the gate of the transistor;
• a current sensor configured to detect electrical current data corresponding to electrical current flowing from the power source;
• and
• a controller coupled to the transistor and the current sensor and configured to:
• identify the initial power being provided by the power source based on the detected electrical current data,
• identify a rapid charging condition in response to determining that rapid charging of the output capacitor is desirable;
• and
• control the transistor to operate in a linear mode in response identifying the rapid charging condition and in response to the initial power being provided by the power source to increase a speed of charging the output capacitor.

A method for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a current sensor, electrical current data corresponding to electrical current flowing from the power source;
• identifying, by a controller, initial power being provided by the power source based on the electrical current data;
• identifying, by the controller, a rapid charging condition in response to determining that rapid charging of an output capacitor coupled to the load is desirable;
• controlling, by the controller, a transistor coupled between the power source and the load to operate in a linear mode to provide a transistor charging current from the power source to the output capacitor in response to at least one of the initial power being provided by the power source or a combination of the initial power being provided by the power source and determining that rapid charging of the output capacitor is desirable;
• identifying, by the controller, a turn-on condition in response to determining that the load at least one of will be or is turning on;
• and
• controlling, by the controller, the transistor to operate in an on mode to allow driving current to flow through the transistor to power the load in response to identifying the turn-on condition, the driving current being greater than the transistor charging current,
• wherein a supply resistor has a first supply terminal directly coupled to a collector of the transistor and a second supply terminal directly coupled to an emitter of the transistor.