Gate driver with integrated miller clamp
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorsAlan L. Westwick, Peter Onody, András V. Horváth, Tamás Marozsák
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gate driver with an integrated Miller clamp controls a high-power drive device coupled to a terminal of a package that houses an integrated circuit coupled to the terminal. A method includes generating an indication of a level of a signal on the terminal with respect to a predetermined signal level. The method includes configuring a variable strength driver of the integrated circuit to charge, discharge, or clamp the terminal based on a control signal and the indication.
Claims21
A method for controlling a high-power drive device coupled to a terminal of a package housing a driver integrated circuit coupled to the terminal, the method comprising:
- generating an indication of a level of a signal on the terminal with respect to a predetermined signal level;
- and
- configuring a variable strength driver of the driver integrated circuit based on a control signal and the indication, wherein the configuring comprises:
- configuring the variable strength driver as an output driver circuit in response to the signal on the terminal exceeding the predetermined signal level, the output driver circuit being responsive to the control signal;
- and
- configuring the variable strength driver as an active Miller clamp circuit in response to the control signal having a first logic value and the signal on the terminal falling below the predetermined signal level.
A driver circuit for controlling a high-power drive device external to a package of the driver circuit, the driver circuit comprising:
- an output node;
- a variable strength driver circuit coupled to the output node;
- a feedback circuit configured to generate a feedback signal based on a predetermined signal level and a signal level on the output node;
- and
- a driver controller circuit responsive to a received control signal and the feedback signal to configure the variable strength driver circuit as an output driver in response to the signal level exceeding the predetermined signal level, the output driver being responsive to the received control signal, and to configure the variable strength driver circuit as an active Miller clamp circuit in response to the received control signal having a first logic value and the signal level falling below the predetermined signal level.
A method for controlling a high-power drive device external to a package of a driver circuit, the method comprising:
- configuring a variable strength driver circuit as an output driver circuit in response to a voltage on a terminal of the package being greater than a predetermined voltage level, the output driver circuit being responsive to a received control signal;
- and
- configuring the variable strength driver circuit as a Miller clamp circuit in response to a signal on the terminal falling below the predetermined voltage level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.