Driver circuit with enhanced control for current and voltage slew rates

An integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

• an input terminal;
• an output terminal;
• a first reference voltage terminal and a second reference voltage terminal;
• a high-side power switch coupled between the first reference voltage terminal and the output terminal;
• a low-side power switch coupled between the output terminal and the second reference voltage terminal;
• a first combinational logic and a second combination logic that are coupled to the input terminal;
• a first driver coupled between the first combinational logic and the high-side power switch;
• a second driver coupled between the second combinational logic and the low-side power switch;
• first comparators coupled to the second combinational logic, wherein the first comparators are configured to compare a voltage difference between load path terminals of the high-side power switch with a first threshold and a second threshold;
• and
• second comparators coupled between the low-side power switch and the second combinational logic, wherein the second comparators are configured to compare a voltage at a control terminal of the low-side power switch with a threshold voltage of the low-side power switch and a full-on voltage of the low-side power switch.

A method of operating a driver circuit for driving a resistor-inductor (RL) load, the method comprising:

• switching a high-side power switch of the driver circuit from an ON state to an OFF state while a low-side power switch of the driver circuit is in the OFF state, wherein a first load path terminal of the high-side power switch is coupled to a power supply, a second load path terminal of the high-side power switch is coupled to the RL load, a first load path terminal of the low-side power switch is coupled to the second load path terminal of the high-side power switch, and a second load path terminal of the low-side power switch is coupled to electrical ground;
• monitoring a first voltage across the first and the second load path terminals of the high-side power switch and a second voltage at a control terminal of the low-side power switch;
• sending a first pull-up (PU) current having a first value to the control terminal of the low-side power switch when the first voltage is below a first pre-determined value and the second voltage is below a threshold voltage of the low-side power switch;
• sending a second PU current having a second value different from the first value to the control terminal of the low-side power switch when the first voltage is below the first pre-determined value and the second voltage is above the threshold voltage of the low-side power switch;
• sending a third PU current having a third value different from the second value to the control terminal of the low-side power switch when the first voltage is above the first pre-determined value and below a second pre-determined value, and when the second voltage is above the threshold voltage of the low-side power switch and below a full-on voltage of the low-side power switch;
• and
• sending a fourth PU current having a fourth value different from the third value to the control terminal of the low-side power switch when the first voltage is above the second pre-determined value and when the second voltage is above the full-on voltage of the low-side power switch.