Power converter

A power converter comprising:

• a semiconductor switching device that is provided with a high potential side main electrode terminal, a low potential side main electrode terminal, and a control electrode terminal, and turns on and off an electrical connection between the high potential side main electrode terminal and the low potential side main electrode terminal according to a voltage applied to the control electrode terminal;
• a driving circuit that generates a driving voltage according to an inputted drive command signal, and applies the driving voltage to the control electrode terminal;
• a time change detection circuit that is connected between the high potential side main electrode terminal and the low potential side main electrode terminal, and outputs a detection signal according to a time change rate of a main voltage which is a potential difference of the high potential side main electrode terminal with respect to the low potential side main electrode terminal;
• and
• an excess current determination circuit that, when the detection signal is less than a first threshold value, determines that a normal current flows between the high potential side main electrode terminal and the low potential side main electrode terminal, and generates an excess current occurrence signal of a normal current state showing occurrence of the normal current;
• and when the detection signal is not less than the first threshold value, determines that an excess current flows between the high potential side main electrode terminal and the low potential side main electrode terminal, and generates the excess current occurrence signal of an excess current state showing occurrence of the excess current,
• wherein the driving circuit generates the driving voltage of OFF state, when the excess current occurrence signal is the excess current state, even when the drive command signal is ON state.