US 12,183,672 B2 · Fail-open isolator

Abstract

A device includes first and second device terminals, a fuse, a first circuit, a first transistor, and a control circuit. The fuse terminal couples to the first device terminal. The first circuit couples to the second fuse terminal. The second fuse terminal has a first voltage. The first transistor has a first control input and first and second current terminals. The first current terminal couples to the second fuse terminal, and the second current terminal couples to the second device terminal. The control circuit: turns “on” the first transistor into a saturation region if the first voltage exceeds a threshold and a current through the fuse exceeds a trip threshold current of the fuse; and turns “on” the first transistor into a linear region if the first voltage exceeds a threshold and a current through the fuse is below the trip threshold current of the fuse.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:

a fuse having a first fuse terminal and a second fuse terminal, the first fuse terminal coupled to a first IC terminal;
a first transistor having a control input and first and second current terminals, the first current terminal coupled to the second fuse terminal, and the second current terminal coupled to a second IC terminal;
a comparator having a comparator output, the comparator configured to compare a reference voltage to a second voltage based on the first voltage;
and
a logic circuit having a first logic circuit input and a first logic circuit output, the comparator output coupled to the first logic circuit input, and the logic circuit is configured to operate the first transistor in a linear region or a saturation region responsive to a first voltage at the second fuse terminal and a first current at the first current terminal.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fail-open isolator

Life of this patent

Fail-open isolator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18