Soft switching sub-circuit

A soft switching sub-circuit forming part of or for use with a circuit comprising a bridge switching circuit, the soft switching sub-circuit being configured and operable to provide a varying current output that tracks output current from the bridge switching circuit to create a substantially zero current through at least one bridge switch component of the bridge switching circuit to enable soft switching,

• wherein the soft switching sub-circuit comprises an inductive component and at least one switch component,
• wherein the inductive component has a first end connected to the at least one switch component of the soft switching sub-circuit and a second end for connection to a node between two bridge switch components of the bridge switching circuit, and
• wherein the varying current output is provided by operation of the inductive component by:
• when the output current from the bridge switching circuit overtakes the varying current output of the soft switching sub-circuit, a voltage difference applied across the inductive component is increased such that the varying current output of the soft switching sub-circuit overtakes the output current from the bridge switching circuit, and
• when the varying current output of the soft switching sub-circuit overtakes the output current from the bridge switching circuit, the voltage difference applied across the inductive component is decreased such that the output current from the bridge switching circuit overtakes the varying current output of the soft switching sub-circuit.

A soft switching sub-circuit forming part of or for use with a circuit comprising a bridge switching circuit, the soft switching sub-circuit being configured and operable to provide a varying current output that tracks output current from the bridge switching circuit to create a substantially zero current through at least one bridge switch component of the bridge switching circuit to enable soft switching,

• wherein the soft switching sub-circuit comprises an inductive component and at least one switch component,
• wherein the inductive component has a first end connected to the at least one switch component of the soft switching sub-circuit and a second end for connection to a node between two bridge switch components of the bridge switching circuit,
• wherein the varying current output comprises:
• an accelerating current output when a first absolute value of the varying current output is less than a second absolute value of the output current from the bridge switching circuit, and
• a decelerating current output when the first absolute value of the varying current output is greater than the second absolute value of the output current from the bridge switching circuit,
• wherein the accelerating current output is produced by an increased voltage applied across the inductive component, and the decelerating current output is produced by a decreased voltage applied across the inductive component.