Methods and apparatus to improve performance of power path protection devices
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsYogesh Kumar Ramadass, Ujwal Radhakrishna, Jeffrey Morroni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one example, an apparatus comprises: a first switch and a second switch coupled between a fuse terminal and a ground terminal, the first switch having a first switch control terminal, the second switch having a second switch control terminal; and a driver circuit having a control input, a first control output, and a second control output, the control input coupled to the fuse terminal, the first control output coupled to the first switch control terminal, and the second control output coupled to the second switch control terminal.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a first switch and a second switch coupled between a fuse terminal and a reference terminal, the first switch having a first switch control terminal, the second switch having a second switch control terminal;
- a first diode coupled across the first switch, the first diode having a first anode and a first cathode, the first anode coupled to the fuse terminal;
- a second diode coupled across the second switch, the second diode having a second anode and a second cathode, the second cathode coupled to the first cathode, and the second anode coupled to the reference terminal;
- and
- a driver circuit having a control input, a first control output, and a second control output, the control input coupled to the fuse terminal, the first control output coupled to the first switch control terminal, and the second control output coupled to the second switch control terminal.
A method comprising:
- receiving a voltage at a fuse terminal;
- responsive to the voltage being below a negative voltage threshold, injecting a first current to the fuse terminal from a reference terminal via a diode;
- and
- responsive to the voltage being above a positive voltage threshold, sinking a second current from the fuse terminal to the reference terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.