Co-packaged controlled overcurrent handling

A power switch assembly having an assembly control terminal, a first assembly load terminal, and a second assembly load terminal, comprising:

• a power switch having a control terminal coupled to the assembly control terminal, a first load terminal coupled to the first assembly load terminal, and a second load terminal coupled to the second assembly load terminal;
• and
• overcurrent handling logic coupled between the assembly control terminal and the control terminal and between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal, the overcurrent handling logic including:
• an overcurrent detection circuit coupled between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal and configured to detect an overcurrent condition of a load current of the power switch and to provide an overcurrent detection signal indicative of the overcurrent condition of the load current of the power switch;
• and
• a discharge current generation circuit coupled to the overcurrent detection circuit, the control terminal, and the second load terminal, wherein the discharge current generation circuit is configured to generate a discharge current to at least partially discharge the control terminal responsive to the overcurrent detection signal,
• wherein the overcurrent detection circuit is configured to compensate a temperature coefficient of the overcurrent detection circuit to provide a temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal,
• wherein the overcurrent detection circuit comprises:
• a current measurement resistor coupled between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal, wherein the current measurement resistor has a current measurement temperature coefficient;
• and
• a temperature compensation circuit coupled to the current measurement resistor, wherein the temperature compensation circuit has a compensation temperature coefficient, and
• wherein the compensation temperature coefficient is configured to compensate for the current measurement temperature coefficient,
• wherein the temperature compensation circuit comprises:
• a temperature coefficient compensation circuit having the compensation temperature coefficient;
• and
• a linear region maintenance and conversion circuit coupled to the temperature coefficient compensation circuit and configured to maintain at least a part of the temperature coefficient compensation circuit in a linear operating region.

A power switch assembly having an assembly control terminal, a first assembly load terminal, and a second assembly load terminal, comprising:

• a power switch having a control terminal coupled to the assembly control terminal, a first load terminal coupled to the first assembly load terminal, and a second load terminal coupled to the second assembly load terminal;
• and
• overcurrent handling logic coupled between the assembly control terminal and the control terminal and between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal, the overcurrent handling logic including:
• an overcurrent detection circuit coupled between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal and configured to detect an overcurrent condition of a load current of the power switch and to provide an overcurrent detection signal indicative of the overcurrent condition of the load current of the power switch;
• and
• a discharge current generation circuit coupled to the overcurrent detection circuit, the control terminal, and the second load terminal, wherein the discharge current generation circuit is configured to generate a discharge current to at least partially discharge the control terminal responsive to the overcurrent detection signal,
• wherein the overcurrent detection circuit is configured to compensate a temperature coefficient of the overcurrent detection circuit to provide a temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal,
• wherein the overcurrent detection circuit comprises:
• a current measurement resistor coupled between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal, wherein the current measurement resistor has a current measurement temperature coefficient;
• and
• a temperature compensation circuit coupled to the current measurement resistor, wherein the temperature compensation circuit has a compensation temperature coefficient, and
• wherein the compensation temperature coefficient is configured to compensate for the current measurement temperature coefficient,
• wherein the temperature coefficient compensation circuit includes at least one compensation transistor having the compensation temperature coefficient, and
• wherein the at least one compensation transistor is maintained in a linear operating region.

A method for operating overcurrent handling logic of a power switch assembly having an assembly control terminal, a first assembly load terminal, and a second assembly load terminal, the overcurrent handling logic comprising an overcurrent detection logic and a discharge current generation circuit, the method comprising:

• detecting an overcurrent condition of a load current at a second load terminal of a power switch to provide an overcurrent detection signal indicative of the overcurrent condition of the load current of the power switch;
• and
• at least partially discharging a control terminal of the power switch with the discharge current responsive to the overcurrent detection signal,
• switchably coupling the assembly control terminal to the control terminal, including decoupling the assembly control terminal from the control terminal responsive to the overcurrent detection signal and maintaining the assembly control terminal decoupled from the control terminal until a voltage supplied by a gate driver coupled to the assembly control terminal and the second assembly load terminal falls below a threshold voltage of the power switch.

A power switch assembly having an assembly control terminal, a first assembly load terminal, and a second assembly load terminal, the power switch assembly comprising:

• a power switch having a control terminal coupled to the assembly control terminal, a first load terminal coupled to the first assembly load terminal, and a second load terminal coupled to the second assembly load terminal;
• and
• overcurrent handling logic coupled between the assembly control terminal and the control terminal and between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal, the overcurrent handling logic including:
• an overcurrent detection circuit coupled between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal and configured to detect an overcurrent condition of a load current of the power switch, and compensate, using compensation transistors having respective temperature coefficients, a temperature coefficient of the overcurrent detection circuit to provide a temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal, wherein the compensation of the temperature coefficient using the compensation transistors does not delay the detection of the overcurrent condition;
• and
• a discharge current generation circuit coupled to the overcurrent detection circuit and the control terminal, wherein the discharge current generation circuit is configured to generate a discharge current to discharge the control terminal responsive to the temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal.

A power switch assembly having an assembly control terminal, a first assembly load terminal, and a second assembly load terminal, the power switch assembly comprising:

• a power switch having a control terminal coupled to the assembly control terminal, a first load terminal coupled to the first assembly load terminal, and a second load terminal coupled to the second assembly load terminal;
• and
• overcurrent handling logic coupled between the assembly control terminal and the control terminal and between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal, the overcurrent handling logic including:
• an overcurrent detection circuit coupled between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal and configured to maintain one or more semiconductor devices of the overcurrent detection circuit in a linear operating region during operation of the power switch assembly, detect an overcurrent condition of a load current of the power switch, and compensate a temperature coefficient of the overcurrent detection circuit to provide a temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal;
• and
• a control terminal control circuit coupled to the overcurrent detection circuit and the control terminal, wherein the control terminal control circuit is configured to control the control terminal responsive to the temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal.

A power switch assembly having an assembly control terminal, a first assembly load terminal, and a second assembly load terminal, the power switch assembly comprising:

• a power switch having a control terminal coupled to the assembly control terminal, a first load terminal coupled to the first assembly load terminal, and a second load terminal coupled to the second assembly load terminal;
• and
• overcurrent handling logic coupled between the assembly control terminal and the control terminal and between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal, the overcurrent handling logic including:
• an overcurrent detection circuit coupled between the second load terminal and the second assembly load terminal and configured to maintain one or more semiconductor devices of the overcurrent detection circuit in a linear operating region during operation of the power switch assembly, detect an overcurrent condition of a load current of the power switch, and compensate a temperature coefficient of the overcurrent detection circuit to provide a temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal;
• and
• a discharge current generation circuit coupled to the overcurrent detection circuit, the control terminal, and the second load terminal, wherein the discharge current generation circuit is configured to generate a discharge current to at least partially discharge the control terminal responsive to the temperature-compensated overcurrent detection signal.