Volatile memory schema for safe state configuration
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsKlaus Hoermaier, Martin Ringswirth, Gernot Unterweger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure is directed to circuits and techniques for configuring a driver circuit for a power switch when entering a fail-safe state. The driver circuit includes a volatile memory connected to a plurality of independent power supplies, the volatile memory configured to store a fail-safe configuration for the driver circuit. The driver circuit includes driver logic connected to the volatile memory that is configured to determine to enter a fail-safe state and, in response to determining to enter the fail-safe state, configure the driver circuit or a power switch according to the fail-safe configuration stored in the volatile memory.
Claims18
A driver circuit comprising:
- a volatile memory connected to a plurality of independent power supplies, the volatile memory configured to store a fail-safe configuration for the driver circuit;
- and
- driver logic connected to the volatile memory, the driver logic configured to:
- in response to startup of the driver circuit, receive, from a host controller, a digital write communication that specifies the fail-safe configuration;
- write the fail-safe configuration into the volatile memory;
- responsive to writing the fail-safe configuration into the volatile memory, lock the volatile memory;
- determine to enter a fail-safe state;
- and
- in response to determining to enter the fail-safe state, configure the driver circuit or a power switch according to the fail-safe configuration stored in the volatile memory.
A method comprising:
- in response to startup of a driver circuit, receiving, by the driver circuit and from a host controller, a digital write communication that specifies a fail-safe configuration;
- writing, by the driver circuit, the fail-safe configuration into volatile memory of the driver circuit, the volatile memory connected to a plurality of independent power supplies;
- and
- responsive to writing the fail-safe configuration into the volatile memory, locking, by the driver circuit, the volatile memory;
- storing, in the volatile memory of a driver circuit, the fail-safe configuration for the driver circuit;
- determining, by the driver circuit, to enter a fail-safe state;
- and
- in response to determining to enter the fail-safe state, configuring, by the driver circuit, the driver circuit or a power switch according to the fail-safe configuration stored in the volatile memory.
A system, comprising:
- an actuator;
- a power switch configured to control power supplied to the actuator;
- a driver circuit configured to control the power switch;
- a host controller configured to control the driver circuit;
- and
- a supervision device configured to:
- detect a failure in the host controller;
- and
- in response to detecting the failure in the host controller, send, to the driver circuit, a request to enter a fail-safe state;
- wherein the driver circuit comprises:
- a volatile memory connected to a plurality of independent power supplies, the volatile memory configured to store a fail-safe configuration for the driver circuit;
- and
- driver logic connected to the volatile memory, the driver logic configured to:
- in response to startup of the driver circuit, receive, from the host controller, a digital write communication that specifies the fail-safe configuration;
- write the fail-safe configuration into the volatile memory;
- responsive to writing the fail-safe configuration into the volatile memory, lock the volatile memory;
- receive the request to enter a fail-safe state;
- and
- in response to receiving the request to enter the fail-safe state, configure the driver circuit or the power switch according to the fail-safe configuration stored in the volatile memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.