Fault tolerant driver circuit
AssigneeNXP USA, Inc.
InventorsCarl-Hinrich Paul, Hubert Michel Grandry, Markus Hafermalz, Tristan Bosvieux
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One example discloses a driver circuit, including: a high-side element coupled to receive a supply voltage and configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a load; a low-side element coupled to a ground and configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the load; a controller coupled to activate both the high-side element and the low-side element at a same time; and a reverse current blocking element coupled between the voltage supply and the high-side element; wherein the reverse current blocking element is configured to permit current flow from the voltage supply to the high-side element, and to block current flow from the high-side element to the voltage supply.
Claims21
A driver system, comprising:
- a high-side element coupled to receive a supply voltage and configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a load;
- a low-side element coupled to a ground and configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the load;
- a controller coupled to activate both the high-side element and the low-side element at a same time;
- and
- a reverse current blocking element coupled between the voltage supply and the high-side element;
- wherein the reverse current blocking element is configured to permit current flow from the voltage supply to the high-side element, and to block current flow from the high-side element to the voltage supply
- wherein the driver circuit is a first driver circuit, the reverse current blocking element is a first reverse current blocking element, the voltage supply is a first voltage supply, and the high-side element is a first high-side element;
- further comprising a second driver circuit having a second high-side element coupled to receive a second supply voltage and configured to be coupled to the first terminal of the load;
- wherein the second driver circuit includes a second reverse current blocking element configured to permit current flow from the second voltage supply to the second high-side element, and to block current flow from the second high-side element to the second voltage supply;
- wherein when the first driver circuit and second driver circuit are configured to both drive the load at the same time;
- and
- wherein the second reverse current blocking element is configured to block current flow from the first driver circuit to the second voltage supply.
A driver circuit, comprising:
- a high-side element coupled to receive a supply voltage and configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a load;
- a low-side element coupled to a ground and configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the load;
- a controller coupled to activate both the high-side element and the low-side element at a same time;
- and
- a reverse current blocking element coupled between the voltage supply and the high-side element;
- wherein the reverse current blocking element is configured to permit current flow from the voltage supply to the high-side element, and to block current flow from the high-side element to the voltage supply;
- wherein the high-side element is a first MOSFET;
- wherein the reverse current blocking element is a second MOSFET;
- and
- wherein the first and second MOSFETs are coupled in a back-to-back configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.