System and method for overvoltage protection of an integrated circuit
OwnerKevin W. Ziemer, Fredrick W. Trafton +2inventors
InventorsKevin W. Ziemer, Fredrick W. Trafton, Alaa-Eldin Y. El-Sherif, Mehedi Hassan
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Abstract
A protection system for an integrated circuit is disclosed. A detection system detects an overvoltage condition and provides an overvoltage condition signal to indicate a condition in which overvoltage protection may be desired. In response to the overvoltage condition signal, one or more variable resistance devices in the system, such as power devices of associated driver circuitry, are controlled to limit the voltage across such devices.
Claims30
An overvoltage protection system, comprising:
- a detector that detects a voltage level at an input and provides a mode signal based on the detected voltage level;
- and
- an output stage having first and second active components electrically coupled in series between the input and a second voltage level that is lower than the input, the first and second components being controlled to limit the voltage across at least one of the first and second components based on the mode signal indicating an overvoltage condition, so that the first and second components can tolerate an increased voltage level at the input.
An overvoltage protection system, comprising:
- a mode selector operative to detect a condition requiring overvoltage protection and to provide a mode signal indicative thereof;
- a control system operative to provide first and second control signals based on the mode signal;
- a first active variable resistance device coupled between an input supply voltage and a node, the control system providing the first control signal to cause the first active variable resistance device to provide a low resistance during an overvoltage condition based on a voltage potential across the active variable resistance device relative to a first threshold level;
- and
- a second active variable resistance device coupled in series with the first active variable resistance between the node and a second terminal at a voltage level that is less than that supplied by the input supply voltage, the control system providing the second control signal to cause the second active variable resistance device to provide a low resistance during an overvoltage condition based on a voltage potential across the second active variable resistance device relative to a second threshold level.
An integrated circuit to control at least one motor, comprising:
- an input terminal that receives an input supply voltage;
- a detection system operative to detect an overvoltage condition at the input terminal and provide an overvoltage condition signal indicative thereof;
- a driver having at least one pair of high-side and low-side power devices electrically coupled in series between the input terminal and ground potential, an intermediate node between the at least one pair of power devices and operative to provide power to an associated phase of a motor;
- and
- an overvoltage control system connected to each of the high-side and low-side power devices to control each of the high-side and low-side power devices in a mode tolerant to an overvoltage condition based on the overvoltage condition signal and a voltage potential across the respective high-side and low-side power devices.
An integrated circuit that includes an overvoltage protection system comprising:
- means for detecting an overvoltage condition and providing a signal indicative of the detected overvoltage condition;
- means for at least one of sourcing and sinking current relative to a node comprising:
- means for varying resistance between an input terminal and a node;
- and
- means for varying resistance between the node and a ground potential;
- means for controlling at least one of the means for varying resistance in response to overvoltage condition signal and based on a voltage potential across at least one of the means for varying resistance.
A method to protect an integrated circuit that includes an input terminal that receives an input supply voltage and that includes at least one pair of active components connected in series between the supply voltage and a lower voltage level, at least one pair of active components being operative to at least one of source or sink electrical current relative to a node interconnecting the first and second active components, the method comprising:
- detecting a condition in which overvoltage protection is desired;
- in response to detecting the condition, operating at least one of the first and second active devices in a mode that limits a voltage potential across at least one of the first and second active devices so as to be more tolerant to the detected overvoltage condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.