Drive circuit for a switching element
AssigneeAimtron Technology Corp.
InventorsTien-Tzu CHEN, Chia-Hung TSEN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drive circuit applies a drive voltage through an output terminal to a switching element. The drive circuit includes a supplying circuit, an amplifying circuit, a detecting circuit, and an adjusting circuit. In response to a control signal, the supplying circuit generates a first drive current. The amplifying circuit generates and applies a second drive current, which is larger than the first drive current, to the output terminal for changing the drive voltage. The detecting circuit is coupled to the output terminal for generating a detection signal representative of the drive voltage. Based on the detection signal, the adjusting circuit implemented by a differential comparator dynamically adjusts the first drive current.
Claims20
A drive circuit for applying a drive voltage through an output terminal to a switching element, comprising:
- a supplying circuit for generating a first drive current in response to a control signal;
- an amplifying circuit for generating a second drive current based on the first drive current and applying the second drive current to the output terminal for changing the drive voltage, wherein the second drive current is larger than the first drive current;
- a detecting circuit coupled to the output terminal for generating a detection signal representative of the drive voltage;
- and
- an adjusting circuit implemented by a differential comparator for dynamically adjusting the first drive current based on a comparison of the detection signal and a predetermined threshold voltage,
- wherein the differential comparator comprises:
- a first control terminal receiving the detection signal;
- a second control terminal for receiving the threshold voltage;
- a first current path controlled by the first control terminal;
- a second current path controlled by the second control terminal;
- and
- a current source for distributing a predetermined adjustment current between the first current path and the second current path based on the comparison of the detection signal and the threshold voltage, wherein:
- the first current path is coupled to the supplying circuit for dynamically adjusting the first drive current.
(canceled)
A drive circuit for applying a drive voltage through an output terminal to a switching element, comprising:
- a high-side supplying circuit for generating a first high-side drive current in response to a high-side control signal;
- a high-side amplifying circuit for generating a second high-side drive current based on the first high-side drive current and applying the second high-side drive current to the output terminal for increasing the drive voltage, wherein the second high-side drive current is larger than the first high-side drive current;
- a high-side detecting circuit coupled to the output terminal for generating a high-side detection signal representative of the high-side drive voltage;
- a high-side adjusting circuit implemented by a high-side differential comparator for dynamically adjusting the first high-side drive current based on a comparison of the high-side detection signal and a predetermined high-side threshold voltage;
- a low-side supplying circuit for generating a first low-side drive current in response to a low-side control signal;
- a low-side amplifying circuit for generating a second low-side drive current based on the first low-side drive current and applying the second low-side drive current to the output terminal for decreasing the drive voltage, wherein the second low-side drive current is larger than the first low-side drive current;
- a low-side detecting circuit coupled to the output terminal for generating a low-side detection signal representative of the low-side drive voltage;
- and
- a low-side adjusting circuit implemented by a low-side differential comparator for dynamically adjusting the first low-side drive current based on a comparison of the low-side detection signal and a predetermined low-side threshold voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.