Switched reference mosfet drive assist circuit
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsMICHAEL G. AMARO, JOSEPH MAURICE KHAYAT, PRADEEP S. SHENOY
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power converter includes at least a first phase including a high-side MOSFET transistor (HSA) and a low-side (LS) MOSFET transistor (LSA) driving a first output inductor. The first phase further includes an active gate drive assist circuit including first MOSFET switch (first switch) and second MOSFET switch (second switch) positioned in series between a source of HSA and a drain of LSA. A capacitor (CS) is between the source of HSA and drain of LSA. A bootstrap capacitor (CA) having a reference terminal is connected to a node between the first switch and the second switch.
Claims17
A power converter, comprising:
- at least a first phase including a high-side (HS) MOSFET transistor (HSA) and a low-side (LS) MOSFET transistor (LSA) driving a first output inductor;
- wherein said first phase further comprises:
- a gate drive assist circuit including first MOSFET switch (first switch) and second MOSFET switch (second switch) positioned in series between a source of said HSA and a drain of said LSA;
- at least one capacitor (CS) between said source of said HSA and said drain of said LSA, and
- a bootstrap capacitor (CA) having a reference terminal connected to a node between said first switch and said second switch.
A method of operating a power converter, comprising:
- providing said power converter at least a first phase including a high-side (HS) MOSFET transistor (HSA) and a low-side (LS) MOSFET transistor (LSA) driving a first output inductor, wherein said first phase further comprises a gate drive assist circuit including first MOSFET switch (first switch) and second MOSFET switch (second switch) switch positioned in series between a source of said HSA and a drain of said LSA, at least one capacitor (CS) between said source of said HSA and said drain of said LSA, and a bootstrap capacitor (CA) having a reference terminal connected to a node between said first switch and said second switch;
- biasing a HS terminal of said CA to a fixed potential, and
- actively controlling a potential on a reference terminal of said CA as a function of an ON-state of said HSA and an ON-state of said LSA.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.