Adaptive gate driver

A system comprising:

• means for producing, at power-on of the system and during an initial switching cycle of a semiconductor device, a gate driver output, for driving a gate terminal of the semiconductor device at a maximum driving capability of the system;
• means for obtaining an indication of a rise time of the gate driver output during the initial switching cycle by evaluating a voltage level at a capacitor after charging the capacitor with a fixed current source from a start time until an end time at which the gate driver output is at the maximum driving capability of the system;
• means for causing the charging the capacitor with the fixed current source to cease at the end time at which the gate driver output is at the maximum driving capability of the system;
• means for adjusting, prior to a subsequent switching cycle of the semiconductor device and based on the indication of the rise time, a driving capability of the system from a first level that corresponds to the maximum driving capability to a second level;
• and
• means for outputting at the second level of driving capability, the gate driver output during the subsequent switching cycle.

A method comprising:

• by a device driver that comprises a capacitor, a fixed current source and an output stage configured to produce a gate driver output for driving a gate terminal of a semiconductor device of a switched-mode power supply:
• causing, at power-on of the device driver, the output stage to produce the gate driver output at a maximum driving capability of the device driver and during an initial switching cycle of the semiconductor device;
• obtaining an indication of a rise time of the gate driver output during the initial switching cycle of the semiconductor device by evaluating a voltage level at the capacitor after charging the capacitor with the fixed current source from a start time until an end time at which the gate driver output is at the maximum driving capability of the device driver;
• causing the charging the capacitor with the fixed current source to cease at the end time at which the gate driver output is at the maximum driving capability of the device driver;
• prior to a subsequent switching cycle of the semiconductor device, adjusting a driving capability of the device driver from a first level that corresponds to the maximum driving capability to a second level based on the indication of the rise time;
• and
• outputting, by the device driver, at the second level of driving capability, the gate driver output during the subsequent switching cycle.