Transistor bridge failure test
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsAlexander Heinz, Matthias Bogus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A driver circuit arrangement for driving a transistor bridge, which includes at least a first half-bridge composed of a low-side transistor and a high-side transistor, is described herein. In accordance with one example of the description, the circuit includes a current source and a detection circuit. The current source is operably coupled to the high-side transistor of the first half-bridge and configured to supply a test current to the first half bridge. The detection circuit is configured to compare a voltage sense signal, which represents the voltage across the high-side transistor of the first half-bridge, with at least one first threshold to detect, dependent on the result of this comparison, whether a short-circuit is present in the first half-bridge.
Claims20
A method for testing a transistor bridge, which includes at least a first half-bridge including a low-side transistor and a high-side transistor, the method comprising:
- supplying a test current to an output node of the first half-bridge;
- activating a first switch of the first half-bridge;
- and
- verifying that the first switch has been actually activated by comparing a voltage sense signal, which represents a voltage across the high-side transistor of the first half-bridge, with at least one first threshold.
A circuit arrangement for testing a transistor bridge, which includes at least a first half-bridge including a low-side transistor and a high-side transistor, the circuit arrangement comprising:
- a current source that is operably coupled to the high-side transistor of the first half-bridge and configured to supply a test current to an output node of the first half-bridge;
- a driver circuit configured to activate a first switch of the first half-bridge;
- and
- a detection circuit configured to:
- compare a voltage sense signal, which represents a voltage across the high-side transistor of the first half-bridge, with at least one first threshold;
- and
- verify that the first switch has been actually activated based on comparing the voltage sense signal with the at least one first threshold.
A method for testing a transistor bridge, which includes at least a first half-bridge and a second half-bridge, each half-bridge including a low-side transistor and a high-side transistor, the method comprising:
- supplying a test current to an output node of the first half-bridge;
- activating a first switch of the second half-bridge;
- and
- verifying that a load is properly connected between the output node of the first half-bridge and an output node of the second half-bridge by comparing a voltage sense signal, which represents a voltage across the high-side transistor of the first half-bridge, with at least one first threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.