Overcurrent protection based on zero current detection

A circuit, comprising:

• a substrate comprising GaN;
• a first GaN-based switch disposed within the substrate and including a first gate, the first GaN-based switch arranged to be selectively conductive according to a driver signal applied to the first gate;
• a second GaN-based switch disposed within the substrate and comprising a second gate, the second GaN-based switch arranged to generate a current signal indicative of an amount of current flowing through the first GaN-based switch;
• and
• a controller arranged to cause the driver signal to be in either a first state or a second state based on the current signal, wherein in the first state the first and second GaN-based switches are conductive, and wherein in the second state the first and second GaN-based switches are nonconductive.

A method of operating a circuit, the method comprising:

• applying a driver signal to a first gate of a first GaN-based switch to selectively cause the first GaN-based switch to become conductive;
• generating a current signal from a second GaN-based switch, the current signal indicative of an amount of current flowing through the first GaN-based switch;
• and
• causing, by a controller, the driver signal to be in either of a first and a second state based on the current signal, wherein, in the first state the first and second GaN-based switches are conductive, and wherein, in the second state the first and second GaN-based switches are nonconductive.