Methods and apparatus for controlling switch gate logic in a power converter

A method of controlling bidirectional switch Gate drive logic (e.g., safe+ mode switching) comprising:

• determining whether a bidirectional switch is in a first mode of operation based on when an AC mains voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage or in a second mode of operation when the AC mains voltage is less than the predetermined voltage;
• controlling a first Gate of a first pair of Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors of the bidirectional switch to be always on and controlling a second Gate of the first pair Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors to be either on or off in the first mode of operation;
• controlling a first Gate of a second pair of Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors of the bidirectional switch to be always on and controlling a second Gate of the second pair of Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors to be either on or off in the first mode of operation;
• and
• controlling the first Gate and the second Gate of the first pair of Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors and the first Gate and the second Gate of the second pair Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors to be either on or off in the second mode of operation, such that during zero voltage switching (zvs) commutations the first Gate of the first pair of Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors is on, the second Gate of the first pair of Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors is off, and the first Gate and the second Gate of the second pair of Gallium-Nitride (Gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors are off.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor perform a method of controlling bidirectional switch Gate drive logic (e.g., Safe+ Mode switching) comprising:

• determining whether a bidirectional switch is in a first mode of operation based on when an AC mains voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage or in a second mode of operation when the AC mains voltage is less than the predetermined voltage;
• controlling a first Gate of a first pair of Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors of the bidirectional switch to be always on and controlling a second Gate of the first pair Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors to be either on or off in the first mode of operation;
• controlling a first Gate of a second pair of Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors of the bidirectional switch to be always on and controlling a second Gate of the second pair of Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors to be either on or off in the first mode of operation;
• and
• controlling the first Gate and the second Gate of the first pair of Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors and the first Gate and the second Gate of the second pair Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors to be either on or off in the second mode of operation, such that during zero voltage switching (ZVS) commutations the first Gate of the first pair of Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors is on, the second Gate of the first pair of Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors is off, and the first Gate and the second Gate of the second pair of Gallium-Nitride (GaN) High Electron Mobility Transistors are off.