Circuit for discharging a capacitor using power transistors operating in non-linear mode

A method comprising:

• controlling, by a controller, a first power transistor comprising a first gate terminal to perform a sequence of first switching cycles by applying, for each switching cycle of the sequence of first switching cycles, a first gate voltage to the first gate terminal, the first gate voltage exceeding a threshold gate voltage so that the first power transistor operates according to a non-linear transfer function;
• and
• controlling, by the controller, a second power transistor comprising a second gate terminal to perform a sequence of second switching cycles by applying, for each switching cycle of the sequence of second switching cycles, a second gate voltage to the second gate terminal, the second gate voltage exceeding the threshold gate voltage so that the second power transistor operates according to the non-linear transfer function, wherein the second power transistor is connected in series with the first power transistor, and wherein a capacitor, the first power transistor, and the second power transistor are located on a discharge current pathway;
• and
• by controlling the first power transistor to perform the sequence of first switching cycles and controlling the second power transistor to perform the sequence of second switching cycles, causing the capacitor to discharge according to a sequence of discharge phases via the discharge current pathway.

A system comprising:

• a capacitor;
• a first power transistor comprising a first gate terminal;
• and
• a second power transistor comprising a second gate terminal, the second power transistor connected in series with the first power transistor, wherein the capacitor, the first power transistor, and the second power transistor are located on a discharge current pathway;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• control the first power transistor to perform a sequence of first switching cycles by applying, for each switching cycle of the sequence of first switching cycles, a first gate voltage to the first gate terminal, the first gate voltage exceeding a threshold gate voltage so that the first power transistor operates according to a non-linear transfer function;
• control the second power transistor to perform a sequence of second switching cycles by applying, for each switching cycle of the sequence of second switching cycles, a second gate voltage to the second gate terminal, the second gate voltage exceeding the threshold gate voltage so that the second power transistor operates according to the non-linear transfer function;
• and
• by controlling the first power transistor to perform the sequence of first switching cycles and controlling the second power transistor to perform the sequence of second switching cycles, cause the capacitor to discharge according to a sequence of discharge phases via the discharge current pathway.