Back to results
US 2026/0291373 A1Published application
Detecting signals from cascode power devices
AssigneePower Integrations, Inc.
InventorRobert J. Mayell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Detecting signals from cascode power devices is described herein. By sensing a gate signal from the high-voltage device, drain waveform characteristics may be monitored. In this manner a power switch may be controlled to avail enhanced performance in a power converter comprising a cascode power device.
Claims20
A flyback power converter, comprising:
- an energy transfer element electrically coupled to an output of the flyback power converter;
- a cascode power device comprising a first device and a second device coupled in cascode to a switch node, the switch node configured to provide a switch node voltage according to a switching cycle;
- a current sense element coupled to a gate of the second device and configured to provide a sense signal in response to a signal at the gate of the second device;
- a switch driver configured to provide a gate drive signal to a gate of the first device in response to a drive signal;
- and
- a signal detection circuit configured to provide a first state signal in response to the sense signal, wherein the switch driver is configured to selectively provide the gate drive signal to the gate of the first device in response to the first state signal and the drive signal.
3 more elements
A method of operating a flyback power converter, the method comprising:
- providing a switch node voltage at a switch node coupled to an energy transfer element;
- sensing a signal at a gate of a second device of a cascode power device, wherein the cascode power device comprises a first device and the second device coupled in cascode as a primary switch of the flyback power converter;
- providing a sense signal, with a current sense element, in response to the signal at the gate of the second device;
- providing a first state signal, via a signal detection circuit, in response to the sense signal;
- and
- selectively providing a gate drive signal to a gate of the first device in response to the first state signal.
3 more elements
A flyback power converter, comprising:
- means for providing a switch node voltage at a switch node coupled to an energy transfer element;
- means for sensing a signal at a gate of a second device of a cascode power device, wherein the cascode power device comprises a first device and the second device coupled in cascode as a primary switch of the flyback power converter;
- means for providing a sense signal, with a current sense element, in response to the signal at the gate of the second device;
- means for providing a first state signal, via a signal detection circuit, in response to the sense signal;
- and
- means for selectively providing a gate drive signal to a gate of the first device in response to the first state signal.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.