Protective circuitry for semiconductor switches
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorManfred Bete
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Abstract
A circuit for protecting a semiconductor switch which connects an inductive load to a voltage supply. The switch is shunted by the series combination of a diode and a capacitor. The capacitor is connected to the input terminals of flyback converter, the converter having a control input terminal for receiving a control signal which also controls the conduction state of the semiconductor switch. The electrical energy which is provided at output terminals of the protective circuit may be advantageously returned to the voltage supply so as to reduce to a minimum the electrical energy dissipated in the protective circuit, or, alternatively, such energy may be available for any desired use, illustratively, as an auxiliary power supply.
Claims2
A circuit arrangement for protecting a switch which connects an inductive load to a voltage supply, the switch being responsive to a control signal and shunted by a diode and a capacitor, the circuit arrangement further comprising flyback converter means having input terminals connected to the capacitor, and a control input terminal for receiving the control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.