Semiconductor switch fault detection
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsChingchi Chen, Venkateswara Anand Sankaran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for detecting various fault conditions in semiconductor devices. A variable voltage reference is compared to the voltage output of the device during device turn-on to detect circuit fault conditions. The fault condition is then communicated to a controller.
Claims12
A method for detecting fault conditions in a semiconductor device with its voltage drop signal that produces a voltage signal during device turn-on, the method comprising the steps of:
- creating a variable reference voltage at device turn-on;
- exponentially decaying the reference voltage over time down to a final reference value;
- comparing a voltage from the device to the variable reference voltage;
- and
- generating a fault condition for the device if the variable reference voltage drops below the device voltage.
A method for detecting fault conditions in a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
- creating a variable reference voltage at device turn-on;
- exponentially decaying the reference voltage over time down to a final reference value;
- comparing a voltage from the device to the variable reference voltage;
- and
- generating a fault condition for the device if the variable reference voltage drops below the device voltage before a predetermined time has passed.
A system for detecting fault conditions in a semiconductor device having a gate signal and voltage source and being in communication with a controller, the system comprising:
- a variable voltage reference generator;
- a means for comparing a voltage from the device to the variable reference voltage;
- a time delay means for time delaying the gate signal;
- an AND gate for receiving a signal from the means for comparing and the time delay means;
- and
- a controller for receiving the output from the AND gate and reporting a fault condition based upon the output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.