Voltage sensing with high and low side signals for deadtime compensation and shutdown for short circuit protection

An integrated circuit that includes a voltage feedback circuit for low side and high side power devices arranged in a half-bridge configuration for providing an output power signal, the output power signal depending on voltages across the low and high side power devices, the voltage feedback circuit comprising:

• sensing circuitry that senses voltage changes across the low and high side power devices;
• the sensing circuitry providing low and high side sense signals, the low side sense signal indicating when voltage changes across the low side power device and the high side sense signal indicating when voltage changes across the high side power device;
• wherein the sensing circuitry includes:
• low side sensing circuitry for providing the low side sense signal;
• and
• high side sensing circuitry for providing the high side sense signal;
• the low and high side sensing circuitry including low and high side sense input pins, respectively, for receiving sense input signals from the low and high side power devices, respectively, each sense input signal including information about voltage across the respective power device;
• wherein each of the power devices has a respective power supply lead and a respective ground lead, the sense input signal for each power device indicating voltage at the respective power supply lead,
• each of the low and high side sensing circuitry including a respective comparator with first and second inputs, the first input for receiving the respective sense input signal and the second input for receiving a reference voltage relative to the respective round lead, the comparator providing a result signal indicating whether the sense input signal is greater than the reference voltage, the result signal including a transition between low and high values when voltage changes across the respective power device.

A power control circuit that includes a voltage feedback circuit for low side and high side power devices arranged in a half-bridge configuration for providing an output power signal, the output power signal depending on voltages across the low and high side power devices, the voltage feedback circuit comprising:

• sensing circuitry that senses voltage changes across the low and high side power devices;
• the sensing circuitry providing low and high side sense signals, the low side sense signal indicating when voltage changes across the low side power device and the high side sense signal indicating when voltage changes across the high side power device;
• each of the low and high side power devices having a respective gate lead for receiving signals to turn the device on and off, each of the low and high side sense signals indicating whether voltage across the respective power device is greater than a reference voltage;
• the power control circuit further including:
• low and high side driving circuitry for the low and high side power devices, respectively, each of the low and high side driving circuitry being connected to provide a respective output drive signal to the respective power device gate lead;
• and
• low and high side shutdown circuitry, each causing the respective low or high side driver to turn off the respective power device if the power device is turned on when the respective low or high side sense signal indicates that voltage across the respective power device is greater than the reference voltage.

A voltage feedback circuit for low side and high side power devices arranged in a half-bridge configuration for providing an output power signal, the output power signal depending on voltages across the low and high side power devices, the voltage feedback circuit comprising:

• sensing circuitry that senses voltage changes across the low and high side power devices;
• the sensing circuitry providing low and high side sense signals, the low side sense signal indicating when voltage changes across the low side power device and the high side sense signal indicating when voltage changes across the high side power device;
• and
• feedback signal circuitry for receiving the low and high side sense signals and, in response, providing first and second feedback signals obtained respectively from the low and high side sense signals, the feedback signal circuitry including level shilling circuitry that shills at least one of the high and low side sense signals to obtain the first and second feedback signals in approximately the same voltage range.

A power control circuit for controlling a power device that provides an output power signal, the output power signal depending on voltage across the power device, the power device having a gate lead for receiving signals to turn the power device on and off, the power control circuit comprising:

• driving circuitry that provides output drive signals to the power device's gate lead;
• sensing circuitry for providing a sense result signal indicating whether voltage across the power device is greater than a reference voltage;
• feedback signal circuitry for receiving the sense result signal and, in response, providing a voltage feedback signal indicating when voltage changes across the power device;
• and
• shutdown circuitry for receiving the sense result signal and causing the driving circuitry to turn off the power device if the power device is turned on when the sense result signal indicates that voltage across the power device is greater than the reference voltage.

A power control circuit for low and high side power devices that provide an output power signal, the output power signal depending on voltages across the low and high side power devices, each of the power devices having a respective gate lead for receiving signals to turn the power device on and off, the power control circuit comprising:

• driving circuitry for providing low and high side output drive signals for the gate leads of the low and high side power devices, respectively;
• sensing circuitry for sensing voltage changes across the low and high side power devices, the sensing circuitry providing low and high side sense signals indicating respectively whether voltage across the low or high side power device is greater than a respective reference voltage;
• feedback signal circuitry for receiving the low and high side sense signals and, in response, providing voltage feedback signals indicating when voltages change across the low and high side power devices;
• and
• shutdown circuitry for receiving the low and high side sense signals and causing the driving circuitry to turn off the low or high side power device if the power device is turned on when the respective sense result signal indicates that voltage across the power device is greater than the respective reference voltage.