Method and system to enhance reliability of switch array
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsWilliam James Premerlani, Marco Francesco Aimi, Bo Li, Kanakasabapathi Subramanian
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Abstract
A method to reduce an inductive voltage surge across a switch array is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of, (a) directing at least a portion of an electric current away from at least a portion of said switch array; and (b) independently opening different portions of the switch array. A system to reduce an inductive voltage surge across an electrical device comprising a current bypass circuit is also disclosed.
Claims18
A method to reduce an inductive voltage surge across a load switch array comprising a plurality of MEMS switches, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) using control circuitry to direct at least a portion of an electric current away from at least a portion of said load switch array;
- and
- (b) independently opening different portions of the load switch array, wherein at least a portion of the MEMS switches in the load switch array are switched across a non-zero voltage differential such that a distribution of opening times for the different portions is non-linear.
A system to reduce an inductive voltage surge across a load switch array comprising a plurality of MEMS switches, the system comprising:
- a current bypass circuit;
- and
- a control system comprising:
- a signal generator;
- wherein, the control system is capable of independently toggling any one or more individual MEMS switches of the load switch array between an open state and a closed state and across a non-zero voltage differential in response to a control signal generated by the signal generator, such that the plurality of MEMS switches are switched according to at least two different rates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.