Low voltage switching gate driver under a high voltage rail
AssigneeDialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
InventorZakaria Mengad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switching gate driver and method of operating the gate driver is described. The gate driver includes a first voltage source, and a clamping voltage source configured to have a voltage that is less than that of the first voltage source. There is also a current path, for initial charging of a gate voltage of the switching gate, between the first voltage source and a ground source; and a comparator which is configured to clamp the gate voltage to the clamping voltage source as it approaches the voltage of said clamping voltage source.
Claims17
A switching gate driver, comprising:
- a first voltage source;
- a clamping voltage source, configured to have a voltage that is less than that of said first voltage source;
- a current path, for initial charging of a gate voltage of said switching gate, between said first voltage source and a ground source wherein said gate voltage is an input to a comparator and, wherein said current path is used to charge a gate capacitance;
- and
- said comparator which is configured to clamp said gate voltage to said clamping voltage source as it approaches the voltage of said clamping voltage source.
A method for switching a transistor gate, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first voltage source, and a clamping voltage source having a voltage that is less than that of said first voltage source;
- initially charging a gate voltage of said transistor gate, via a current path between said first voltage source and a ground source wherein said gate voltage is an input to a comparator, wherein said initially charging a gate voltage is initiated by a transition of an input signal to close a first switch in said current path;
- and
- clamping, with said comparator, said gate voltage to said clamping voltage source as it approaches the voltage of said clamping voltage source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.