Gate driver with short circuit protection

摘要

A gate-driver device for operating a field-effect-transistor (FET) includes a pull-down-block and a pull-up-block resistant to or protected from short circuits of the gate drive signal output by the device. The pull-down-block is operable to drive a gate of a FET to a low-voltage. The pull-up-block includes a resistive-pull-up operable to an ON-state and an OFF-state to switchably couple the gate to the high-voltage via an upper-resistive-element, and a current-pull-up arranged in parallel with the resistive-pull-up. The current-pull-up is operable to an ON-state and an OFF-state to control a current-source applied to the gate. When the pull-up-block drives the gate to the high-voltage, the resistive-pull-up and the current-pull-up operates from the OFF-state to the ON-state. A turn-on-interval after the resistive-pull-up operates from the OFF-state to the ON-state the resistive-pull-up operates to the OFF-state while the current-pull-up is maintained in the ON-state. Optionally, the pull-down-block may be similarly configured.

主权项

1. A gate-driver device for operating a field-effect-transistor (FET), said device comprising:
a pull-down-block operable to drive the gate of a FET to a low-voltage that is effective to operate the FET to a first-state; and a pull-up-block operable to drive the gate of the FET to a high-voltage that is effective to operate the FET to a second-state different from the first-state, wherein the pull-up-block includes a resistive-pull-up operable to an ON-state and an OFF-state to switchably couple the gate to the high-voltage via an upper-resistive-element, and a current-pull-up arranged in parallel with the resistive-pull-up, wherein the current-pull-up is operable to an ON-state and an OFF-state to control a current-source applied to the gate, wherein when the pull-up-block drives the gate to the high-voltage, the resistive-pull-up operates from the OFF-state to the ON-state, the current-pull-up operates from the OFF-state to the ON-state, and then, a turn-on-interval after the resistive-pull-up was operated from the OFF-state to the ON-state, the resistive-pull-up operates to the OFF-state while the current-pull-up is maintained in the ON-state.