摘要 |
A circuit is disclosed which provides overcurrent protection for switching regulator power supplies with soft start and soft turn OFF features. The invention includes first means for sensing the current through the switching transistor of the regulator and second means for providing a voltage signal to the switching transistor deactivation circuitry whenever the current through the switching transistor exceeds a predetermined threshold. In a specific embodiment, the current generator is provided by a transistor biased for nominal operation in its active mode. The means for sensing the current through the switching transistor is provided by a resistor the voltage drop across which provides the input voltage threshold to the bipolar transistor current generator. The current generated by the transistor causes a voltage to quickly develop across an RC network referenced to ground potential. This voltage is then compared to a reference potential by a comparator circuit which provides an electrical signal as an input to the base drive circuit for the switching regulator switching transistor. |