Driver for a power field-effect transistor with a programmable drive voltage, and related systems and methods

• Main Authors: Foresta, Maurizio, Iorio, Alberto
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.03.2019
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION; PULSE TECHNIQUE

A driver includes a high-side driver transistor coupled between supply voltage and the gate drive nodes and provides a first charge current to a high side gate node of the high-side driver transistor until the gate drive node reaches a first gate drive threshold. Then a second charge current is provided to the high side gate node that is less than the first charge current. The gate drive node is limited to a first clamped threshold for a delay time. A gate drive current rise signal sets the value of the second charge current that charges the high side gate node and after the delay time the gate drive voltage is limited to a second clamped threshold greater than the first clamped threshold but less than the supply voltage. A gate drive programmable control signal sets the value of the second clamped threshold.