Drive circuit for insulated gate switching element

• Main Author: TAKAGIWA KAZUMI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.01.2016
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION OF NOISE BY SUCH CIRCUITS; GENERATION OF OSCILLATIONS, DIRECTLY OR BY FREQUENCY-CHANGING,BY CIRCUITS EMPLOYING ACTIVE ELEMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN ANON-SWITCHING MANNER; PULSE TECHNIQUE

Embodiments of the invention provide a drive circuit including: a constant current source that generates a constant current; a switching circuit that connects a gate of the insulated gate switching element to a power supply potential side via the constant current source when turning the insulated gate switching element ON and connects the gate of the insulated gate switching element to a reference potential side via a discharge circuit when turning the insulated gate switching element OFF; a gate voltage detection circuit that detects a gate voltage of the insulated gate switching element; and a current mode selection circuit that switches a mode of the constant current source from a normal current mode to a low current consumption mode when detecting, based on the gate voltage detected by the gate voltage detection circuit, that the insulated gate switching element is turned ON.