Voltage transient protection circuitry
View Patent ↗Disclosed are advances in the arts with novel and useful voltage transient protection circuitry in configurations which include a bridge circuit in combination with one or more voltage reference, load to ground circuit, and/or snub circuit such that the output node is held at a selected voltage level, preferably mid-rail, and potentially damaging transient voltages are avoided.
1. A voltage transient protection circuit in a configuration comprising:
a bridge circuit having a high-side device operably coupled to a power supply and a gate drive, the bridge circuit also having and a low-side device operably coupled to ground and a gate drive;
the bridge circuit also having an output node;
a voltage reference circuit operably coupled by a switch to the gate of the high-side device; and
a load to ground circuit operably coupled to the output node;
whereby the high-side device may be operated under selected voltage conditions and deactivated in the event of a selected high voltage condition, such that the output node is held at a selected voltage level.
2. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the output node is held at a mid-rail voltage level.
3. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a half-H bridge circuit.
4. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a full H-bridge circuit.
5. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a diode.
6. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a zener diode.
7. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises an amplifier.
8. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a resistor divider circuit electrically connected between power supply and ground.
9. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the load to ground circuit further comprises a resistor.
10. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the load to ground circuit further comprises a current source.
11. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the load to ground circuit further comprises the low-side device in an “on” state.
12. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the load to ground circuit further comprises an external load.
13. A voltage transient protection circuit in a configuration comprising:
a bridge circuit having a high-side device operably coupled to a power supply and a first gate drive, the bridge circuit also having and a low-side device operably coupled to ground and a second gate drive;
the bridge circuit also having an output node; and
a voltage reference circuit operably coupled by a switch to the output node;
whereby the voltage reference circuit is configured to be operated under selected voltage conditions and deactivated in the event of a selected high voltage condition, such that the output node is held at a selected voltage level.
14. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 13 wherein the output node is held at a mid-rail voltage level.
15. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 13 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a half-H bridge circuit.
16. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 13 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a full H-bridge circuit.
17. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 3 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a diode.
18. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 13 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a zener diode.
19. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 13 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises an amplifier.
20. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 13 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a resistor divider circuit electrically connected between power supply and ground.
21. A voltage transient protection circuit in a configuration comprising:
a bridge circuit having a high-side device operably coupled to a power supply and a first gate drive, the bridge circuit also having and a low-side device operably coupled to ground and a second gate drive;
the bridge circuit also having an output node;
a voltage reference circuit operably coupled by a switch to a gate of the high-side device, whereby the high-side device is configured to be operated under first selected voltage conditions and deactivated in the event of a selected high voltage condition; and
a low-side snub circuit operably coupled between a gate of the low-side device and the output node, whereby the low-side device is configured to be operated under second selected voltage conditions and deactivated in the event of a selected low voltage condition;
wherein a deadband voltage region is provided such that neither the high-side device nor the low-side device operates.
22. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 21 wherein the deadband region approximately encompasses a mid-rail voltage level.
23. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 21 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a half-H bridge circuit.
24. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 21 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a full H-bridge circuit.
25. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 21 wherein the low-side snub circuit further comprises a diode.