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 voltage reference circuit operably coupled by a switch to a gate of a high-side device; and
a load to ground circuit operably coupled to an output node;
wherein the high-side device is configured to be operated under selected voltage conditions and deactivated in response to a selected high voltage condition, to hold the output node 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 voltage reference circuit further comprises a diode.
4. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a zener diode.
5. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises an amplifier.
6. 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.
7. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the load to ground circuit further comprises a resistor.
8. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the load to ground circuit further comprises a current source.
9. 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.
10. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 1 wherein the load to ground circuit further comprises an external load.
11. A voltage transient protection circuit in a configuration comprising:
a bridge circuit having an output node;
a voltage reference circuit operably coupled by a switch to the output node; and
wherein the voltage reference circuit is configured to operate under selected voltage conditions and to be deactivated in response to a selected high voltage condition, such that the output node is held at a selected voltage level.
12. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 11 wherein the output node is held at a mid-rail voltage level.
13. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 11 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a half-H bridge circuit.
14. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 11 wherein the bridge circuit further comprises a full H-bridge circuit.
15. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 11 wherein the voltage reference circuit further comprises a diode.
16. A voltage transient protection circuit in a configuration comprising:
a voltage reference circuit operably coupled by a switch to a gate of a high-side device, whereby the high-side device is configured to be deactivated in response to a selected high voltage condition;
a low-side snub circuit operably coupled between a gate of a low-side device and an output node, whereby the low-side device is configured to be deactivated in response to a selected low voltage condition; and
wherein a deadband voltage region is provided by the configuration of the high side device and the low side device where neither the high-side device nor the low-side device operates.
17. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 16 wherein the deadband region approximately encompasses a mid-rail voltage level.
18. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 16 wherein the high-side device and the low-side device further comprise a half-H bridge circuit.
19. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 16 wherein the high-side device and the low-side device further comprise further comprise a full H-bridge circuit.
20. A voltage transient protection circuit according to claim 16 wherein the low-side snub circuit further comprises a diode.