Connect/disconnect module for use with a battery pack

1. A connect/disconnect module for use with a battery pack, said connect/disconnect module comprising:

a charge/discharge current path including a first plurality of transistors having a first safe operating area (SOA);

a pre-charge current path coupled across said charge/discharge current path, said pre-charge current path including a second plurality of transistors having a second SOA, wherein said second SOA is significantly greater than said first SOA; and

a controller comprising

a fault detection circuit configured to detect a fault condition within a power system, the fault detection circuit configured to turn-off first plurality of transistors and the second plurality of transistors upon detection of the fault condition, and

a fault latch configured to keep the first plurality of transistors and the second plurality of transistors off from a time that the fault condition is detected until a reset signal is received.

2. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein said first plurality of transistors has a switching speed at least one thousand times greater than a switching speed of said second plurality of transistors.

3. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein said first plurality of transistors comprise group IV trench field-effect transistors (FETs).

4. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein said first plurality of transistors comprise group IV trench superjunction FETs.

5. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein said first plurality of transistors comprise group III-V high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs).

6. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein said second plurality of transistors comprise group IV planar FETs.

7. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein said second plurality of transistors comprise group IV insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).

8. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit configured to selectably enable and disable said charge/discharge current path.

9. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit configured to disable said charge/discharge current path automatically when a fault is detected by said control circuit.

10. A power system comprising:

a battery pack;

a battery management unit for controlling battery charging and discharging coupled to said battery pack; and

a connect/disconnect module coupled between said battery pack and at least one of a charging source and a load of said battery pack, said connect/disconnect module comprising

a charge/discharge current path including a first plurality of transistors having a first safe operating area (SOA), and a pre-charge current path coupled across said charge/discharge current path, said pre-charge current path including a second plurality of transistors having a second SOA, wherein said second SOA is significantly greater than said first SOA, and

a controller comprising

a fault detection circuit configured to detect a fault condition within the power system, the fault detection circuit configured to turn-off first plurality of transistors and the second plurality of transistors upon detection of the fault condition, and

a fault latch configured to keep the first plurality of transistors and the second plurality of transistors off from a time that the fault condition is detected until a reset signal is received.

11. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said first plurality of transistors of said connect/disconnect module has a switching speed at least one thousand times greater than a switching speed of said second plurality of transistors of said connect/disconnect module.

12. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said first plurality of transistors of said connect/disconnect module comprise group IV trench field-effect transistors (FETs).

13. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said first plurality of transistors of said connect/disconnect module comprise group IV superjunction FETs.

14. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said first plurality of transistors of said connect/disconnect module comprise group III-V high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs).

15. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said second plurality of transistors of said connect/disconnect module comprise group IV planar FETs.

16. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said second plurality of transistors of said connect/disconnect module comprise group IV insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).

17. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said connect/disconnect module further comprises a control circuit configured to selectably enable and disable said charge/discharge current path.

18. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said connect/disconnect module further comprises a control circuit configured to disable said charge/discharge current path automatically when a fault is detected by said control circuit.

19. The power system of claim 10 , wherein said connect/disconnect module is integrated with said battery pack.

20. The power system of claim 10 , further comprising a transient suppression unit coupled to said battery pack and said connect/disconnect module, said transient suppression unit configured to suppress voltage transients in said power system.

21. The power system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to:

receive an enable signal;

activate the pre-charge current path upon receipt to the enable signal by increasing a voltage on control nodes of the second plurality of transistors at a first rate; and

activate the charge/discharge current path after activating the pre-charge current path by increasing a voltage on control nodes of the first plurality of transistors at a second rate faster than the first rate.

22. The power system of claim 10 , wherein:

the first plurality of transistors comprises;

a first transistor having a body diode oriented in a first direction and a first control node coupled to a first control terminal;

a second transistor coupled in series with the first transistors, the second transistor having a body diode oriented in a second direction opposite the first direction and a second control node coupled to the first control terminal; and

a third transistor coupled in series with the first transistor and the second transistor, the second transistor having a body diode oriented in the second direction and a third control node coupled to a second control terminal.

23. The power system of claim 10 , wherein:

said first plurality of transistors comprise trench field-effect transistors (FETs); and

said second plurality of transistors comprise planar FETs.

24. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive an enable signal;

activate the pre-charge current path upon receipt to the enable signal by increasing a voltage on control nodes of the second plurality of transistors at a first rate; and

activate the charge/discharge current path after activating the pre-charge current path by increasing a voltage on control nodes of the first plurality of transistors at a second rate faster than the first rate.

25. A connect/disconnect module for use with a battery pack, said connect/disconnect module comprising:

a charge/discharge current path including a first plurality of transistors having a first safe operating area (SOA); and

a pre-charge current path coupled across said charge/discharge current path, said pre-charge current path including a second plurality of transistors having a second SOA, wherein said second SOA is significantly greater than said first SOA, wherein the first plurality of transistors comprises

a first transistor having a body diode oriented in a first direction and a first control node coupled to a first control terminal,

a second transistor coupled in series with the first transistors, the second transistor having a body diode oriented in a second direction opposite the first direction and a second control node coupled to the first control terminal, and

a third transistor coupled in series with the first transistor and the second transistor, the second transistor having a body diode oriented in the second direction and a third control node coupled to a second control terminal.

26. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein:

the first SOA comprises a first set of voltage and current conditions over which the first plurality of transistors can operate without being damaged; and

the second SOA comprises a second set of voltage and current conditions over which the second plurality of transistors can operate without being damaged.

27. The connect/disconnect module of claim 1 , wherein:

said first plurality of transistors comprise trench field-effect transistors (FETs); and

said second plurality of transistors comprise planar FETs.