Miller transition control gate drive circuit
View Patent ↗Aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward designs and methods of improving driving of switching devices. One proposed solution to improving driving of switching devices is an auxiliary control circuit that selectively guides the switching device through at least one switching region, permitting an improved operation of the switching device.
1. A circuit, comprising:
a first switching device coupled to a load;
a first voltage source configured to generate an electrical signal at a voltage level at least equal to a threshold voltage of the first switching device;
a second switching device between the first switching device and the first voltage source, wherein the second switching device is configured to provide a shaped current to the first switching device in response to a control signal, wherein the shaped current is generated based at least in part on the electrical signal generated by the first voltage source, and wherein the shaped current actuates the first switching device; and
a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit configured to shape the shaped current by changing a duration of the electrical signal, an amplitude of the electrical signal, a shape of the electrical signal, or any combination thereof.
2. The circuit of claim 1 , comprising a first impedance between the first voltage source and the second switching device and a second impedance between the second switching device and the first switching device.
3. The circuit of claim 1 , comprising a control signal generator configured to provide the control signal to the second switching device based at least in part on one or more feedback signals from the first switching device, the second switching device, the load, or any combination thereof, as part of a control loop.
4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second switching device comprises a current-controlled switch, a voltage-controlled switch, a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, an insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), a bipolar transistors (BJTs), or any combination thereof.
5. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second switching device is configured as an N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the second switching device and the first voltage source.
6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second switching device is configured as an N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the second switching device and the first switching device.
7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second switching device is configured as a P-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the second switching device and the first voltage source.
8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second switching device is configured as a P-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the second switching device and the first switching device.
9. The circuit of claim 1 , comprising an additional resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit and a third switching device, wherein the additional resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the third switching device and the first voltage source, wherein the third switching device is coupled to the first switching device and the second switching device, and wherein separate control signals are selectively transmitted to the second switching device and the third switching device to control operation of the first switching device.
10. The circuit of claim 1 , comprising an additional resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit and a third switching device, wherein the additional resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the third switching device and the first switching device, wherein the third switching device is coupled to the first switching device and the second switching device, and wherein separate control signals are selectively transmitted to the second switching device and the third switching device to control operation of the first switching device.
11. The circuit of claim 1 , comprising a third switching device configured in anti-series relative to the second switching device, and wherein the third switching device is between the second switching device and the first switching device.
12. The circuit of claim 11 , comprising an additional resistor, wherein the additional resistor is between the first switching device and the first voltage source, and wherein the additional resistor is coupled to the third switching device.
13. The circuit of claim 12 , wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the third switching device and the first switching device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is shared by the third switching device and the second switching device.
14. A power converter system, comprising:
a load configured to operate based at least in part on a supplied electrical signal; and
a switching network configured to selectively enable and disable the supplied electrical signal based at least in part on a control scheme associated with operation of the load, wherein the switching network comprises:
a gate driver;
a power device configured to enable in response to a control signal generated by the gate driver based on the control scheme, wherein enabling of the power device is configured to selectively enable and disable the supplied electrical signal; and
an auxiliary control circuit between the gate driver and the power device, wherein the auxiliary control circuit is configured to shape the control signal before the control signal is applied to the power device, wherein the auxiliary control circuit comprises a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit configured to shape the control signal by changing a duration, amplitude, shape of the control signal, or any combination thereof, and wherein the auxiliary control circuit comprises a second switching device configured to selectively provide the control signal to the power device in response to an additional control signal output generated based on the control scheme associated with operation of the load.
15. The power converter system of claim 14 , wherein the second switching device is configured as a turn-on control circuit comprising an N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the second switching device and the gate driver.
16. The power converter system of claim 14 , wherein the second switching device is configured as a P-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the second switching device and the power device.
17. The power converter system of claim 14 , wherein the second switching device is configured as an N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is between the second switching device and the power device.
18. The power converter system of claim 14 , wherein the resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit comprises:
a resistor between the second switching device and the gate driver; and
a capacitor between the second switching device and the power device, wherein the capacitor is configured to shape a current provided by the gate driver to generate the control signal.
19. The power converter system of claim 14 , comprising one or more additional auxiliary control circuits coupled in parallel to the auxiliary control circuit, wherein each of the additional auxiliary control circuits and the auxiliary control circuit are simultaneously coupled to a gate of the power device.
20. An auxiliary control circuit, comprising:
a first switching device configured to enable in response to a control signal generated to control supply of a shaped current to a second switching device;
a first voltage source configured to generate the control signal, wherein the control signal comprises an electrical signal having a voltage level at least equal to a threshold voltage of the first switching device; and
one or more devices between the first switching device and a second voltage source, wherein the first switching device is configured to provide the shaped current to the second switching device in response to being enabled by the control signal, wherein the shaped current is generated based at least in part on the electrical signal generated by second voltage source and an impedance value of the one or more devices, wherein the shaped current actuates the first switching device, and wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more resistors, one or more capacitors, or any combination thereof.
21. The auxiliary control circuit of claim 20 , wherein the first switching device is configured as an N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device or a P-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and wherein at least one resistor or capacitor is between the first switching device and the second switching device.
22. An auxiliary control circuit, comprising:
a first switching device configured to enable in response to a control signal generated to control supply of a shaped current to a second switching device;
a first voltage source configured to generate the control signal, wherein the control signal comprises an electrical signal having a voltage level at least equal to a threshold voltage of the first switching device; and
one or more devices between the first switching device and a second voltage source, wherein the first switching device is configured to provide the shaped current to the second switching device in response to being enabled by the control signal, wherein the shaped current is generated based at least in part on the electrical signal generated by second voltage source and an impedance value of the one or more devices, wherein the shaped current actuates the first switching device, wherein the one or more devices comprises one or more resistors, one or more capacitors, or any combination thereof, and wherein at least one resistor or capacitor is between the first switching device and the second switching device.