System and method for integrated gate driver for inverter for electric vehicle

Abstract

A system includes an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery to AC power to drive a motor, where the inverter includes: a first power module including: a first connection; a second connector; a first power switching member, the first power switching member comprising a first gate terminal, the first power switching member configured to control a first current between the first connection member and the second connection member based on a first signal to the first gate terminal; and a first point of use controller configured to provide the first signal to the first gate terminal to control the first power switching element.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,486 filed on September 28, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,501 filed on September 28, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,512 filed on September 28, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 378,601 filed on October 6, 2022, and U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 18 / 161,974 filed on January 31, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to systems and methods for integrated gate drivers for inverters for electric vehicles, and more particularly to systems and methods for integrated gate drivers for power device switches of inverters for electric vehicles. Background Art

[0004] Inverters, such as those used to drive motors in electric vehicles, are responsible for converting high voltage direct current (HVDC) to alternating current (AC) to drive the motor. In the inverter, the gate drivers for the power device switches may operate in a high voltage and electrically noisy environment, which may affect the operation of the gate drivers and / or the power device switches, and therefore may affect the operation of the inverter.

[0005] The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of these aforementioned challenges. Summary of the invention

[0006] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: a first power module, the first power module comprising: a first connector; a second connector; a first power switch, the first power switch comprising a first gate terminal, the first power switch configured to control a first current between the first connector and the second connector based on a first signal to the first gate terminal; and a first point-of-use controller configured to provide a first signal to the first gate terminal to control the first power switch.

[0007] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the first power module further includes: a third connection member; a second power switch member, the second power switch member including a second gate terminal, the second power switch member being configured to control a second current between the third connection member and the second connection member based on a second signal to the second gate terminal; and a second point-of-use controller, the second point-of-use controller being configured to provide a second signal to the second gate terminal to control the second power switch member.

[0008] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first connector is configured to connect to a positive terminal of a battery, a second connector is configured to connect to a phase terminal of a motor, and a third connector is configured to connect to a negative terminal of the battery.

[0009] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the first power module further comprises: a command pin, wherein the first point of use controller is further configured to receive a gate command via the command pin and provide a first signal to the first gate terminal based on the received gate command.

[0010] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first power switch includes one or more silicon carbide grains.

[0011] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first point-of-use controller includes a first gate drive controller and a second gate drive controller.

[0012] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the inverter further comprises: a second power module; and a third power module.

[0013] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system that further includes a battery configured to supply DC power to an inverter and a motor configured to receive AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

[0014] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: a power module, the power module being for an inverter for an electric vehicle, the power module comprising: a first connector; a second connector; a first power switch, the first power switch comprising a first gate terminal, the first power switch being configured to control a first current between the first connector and the second connector based on a first signal to the first gate terminal; and a first point-of-use controller, the first point-of-use controller being configured to provide a first signal to the first gate terminal to control the first power switch.

[0015] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the power module further includes: a third connection member; a second power switch member, the second power switch member including a second gate terminal, the second power switch member being configured to control a second current between the third connection member and the second connection member based on a second signal to the second gate terminal; and a second point-of-use controller, the second point-of-use controller being configured to provide a second signal to the second gate terminal to control the second power switch member.

[0016] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first connector is configured to connect to a positive terminal of a battery of an electric vehicle, a second connector is configured to connect to a phase terminal of a motor of the electric vehicle, and a third connector is configured to connect to a negative terminal of the battery.

[0017] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the power module further comprises: a command pin, wherein the first point of use controller is further configured to receive a gate command via the command pin and provide a first signal to the first gate terminal based on the received gate command.

[0018] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first power switch includes one or more silicon carbide grains.

[0019] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first point-of-use controller includes a first gate drive controller and a second gate drive controller.

[0020] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: a point-of-use controller for a power module for an inverter, the point-of-use controller being configured to: receive a gate command; and generate a signal for a gate terminal of a power switching element of the power module based on the received gate command.

[0021] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the point-of-use controller is further configured to: receive a sense signal from a power switch; and generate a signal for a gate terminal based on the received sense signal.

[0022] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the point-of-use controller is further configured to control current through the power switch using a signal to a gate terminal.

[0023] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the point of use controller is further configured to sense a gate-to-source voltage of the power switch component during one or more of a turn-on event of the power switch component or a turn-off event of the power switch component.

[0024] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the point-of-use controller is further configured to generate a signal for a gate terminal based on one or more of an intrinsic parameter of the power switch component, a parameter drift during the useful life of the power switch component, or a change in an operating temperature of the power switch component.

[0025] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a point-of-use controller is configured to control a first group of silicon carbide die of a power switch and to control a second group of silicon carbide die of the power switch independently of the first group.

[0026] Other objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be described in part in the following description, and in part will be obvious from the description, or can be understood by practicing the disclosed embodiments. The objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be realized and achieved by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0027] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosed embodiments, as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a combined inverter and converter is depicted according to one or more embodiments.

[0030] Figure 2 Depicted is a method for providing a point-of-use switching controller according to one or more embodiments. Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure of a combined inverter and converter.

[0031] Figure 3 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for a controller of FIG.

[0032] Figure 4 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for a point-of-use switching controller.

[0033] Figure 5 Describes a method for Figure 4 An exemplary system infrastructure of an upper power module.

[0034] Figure 6Depicted is an exemplary block diagram for an integrated gate driver in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0035] Figure 7 Depicted is an exemplary connection diagram for a system including an integrated gate driver in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0036] Figure 8 Depicted is an exemplary block diagram for a system including a three-channel galvanic isolator and an integrated gate driver architecture in accordance with one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not constrain the claimed features. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," "including," or other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusions such that a process, method, article, or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but may also include other elements that are not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, relative terms (such as, for example, "about," "substantially," and "approximately") are used to indicate possible ±10% variations in the stated values. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, any numerical value may include possible ±10% variations in the stated values.

[0038] The terms used below may be interpreted in their broadest reasonable manner, although they are being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the present disclosure. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any term intended to be interpreted in any constrained manner will be explicitly and specifically defined as such in this detailed description. For example, in the context of the present disclosure, a switching device may be described as a switching element or device, but may refer to any device for controlling power flow in a circuit. For example, a switching element may be, for example, a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a relay, or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0039] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are generally related to systems and methods for integrated gate drivers for inverters for electric vehicles, and more particularly to systems and methods for integrated gate drivers for power device switches for inverters for electric vehicles. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the integrated gate driver can be used in any power electronics application that converts AC to DC, converts DC to AC, or converts DC to DC. For example, the inverter can be used in windmill applications, solar applications, applications that return power to the AC grid, or applications that drive AC motors.

[0040] Inverters (such as those used to drive motors in electric vehicles) are responsible for converting high voltage direct current (HVDC) into alternating current (AC) to drive the motor. A three-phase inverter may include a bridge having six power device switches (e.g., power transistors such as IGBTs or MOSFETs) that are controlled by pulse width modulation (PWM) signals generated by a controller. The inverter may include three half-H-bridge switches to control phase voltages, upper and lower gate drivers to control the switches, a PWM controller, and glue logic between the PWM controller and the gate driver. The PWM controller may generate signals to define the expected state of the system. The gate driver may send signals from the PWM controller to the half-H-bridge switches. The half-H-bridge switches may drive the phase voltages. The inverter may include an isolation barrier between a low voltage plane and a high voltage plane. The signal may be passed from the PWM controller to the half-H-bridge switch by passing through the isolation barrier, which may employ optical, converter-based, or capacitor-based isolation. The PWM signal may be distorted when passing through the glue logic, which may include resistive, capacitive, or other types of filtering. Due to the electrical isolation barrier and other delays within the gate driver, the PWM signal may be distorted when passing through the gate driver. The PWM signal may be distorted when the signal is processed by the half-H switching element via the gate driver output.

[0041] Gate drivers withstand common-mode transients that occur during field effect transistor (FET) switching and when one side of a floating high voltage terminal is shorted to ground or subjected to electrostatic discharge. These voltage transients can cause fast edges that can form common-mode current bursts through electrical isolation. Gate drivers may need to demonstrate common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) in order to be effective and safe.

[0042] The gate driver may have a high voltage domain in common with the voltage plane of the associated FET. Further, the high voltage plane may be supplied by a flyback converter, which may be isolated from the low voltage plane by a transformer. The high voltage domain power supply may be used to provide power to such a circuit that sources and sinks gate current to drive the FET and can detect FET faults, thereby acting on the faults and / or transmitting the faults to the low voltage domain. The gate driver may include an electrical channel dedicated to FET commands, and one or more bidirectional or unidirectional electrical channels dedicated to FET communications.

[0043] High current switching transients can form strong electromagnetic (EM) fields that can couple into nearby metal traces. The magnitude and frequency of the coupled current can depend on the layout of the FET packaging solution and the direction and length of the metal traces between the FET and the control integrated circuit (IC). For example, a typical value for the coupled current can be up to 1A at an AC frequency of up to 100MHz. Typically, within the circuit, the gate driver IC can be placed far enough away from the FET so that the high EM field is not directly coupled into the internal metal traces within the gate driver IC. The gate driver is placed at a distance from the EM field so that the induced current within the circuit is below the level that will cause the gate driver to malfunction, or a metal shield is placed between the gate driver and the source of the EM field to protect the gate driver circuit. The output terminals of the gate driver connected to the FET are exposed to the EM field at a point where the output terminals are no longer covered by the shield. The gate driver switches large currents (e.g., such as 5A to 15A) through these exposed terminals. The large currents switched are usually larger in magnitude than the EM induced current. The gate driver can overdrive the induced current to maintain control of the FET. The gate driver and the high side of the associated FET may share a common ground and gate control signal trace, both of which may be susceptible to coupled currents.

[0044] The gate driver can turn on low resistance switches to source and sink gate current. Sometimes a series resistor can be added to limit the gate current. The switched gate current can be greater than the coupling current in order to maintain control of their respective FETs.

[0045] The gate driver may be able to sense the FET operating voltage or current in order to provide feedback and react to faults. An overcurrent fault may typically be detected by sensing the FET drain-to-source voltage and comparing the sensed voltage to a reference value. The drain-to-source voltage sensing may be DSAT, which refers to the desaturation of the voltage drop formed by the power switching device. Although the overcurrent does form a larger voltage drop across the enhanced Rdson of the power switching device, DSAT is generally referred to as voltage fault detection rather than current fault detection sensed by monitoring the voltage across the shunt resistor. The sensed voltage may be greatly filtered to discard coupled current. Filtering may slow down the response to the fault condition, causing a delay in response. For example, the rate of current increase due to a low resistance short circuit may reach a damaging level before being detected by a greatly filtered drain-to-source voltage detection strategy. The resulting short circuit may damage the FET or the vehicle before being detected and cut off.

[0046] According to one or more embodiments, the FET driver circuit may provide fast overcurrent detection by shunt current sensing, or by diverting a portion of the load current through a parallel FET that may have a current sensing circuit. Utilizing either strategy may require a "point of use IC" in which the sensing circuit is very close to the FET. Even if the point of use IC and the remote controller are resistant to EM fields, the communication between the point of use IC and the remote controller is still susceptible to induced currents. Point of use ICs have been implemented in low EM field applications, such as smart FETs for automotive applications. However, point of use ICs have not yet been used in high EM field applications. High EM fields can be fields that (i) induce a current within the IC that exceeds the operating current of the IC and causes a malfunction, or (ii) induce a differential voltage within the IC that exceeds the operating differential voltage and causes a malfunction. High EM fields can be, for example, fields greater than about 10A or about 100V. Some traction inverter applications may have high voltages in the 800V range and current levels approaching 1000A. The switching rates of signals containing these voltages and currents may approach 20 V / ns and 20 A / ns and may achieve coupling that is problematic for controllers controlling these voltages and currents.

[0047] The isolated gate driver may include two or more integrated circuits (ICs) in a single package. Isolation may be implemented in a wide-body "small outline package" where one side of the gate driver is in a low voltage domain and one side of the gate driver is in a high voltage domain, which allows the isolated gate driver to span the separation imposed by the low voltage and high voltage domains on the circuit board. Because these gate drivers may be implemented by two or more integrated circuits, they may be referred to as multi-chip modules. A low voltage IC (LVIC) may interface with a circuit referenced to ground in a low voltage domain, and other ICs, such as a high voltage IC (HVIC), may interface with a circuit referenced to one or more high voltage domains. Some isolated gate drivers may include one LVIC and one or two HVICs. Internal wire bonding may connect the LVIC and HVIC in the package. These internal wire bondings may be connected to high voltage components (such as converters or capacitors) in one or both of the LVIC and HVIC to form electrical isolation between the low voltage domain and the high voltage domain. AC signals pass through the high voltage component to provide a communication path between the low voltage domain and the high voltage domain. This communication path provides galvanic isolation as required by the safety elements of the system.

[0048] Some systems have an isolation gate driver for each power switch, and the isolation gate driver is located away from the power module. Some power switches include silicon carbide (SiC) FETs, and the isolation gate driver is located away from the SiC FETs in the power switch. The isolation gate driver cannot include shunt current sensing because the differential voltage drop across the source plane of the power switch can only be sensed with an accurate and short delay if the loop of the sensing circuit is quite small. External sensing of this signal cannot achieve the desired response time. During a fault, the gate driver may enter the soft shutdown of the power switch during the on operation to reduce the current in the parasitic inductance, and thus reduce the overvoltage generated by these currents. Here, "isolation" and "remote" may refer to any device outside the power module. Due to the parasitic inductance in the gate and source traces (which causes the induced voltage across the gate and source traces), the wiring from the isolation gate driver to the power switch may make it difficult to accurately sense the gate-to-source voltage of the SiC FET during the SiC FET turn-on and turn-off events. The gate driver at the point of use on the power module has direct access to the voltage available within the power switch. Remotely mounted gate drivers may receive distorted signals because the return current to the gate driver may be distorted by the voltage drop across the parasitic impedance of the wiring to the gate driver. Some isolated gate drivers remotely measure the temperature of the power switch by using an onboard sensor (such as a diode or a thermistor) of the power switch. The sensor itself can provide a point temperature measurement that is very different from the actual SiC temperature, which has further errors caused by noise caused by the long trace or lead length from the sensor to the isolated gate driver. In an isolated gate driver system, after the SiC FET has been fully enhanced, the desaturation circuit can provide short-circuit protection by sensing when the voltage across the power switch is too large. When applied to MOSFET power devices, desaturation can refer to a situation where the current of the device is limited by the gate voltage so that the drain voltage cannot be pulled down to a level where the conduction power loss is caused only by the Rdson of the device. This increase in drain-to-source voltage can be sensed by a diode, where the cathode is attached to the drain and the anode is attached to the sensing circuit within the gate driver. Because the sensing circuit is switched by the drain-to-source voltage, the sensing circuit may require decoupling capacitors. However, during a short circuit event, the capacitance added to the sensing circuit forces some delay in shutting down the power device. This delay time, higher than normal drain-to-source voltage, and high current can stress the power device. The short circuit protection can cause large current and / or temperature transients within the SiC die, which can stress the SiC die. The short circuit protection may require significant external components to protect and bias the drain sensing circuit of the isolation gate driver. DSAT circuits typically use a diode string with one diode cathode driven by the MOSFET drain.The number of diode strings or diodes can be determined by the system voltage and the transient voltage expected at the drain. In addition to the cut-off voltage, the most significant parameter for these diodes is the capacitance of the diode. The DSAT circuit may also require decoupling capacitors and series resistors. Here, "significant external components" may refer to the area required for the physical size of the components. Using one LVIC and two HVICs to drive the gate driver of a half-H element (both the upper and lower phases) may compromise system safety because both the upper driver and the lower driver may be damaged in a failure event.

[0049] One or more embodiments may integrate a gate driver into a power switch as an integrated gate driver or a point-of-use controller. For example, the integrated gate driver may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A phase switch power module including two switches may incorporate two integrated gate drivers, with a gate driver for each switch. One or more embodiments may locally sense the current of a SiC die by sensing a voltage drop across a source metallization. One or more embodiments may include local accurate thermal sensing of a SiC die and a SiC die environment without the need for integration on a die temperature sensing circuit, which may provide improved die thermal performance or lower die cost. One or more embodiments may tightly couple a gate drive circuit to a SiC bare die constituting a power switch, which may reduce switching losses. One or more embodiments may include a gate drive curve as a function of one or more of a SiC FET gate-to-source voltage, temperature, or a known gate-to-source voltage threshold that may change during the life of the SiC FET. One or more embodiments may measure specific SiC device features and store them in a memory (e.g., such as an EEPROM) of an integrated gate driver, and may provide a customized gate drive curve based on the stored SiC device features. One or more embodiments may use a two-wire bus for communication, which may reduce the number of connections to electrically isolated devices. One or more embodiments may use a first multi-chip module for the upper switching piece of a three-phase bridge and a second multi-chip module for the lower switching piece of a three-phase bridge to provide three HVICs to one LVIC.

[0050] One or more embodiments may provide direct current sensing, which may provide less stress on SiC devices in the event of a short circuit. Since the gain on SiC devices is relatively high relative to BJTs and IGBTs, the current achieved during a short circuit event is increased. DSAT as a sensing technique depends on the inability of the power device to reach a fault current level and exhibit a voltage drop greater than the normal voltage drop across the power device. One or more embodiments may provide a low-delay circuit that detects changes in current when the power device is switched to a short circuit, where the value may be four times the normal current, and may shut down the power device when the current begins to rise during a switching event. Faster response may reduce the current and energy stored in parasitic inductance and reduce overvoltage, and thus reduce stress on the power device. One or more embodiments may provide accurate temperature measurement, which may allow operation at a higher average temperature for system optimization. One or more embodiments may reduce switching losses due to one or more of a tightly coupled layout of a point-of-use controller on a power module and a power device, the use of SiC device features, the use of temperature, and the use of previously circulating currents. Reduced switching losses may provide an increased range of electric vehicles. Reduced switching losses may provide higher power switch or module current output.One or more embodiments may provide safety independence as required for active short circuit discharge during device failure in permanent magnet machines.

[0051] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a combined inverter and converter according to one or more embodiments is depicted. In the context of the present disclosure, the combined inverter and converter may be referred to as an inverter. Figure 1 As shown, the electric vehicle 100 may include an inverter 110, a motor 190, and a battery 195. The inverter 110 may include a component for receiving electric power from an external source and outputting electric power to charge the battery 195 of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the inverter 110 may convert DC power from the battery 195 in the electric vehicle 100 into AC power to drive the motor 190 of the electric vehicle 100, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the inverter 110 may be bidirectional and may convert DC power into AC power, or convert AC power into DC power, such as during regenerative braking. The inverter 110 may be a three-phase inverter, a single-phase inverter, or a multi-phase inverter.

[0052] Figure 2 Depicted is a method for providing a point-of-use switching controller according to one or more embodiments. Figure 1 The electric vehicle 100 may include an inverter 110, a motor 190, and a battery 195. The inverter 110 may include an inverter controller 300 ( Figure 314). The inverter 110 may include a low voltage upper phase controller 120 separated from a high voltage upper phase controller 130 by an electrical isolator 150, and an upper phase power module 140. The upper phase power module 140 may include a point-of-use upper phase controller 142 and an upper phase switch 144. The inverter 110 may include a low voltage lower phase controller 125 separated from a high voltage lower phase controller 135 by an electrical isolator 150, and a lower phase power module 145. The lower phase power module 145 may include a point-of-use lower phase controller 146 and a lower phase switch 148. The upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 may be connected to a motor 190 and a battery 195. The electrical isolator 150 may be one or more of optical, converter-based, or capacitor-based isolation. For example, the electrical isolator 150 may be one or more capacitors having a value from about 20 fF to about 100 fF, having a breakdown voltage from about 6 kV to about 12 kV. The electrical isolator 150 may include a pair of capacitors, wherein one capacitor in the pair carries an inverted data signal from the other capacitor in the pair to form a differential signal that is rejected for common mode noise. The electrical isolator 150 may include more than one capacitor in series. The electrical isolator 150 may include one capacitor located on a first IC, or may include a first capacitor located on a first IC and a second capacitor located on a second IC that communicates with the first IC.

[0053] The inverter 110 may include a low voltage region (e.g., where the voltage is typically less than 5V) and a high voltage region (e.g., where the voltage may exceed 500V). The low voltage region may be separated from the high voltage region by an electrical isolator 150. The inverter controller 300 may be in the low voltage region of the inverter 110, and may send a signal to and receive a signal from the low voltage upper phase controller 120. The low voltage upper phase controller 120 may be in the low voltage region of the inverter 110, and may send a signal to and receive a signal from the high voltage upper phase controller 130. The low voltage upper phase controller 120 may send a signal to and receive a signal from the low voltage lower phase controller 125. The high voltage upper phase controller 130 may be in the high voltage region of the inverter 110. Therefore, the signal between the low voltage upper phase controller 120 and the high voltage upper phase controller 130 passes through the electrical isolator 150. The high voltage upper phase controller 130 may send signals to and receive signals from a point-of-use upper phase controller 142 in the upper phase power module 140. The point-of-use upper phase controller 142 may send signals to and receive signals from an upper phase switch 144. The upper phase switch 144 may be connected to a motor 190 and a battery 195. For example, the upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 may be used to transfer energy from the motor 190 to the battery 195, from the battery 195 to the motor 190, from an external source to the battery 195, or from the battery 195 to an external source. The lower phase system of the inverter 110 may be similar to the upper phase system described above.

[0054] Figure 3 Describes a method for Figure 2 FIG. 3 is an exemplary system infrastructure of an inverter controller 300 . The inverter controller 300 may include one or more controllers.

[0055] The inverter controller 300 may include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the inverter controller 300 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer-based functions disclosed herein. The inverter controller 300 may operate as a standalone device, or may be connected to other computer systems or peripheral devices, for example using a network.

[0056] In a networked deployment, the inverter controller 300 can operate in the capacity of a server, or as a client in a server-client user network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer (or distributed) network environment. The inverter controller 300 can also be implemented as or incorporated into various devices, such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a communication device, a wireless phone, a landline phone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a fax machine, a printer, a pager, a personal trusted device, a network device, a network router, a switch or bridge, or any other machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequentially or otherwise) (the set of instructions specifies the actions to be taken by the machine). In a specific implementation, the inverter controller 300 can be implemented using an electronic device that provides voice, video or data communication. Further, although the inverter controller 300 is illustrated as a single system, the term “system” should also be understood to include any collection of systems or subsystems that individually or jointly execute one or more sets of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, the inverter controller 300 may include a processor 302, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. The processor 302 may be a component in a variety of systems. For example, the processor 302 may be part of a standard inverter. The processor 302 may be one or more general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits, combinations thereof, or other devices now known or later developed for analyzing and processing data. The processor 302 may implement a software program, such as a manually generated (i.e., programmed) code.

[0058] The inverter controller 300 may include a memory 304 that can communicate via a bus 308. The memory 304 may be a main memory, a static memory, or a dynamic memory. The memory 304 may include, but is not limited to, computer-readable storage media, such as various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including but not limited to random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, tape or disk, optical media, etc. In one specific implementation, the memory 304 includes a cache or random access memory for the processor 302. In an alternative specific implementation, the memory 304 is separated from the processor 302, such as a cache memory, system memory, or other memory of the processor. The memory 304 may be an external storage device or database for storing data. Examples include a hard drive, a compact disk ("CD"), a digital video disk ("DVD"), a memory card, a memory stick, a floppy disk, a universal serial bus ("USB") storage device, or any other device operable to store data. The memory 304 is operable to store instructions that can be executed by the processor 302. The functions, actions, or tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein may be performed by the processor 302 executing instructions stored in the memory 304. The functions, actions, or tasks are not related to a particular type of instruction set, storage medium, processor, or processing strategy, and may be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, microcode, etc. operating alone or in combination. Likewise, processing strategies may include multi-processing, multi-tasking, parallel processing, etc.

[0059] As shown, the inverter controller 300 may further include a display 310, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid state display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a projector, a printer, or other display devices known now or later developed for outputting the determined information. The display 310 may serve as an interface for a user to view the operation of the processor 302, or specifically serve as an interface with the software stored in the memory 304 or in the drive unit 306.

[0060] Additionally or alternatively, the inverter controller 300 may include an input device 312 configured to allow a user to interact with any of the components of the inverter controller 300. The input device 312 may be a numeric keypad, a keyboard or a cursor control device (such as a mouse or a joystick), a touch screen display, a remote control, or any other device operable to interact with the inverter controller 300.

[0061] The inverter controller 300 may also or alternatively include a drive unit 306 implemented as a disk or optical drive. The drive unit 306 may include a computer-readable medium 322 in which one or more sets of instructions 324 (e.g., software) may be embedded. Further, the instructions 324 may embody one or more of the methods or logics described herein. The instructions 324 may reside completely or partially within the memory 304 and / or within the processor 302 during execution by the inverter controller 300. The memory 304 and the processor 302 may also include computer-readable media as described above.

[0062] In some systems, the computer-readable medium 322 includes instructions 324 or receives and executes instructions 324 in response to a propagated signal, so that a device connected to the network 370 can transmit voice, video, audio, images, or any other data through the network 370. Further, the instructions 324 can be transmitted or received through the network 370 and / or using the bus 308 via the communication port or interface 320. The communication port or interface 320 can be part of the processor 302 or can be an independent component. The communication port or interface 320 can be formed in software or can be a physical connector in hardware. The communication port or interface 320 can be configured to connect to the network 370, external media, display 310, or any other component in the inverter controller 300, or a combination thereof. The connection to the network 370 can be a physical connection (such as a wired Ethernet connection) or can be established wirelessly, as described below. Similarly, additional connections to other components of the inverter controller 300 can be physical connections or can be established wirelessly. The network 370 can alternatively be directly connected to the bus 308.

[0063] Although the computer-readable medium 322 is shown as a single medium, the term "computer-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (such as a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable medium" may also include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a processor or causing a computer system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. The computer-readable medium 322 may be non-transitory and may be tangible.

[0064] Computer readable medium 322 may include solid-state memory, such as a memory card or other package that accommodates one or more non-volatile read-only memories. Computer readable medium 322 may be random access memory or other volatile rewritable memory. Additionally or alternatively, computer readable medium 322 may include magneto-optical or optical media, such as a disk or tape or other storage device for capturing carrier signals (such as signals transmitted through a transmission medium). Digital file attachments to emails or other self-contained information archives or archive sets may be considered distribution media as tangible storage media. Therefore, the present disclosure is considered to include any one or more of computer-readable media or distribution media and other equivalents and successor media in which data or instructions may be stored.

[0065] In alternative implementations, dedicated hardware implementations (such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays, and other hardware devices) may be constructed to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various implementations may broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. One or more implementations described herein may use two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with associated control and data signals that may be transmitted between and through the modules or as part of an application specific integrated circuit to implement functionality. Thus, the present system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.

[0066] The inverter controller 300 may be connected to a network 370. The network 370 may define one or more networks, including wired or wireless networks. The wireless network may be a cellular telephone network, an 802.11, 802.16, 802.20, or WiMAX network. Further, such networks may include public networks (such as the Internet), private networks (such as intranets), or combinations thereof and may utilize a variety of networking protocols that are now available or later developed, including but not limited to TCP / IP-based networking protocols. The network 370 may include a wide area network (WAN) (such as the Internet), a local area network (LAN), a campus area network, a metropolitan area network, a direct connection (such as through a universal serial bus (USB) port), or any other network that allows data communication. The network 370 may be configured to couple one computing device to another computing device to enable data communication between devices. The network 370 may generally be enabled to use any form of machine-readable media to transmit information from one device to another. The network 370 may include a communication method by which information can travel between computing devices. The network 370 may be divided into subnetworks. A subnetwork may allow access to all other components connected to it, or a subnetwork may restrict access between components. Network 370 may be considered a public or private network connection and may include, for example, a virtual private network or encryption or other security mechanisms employed over the public Internet.

[0067] According to various implementations of the present disclosure, the methods described herein may be implemented by a software program that can be executed by a computer system. Further, in an exemplary non-limiting implementation, the implementation may include distributed processing, component or object distributed processing, and parallel processing. Alternatively, a virtual computer system process may be constructed to implement one or more of the methods or functionalities described herein.

[0068] Although this specification describes components and functions that can be implemented in a specific implementation with reference to specific standards and protocols, the present disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. For example, standards for Internet and other packet-switched network transmissions (e.g., TCP / IP, UDP / IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of the prior art. Such standards are periodically replaced by faster or more efficient equivalents having substantially the same functionality. Therefore, alternative standards and protocols having the same or similar functionality as those disclosed herein are considered equivalents thereof.

[0069] It will be appreciated that, in one embodiment, the operations of the methods discussed are performed by an appropriate processor (or processors) of a processing (i.e., computer) system executing instructions (computer readable code) stored in a storage device. It will also be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation or programming technique, and that the present disclosure may be implemented using any suitable technique for implementing the functionality described herein. The present disclosure is not limited to any particular programming language or operating system.

[0070] Figure 4 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure of a point-of-use switching controller. For a three-phase inverter, each of the upper phase and the lower phase may include three phases represented as phases A, B, and C. For example, the upper phase power module 140 may include an upper phase power module 140A for upper phase A, an upper phase power module 140B for upper phase B, and an upper phase power module 140C for upper phase C. The upper phase power module 140A may include a point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and an upper phase A switching element 144A. The upper phase power module 140B may include a point-of-use upper phase B controller 142B and an upper phase B switching element 144B. The upper phase power module 140C may include a point-of-use upper phase C controller 142C and an upper phase C switching element 144C. Each of the upper phase A switching member 144A, the upper phase B switching member 144B, and the upper phase C switching member 144C may be connected to the motor 190 and the battery 195 . Figure 4 Details of the upper phase power module 140 are depicted. Although not shown, the lower phase power module 145 may include a similar structure as the upper phase power module 140 for the lower phases A, B, and C.

[0071] Figure 5 Describes a method for Figure 4 Example system infrastructure for the upper power module. For example, Figure 5 Additional details of upper phase power module 140A are provided. Although not shown, upper phase power module 140B, upper phase power module 140C, and respective lower phase power modules of lower phase power module 145 may include components related to Figure 5 The upper phase power module 140A shown in FIG. 1 is similar in structure to the upper phase power module 140A shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "northern", and "southern" as used in this disclosure are used for reference only, do not limit the elements to a particular orientation, and are generally interchangeable throughout the text. For example, the upper phase power module 140 may be referred to as a lower phase power module, a northern phase power module, a southern phase power module, a first phase power module, or a second phase power module.

[0072] The upper phase power module 140A may include a point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and an upper phase A switch 144A. The upper phase A switch 144A may include one or more sets of switches. Figure 5 As shown, the upper phase A switch 144A may include an upper phase A north switch 144A-N and an upper phase A south switch 144A-S. The point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include one or more memories, controllers, or sensors. For example, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include a communication manager 405, a functional safety controller 410, a test interface and controller 415, a north thermal sensor 420A, a south thermal sensor 420B, a self-test controller 425, a command manager 430, a waveform adjuster 435, a memory 440, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N, and a south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include a controller 405, a functional safety controller 410, a test interface and controller 415, a north thermal sensor 420A, a south thermal sensor 420B, a self-test controller 425, a command manager 430, a waveform adjuster 435, a memory 440, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N, and a south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. Figure 5 More or fewer components than those shown. For example, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include more or less than two switch controls and diagnostic controllers, and may include more than two thermal sensors.

[0073] The communication manager 405 may control inter-controller communications to and from the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and / or may control intra-controller communications between components of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. The functional safety controller 410 may control safety functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. For example, the test interface and controller 415 may control test functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, such as end-of-line testing in manufacturing. The north thermal sensor 420A may sense the temperature at a first location in the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, and the south thermal sensor 420B may sense the temperature at a second location in the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. For example, the self-test controller 425 may control self-test functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, such as during initialization of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A after an inverter 110 power-on event. The command manager 430 may control commands received from the communication manager 405 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The waveform adjuster 435 may control the waveform timing and shape of the commands received from the communication manager 405 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The memory 440 may include one or more volatile and non-volatile storage media for the operation of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. The north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N may send one or more signals to the north switch 144A-N to control the operation of the north switch 144A-N, and may receive one or more signals from the north switch 144A-N that provide information about the north switch 144A-N. The south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-S to control the operation of the south switches 144A-S, and may receive one or more signals from the south switches 144A-S providing information about the south switches 144A-S. As described above, the terms "north" and "south" are used for reference only, and the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-S, and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-N.

[0074] Figure 6An exemplary block diagram for an integrated gate driver 600 is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. For example, the integrated gate driver 600 may be similar to the point of use upper phase A controller 142A. The integrated gate driver 600 may include one or more memories, controllers, or sensors. For example, the integrated gate driver 600 may include a communication manager 605, a functional safety controller 610, a test interface and controller 615, a north thermal sensor 620A, a south thermal sensor 620B, a self-test controller 625, a command manager 630, a waveform conditioner 635, a memory 640, an upper regulator 645N, a lower regulator 645S, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 650N, a south switch control and diagnostic controller 650S, an upper auto calibrator 655N, and a lower auto calibrator 655S. The integrated gate driver 600 may include a controller 605, a functional safety controller 610, a test interface and controller 615, a north thermal sensor 620A, a south thermal sensor 620B, a self-test controller 625, a command manager 630, a waveform conditioner 635, a memory 640, an upper regulator 645N, a lower regulator 645S, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 650N, a south switch control and diagnostic controller 650S, an upper auto calibrator 655N, and a lower auto calibrator 655S. Figure 6 More or fewer components than those shown. For example, the integrated gate driver 600 may include more or less than two switch control and diagnostic controllers, and may include more than two thermal sensors.

[0075] The communication manager 605 may control inter-controller communications to and from the integrated gate driver 600 and / or may control intra-controller communications between components of the integrated gate driver 600. The functional safety controller 610 may control safety functions of the integrated gate driver 600. For example, the test interface and controller 615 may control test functions of the integrated gate driver 600, such as end-of-line testing in manufacturing. The north thermal sensor 620A may sense a temperature at a first location in the integrated gate driver 600, and the south thermal sensor 620B may sense a temperature at a second location in the integrated gate driver 600. For example, the self-test controller 625 may control self-test functions of the integrated gate driver 600, such as during initialization of the integrated gate driver 600 after an inverter 110 power-on event.

[0076] The command manager 630 may control commands received from the communication manager 605 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 650N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 650S. The waveform adjuster 635 may control the waveform timing and shape of the commands received from the communication manager 605 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 650N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 650S. The memory 640 may include one or more volatile and non-volatile storage media for the operation of the integrated gate driver 600. The north switch control and diagnostic controller 650N may send one or more signals to one or more switches of the north group (e.g., such as the north switches 144A-N) to control the operation of the one or more switches of the north group, and may receive one or more signals from the one or more switches of the north group that provide information about the one or more switches of the north group. The south switch control and diagnostic controller 650S may send one or more signals to one or more switches of the south group (e.g., such as the south switch 144A-S) to control the operation of the one or more switches of the south group, and may receive one or more signals from the one or more switches of the south group providing information about the one or more switches of the south group. As described above, the terms "north" and "south" are used for reference only, and the north switch control and diagnostic controller 650N may send one or more signals to one or more switches of the south group, and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 650S may send one or more signals to one or more switches of the north group.

[0077] like Figure 6 As shown, the integrated gate driver 600 may include connection points for a positive voltage pin 601, a command pin 602, a message pin 603, and a negative voltage pin 604. The integrated gate driver 600 may include connection points for a north gate trace 621, a south gate trace 622, a north sense trace 623, and a south sense trace 624. The north switch control and diagnostic controller 650N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 650S may include circuitry to monitor and control one or more switches of the north group and one or more switches of the south group as needed. The communication manager 605 may control inter-controller communications to and from the integrated gate driver 600 through one or more of the command pins 602 or the message pins 603.

[0078] For example, the north gate trace 621 may be driven with a varying pull gate current driver and a varying sink gate current driver based on the command pin 602 using power from the positive voltage pin 601 and the negative voltage pin 604. Respectively, the pull gate current driver may have a varying value for an on-cycle of one or more switching elements of the north group, and the sink gate current driver may have a varying value for an off-cycle of one or more switching elements of the north group. The pull gate current driver and the sink gate current driver may be dynamically selected by operation of the corresponding switching element based on corresponding on and off control signals from the north switching element control and diagnostic controller 650N. Sensing and control methods may be used to select the pull gate current driver and the sink gate current driver so as to drive the gate terminals of one or more switching elements of the north group to minimize switching losses based on one or more of the inherent parameters of the one or more switching elements of the north group, parameter drift during the service life of the one or more switching elements of the north group, or changes in the operating temperature of the one or more switching elements of the north group. As Figure 6 As shown, the south switcher control and diagnostic controller 650S may operate in a similar manner as the north switcher control and diagnostic controller 650N.

[0079] Figure 7 Depicted is an exemplary connection diagram for a system 710 including an integrated gate driver according to one or more embodiments. Figure 8 An exemplary block diagram of a system 710 including a three-channel galvanic isolator and an integrated gate driver architecture is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the system 710 may include an upper phase multi-chip module 711U, a lower phase multi-chip module 711L, a phase A power module 712A, a phase B power module 712B, and a phase C power module 712C. The upper phase multi-chip module 711U may include a low voltage upper phase controller 720, a high voltage upper phase A controller 730A, a high voltage upper phase B controller 730B, and a high voltage upper phase C controller 730C. The lower phase multi-chip module 711L may include a low voltage lower phase controller 725, a high voltage lower phase A controller 735A, a high voltage lower phase B controller 735B, and a high voltage lower phase C controller 735C.

[0080] The phase A power module 712A may include a positive power connection (HVDC+), a negative power connection (HVDC-), a phase A connection (PH_A), a point-of-use lower phase A controller 746A, a lower phase A power switch 748A, a point-of-use upper phase A controller 742A, and an upper phase A power switch 744A. The phase B power module 712B may include a positive power connection (HVDC+), a negative power connection (HVDC-), a phase B connection (PH_B), a point-of-use lower phase B controller 746B, a lower phase B power switch 748B, a point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B, and an upper phase B power switch 744B. The phase C power module 712C may include a positive power connector (HVDC+), a negative power connector (HVDC-), a phase C connector (PH_C), a point-of-use lower phase C controller 746C, a lower phase C power switch 748C, a point-of-use upper phase C controller 742C, and an upper phase C power switch 744C.

[0081] For example, system 710 may be a specific implementation of a portion of inverter 110. For example, upper phase multi-chip module 711U may be a specific implementation of low voltage upper phase controller 120, high voltage upper phase controller 130, and electrical isolator (such as electrical isolator 150). For example, lower phase multi-chip module 711L may be a specific implementation of low voltage lower phase controller 125, high voltage lower phase controller 135, and electrical isolator (such as electrical isolator 150). For example, phase A power module 712A may be a specific implementation of upper phase power module 140 and lower phase power module 145. For example, phase B power module 712B may be a specific implementation of upper phase power module 140 and lower phase power module 145. For example, phase C power module 712C may be a specific implementation of upper phase power module 140 and lower phase power module 145.

[0082] For example, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 742A may be a specific implementation of the controller 142A or the integrated gate driver 600. For example, the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may be a specific implementation of the point-of-use upper phase B controller 142B or the integrated gate driver 600. For example, the point-of-use upper phase C controller 742C may be a specific implementation of the point-of-use upper phase C controller 142C or the integrated gate driver 600. Similarly, the point-of-use lower phase A controller 746A, the point-of-use lower phase B controller 746B, and the point-of-use lower phase C controller 746C may be individual phase controllers in the point-of-use lower phase controller 146 or a specific implementation of the integrated gate driver 600.

[0083] For example, the upper phase A power switch 744A can be a specific implementation of the upper phase A switch 144A. For example, the upper phase B power switch 744B can be a specific implementation of the upper phase B switch 144B. For example, the upper phase C power switch 744C can be a specific implementation of the upper phase C switch 144C. Similarly, the lower phase A power switch 748A, the lower phase B power switch 748B, and the lower phase C power switch 748C can be specific implementations of separate phase power switches in the lower phase switch 148.

[0084] The low voltage upper phase controller 720 of the upper phase multi-chip module 711U may communicate with one or more of a safety controller, a PWM controller (e.g., such as the inverter controller 300), or a low voltage lower phase controller 725 of the lower phase multi-chip module 711L. Based on this communication, the low voltage upper phase controller 720 may communicate with the high voltage upper phase A controller 730A via the upper phase A electrical isolator 750U-A, communicate with the high voltage upper phase B controller 730B via the upper phase A electrical isolator 750U-B, and communicate with the high voltage upper phase C controller 730C via the upper phase A electrical isolator 750U-C.

[0085] Based on the communication with the low voltage upper phase controller 720, the high voltage upper phase A controller 730A may communicate with the point-of-use upper phase A controller 742A. For example, based on this communication with the high voltage upper phase A controller 730A, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 742A may control the upper phase A power switch 744A to control the current between the positive power connection (HVDC+) and the phase A connection (PH_A) of the phase A power module 712A, which may control the current between the positive terminal of the battery 195 and the phase A of the motor 190. The point-of-use upper phase A controller 742A may provide information about the upper phase A power switch 744A to the high voltage upper phase A controller 730A, which may transmit the information to the low voltage upper phase controller 720, which may transmit the information to one or more of the safety controller, the PWM controller, or the low voltage lower phase controller 725 of the lower phase multi-chip module 711L.

[0086] Based on the communication with the low voltage upper phase controller 720, the high voltage upper phase B controller 730B may communicate with the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B. For example, based on this communication with the high voltage upper phase B controller 730B, the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may control the upper phase B power switch 744B to control the current between the positive power connection (HVDC+) and the phase B connection (PH_B) of the phase B power module 712B, which may control the current between the positive terminal of the battery 195 and the phase B of the motor 190. The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may provide information about the upper phase B power switch 744B to the high voltage upper phase B controller 730B, which may transmit the information to the low voltage upper phase controller 720, which may transmit the information to one or more of the safety controller, the PWM controller, or the low voltage lower phase controller 725 of the lower phase multi-chip module 711L.

[0087] Based on the communication with the low voltage upper phase controller 720, the high voltage upper phase C controller 730C may communicate with the point-of-use upper phase C controller 742C. For example, based on this communication with the high voltage upper phase C controller 730C, the point-of-use upper phase C controller 742C may control the upper phase C power switch 744C to control the current between the positive power connection (HVDC+) and the phase C connection (PH_C) of the phase C power module 712C, which may control the current between the positive terminal of the battery 195 and the phase C of the motor 190. The point-of-use upper phase C controller 742C may provide information about the upper phase C power switch 744C to the high voltage upper phase C controller 730C, which may transmit the information to the low voltage upper phase controller 720, which may transmit the information to one or more of the safety controller, the PWM controller, or the low voltage lower phase controller 725 of the lower phase multi-chip module 711L.

[0088] The low voltage lower phase controller 725 of the lower phase multi-chip module 711L may communicate with one or more of a safety controller, a PWM controller (e.g., such as the inverter controller 300), or the low voltage upper phase controller 720 of the upper phase multi-chip module 711U. Based on this communication, the low voltage lower phase controller 725 may communicate with the high voltage lower phase A controller 735A via the lower phase A electrical isolator 750L-A, communicate with the high voltage lower phase B controller 735B via the lower phase A electrical isolator 750L-B, and communicate with the high voltage lower phase C controller 735C via the lower phase A electrical isolator 750L-C.

[0089] Based on the communication with the low voltage lower phase controller 725, the high voltage lower phase A controller 735A may communicate with the point-of-use lower phase A controller 746A. For example, based on this communication with the high voltage lower phase A controller 735A, the point-of-use lower phase A controller 746A may control the lower phase A power switch 748A to control the current between the negative power connection (HVDC-) of the phase A power module 712A and the phase A connection (PH_A), which may control the current between the negative terminal of the battery 195 and the phase A of the motor 190. The point-of-use lower phase A controller 746A may provide information about the lower phase A power switch 748A to the high voltage lower phase A controller 735A, which may transmit the information to the low voltage lower phase controller 725, which may transmit the information to one or more of the safety controller, the PWM controller, or the low voltage upper phase controller 720 of the upper phase multi-chip module 711U.

[0090] Based on the communication with the low voltage lower phase controller 725, the high voltage lower phase B controller 735B may communicate with the point-of-use lower phase B controller 746B. For example, based on this communication with the high voltage lower phase B controller 735B, the point-of-use lower phase B controller 746B may control the associated lower phase B power switch 748B to control the current between the negative power connection (HVDC-) and the phase B connection (PH_B) of the phase B power module 712B, which may control the current between the negative terminal of the battery 195 and the phase B of the motor 190. The point-of-use lower phase B controller 746B may provide information about the lower phase B power switch 748B to the high voltage lower phase B controller 735B, which may transmit the information to the low voltage lower phase controller 725, which may transmit the information to one or more of the safety controller, the PWM controller, or the low voltage upper phase controller 720 of the upper phase multi-chip module 711U.

[0091] Based on the communication with the low voltage lower phase controller 725, the high voltage lower phase C controller 735C may communicate with the point-of-use lower phase C controller 746C. For example, based on this communication with the high voltage lower phase C controller 735C, the point-of-use lower phase C controller 746C may control the lower phase C power switch 748C to control the current between the negative power connection (HVDC-) and the phase C connection (PH_C) of the phase C power module 712C, which may control the current between the negative terminal of the battery 195 and the phase C of the motor 190. The point-of-use lower phase C controller 746C may provide information about the lower phase C power switch 748C to the high voltage lower phase C controller 735C, which may transmit the information to the low voltage lower phase controller 725, which may transmit the information to one or more of the safety controller, the PWM controller, or the low voltage upper phase controller 720 of the upper phase multi-chip module 711U.

[0092] The system 710 may integrate the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B into, for example, a phase B power module 712B. For example, the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The phase B power module 712B may include an upper phase B power switch 744B and a lower phase B power switch 748B, and may incorporate the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B and the point-of-use lower phase B controller 746B to control the upper phase B power switch 744B and the lower phase B power switch 748B, respectively. One or more of the upper phase B power switch 744B and the lower phase B power switch 748B may include one or more SiC grains. For example, the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may locally sense the current of the SiC grain by sensing the voltage drop across the source metallization. The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may include localized accurate thermal sensing of the SiC die and the SiC die environment without the need for integration on the die temperature sensing circuit, which may provide improved die thermal performance or lower die cost. The phase B power module 712B may tightly couple the gate drive circuitry of the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B to, for example, one or more SiC bare dies constituting the upper phase B power switch 744B, which may reduce switching losses.

[0093] The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may include a gate drive curve as a function of one or more of a SiC FET gate-to-source voltage, temperature, or a known gate-to-source voltage threshold that may change during the life of the SiC FET. The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may measure and store specific SiC device characteristics in a memory (e.g., such as memory 640) of the integrated gate driver, and may provide a customized gate drive curve based on the stored SiC device characteristics. The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B may communicate using a two-wire bus (e.g., command pin 602 and message pin 603), which may reduce the number of connections to electrically isolated devices. The system 710 may provide three HVICs to one LVIC using an upper phase multi-chip module 711U for the upper switching piece of a three-phase bridge and a lower phase multi-chip module 711L for the lower switching piece of a three-phase bridge.

[0094] The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B can provide direct current sensing, which can provide less stress on the SiC device in the event of a short circuit. The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B can provide accurate temperature measurement, which can allow operation at a higher average temperature for system optimization. The point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B can reduce switching losses due to one or more of a tightly coupled layout, use of SiC device features, use of temperature, and use of previous circulating currents. Reduced switching losses can provide increased electric vehicle mileage. Reduced switching losses can provide higher power switching or module current output. The system 710 can provide safety independence as required for active short-circuit discharge during device failure in a permanent magnet motor. The above description uses the phase B power module 712B and the point-of-use upper phase B controller 742B as an example, and similar descriptions may also apply to the phase A power module 712A and the phase C power module 712C and associated components.

[0095] One or more embodiments may integrate a gate driver into a power switch as an integrated gate driver or a point-of-use controller. For example, the integrated gate driver may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A phase switch power module including two switches may incorporate two integrated gate drivers. One or more embodiments may locally sense the current of a SiC die by sensing a voltage drop across a source metallization. One or more embodiments may include local accurate thermal sensing of a SiC die and a SiC die environment without the need for integration on a die temperature sensing circuit, which may provide improved die thermal performance or lower die cost. One or more embodiments may tightly couple a gate drive circuit to a SiC bare die constituting a power switch, which may reduce switching losses. One or more embodiments may include a gate drive curve as a function of one or more of a SiC FET gate-to-source voltage, temperature, or a known gate-to-source voltage threshold that may change during the life of the SiC FET. One or more embodiments may measure specific SiC device features and store them in a memory (e.g., such as an EEPROM) of an integrated gate driver, and may provide a customized gate drive curve based on the stored SiC device features. One or more embodiments may use a two-wire bus for communication, which may reduce the number of connections to electrically isolated devices. One or more embodiments may use a first multi-chip module for the upper switching piece of a three-phase bridge and a second multi-chip module for the lower switching piece of a three-phase bridge to provide three HVICs to one LVIC.

[0096] One or more embodiments may provide direct current sensing, which may provide less stress on SiC devices in the event of a short circuit event. One or more embodiments may provide accurate temperature measurement, which may allow operation at higher average temperatures for system optimization. One or more embodiments may reduce switching losses due to one or more of a tightly coupled layout, use of SiC device features, use of temperature, and use of previous circulating currents. Reduced switching losses may provide increased electric vehicle range. Reduced switching losses may provide higher power switching or module current output. One or more embodiments may provide safety independence as required for active short circuit discharge during device failure in permanent magnet motors.

[0097] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: An inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: A first power module, wherein the first power module comprises: a first connecting member; a second connecting member; a first power switch including a first gate terminal, the first power switch configured to control a first current between the first connection and the second connection based on a first signal to the first gate terminal; and A first point-of-use controller is configured to provide the first signal to the first gate terminal to control the first power switch.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first power module further comprises: A third connecting member; a second power switch, the second power switch comprising a second gate terminal, the second power switch configured to control a second current between the third connection and the second connection based on a second signal to the second gate terminal; as well as A second point-of-use controller is configured to provide the second signal to the second gate terminal to control the second power switch.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first connector is configured to connect to a positive terminal of the battery, the second connector is configured to connect to a phase terminal of the motor, and the third connector is configured to connect to a negative terminal of the battery.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first power module further comprises: Command pin, Wherein the first point-of-use controller is further configured to receive a gate command via the command pin, and provide the first signal to the first gate terminal based on the received gate command. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first power switch comprises one or more silicon carbide grains.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first point-of-use controller comprises a first gate drive controller and a second gate drive controller.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the inverter further comprises: A second power module; as well as The third power module.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: the battery, the battery being configured to supply the DC power to the inverter; as well as The motor is configured to receive the AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

9. A system comprising: A power module, the power module is for an inverter for an electric vehicle, the power module comprising: a first connecting member; a second connecting member; a first power switch including a first gate terminal, the first power switch configured to control a first current between the first connection and the second connection based on a first signal to the first gate terminal; and A first point-of-use controller is configured to provide the first signal to the first gate terminal to control the first power switch.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the power module further comprises: A third connecting member; a second power switch, the second power switch comprising a second gate terminal, the second power switch configured to control a second current between the third connection and the second connection based on a second signal to the second gate terminal; as well as A second point-of-use controller is configured to provide the second signal to the second gate terminal to control the second power switch.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first connector is configured to connect to a positive terminal of a battery of the electric vehicle, the second connector is configured to connect to a phase terminal of a motor of the electric vehicle, and the third connector is configured to connect to a negative terminal of the battery.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the power module further comprises: Command pin, Wherein the first point-of-use controller is further configured to receive a gate command via the command pin, and provide the first signal to the first gate terminal based on the received gate command.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first power switch comprises one or more silicon carbide grains.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first point-of-use controller comprises a first gate drive controller and a second gate drive controller.

15. A system comprising: A point-of-use controller is provided for a power module used in an inverter, and is configured to: Receive gate commands; as well as A signal is generated to a gate terminal of a power switch of the power module based on the received gate command.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the point-of-use controller is further configured to: receiving a sensing signal from the power switching element; and The signal for the gate terminal is generated based on a received sense signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the point-of-use controller is further configured to: The signal to the gate terminal is used to control current through the power switch.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the point-of-use controller is further configured to: A gate-to-source voltage of the power switch component is sensed during one or more of a turn-on event of the power switch component or a turn-off event of the power switch component.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the point-of-use controller is further configured to generate the signal for the gate terminal based on one or more of an intrinsic parameter of the power switching component, a parameter drift during the service life of the power switching component, or a change in the operating temperature of the power switching component.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the point of use controller is configured to control a first group of silicon carbide die of the power switch and to control a second group of silicon carbide die of the power switch independently of the first group.

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