Intelligent electronic switch for anomaly detection, chip, chip product and automobile

Abstract

The invention provides an intelligent electronic switch for anomaly detection, a chip, a chip product and an automobile, in the intelligent electronic switch, a control circuit is used for controlling a power switch to be turned on or turned off, and a clamping circuit obtains a drain-source voltage value of the power switch and outputs an adjustment signal according to the drain-source voltage value and an accessed reference voltage value; the intelligent electronic switch further comprises an abnormal detection circuit, the abnormal detection circuit obtains the gate-source voltage value of the power switch when receiving the adjustment signal, and the abnormal detection circuit detects the gate-source voltage value of the power switch when receiving the adjustment signal. And when the gate-source voltage value exceeds the preset voltage interval, outputting an abnormal signal to indicate that the load is abnormal. The invention provides a load anomaly detection scheme which can play a role by means of the clamping function of the clamping circuit, and the purpose of detecting whether the load is abnormal or not under the condition that the drain-source voltage value of the clamping power switch is constant is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of electronic circuit technology, and in particular to an intelligent electronic switch, chip, chip product and automobile for abnormality detection. Background Art

[0002] An intelligent electronic switch is an electronic component that controls the on / off of a load circuit. It integrates a variety of protection functions and diagnostic functions to improve the reliability of the intelligent electronic switch. The intelligent electronic switch has a power switch inside. By controlling the power switch to turn on or off, it can control whether the power supply is supplied to the load.

[0003] At present, load short circuit and load open circuit are two forms of load abnormality. Load short circuit detection and load open circuit detection are essential functions of intelligent electronic switches. When an abnormality such as a short circuit or open circuit is detected in the load, the intelligent electronic switch will shut down the power switch in time, which can protect the power switch from being damaged, thereby improving the reliability of the use of the intelligent electronic switch. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides an intelligent electronic switch, a chip, a chip product and a car for abnormality detection, which are used to perform load abnormality detection when the drain-source voltage value of a clamped power switch is constant.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection, comprising a power supply terminal, a power ground terminal, a load output terminal, a control circuit, a clamping circuit, and a power switch;

[0006] The power supply end and the power ground end are used to be connected to a battery, the power switch is used to be connected in series with a load, a first end thereof is connected to the power supply end or the power ground end, a second end thereof is connected to the load output end, and a control end thereof is connected to the control circuit, and the control circuit is used to control the power switch to be turned on or off;

[0007] The clamping circuit is connected to the source and drain of the power switch, and is used to obtain the drain-source voltage value of the power switch, and output an adjustment signal according to the drain-source voltage value and the connected reference voltage value, so that the control circuit adjusts the gate control signal output to the power switch to clamp the drain-source voltage value to the reference voltage value, and the gate control signal is positively correlated with the load current flowing through the power switch;

[0008] It also includes an abnormality detection circuit, which is respectively connected to the gate, source, control circuit and clamping circuit of the power switch. When the adjustment signal is received, the abnormality detection circuit obtains the gate-source voltage value of the power switch, and outputs an abnormal signal when the gate-source voltage value exceeds a preset voltage range. The abnormal signal is used to indicate load abnormality.

[0009] Optionally, the abnormality detection circuit includes a gate-source voltage detection unit and an abnormality judgment unit;

[0010] The input end of the gate-source voltage detection unit is respectively connected to the gate and source of the power switch, the output end is connected to the abnormality judgment unit, and the enable end is connected to the clamping circuit. The abnormality judgment unit is used to access the lower limit value and the upper limit value of the preset voltage interval, and the abnormality judgment unit is also connected to the control circuit;

[0011] The gate-source voltage detection unit obtains the gate voltage value and the source voltage value of the power switch and outputs the gate-source voltage value when the enable end thereof receives the adjustment signal; the abnormality judgment unit compares the gate-source voltage value with the lower limit value and the upper limit value respectively, and outputs the abnormality signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than the lower limit value or greater than the upper limit value.

[0012] Wherein, the abnormality judgment unit includes a lower limit comparison unit, an upper limit comparison unit and a processing unit;

[0013] The lower limit comparison unit, whose first input end is connected to the output end of the gate-source voltage detection unit, whose second input end is used to access the lower limit value, and whose output end is connected to the processing unit; the upper limit comparison unit, whose first input end is used to access the upper limit value, whose second input end is connected to the output end of the gate-source voltage detection unit, and whose output end is connected to the processing unit; the processing unit is also connected to the control circuit;

[0014] The lower limit comparison unit outputs a first level signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than the lower limit value, and outputs a second level signal when the gate-source voltage value is greater than or equal to the lower limit value; the upper limit comparison unit outputs a first level signal when the gate-source voltage value is greater than the upper limit value, and outputs a second level signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than or equal to the upper limit value; the processing unit outputs the abnormal signal when receiving the first level signal.

[0015] Optionally, the abnormality detection circuit outputs a short-circuit signal when the gate-source voltage value is greater than an upper limit value of the preset voltage interval, and outputs an open-circuit signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than a lower limit value of the preset voltage interval, the short-circuit signal is used to indicate that a short circuit occurs in the load, and the open-circuit signal is used to indicate that an open circuit occurs in the load.

[0016] Optionally, the clamping circuit includes a drain-source voltage detection unit and an operational amplifier unit;

[0017] The input end of the drain-source voltage detection unit is respectively connected to the drain and source of the power switch, and the output end thereof is connected to the operational amplifier unit. The operational amplifier unit is also used to access the reference voltage value, and the operational amplifier unit is also connected to the control circuit;

[0018] The drain-source voltage detection unit is used to obtain the drain voltage value and the source voltage value of the power switch and output the drain-source voltage value. The operational amplifier unit outputs an adjustment signal when the drain-source voltage value is inconsistent with the reference voltage value. The adjustment signal is used to instruct the control circuit to adjust the output gate control signal; wherein, when the drain-source voltage value is greater than the reference voltage value, the adjustment signal is used to instruct the control circuit to increase the output gate control signal, and when the drain-source voltage value is less than the reference voltage value, the adjustment signal is used to instruct the control circuit to decrease the output gate control signal.

[0019] Optionally, the intelligent electronic switch also includes a reference voltage setting pin and a reference voltage setting circuit, the reference voltage setting circuit is connected to the clamp circuit and the reference voltage setting pin, the reference voltage setting pin is also used to connect to a first resistor, the first resistor is used to set the reference voltage value based on the reference voltage setting circuit, the larger the resistance of the first resistor, the larger the reference voltage value.

[0020] Optionally, the intelligent electronic switch further includes an input terminal and a first timing circuit;

[0021] The input end is connected to the control circuit and the first timing circuit respectively, and the first timing circuit is connected to the clamping circuit;

[0022] When the input terminal receives a start control signal, the control circuit controls the power switch to turn on, and at the same time, the first timing circuit starts timing;

[0023] The first timing circuit outputs a timing arrival signal when the continuous timing duration reaches a first preset duration, and the timing arrival signal is used to trigger the clamping circuit to start working.

[0024] The first timing circuit is also connected to the abnormality detection circuit, and the timing arrival signal is also used to trigger the abnormality detection circuit to start working.

[0025] Optionally, when the power switch operates in the saturation region and the drain-source voltage value of the power switch is clamped to the reference voltage value, the greater the load current flowing through the power switch, the greater the gate control signal, and the smaller the internal resistance value of the power switch.

[0026] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an integrated circuit chip, comprising an intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection as described in the first aspect, wherein the power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, and the load output end is a load output pin.

[0027] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip product, comprising the intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection as described in the first aspect, wherein components of the intelligent electronic switch other than the power switch are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the power switch is located on a second integrated circuit chip;

[0028] Among them, the power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, and the load output end is a load output pin. The power supply pin and the power ground pin are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the load output pin is located on a second integrated circuit chip.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an automobile, comprising the intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection as described in the first aspect, or the integrated circuit chip as described in the second aspect, or the chip product as described in the third aspect;

[0030] It also includes a battery, a load and a microcontroller, wherein the positive electrode of the battery is connected to the power supply terminal, the negative electrode of the battery is connected to the power ground terminal, one end of the load is connected to the load output terminal, the other end of the load is connected to the power ground terminal or the power supply terminal, and the microcontroller is connected to the intelligent electronic switch.

[0031] The present application provides an intelligent electronic switch, chip, chip product and automobile for abnormality detection. In the intelligent electronic switch, the control circuit is used to control the power switch to turn on or off, and the drain-source voltage value of the power switch is obtained through the clamping circuit, and an adjustment signal is output according to the drain-source voltage value and the reference voltage value connected, so that the control circuit adjusts the gate control signal output to the power switch to clamp the drain-source voltage value to the reference voltage value. In addition, the intelligent electronic switch also includes an abnormality detection circuit, which obtains the gate-source voltage value of the power switch when receiving the above adjustment signal, and outputs an abnormal signal when the gate-source voltage value exceeds the preset voltage range to indicate that the load is abnormal. That is, the present application provides a load abnormality detection scheme, which can play a role with the help of the clamping function of the clamping circuit, and achieves the purpose of detecting whether the load is abnormal when the drain-source voltage value of the clamped power switch is constant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a circuit module schematic diagram of the intelligent electronic switch and its peripheral components provided in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the working curve of the power switch (MOS tube);

[0035] Figure 3 is a circuit module schematic diagram of an abnormality detection circuit in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 4 Yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit module after the clamping circuit in the embodiment is modularized;

[0037] Figure 5 It is a circuit module schematic diagram of an intelligent electronic switch and its peripheral components provided in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 6 It is a circuit module schematic diagram of an intelligent electronic switch and its peripheral components provided in the third embodiment of the present application.

[0039] The above drawings have shown clear embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail later. These drawings and text descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but to illustrate the concept of the present application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof appearing in the specification, claims and drawings of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or modules is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0042] In addition, the terms "first", "second" and "third" are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. The electrical connection of the present application includes direct electrical connection and indirect electrical connection. Indirect electrical connection means that other electronic components, pins, etc. may exist between the two electrically connected components. The XX end mentioned in the present application may be an actual terminal, or it may not be an actual terminal, for example, it is only one end of a component or one end of a wire. The "and / or" mentioned in the present application includes three situations. For example, A and / or B includes three situations: A, B, A and B.

[0043] With the acceleration of the transformation of the automotive intelligent industry, more and more electronic switches are installed in cars. In practical applications, intelligent electronic switches are used to drive and switch the loads in the car, and protect and diagnose the loads because of their high reliability, flexibility, low power consumption, small size and light weight. They are widely used in automotive electronics, industrial automation, medical equipment and other fields. Therefore, intelligent electronic switches have gradually become the trend of switch development.

[0044] Smart electronic switches are usually used to couple loads with batteries. They are electronic components that control the on and off of load circuits. They have one or more diagnostic capabilities and protection features, such as protection against over-temperature, overload, short-circuit events, and open-circuit events. For example, a smart electronic switch has a power switch. When the smart electronic switch is over-temperature, overloaded, short-circuited, or open-circuited, the power switch will be turned off, disconnecting the path between the battery and the load, thereby protecting the power switch and the load from damage and improving the reliability of the smart electronic switch during use.

[0045] It is understandable that in actual applications, the load types of intelligent electronic switches are diverse (for example, inductors, capacitors, resistors, or a combination of the three) and the working environment is harsh, so the application end will have particularly high requirements for its reliability. Among them, abnormal detection of intelligent electronic switches is a relatively important item in reliability requirements. For example, when the load connected to the power switch is short-circuited and the power switch is turned on, there will be uncontrollable current from the battery through the power switch to the ground. At this time, the instantaneous short-circuit power on the power switch may be too large due to the excessive current flowing through the power switch, which may cause the power switch to burn out; and when the load connected to the power switch is open-circuited, even if the power switch is turned on, there is almost no current flowing through the power switch, making the circuit using the intelligent electronic switch unable to work normally.

[0046] In response to the above technical problems, the industry has developed a variety of abnormality detection solutions for open or short-circuited loads, for example, by detecting the output voltage of a power switch or detecting the magnitude of the current flowing through the power switch, etc. to detect whether the load is abnormal. The embodiment of the present application provides an abnormality detection method that is different from the prior art, which can perform load abnormality detection based on applications such as controlling the voltage drop of the power switch to be constant.

[0047] The technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 is a circuit module diagram of the intelligent electronic switch and its peripheral components provided in the first embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the intelligent electronic switch can also be used for abnormality detection, specifically, Figure 1 As shown, the intelligent electronic switch 20 includes a power supply terminal VBAT, a power ground terminal GND, a load output terminal OUT, a power switch Q, a control circuit 21 and a clamping circuit 22 .

[0049] Among them, the power supply terminal VBAT and the power ground terminal GND are used to connect to the battery 10. Specifically, the power supply terminal VBAT is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 10, and the power ground terminal GND is connected to the negative electrode of the battery 10. The power switch Q is used to be connected in series with the load RL, and its first end is connected to the power supply terminal VBAT or the power ground terminal GND, and its second end is connected to the load output terminal OUT. Its control end is connected to the control circuit 21, and the control circuit 21 is used to control the power switch Q to turn on or off.

[0050] For example, in Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, the first end of the power switch Q is connected to the power supply terminal VBAT. At this time, the power switch Q is connected as a high-side switch (high-side switch), which is actually a switch connected between the positive electrode of the battery 10 and the load RL. In other embodiments of the present application, the first end of the power switch Q is connected to the power ground terminal GND, that is, the power switch Q is connected between the negative electrode of the battery 10 and the load RL. At this time, the power switch Q is connected as a low-side switch (low-side switch), which will not be described in detail here.

[0051] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the clamping circuit 22 is connected to the source s and the drain d of the power switch Q, and is used to obtain the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q, and output the adjustment signal Vadj according to the drain-source voltage value Vds and the connected reference voltage value Vref, so that the control circuit 21 adjusts the gate control signal Vg output to the power switch Q, so as to clamp the drain-source voltage value Vds to the reference voltage value Vref, and the gate control signal Vg is positively correlated with the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q.

[0052] In this embodiment, the control circuit 21 can control the state of the power switch Q based on the received switch control signal (ON / OFF signal). For example, the control circuit 21 controls the power switch Q to turn on and conduct when receiving the start control signal (ON signal), and controls the power switch Q to work in the saturation region (i.e., constant current region) after the power switch Q is turned on, so that under the action of the reference voltage value Vref, the clamp circuit 22, the control circuit 21, and the power switch Q can be connected to form a negative feedback loop; the clamp circuit 22 can compare the drain-source voltage value Vds with the reference voltage value Vref and generate an adjustment signal Vadj according to the difference between the two, so that the control circuit 21 adjusts the gate control signal Vg output to the power switch Q to control the on-resistance of the power switch Q. That is, in this embodiment, when the resistance of the load RL changes, that is, when the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q changes, by adjusting the gate control signal Vg output to the power switch Q, and then adjusting the on-resistance of the power switch Q, it is possible to ensure that the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q remains substantially unchanged, thereby achieving the purpose of a constant voltage drop of the power switch Q.

[0053] For example, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the working curve of the power switch (MOS tube). Figure 2As shown, the operating regions of the MOS transistor include the cut-off region, the linear region, and the saturation region. When Vgs < Vgs(th), the power switch is in the cut-off region and is not turned on. When Vgs > Vgs(th), if Vds is less than the value corresponding to the pinch-off locus, the power switch operates in the linear region. If Vds is greater than the value corresponding to the pinch-off locus, the power switch operates in the saturation region. Among them, when the power switch Q operates in the saturation region, if the drain-source voltage value Vds is kept constant, the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q is positively correlated with the current value flowing through the power switch Q (i.e., the load current Ids). That is, if the current value flowing through the power switch Q is larger, the gate-source voltage value Vgs is larger; if the current value flowing through the power switch Q is smaller, the gate-source voltage value Vgs is smaller.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, after the negative feedback loop is stabilized, as an example, if the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q decreases, at this time, the clamping circuit 22 will detect that the drain-source voltage value Vds is less than the reference voltage value Vref. According to the operating characteristics of the power switch Q in the saturation region, the clamping circuit 22 outputs an adjustment signal Vadj to cause the control circuit 21 to reduce the gate control signal Vg output to the gate of the power switch Q, which can increase the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q to prevent the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q from decreasing. One decrease and one increase can make the product of the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q and the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q always follow the reference voltage value Vref, so as to achieve the purpose of clamping the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q to the reference voltage value Vref. As another example, if the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q increases, at this time, the clamping circuit 22 will detect that the drain-source voltage value Vds is greater than the reference voltage value Vref. The clamping circuit 22 outputs an adjustment signal Vadj to cause the control circuit 21 to increase the gate control signal Vg output to the gate of the power switch Q, which can decrease the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q to prevent the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q from increasing. One increase and one decrease can make the product of the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q and the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q always follow the reference voltage value Vref, and also achieve the purpose of clamping the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q to the reference voltage value Vref.

[0055] It can be understood that in the present embodiment, the gate control signal Vg outputted by the control circuit 21 to the control terminal of the power switch Q is positively correlated with the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q, that is, when the load current Ids increases, the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q can be reduced by increasing the gate control signal Vg, thereby clamping the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q to the reference voltage value Vref; similarly, when the load current Ids decreases, the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q can be increased by decreasing the gate control signal Vg, and the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q can also be clamped to the reference voltage value Vref.

[0056] From the above analysis, it can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, when the power switch Q operates in the saturation region and the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q is clamped to the reference voltage value Vref, the larger the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q, the larger the gate control signal Vg, and the smaller the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q, that is, within the adjustable range of the gate control signal Vg, the gate control signal Vg is positively correlated with the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q and negatively correlated with the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q.

[0057] Optionally, when an abnormality occurs in the load RL connected to the power switch Q, for example, when the load RL is short-circuited or the load RL is open-circuited, the negative feedback loop composed of the clamp circuit 22, the control circuit 21 and the power switch Q may be out of a stable state, and the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q will not be able to follow the reference voltage value Vref. For example, when the load RL is short-circuited, the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q will become very large, and accordingly, the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q will also become very large. In order to make the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q follow the reference voltage value Vref, the adjustment signal Vadj output by the clamp circuit 22 will make the gate control signal Vg output by the control circuit 21 to the control end of the power switch Q become very large, resulting in the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q becoming very large. When the load RL is open-circuited, the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q will become very small, and accordingly, the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q will also become very small. In order to make the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q follow the reference voltage value Vref, the adjustment signal Vadj output by the clamp circuit 22 will make the gate control signal Vg output by the control circuit 21 to the control end of the power switch Q become very small, resulting in the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q becoming very small.

[0058] It is understandable that if the power switch Q is to be turned on and operate stably, the gate-source voltage value Vgs at both ends of the gate g and the source s needs to be controlled to always be within the safe operating range. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the gate-source voltage value Vgs at both ends of the gate g and the source s of the power switch Q can be used to determine whether the load RL is abnormal.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the intelligent electronic switch also includes an abnormality detection circuit 23, which is respectively connected to the gate g, source s, control circuit 21, and clamp circuit 22 of the power switch Q. The abnormality detection circuit 23 obtains the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q when receiving the adjustment signal Vadj, and outputs an abnormality signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs exceeds the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax]. The abnormality signal is used to indicate that the load RL is abnormal. Among them, the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax] is set based on the safe operating interval of the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q, which can be the same as the range of the safe operating interval, or it can be a subset of the safe operating interval, and this embodiment does not limit it.

[0060] Optionally, in the present embodiment, the abnormality detection circuit 23 may start to work after the power switch Q is turned on and the clamping mechanism of the clamping circuit 22 takes effect, that is, the abnormality detection circuit 23 is connected to the clamping circuit 22, and when it receives the adjustment signal Vadj output by the clamping circuit 22, it obtains the gate voltage value Vg and the source voltage value Vs of the power switch Q respectively and calculates the gate-source voltage value Vgs, and then the abnormality detection circuit 23 determines whether the gate-source voltage value Vgs is within a preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax]. If so, it indicates that the gate-source voltage value Vgs is within an adjustable range and the load RL is not abnormal. When the gate-source voltage value Vgs exceeds the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax], it indicates that the gate-source voltage value Vgs has deviated from the adjustable range and the load RL has an abnormality. Accordingly, the abnormality detection circuit 23 outputs an abnormal signal.

[0061] Optional, see Figure 1 As shown, the abnormality detection circuit 23 is connected to the control circuit 21, and the abnormality signal output by the abnormality detection circuit 23 can be received by the control circuit 21. When receiving the abnormality signal, the control circuit 21 can directly control the power switch Q to be turned off, or perform other protection measures, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0062] Optionally, in this embodiment, the power switch Q can be an N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (N Metal-Oxide-SemiconductorField-Effect Transistor, NMOS FET, referred to as NMOS tube), a PMOS tube, a junction field effect transistor (Junction Field Effect Transistor, referred to as JFET) or an insulated gate bipolar transistor (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor, referred to as IGBT), etc., and the N-type MOS tube is used as an example for illustration in the figure. In other embodiments of the present application, the power switch Q can also be implemented as a silicon device, or can be implemented using other semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide (GaAs) or gallium nitride (GaN), etc. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the form of expression of the power switch Q. In addition, when the power switch Q is an NMOS tube or a PMOS tube, the above-mentioned adjustment signal Vadj and the gate control signal Vg are voltage signals. When the negative feedback loop of the present application is stable, when the control circuit 21 outputs the gate control signal Vg based on the adjustment signal Vadj to control the power switch Q, the power switch Q operates in the saturation region.

[0063] Optionally, a fuse (not shown) may be connected in series between the battery 10 and the power supply terminal VBAT to prevent a fault caused by excessive current in the line. Other components may be provided between the power ground terminal GND and the negative electrode of the battery 10, for example, a reverse connection prevention diode and a current limiting resistor connected in parallel to improve the stability of the intelligent electronic switch.

[0064] Optional, in Figure 1 In the schematic diagram shown, the connection relationship between the clamping circuit 22, the control circuit 21, the abnormality detection circuit 23, etc. and the power supply unit is not shown, but in actual application, a power supply unit can be set inside the intelligent electronic switch, and the internal power supply unit is connected to the power supply terminal VBAT to step down the voltage of the power supply terminal VBAT and provide it to the clamping circuit 22, the control circuit 21, the abnormality detection circuit 23 and other circuits. In other embodiments, the power supply unit may not be set inside the intelligent electronic switch 20. In this case, a step-down unit needs to be set between the power supply terminal VBAT and the positive electrode of the battery 10 to reduce the voltage input to the power supply terminal VBAT to the rated working voltage of the intelligent electronic switch 20, so that the voltage at the power supply terminal VBAT can directly power the circuit inside the intelligent electronic switch 20.

[0065] The intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection provided in the embodiment of the present application, in the application scenario of controlling the voltage drop of the power switch to be constant, when an abnormality such as a short circuit or an open circuit occurs in the load, the negative feedback loop composed of the clamping circuit, the control circuit and the power switch will deviate from the stable state, that is, the clamping circuit cannot clamp the drain-source voltage value to the reference voltage value. At this time, the gate-source voltage value of the power switch will also deviate from its safe operating range, so that the abnormality detection circuit detects the abnormality and outputs an abnormality signal.

[0066] To achieve anomaly detection, the following combination Figure 1 and Figure 3 Provide explanation. Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the circuit module of the abnormality detection circuit in the first embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the abnormality detection circuit 23 includes a gate-source voltage detection unit 231 and an abnormality determination unit 232 .

[0067] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the input end of the gate-source voltage detection unit 231 is respectively connected to the gate g and the source s of the power switch Q, the output end thereof is connected to the abnormality judgment unit 232, and the enable end thereof is connected to the clamping circuit 22. The abnormality judgment unit 232 is used to access the lower limit value Vmin and the upper limit value Vmax of the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax], and the abnormality judgment unit 232 is also connected to the control circuit 21.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present application, the gate-source voltage detection unit 231 obtains the gate voltage value Vg and the source voltage value Vs of the power switch Q and outputs the gate-source voltage value Vgs when the adjustment signal Vadj is received at its enable terminal. The abnormal judgment unit 232 compares the gate-source voltage value Vgs with the lower limit value Vmin and the upper limit value Vmax respectively, and outputs an abnormal signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is less than the lower limit value Vmin or greater than the upper limit value Vmax.

[0069] Exemplarily, the abnormality detection circuit 23 starts working when receiving the adjustment signal Vadj, which can be understood as the gate-source voltage detection unit 231 starting working when receiving the adjustment signal Vadj at its enable terminal. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the gate-source voltage detection unit 231 is implemented by the differential amplifier unit DA1, it can collect the gate voltage value Vg and the source voltage value Vs of the power switch Q through two input terminals when receiving the adjustment signal Vadj at its enable terminal, perform differential processing (such as subtraction operation), and output the gate-source voltage value Vgs.

[0070] After receiving the gate-source voltage value Vgs, the abnormality judgment unit 232 judges whether the gate-source voltage value Vgs is within the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax], that is, compares the gate-source voltage value Vgs with the lower limit value Vmin and the upper limit value Vmax of the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax] respectively. If the gate-source voltage value Vgs is greater than or equal to the lower limit value Vmin and less than or equal to the upper limit value Vmax, it indicates that the gate-source voltage value Vgs is within the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax]. At this time, the abnormality judgment unit 232 does not output an abnormal signal; if the gate-source voltage value Vgs is less than the lower limit value Vmin or greater than the upper limit value Vmax, it indicates that the gate-source voltage value Vgs is not within the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax] and exceeds the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax]. At this time, the abnormality judgment unit 232 outputs an abnormal signal to indicate that an abnormality has occurred in the load RL.

[0071] Continue to refer to Figure 3 As shown, the abnormality determination unit 232 includes a lower limit comparison unit CP1 , an upper limit comparison unit CP2 and a processing unit 230 .

[0072] Among them, the lower limit comparison unit CP1, its first input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the gate-source voltage detection unit 231, its second input terminal is used to access the lower limit value Vmin, and its output terminal is connected to the processing unit 230; the upper limit comparison unit CP2, its first input terminal is used to access the upper limit value Vmax, its second input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the gate-source voltage detection unit 231, and its output terminal is connected to the processing unit 230; the processing unit 230 is also connected to the control circuit 21.

[0073] In this embodiment, the lower limit comparison unit CP1 outputs a first level signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is less than the lower limit value Vmin, and outputs a second level signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is greater than or equal to the lower limit value Vmin; the upper limit comparison unit CP2 outputs a first level signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is greater than the upper limit value Vmax, and outputs a second level signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is less than or equal to the upper limit value Vmax; the processing unit 230 outputs an abnormal signal when receiving the first level signal.

[0074] Exemplarily, in this embodiment, the first input terminals of the lower limit comparison unit CP1 and the upper limit comparison unit CP2 are both inverting terminals (-), and the second input terminals thereof are both non-inverting terminals (+). Thus, as an example, when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is less than the lower limit value Vmin, the inverting terminal voltage of the lower limit comparison unit CP1 is less than the non-inverting terminal voltage, and the lower limit comparison unit CP1 outputs a high level signal. At this time, the non-inverting terminal voltage of the upper limit comparison unit CP2 is less than the inverting terminal voltage, and the upper limit comparison unit CP2 outputs a low level signal. As another example, when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is greater than the upper limit value Vmax, the lower limit comparison unit CP1 outputs a high level signal. The inverting terminal voltage of the comparison unit CP1 is greater than the positive terminal voltage, and the lower limit comparison unit CP1 outputs a low level signal. At this time, the positive terminal voltage of the upper limit comparison unit CP2 is greater than the inverting terminal voltage, and the upper limit comparison unit CP2 outputs a high level signal. As another example, when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is greater than or equal to the lower limit value Vmin and less than or equal to the upper limit value Vmax, the inverting terminal voltage of the lower limit comparison unit CP1 is greater than the positive terminal voltage, and the lower limit comparison unit CP1 outputs a low level signal, and the positive terminal voltage of the upper limit comparison unit CP2 is less than the inverting terminal voltage, and the upper limit comparison unit CP2 outputs a low level signal. Therefore, in this embodiment, the processing unit 230 outputs an abnormal signal when receiving a high level signal.

[0075] It can be understood that in this embodiment, the first level signal is a high level signal, and the second level signal is a low level signal. In other embodiments, when the first input terminals of the lower limit comparison unit CP1 and the upper limit comparison unit CP2 are both positive phase terminals (+), and the second input terminals thereof are both negative phase terminals (-), the first level signal is a low level signal, and the second level signal is a high level signal. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific expression forms of the first level signal and the second level signal, which are determined according to actual conditions.

[0076] Optional, combined with the above Figures 1 to 3 As can be seen from the schematic diagram shown, the abnormality detection circuit 23 outputs a short-circuit signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is greater than the upper limit value Vmax of the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax], and outputs an open-circuit signal when the gate-source voltage value Vgs is less than the lower limit value Vmin of the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax]. The short-circuit signal is used to indicate that a short circuit occurs in the load RL, and the open-circuit signal is used to indicate that an open circuit occurs in the load RL.

[0077] Specifically, when the load RL is short-circuited, the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q will become very large, causing the drain-source voltage value Vds obtained by the clamp circuit 22 to suddenly increase and be greater than the reference voltage value Vref. In this way, the adjustment signal Vadj output by the clamp circuit 22 will trigger the control circuit 21 to increase the gate control signal Vg. Correspondingly, the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q will also increase. The abnormality detection circuit 23 will detect the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q in real time during operation. If the gate-source voltage value Vgs increases to a value greater than the upper limit value Vmax of the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax], it indicates that the increased gate-source voltage value Vgs exceeds the normal working range of the power switch Q. Therefore, the abnormality detection circuit 23 can output a short-circuit signal. Assume that the abnormality detection circuit 23 detects the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q in real time during operation. Figure 3 If the circuit module diagram shown is implemented, the abnormal signal can be a two-bit coded signal, the first coded signal is used to represent the comparison result of the lower limit comparison unit CP1, and the second coded signal is used to represent the comparison result of the upper limit comparison unit CP2, so the short circuit signal can be represented by 10.

[0078] Similarly, when the load RL is open-circuited, the load current Ids flowing through the power switch Q will become very small, causing the drain-source voltage value Vds obtained by the clamp circuit 22 to suddenly decrease and be less than the reference voltage value Vref, so that the adjustment signal Vadj output by the clamp circuit 22 will trigger the control circuit 21 to increase the gate control signal Vg, and accordingly, the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q will also decrease, and the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q detected in real time by the abnormality detection circuit 23 will decrease to a value less than the lower limit Vmin of the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax], indicating that the reduced gate-source voltage value Vgs is also out of the normal working range of the power switch Q, and therefore, the abnormality detection circuit 23 can output an open-circuit signal. Similarly, similar to the structure of the short-circuit signal, the open-circuit signal can be represented by 01.

[0079] It can be understood that when the load RL is not short-circuited or open-circuited, the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q detected by the abnormality detection circuit 23 will be within the preset voltage range [Vmin, Vmax]. At this time, the coding signal output by the abnormality detection circuit 23 is 00.

[0080] Optionally, the embodiment of the present application compares the gate-source voltage value Vgs with the lower limit value Vmin and the upper limit value Vmax of the preset voltage interval [Vmin, Vmax] to determine whether the load RL is abnormal. In other embodiments of the present application, the gate-source voltage value Vgs can also be converted into a current signal, and the current signal is compared with the lower limit value Imin and the upper limit value Imax of the preset current interval [Imin, Imax] to determine whether the load RL is abnormal. The implementation principle is similar and will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0081] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the intelligent electronic switch may further include an abnormal output terminal (not shown), which is connected to the abnormality detection circuit 23. In this way, when the abnormality detection circuit 23 detects that the load RL is abnormal, it may also output an abnormality indication signal through the abnormality output terminal, and the abnormality indication signal is used to indicate that the load RL is abnormal.

[0082] Exemplarily, the abnormal output terminal is used to connect to a microcontroller, so when an abnormality occurs in the load RL, the microcontroller can also promptly obtain an abnormal indication signal indicating that the load RL is abnormal, so as to actively control the state of the power switch Q.

[0083] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, in order to clamp the drain-source voltage value Vds to the reference voltage value Vref, the following Figure 4 The circuit module schematic shown is explained. Figure 4 Yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the circuit module after the clamp circuit in FIG. Figure 4 In the schematic diagram shown, the clamping circuit 22 includes a drain-source voltage detection unit 221 and an operational amplifier unit 222 .

[0084] Reference Figure 4 As shown, the input end of the drain-source voltage detection unit 221 is respectively connected to the drain d and the source s of the power switch Q, and the output end is connected to the operational amplifier unit 222. The operational amplifier unit 222 is also used to access the reference voltage value Vref. The operational amplifier unit 222 is also connected to the control circuit 21.

[0085] In this embodiment, the drain-source voltage detection unit 221 is used to obtain the drain voltage value Vd and the source voltage value Vs of the power switch Q and output the drain-source voltage value Vds. The operational amplifier unit 222 outputs an adjustment signal Vadj when the drain-source voltage value Vds is inconsistent with the reference voltage value Vref. The adjustment signal Vadj is used to instruct the control circuit 21 to adjust the output gate control signal Vg; wherein, when the drain-source voltage value Vds is greater than the reference voltage value Vref, the adjustment signal Vadj is used to instruct the control circuit 21 to increase the output gate control signal Vg, and when the drain-source voltage value Vds is less than the reference voltage value Vref, the adjustment signal Vadj is used to instruct the control circuit 21 to decrease the output gate control signal Vg.

[0086] Exemplarily, in this embodiment, when the drain-source voltage detection unit 221 is implemented by the differential amplifier unit DA2, it can collect the drain voltage value Vd and the source voltage value Vs of the power switch Q through two input terminals during operation, perform differential processing (such as subtraction operation), and output the drain-source voltage value Vds.

[0087] When the operational amplifier unit 222 is implemented by the operational amplifier OA1, it can compare the received drain-source voltage value Vds with the connected reference voltage value Vref, and when the two are inconsistent, calculate the difference between the two and output the adjustment signal Vadj according to the difference between the two. For example, the adjustment signal Vadj can be a difference signal between the drain-source voltage value Vds and the reference voltage value Vref or an amplified signal of the difference signal, and the adjustment trend of the adjustment signal Vadj (to increase or decrease the gate control signal Vg) is determined by the comparison result between the drain-source voltage value Vds and the reference voltage value Vref. Specifically, when the drain-source voltage value Vds is greater than the reference voltage value Vref, the adjustment signal Vadj is used to indicate that the gate control signal Vg is increased, and when the drain-source voltage value Vds is less than the reference voltage value Vref, the adjustment signal Vadj is used to indicate that the gate control signal Vg is decreased.

[0088] It can be understood that the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q is equal to the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q multiplied by the current value flowing through the power switch Q. Therefore, when the drain-source voltage value Vds is inconsistent with the reference voltage value Vref, in one embodiment, if the drain-source voltage value Vds is greater than the reference voltage value Vref, at this time, if the clamping circuit 22 wants to clamp the drain-source voltage value Vds to the reference voltage value Vref, it can output the adjustment signal Vadj to indicate that the gate control signal Vg is increased to reduce the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q, thereby The drain-source voltage value Vds is reduced to achieve the goal of clamping the drain-source voltage value Vds at the reference voltage value Vref; in another embodiment, if the drain-source voltage value Vds is less than the reference voltage value Vref, at this time, if the clamping circuit 22 wants to clamp the drain-source voltage value Vds to the reference voltage value Vref, it can output an adjustment signal Vadj to indicate that the gate control signal Vg is reduced to increase the internal resistance value Ron of the power switch Q, thereby increasing the drain-source voltage value Vds to achieve the goal of clamping the drain-source voltage value Vds at the reference voltage value Vref.

[0089] It can be understood that in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the reference voltage value Vref used to clamp the drain-source voltage value Vds can be a reference value preset in the intelligent electronic switch. At this time, the drain-source voltage value Vds can be clamped to the same reference voltage value Vref for different power switches Q, so as to achieve power consumption control of the power switch Q. However, when the intelligent electronic switch is applied to different products or different scenarios, it may be necessary to clamp the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q to different reference voltage values ​​Vref for better power control. Exemplarily, the reference voltage value can range from 20mv to 50mv. In one embodiment, the reference voltage value is 20mv. In response to this demand, the present application provides a second embodiment to set different reference voltage values ​​Vref according to different user needs or scenario requirements.

[0090] For example, Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the circuit module of the intelligent electronic switch and its peripheral components provided in the second embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the intelligent electronic switch 20 may further include a reference voltage setting pin SET and a reference voltage setting circuit 24. The reference voltage setting circuit 24 is connected to the clamp circuit 22 and the reference voltage setting pin SET. The reference voltage setting pin SET is also used to be connected to a first resistor R1. The first resistor R1 is used to set the size of the reference voltage value Vref based on the reference voltage setting circuit 24. The larger the resistance of the first resistor R1, the larger the reference voltage value Vref.

[0091] Continue to refer to Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the reference voltage setting circuit 24 may include a constant current source I1, one end of which is connected to the internal power supply terminal VDD, which can be understood as the output end of the power supply unit inside the intelligent electronic switch 20, and the other end of the constant current source I1 is connected to the reference voltage setting pin SET, and the reference voltage setting pin SET is also connected to the clamp circuit 22, and is externally connected to the first resistor R1. Therefore, the reference voltage value Vref connected to the clamp circuit 22 is equal to the voltage value at the reference voltage setting pin SET, and the voltage value at the reference voltage setting pin SET is equal to the output current of the constant current source I1 multiplied by the resistance value of the first resistor R1. Therefore, the reference voltage value Vref connected to the clamp circuit 22 is equal to the output current of the constant current source I1 multiplied by the resistance value of the first resistor R1.

[0092] Specifically, after the clamping circuit 22 of the intelligent electronic switch is designed, the current value output by the constant current source I1 is usually unchanged, because the voltage drop across the first resistor R1 can be changed by changing the resistance value of the first resistor R1, that is, the voltage value at the reference voltage setting pin SET can be changed. Exemplarily, when the resistance value of the first resistor R1 increases, the voltage drop across the first resistor R1, that is, the voltage value at the reference voltage setting pin SET increases, and accordingly, the reference voltage value Vref also increases; similarly, when the resistance value of the first resistor R1 decreases, the reference voltage value Vref also decreases.

[0093] The intelligent electronic switch provided in the embodiment of the present application is provided with a reference voltage setting pin and a reference voltage setting circuit, wherein the reference voltage setting pin is used to be connected to a first resistor. Thus, when the intelligent electronic switch is packaged into an integrated circuit chip or a chip product, the value of the internal reference voltage value thereof can be changed by changing the resistance value of the first resistor, thereby clamping the drain-source voltage value of the power switch to a different reference voltage value. The intelligent electronic switch can be applied to different application scenarios, meet different user needs, and enhance the competitiveness of products using the intelligent electronic switch.

[0094] Optionally, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, in order to improve the working efficiency and detection accuracy of the clamping circuit 22 and the abnormality detection circuit 23, the power switch Q is preferably in a stable state. If the power switch Q has just been turned on and has not yet entered a stable state, the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q is relatively small. According to the clamping principle of the clamping circuit 22, the gate control signal Vg needs to be reduced, which will cause the power switch Q to be unable to be turned on normally, thereby failing to pull up the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q to the reference voltage value Vref. Similarly, if an abnormality detection is performed when the power switch Q has just been turned on and has not entered a stable state, the detected gate-source voltage value Vgs may be less than the lower limit value Vmin of the preset voltage range, thereby causing a false detection. Therefore, the present application provides a third embodiment, by adding an effective condition to the start-up timing of the clamping circuit 22 and the abnormality detection circuit 23, so as to improve the working efficiency and detection accuracy of the clamping circuit 22 and the abnormality detection circuit 23.

[0095] For example, Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the circuit module of the intelligent electronic switch and its peripheral components provided in the third embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the intelligent electronic switch 20 may further include an input terminal INPUT and a first timing circuit 25. The input terminal INPUT is connected to the control circuit 21 and the first timing circuit 25 respectively, and the first timing circuit 25 is connected to the clamping circuit 22.

[0096] Continue to refer to Figure 6As shown, when the input terminal INPUT receives the start control signal (ON signal), the control circuit 21 controls the power switch Q to turn on and conduct, and at the same time, the first timing circuit 25 starts timing. The first timing circuit 25 outputs a timing arrival signal when the continuous timing duration reaches the first preset duration, and the timing arrival signal is used to trigger the clamp circuit 22 to start working.

[0097] Optionally, the input terminal INPUT is used to connect to a microcontroller, and can receive the switch control signal (ON / OFF signal) from the microcontroller.

[0098] In this embodiment, when the input terminal INPUT receives an on-control signal (ON signal), on the one hand, the on-control signal (ON signal) can be received by the control circuit 21, so that the control circuit 21 outputs a gate control signal Vg to the control terminal of the power switch Q when receiving the on-control signal (ON signal), so as to gradually increase the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q, and then when the gate-source voltage value Vgs of the power switch Q is greater than its on-threshold value, the power switch Q is turned on and conducted; on the other hand, the on-control signal (ON signal) can also be received by the first timing circuit 25, so that the first timing circuit 25 is triggered to start timing when receiving the on-control signal (ON signal), that is, the first timing circuit 25 can time the duration for which the control circuit 21 receives the on-control signal and controls the power switch Q to be turned on and conducted based on the on-control signal.

[0099] In practical applications, the time required for the power switch Q to be turned on is related to the gate control signal Vg output by the control circuit 21 to the control end of the power switch Q and the specifications of the power switch Q (mainly the gate-source capacitance of the power switch Q itself). In this embodiment, a first preset time can be preset in the first timing circuit 25 based on the gate control signal Vg of the control end of the power switch Q and the specifications of the power switch Q, that is, after the start control signal is received from the input end INPUT and the first preset time is started, it is considered that the power switch Q has been turned on. Therefore, the first timing circuit 25 outputs a timing arrival signal when the continuous timing time reaches the first preset time, and then triggers the clamping circuit 22 to start working, and then triggers the abnormality detection circuit 23 to start working after the clamping circuit 22 works, which can greatly reduce the problem of being unable to clamp the drain-source voltage value Vds of the power switch Q, and can also avoid the problem of false detection by the abnormality detection circuit 23.

[0100] Optionally, in another embodiment of the present application, continue to refer to Figure 6As shown, the first timing circuit 25 is also connected to the abnormality detection circuit 23, and the timing arrival signal is also used to trigger the abnormality detection circuit 23 to start working. That is, the timing arrival signal output by the first timing circuit 25 is used to directly trigger the abnormality detection circuit 23 to start working, which can also avoid the problem of false detection by the abnormality detection circuit 23 and improve the detection accuracy of the abnormality detection circuit 23.

[0101] It can be understood that for other parts not recorded in the above embodiment, reference can be made to the records in other embodiments, and this application does not limit them.

[0102] Optionally, based on the above embodiments, the embodiment of the present application further provides an integrated circuit chip, the integrated circuit chip includes the intelligent electronic switch 20 for abnormality detection provided by the above embodiments, that is, the above intelligent electronic switch 20 can be made on the same semiconductor substrate. Among them, the power supply terminal VBAT is a power supply pin, the power ground terminal GND is a power ground pin, and the load output terminal OUT is a load output pin.

[0103] Optionally, other embodiments of the present application further provide a chip product, which may include the intelligent electronic switch 20 for abnormality detection provided by the above embodiments, wherein the components of the intelligent electronic switch 20 except the power switch Q are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the power switch Q is located on a second integrated circuit chip, that is, the first integrated circuit chip is made on one semiconductor substrate, and the second integrated circuit chip is made on another semiconductor substrate.

[0104] Among them, the power supply terminal VBAT is the power supply pin, the power ground terminal GND is the power ground pin, the load output terminal OUT is the load output pin, the power supply pin and the power ground pin are located on the first integrated circuit chip, and the load output pin is located on the second integrated circuit chip. In addition, the first integrated circuit chip also includes other pins, such as input pins, abnormal output pins, first drive pins, etc., and the second integrated circuit chip also includes other pins, for example, a second drive pin, wherein the first drive pin is respectively connected to the control circuit 21 and the second drive pin, and the second drive pin is connected to the control end of the power switch Q. It can be understood that the first integrated circuit chip and the second integrated circuit chip can also add other pins, omit related pins, or merge related pins as needed. Here, the first integrated circuit chip and the second integrated circuit chip are packaged into one product.

[0105] In addition, in other embodiments of the present application, a car is also provided. The car can be an electric car, such as an electric passenger car or an electric commercial vehicle, or a hybrid car or a fuel car. The car includes a battery 10, a load RL, a microcontroller (not shown) and an intelligent electronic switch 20.

[0106] The battery 10 is generally a storage battery, which provides voltages such as 12V, 24V, 48V, etc., and can also be other types of batteries. The load RL includes at least one of a resistive load, an inductive load, and a capacitive load. The resistive load is, for example, a seat adjustment device, an auxiliary heating device, a window heating device, a light emitting diode (LED), a rear lighting, or other resistive loads. The inductive load is, for example, a pump, an actuator, a motor, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), an electronic braking system (EBS), a fan, or other systems including an inductive load for one or more wiper systems. The capacitive load is, for example, a lighting element, such as a xenon arc lamp.

[0107] The microcontroller is connected to the intelligent electronic switch for controlling the intelligent electronic switch. Meanwhile, the intelligent electronic switch feeds back its state and related parameter information, such as abnormal information, to the microcontroller for processing by the microcontroller.

[0108] It is understandable that the intelligent electronic switch and integrated circuit chip of this embodiment are not limited to use in automotive electronics, but can also be used in industrial automation, aerospace and other fields, which will not be elaborated here.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the application disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present application, which follows the general principles of the present application and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present application. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are indicated by the following claims.

[0110] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection, characterized in that: It includes a power supply terminal, a power ground terminal, a load output terminal, a control circuit, a clamping circuit and a power switch; The power supply end and the power ground end are used to be connected to a battery, the power switch is used to be connected in series with a load, a first end thereof is connected to the power supply end or the power ground end, a second end thereof is connected to the load output end, and a control end thereof is connected to the control circuit, and the control circuit is used to control the power switch to be turned on or off; The clamping circuit is connected to the source and drain of the power switch, and is used to obtain the drain-source voltage value of the power switch, and output an adjustment signal according to the drain-source voltage value and the connected reference voltage value, so that the control circuit adjusts the gate control signal output to the power switch to clamp the drain-source voltage value to the reference voltage value, and the gate control signal is positively correlated with the load current flowing through the power switch; It also includes an abnormality detection circuit, which is respectively connected to the gate, source, control circuit and clamping circuit of the power switch. When the adjustment signal is received, the abnormality detection circuit obtains the gate-source voltage value of the power switch, and outputs an abnormal signal when the gate-source voltage value exceeds a preset voltage range. The abnormal signal is used to indicate load abnormality.

2. The intelligent electronic switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The abnormality detection circuit includes a gate-source voltage detection unit and an abnormality judgment unit; The input end of the gate-source voltage detection unit is respectively connected to the gate and source of the power switch, the output end is connected to the abnormality judgment unit, and the enable end is connected to the clamping circuit. The abnormality judgment unit is used to access the lower limit value and the upper limit value of the preset voltage interval, and the abnormality judgment unit is also connected to the control circuit; The gate-source voltage detection unit obtains the gate voltage value and the source voltage value of the power switch and outputs the gate-source voltage value when the enable end thereof receives the adjustment signal; the abnormality judgment unit compares the gate-source voltage value with the lower limit value and the upper limit value respectively, and outputs the abnormality signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than the lower limit value or greater than the upper limit value.

3. The intelligent electronic switch according to claim 2, characterized in that: The abnormality judgment unit includes a lower limit comparison unit, an upper limit comparison unit and a processing unit; The lower limit comparison unit, whose first input end is connected to the output end of the gate-source voltage detection unit, whose second input end is used to access the lower limit value, and whose output end is connected to the processing unit; the upper limit comparison unit, whose first input end is used to access the upper limit value, whose second input end is connected to the output end of the gate-source voltage detection unit, and whose output end is connected to the processing unit; the processing unit is also connected to the control circuit; The lower limit comparison unit outputs a first level signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than the lower limit value, and outputs a second level signal when the gate-source voltage value is greater than or equal to the lower limit value; The upper limit comparison unit outputs a first level signal when the gate-source voltage value is greater than the upper limit value, and outputs a second level signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than or equal to the upper limit value; The processing unit outputs the abnormal signal when receiving the first level signal.

4. The intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The abnormality detection circuit outputs a short-circuit signal when the gate-source voltage value is greater than the upper limit value of the preset voltage interval, and outputs an open-circuit signal when the gate-source voltage value is less than the lower limit value of the preset voltage interval. The short-circuit signal is used to indicate that a short circuit occurs in the load, and the open-circuit signal is used to indicate that an open circuit occurs in the load.

5. The intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The clamp circuit includes a drain-source voltage detection unit and an operational amplifier unit; The input end of the drain-source voltage detection unit is respectively connected to the drain and source of the power switch, and the output end thereof is connected to the operational amplifier unit. The operational amplifier unit is also used to access the reference voltage value, and the operational amplifier unit is also connected to the control circuit; The drain-source voltage detection unit is used to obtain the drain voltage value and the source voltage value of the power switch and output the drain-source voltage value. The operational amplifier unit outputs an adjustment signal when the drain-source voltage value is inconsistent with the reference voltage value. The adjustment signal is used to instruct the control circuit to adjust the output gate control signal; wherein, when the drain-source voltage value is greater than the reference voltage value, the adjustment signal is used to instruct the control circuit to increase the output gate control signal, and when the drain-source voltage value is less than the reference voltage value, the adjustment signal is used to instruct the control circuit to decrease the output gate control signal.

6. The intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: It also includes a reference voltage setting pin and a reference voltage setting circuit, wherein the reference voltage setting circuit is connected to the clamp circuit and the reference voltage setting pin, and the reference voltage setting pin is also used to be connected to a first resistor, and the first resistor is used to set the reference voltage value based on the reference voltage setting circuit. The larger the resistance of the first resistor, the larger the reference voltage value.

7. The intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Also includes an input terminal and a first timing circuit; The input end is connected to the control circuit and the first timing circuit respectively, and the first timing circuit is connected to the clamping circuit; When the input terminal receives a start control signal, the control circuit controls the power switch to turn on, and at the same time, the first timing circuit starts timing; The first timing circuit outputs a timing arrival signal when the continuous timing duration reaches a first preset duration, and the timing arrival signal is used to trigger the clamping circuit to start working.

8. The intelligent electronic switch according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first timing circuit is also connected to the abnormality detection circuit, and the timing arrival signal is also used to trigger the abnormality detection circuit to start working.

9. The intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: When the power switch operates in the saturation region and the drain-source voltage value of the power switch is clamped to the reference voltage value, the greater the load current flowing through the power switch, the greater the gate control signal, and the smaller the internal resistance value of the power switch.

10. An integrated circuit chip, characterized in that: It comprises an intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, and the load output end is a load output pin.

11. A chip product, characterized in that: An intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the components of the intelligent electronic switch except the power switch are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the power switch is located on a second integrated circuit chip; Among them, the power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, and the load output end is a load output pin. The power supply pin and the power ground pin are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the load output pin is located on a second integrated circuit chip.

12. A car, characterized in that: An intelligent electronic switch for abnormality detection according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or an integrated circuit chip according to claim 10, or a chip product according to claim 11; It also includes a battery, a load and a microcontroller, wherein the positive electrode of the battery is connected to the power supply terminal, the negative electrode of the battery is connected to the power ground terminal, one end of the load is connected to the load output terminal, the other end of the load is connected to the power ground terminal or the power supply terminal, and the microcontroller is connected to the intelligent electronic switch.

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