Drain-source voltage monitoring using source stray inductance
By using source stray inductance to monitor drain-source voltage, the problems of high monitoring cost and low accuracy in the prior art are solved, realizing efficient and accurate monitoring of Vds peak voltage of power devices, optimizing gate drive capability, and preventing device damage.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies for monitoring the peak drain-source voltage of power devices require a large number of components, increasing cost and complexity, and cannot accurately quantify the peak voltage Vds. In particular, under high voltage conditions, signal delay and suppression are severe, and it is impossible to monitor both high-side and low-side devices simultaneously.
By using source stray inductance to monitor drain-source voltage, and by measuring the voltage of the source line to induce voltage, the overshoot voltage Vds is estimated using an analog-to-digital converter and a controller. This reduces the need for high-voltage monitoring, simplifies the design, and improves accuracy.
It enables efficient and accurate monitoring of power devices, reduces cost and complexity, can simultaneously monitor the Vds peak voltage of high-side and low-side devices, optimizes gate drive capability, and prevents device damage.
Smart Images
Figure CN122268137A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Background Technology
[0001] This disclosure generally relates to semiconductor devices. More specifically, this disclosure relates to using source stray inductance to monitor the peak drain-source voltage of a power device.
[0002] Gate drivers are used in switching converter applications, such as DC / DC converters, inverters, motor drivers, etc. These systems may include a controller, one or more power devices (e.g., switching elements), and a gate driver for each switch. The gate driver drives its corresponding power device to an on or off state according to signals from the controller, and the system provides the required output voltage or power to the load. Summary of the Invention
[0003] In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is generally described. The semiconductor device may include a driver and circuitry. The driver may be configured to receive a control signal from a controller. The driver may also be configured to generate a gate current based on the control signal to drive a power device. The circuitry may be connected to the source terminal of the power device. The circuitry may be configured to measure the voltage across the source line of the power device. The circuitry may also be configured to output the voltage across the source line to the controller. The driver may also be configured to receive a regulated control signal from the controller, wherein the regulated signal is based at least on the source stray inductance of the power device. The driver may also be configured to generate a new gate current based on the regulated control signal to drive the power device.
[0004] In one embodiment, a system in a switching converter is generally described. The system may include a controller configured to generate a control signal, a half-bridge circuit, and a gate driver. The gate driver may be configured to drive a power device of the half-bridge circuit according to the control signal. The gate driver may also be configured to measure the voltage across the source line of the first power device. The gate driver may also be configured to output the voltage across the source line to the controller. The controller may also be configured to determine an overshoot voltage associated with the power device based at least on the voltage across the source line. The controller may also be configured to determine the peak drain-source voltage of the power device based at least on the overshoot voltage. The controller may also be configured to adjust the control signal based on the determined peak drain-source voltage.
[0005] In one embodiment, a method for operating a switching converter is generally described. The method may include measuring the voltage across the source line of a power device. The method may further include determining an overshoot voltage associated with the power device based at least on the voltage across the source line. The method may further include determining a peak drain-source voltage of the power device based at least on the overshoot voltage. The method may further include adjusting a control signal for driving the power device based on the determined peak drain-source voltage.
[0006] The above overview is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Other aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, in addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or functionally similar elements. Attached Figure Description
[0007] Figure 1A This is a diagram illustrating a system in one embodiment that can use a source stray inductor to achieve drain-source voltage monitoring;
[0008] Figure 1B This is a diagram illustrating another system in one embodiment that can use a source stray inductor to achieve drain-source voltage monitoring;
[0009] Figure 1C This is a diagram illustrating another system in one embodiment that can use a source stray inductor to achieve drain-source voltage monitoring;
[0010] Figure 2A This is a diagram illustrating an example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using source stray inductance in one embodiment;
[0011] Figure 2B This is a diagram illustrating another example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using a source stray inductor in one embodiment;
[0012] Figure 2C This is a diagram illustrating another example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using a source stray inductor in one embodiment;
[0013] Figure 3A This is a diagram illustrating the transition of a power module from an on state to an off state during drain-source voltage monitoring using a source stray inductor in one embodiment.
[0014] Figure 3B It is shown Figure 3A A diagram showing the signal waveform during the transition;
[0015] Figure 4A This is a diagram illustrating the transition of a power module from a shutdown state to a startup state during drain-source voltage monitoring using a source stray inductor in one embodiment.
[0016] Figure 4B It is shown Figure 4A A diagram showing the signal waveform during the transition;
[0017] Figure 5This is a diagram illustrating another example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using a source stray inductor in one embodiment;
[0018] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating another example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using source stray inductance in one embodiment; and
[0019] Figure 7 The illustration shows a flowchart of a process for monitoring drain-source voltage using source stray inductance in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation
[0020] In the following description, numerous specific details, such as particular structures, components, materials, dimensions, processing steps, and techniques, are set forth to provide an understanding of various embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various embodiments of this application can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures or processing steps have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring this application.
[0021] Figure 1A This is a diagram illustrating a system in one embodiment that can use a source stray inductor to achieve drain-source voltage monitoring. Figure 1A The example system 100 shown may include at least a controller 102, a high-side gate drive (HSGD) system 110, a low-side gate drive (LSGD) system 120, a high-side power device HS, and a low-side power device LS. The power devices HS and LS may form a power module implemented as a half-bridge circuit. Components of system 100 may be formed from one or more semiconductor devices. System 100 can be used in a variety of applications, including but not limited to solenoid drivers, buck converters, boost converters, traction inverters, battery chargers (e.g., on-board chargers in electric vehicles), or various other applications utilizing power converters. The power devices HS and LS may be implemented using various devices, such as field-effect transistors (FETs) (e.g., metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors) or various technologies (e.g., silicon carbide (SiC) devices), insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), or other types of switching elements. In one aspect, each power device in the power devices HS and LS may include one or more switches (e.g., MOSFETs or IGBTs).
[0022] The HSGD system 120 may include at least a gate drive unit (GDU) 112 and an integrated circuit (IC) 114. GDU 112 may be configured to generate different gate currents to drive the gate of a power device HS. The gate current provided by GDU 112 can drive the power device HS to an on or off state. The LSGD system 120 may include at least a gate drive unit (GDU) 122 and an IC 124. GDU 122 may be configured to generate different gate currents to drive the gate of a power device LS. The gate current provided by GDU 122 can drive the power device LS to an on or off state. Each IC in IC 114 and IC 124 may include multiple components mounted on the same printed circuit board (PCB), such as individual ICs and various active and passive electronic components. A load may be connected to a switching node SW between the power devices HS and LS, and the load can draw a load current I from the switching node SW when the power devices HS and LS are alternately switched by GDU 112 and GDU 122. load .
[0023] The power supply can be connected across the drain of power device HS and the source of power device LS to provide a power supply voltage Vdc-link as a direct current (DC) voltage to system 100. Controller 102 can control HSGD system 100 and LSGD system 120 to switch power devices HS and LS to supply load current I to the load. load This load draws I load In one embodiment, if system 100 is used as a traction inverter in a vehicle, then Vdc-link can be the battery voltage of the vehicle's battery. In another embodiment, Vdc-link can be predefined by the user of system 100.
[0024] exist Figure 1B In another embodiment shown, IC 114 may be integrated in GDU 110 along with gate driver 116 and controller 118. Similarly, IC 124 may be integrated in GDU 120 along with gate driver 126 and controller 128. Gate drivers 116 and 126 may include circuitry configured to generate gate currents for driving power devices HS and LS, respectively. Controllers 102, 118, and 128 may be microcontrollers or on-chip logic circuitry. Controller 102 may be configured to generate control signals and to store the generated control signals (in...) Figure 1AThe control signals DRVH and DRVL (labeled DRVH and DRVL, respectively) are provided to GDU112 and GDU122. In one or more embodiments, the control signals DRVH and DRVL can be derived from pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, pulse density modulation (PDM) signals, space vector modulation (SVM) signals, or other types of control signals that can control GDU112 and GDU122. In one or more embodiments, in addition to on / off control signals such as PWM, PDM, and SVM, the control signals DRVH and DRVL may also include gate drive capability control signals provided to GDU112 and GDU122 by controller 102. Controllers 118 and 128 can be configured to receive feedback signals (e.g., in the form of current and / or voltage) and use the feedback signals to control drivers 116 and 126, respectively. In one or more embodiments, controllers 102, 118, and 128 can be implemented in software, hardware, or some combination thereof. Controllers 102, 118, and 128 may include one or more semiconductor devices (e.g., microcontrollers, processors, control units) and may be part of another controller (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), main controller, etc.).
[0025] In one aspect, power devices (such as power devices HS and LS) may be affected by high drain-source voltage (Vds) peak voltages during switching (e.g., from on to off or from off to on). When the Vds peak voltage exceeds the safe operating area defined by a predefined voltage range, the power device may be damaged. To avoid such damage, it is necessary to monitor the Vds peak voltage and adjust the gate drive capability of the power device. Because Vds can reach relatively high voltages, monitoring Vds may require external components and components that occupy printed circuit board (PCB) area to meet creepage distance requirements, thus increasing cost and complexity.
[0026] Some conventional techniques involve using resistor dividers to monitor Vds. However, resistor dividers can require a large number of components, and for monitoring high-voltage power devices, their design may need to be specifically tailored to handle creepage distances / clearances and quality / reliability. Furthermore, signals can be delayed and suppressed due to parasitic capacitances in the resistor divider, and monitoring Vds for both the high-side and low-side devices is necessary. Other conventional techniques include using Zener diodes to detect high Vds, such as detecting when Vds exceeds the Zener diode's breakdown voltage. However, while a Zener diode can provide information on whether Vds is high or low, it cannot quantify the peak voltage of Vds. Additionally, since the Zener diode's breakdown voltage varies with temperature, the detection of Vds may also vary with temperature. The rate of change of Vds can also be affected by the Zener diode's junction capacitance. Furthermore, monitoring Vds for both the high-side and low-side devices is required.
[0027] As described herein, the peak voltage Vds can be estimated based on the DC link supply voltage Vdc-link and the overshoot voltage in the main power supply loop, where the main power supply loop is the loop comprising Vdc-link and the power module formed by the power devices HS and LS. Therefore, in the description herein, the Vds overshoot voltage can be the overshoot voltage of either the drain-source voltage applied to the power devices HS and LS. Figure 1A In the illustrated embodiment, multiple resistors R1, ..., R N It can be connected in series between the drain of power device HS and the source of power device LS. The analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 130 can be connected to node X between multiple resistors, such as... Figure 1A As shown in R N-1 With R N Between these parameters, Vdc-link is measured. The ADC130 can output Vdc-link as a digital signal, which encodes the voltage level of Vdc-link. Figure 1C In another embodiment shown, the voltage Vdc-link can be generated by a stack of batteries (“BAT”), where each battery can be managed by a battery management system (BMS). The BMS stack can control the voltage of individual batteries across the stack to generate the desired Vdc-link value, and the generation of the desired Vdc-link value can replace the use of an ADC 130 to measure Vdc-link. In one aspect, the total stray inductance of the wires in the main power supply loop can be equal to the stray inductance L. HS L LS and L main The sum of the source stray inductance L. HS This can be the stray inductance of the conductor (e.g., the source line) connected to the source of the power device HS. Source stray inductance L LS This can be the stray inductance of a wire (e.g., a source line) connected to the source of a power device LS. The stray inductance L main It can be the main power circuit except for the one with stray inductance L HS L LS The stray inductance of the conductor outside the source line. In this disclosure, the stray inductance of the conductor connected to the source of the power device can be referred to as the source stray inductance, and the voltage across the source line can be referred to as the voltage across the source stray inductance. Furthermore, in this disclosure, a stray inductance L is... LS The source line can be called the source line L. LS It has stray inductance L HS The source line can be called the source line L. HS And has stray inductance L mainThe conductor can be called conductor L. main .
[0028] The Vds overshoot voltage can be monitored by IC 114 and / or IC 124 as described herein. IC 114 and IC 124 can measure or monitor the voltage across a source line (e.g., across a source line connected to the source of a power device) in the main power supply loop, such as the source line L for the power device HS. HS and the source line L for the power device LS LS In one aspect, when the drain-source current Ids of the power device changes, the source stray inductance of the source line of the power device can induce a voltage. This induced voltage can be measured by IC 114 and / or IC 124, and the measured value can be a Vds overshoot voltage reflecting the source stray inductance. Since the voltage measured from the source line is used, no additional components for sensing are required, thus reducing costs. Furthermore, the measured voltage across the source line can be relatively small, so a dedicated high-voltage monitoring design is not necessary. Additionally, the Vds overshoot voltage can be monitored from one of the HS and LS of the power device. ICs 114 and 124 can process the voltage across the source line and provide it to controller 102. Controller 102 can estimate the Vds overshoot voltage using the Vdc-link and the voltage across the source line, and controller 102 can optimize the gate drive capability of the power device based on the estimated Vds overshoot voltage.
[0029] Figure 2A This is a diagram illustrating an example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using source stray inductance in one embodiment. Figure 2A The description can be found here. Figure 1A The components shown. Figure 2A In the example implementation shown, IC 114 may include hold circuit 212 and ADC 214, and IC 124 may include hold circuit 222 and ADC 224. In one embodiment, controller 102 may activate one of IC 114 and IC 124 to acquire or measure a peak voltage across the source line for estimating Vds overshoot voltage. In one embodiment, IC 114 may be integrated in GDU 112, and IC 124 may be integrated in GDU 122. In another embodiment, IC 114 and its components may be discrete components mounted on the same PCB as GDU 112 and IC 124, and its components may be discrete components mounted on the same PCB as GDU 122. In one embodiment, one of IC 114 and IC 124 may be included in system 100. In other embodiments, ADC 130 may be integrated into IC 114 ( Figure 2C ) or IC 124 ( Figure 2BAny one of the following allows IC 114 and IC 124 to measure Vdc-link.
[0030] Holding circuit 212 can be configured to hold across L HS The peak value of the detected voltage is held by a peak holding circuit. Holding circuit 212 can hold the peak value across the source line L. HS The peak voltage is provided to the ADC 214, and the ADC 214 can transmit the cross-source line L HS The peak voltage is converted into a digital signal, which is used for the cross-source line L HS The peak voltage is encoded. The ADC214 can send the cross-source line L to the controller 102. HS The peak voltage is encoded as a digital signal. When IC 114 is activated, the cross-source line L... HS The peak voltage can be used by controller 102 to estimate the Vds overshoot voltage.
[0031] Holding circuit 222 can be configured to hold cross-source line L LS The peak voltage holding circuit 222 provides the peak voltage to the ADC 224 via a cross-source line L. LS The peak voltage, and the ADC 224 can cross the source line L LS The peak voltage is converted into a digital signal, which is used for the cross-source line L LS The peak voltage is encoded. The ADC 224 can send the encoded cross-source line L to the controller 102. LS The digital signal of the peak voltage. When IC 124 is activated, the cross-source line L... LS The peak voltage can be used by controller 102 to estimate the Vds overshoot voltage.
[0032] Controller 102 may include storage devices, such as memory devices and registers. In one embodiment, controller 102 may write the value of Vdc-link to a register and write the cross-source voltage provided by one or more of ICs 114 and IC 124 to another register. Controller 102 may read these registers to obtain an estimated value of Vds overshoot voltage. In one embodiment, Vds overshoot voltage... V OVERSHOOT It can depend on the source stray inductance and stray inductance L of the power devices HS and LS in the main power supply circuit. main , such as: in This corresponds to the drain-source current I of the power module. DSThe rate of change relative to time. For example, if IC114 is activated while IC124 is deactivated, then It is the power device HS's I DS The rate of change. If IC124 is activated and IC114 is deactivated, then It is the power device LS's I DS The rate of change of I. In one embodiment, the controller 102 can use various current sensing techniques to sense I. DS For example, using a current sensing resistor connected between the source of the power module and the controller 102.
[0033] In determining or estimating overshoot voltage V OVERSHOOT Then, controller 102 can be based on V OVERSHOOT The relationship between Vds and Vdc-link of the power devices HS and LS can be used to determine or estimate the peak voltage Vds, such as: (1) in V DC-Link It's Vdc-link. Vds ( other side ) is the Vds of the power device on the other side. When Vds It is the drain-source voltage of the power device HS. Vds ( other side When ) is the drain-source voltage of the power device LS, such as When Vds is the drain-source voltage of the power device LS and Vds ( other side When ) is the drain-source voltage of the power device HS, such as .
[0034] based on V OVERSHOOT By understanding the relationship between Vds and Vdc-link of the power devices HS and LS, controller 102 can determine or estimate the peak Vds voltage. When IC 114 is activated, controller 102 can determine or estimate the peak Vds voltage based on the following relationship. V OVERSHOOT Peak value: (2) in Max ( V OVERSHOOT )yes V OVERSHOOT peak value Max ( VHS ) is a cross with stray inductance L HS The peak voltage of the source line.
[0035] When IC 124 is activated, controller 102 can determine or estimate based on the following relationship. V OVERSHOOT Peak value: (3) in Max ( V OVERSHOOT )yes V OVERSHOOT peak value Max ( V LS ) is the source stray inductance L LS The peak voltage. Note that the source stray inductance value tends to be relatively small, so the voltage of the source stray inductance may also be relatively small and can be handled by low-voltage circuitry. As will be described in more detail below, the controller 102 can also use the above relationship to determine the peak voltage Vds under different transitions (e.g., from on to off and from off to on).
[0036] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transition of a power device from an on state to an off state during drain-source voltage monitoring using a source stray inductor in one embodiment. Figure 3B yes Figure 3A The diagram shows a schematic of the signal waveform during the transition process. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The description can be found here. Figure 1A and Figure 2A The components shown. Figure 3A In the example shown, power device HS is in the off state, power device LS transitions from on to off, IC 124 is activated, and IC 114 is deactivated. In this case, we call... Vds Vds corresponding to the power device LS, Vds ( other side The Vds corresponds to the power device HS. When the power device LS changes from on to off, the Vds on the other side or the Vds of the power device HS may be relatively small and negligible. Therefore, when the power device LS changes from on to off, the controller 102 can use the above relationships (1) and (3) to determine the peak voltage Vds, such as: (4) in Vds ( peak() is the peak voltage Vds. Note that, Vds ( other side ) is not included in relation (4) because it can be set to zero when it can be ignored.
[0037] refer to Figure 3B When power device LS transitions from on to off, the drain-source current Ids of power device LS can drop to zero. In one aspect, when power device HS is off and power device LS is on, hard switching can occur, causing power device LS to transition from on to off first. When both power devices HS and LS are off, the body diode or freewheeling diode of power device HS conducts current to complete the hard switching, such as... Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown (for example, a diode connected in parallel with the power device HS will conduct current from its anode to its cathode). When the Ids of the power device LS begins to decrease, causing the power device LS to transition from on to off, Vds(LS) can begin to increase, and Vds(HS) can begin to decrease (but HS is not turned on; the body diode or freewheeling diode of HS will be on). Figure 3B In the event of a voltage overshoot, the power device LS reaches its off state, and Vds(LS) can reach approximately 800V at the Vdc-link. However, an overshoot may occur, pushing Vds(LS) up by another 191V. If the sum of these voltages, 800V + 191V = 991V, exceeds the allowable operating voltage range of the power device LS, the power device LS may be damaged. During a voltage overshoot, the source stray inductance L... LS voltage V LS It also reaches its peak value. Therefore, controller 102 can use the source stray inductor L LS The peak voltage Vds(LS) is determined by the peak voltage, overshoot voltage, and DC link voltage Vdc-link received from the ADC 130. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The example embodiment shown also applies to situations where the power device LS is off, the power device HS transitions from on to off, IC 114 is activated, and IC 124 is deactivated.
[0038] Figure 4A This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transition of a power device from a off state to an on state during drain-source voltage monitoring using a source stray inductor in one embodiment. Figure 4B yes Figure 4A The diagram shows a schematic of the signal waveform during the transition. Figure 4A and Figure 4B The description can be found here. Figures 1A to 2A The components shown. Figure 4AIn the example shown, the body diode or freewheeling diode of power device HS is in the off state. Subsequently, power device LS transitions from off to on, IC 124 is activated, and IC 114 is deactivated. During the transition of power device LS, the body diode or freewheeling diode of power device HS also transitions from on to off. In this case, we call... Vds Vds corresponding to the power device HS, Vds ( other side This corresponds to Vds of the power device LS. When the power device LS transitions from off to on, the Vds on the other side or the Vds of the power device LS may be relatively large and cannot be ignored. Therefore, when the power device LS transitions from off to on, the controller 102 can use the above relationships (1) and (3) to determine the peak voltage of Vds, such as: (5) in Vds ( peak ) is the peak voltage Vds. Note that compared to the above relationship (4), Vds ( other side ) is included in relation (5) because it cannot be ignored.
[0039] refer to Figure 4B When power device LS transitions from off to on, the drain-source current Ids of power device LS increases. In one aspect, hard switching can occur when the body diode or freewheeling diode of power device HS is on and power device LS is off, causing power device LS to transition from off to on first. This occurs when all load current I flows through power device LS. load At this time, the body diode or freewheeling diode of the power device HS becomes off, and hard switching is completed, such as... Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, as the Ids of the power device LS begins to increase, causing the power device LS to switch from off to on, Vds(LS) can begin to decrease, while Vds(HS) can begin to increase. Figure 4BIn the current circuit, the body diode or freewheeling diode of the power device HS is turned off, and Vds(HS) can reach approximately 800V at the Vdc-link. However, an overshoot may occur, pushing Vds(HS) higher than 800V. If the sum of these voltages (800V + 600V - 310V = 1090V) exceeds the allowable operating voltage range of the power device HS, the power device HS may be damaged. Furthermore, when an overshoot occurs, Vds(LS) is still fluctuating, not yet stable, and not fully turned on, so a non-zero Vds(LS) can be measured. Therefore, the controller 102 can determine the peak Vds(HS) by subtracting Vds(otherside) from the sum of the DC link voltage at the time of the overshoot and Vds(overshoot). Figure 4A and Figure 4B The example embodiment shown also applies to situations where the power device LS is in the off state, the power device HS transitions from off to on, IC 114 is activated, and IC 124 is deactivated.
[0040] According to the controller 102 Figures 3A to 4B The peak Vds voltage determined or estimated in the illustrated embodiment can be considered as the worst-case peak Vds voltage. Based on the determined or estimated peak Vds voltage, controller 102 can adjust the control signals DRVH and DRVL of HSGD system 110 and LSGD system 120 to optimally drive power devices HS and LS. For example, controller 102 can adjust control signals DRVH and DRVL to modify one or more of the switching speed, switching frequency, on-time, or other switching parameters of power devices HS and LS, thereby reducing the peak Vds voltage to prevent damage to power devices HS and LS. For example, if the estimated peak Vds voltage is at an unsafe level that could damage the power devices, controller 102 can adjust the control signals during the off-to-on transition to reduce the magnitude of the gate current (e.g., Figure 4A , Figure 4B This is to reduce voltage overshoot that leads to peak voltage Vds.
[0041] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating another example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using source stray inductance in one embodiment. Figure 5 The description can be found here. Figures 1A to 4B The components shown. Figure 5 In the example implementation shown, the HSGD system 100 may include IC 114, and IC 114 may include comparator 502. Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment, HSGD system 100 may include IC 114, and LSGD system 120 may not include IC 124. In another embodiment, both IC 114 and IC 124 may include comparator 502. Comparator 502 may be used to determine whether the voltage across the source line of the corresponding power device exceeds a predefined voltage threshold Vth; if the voltage across the source line exceeds Vth, a high voltage is output to controller 102. The comparison performed by comparator 502 monitors for overshoot in the main power supply loop.
[0042] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating another example implementation of drain-source voltage monitoring using source stray inductance in one embodiment. Figure 6 The description can be found here. Figures 1A to 5 The components shown. Figure 6 In the example implementation shown, the LSGD system 100 may include IC 124, and IC 124 may include holding circuitry 222 and ADC 224. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, LSGD system 100 may include IC 124, and HSGD system 110 may not include IC 114. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the input of the holding circuit 222 can be connected to an inductor L. M The sensing line. In one embodiment, when both IC 114 and IC 124 include their respective holding circuits and ADCs (see... Figure 2A ), with inductance L M The sensing line can be connected to each holding circuit. It has an inductance L. M The sensing line can be used to monitor the voltage across the source line of the corresponding power module through mutual inductance.
[0043] Figure 7 The illustration shows a flowchart of a process for monitoring drain-source voltage using source stray inductance in one embodiment. Figure 7 The process 700 shown may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more of boxes 702, 704, 706, and / or 708. Although illustrated as discrete boxes, the various boxes may be divided into more boxes, combined into fewer boxes, deleted, executed in different orders, or executed in parallel, depending on the desired implementation.
[0044] Process 700 can be performed by a power conversion system (such as system 100) described herein. Process 700 can begin at block 702. At block 702, the gate driver of the power conversion system can measure the voltage across the source line of a power device. In one embodiment, the power device can be one of a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power converter. In one embodiment, the gate driver can measure the voltage across the source line by operating a peak hold circuit that detects whether the voltage across the source line is greater than a predefined threshold and holds the peak value of the voltage across the source line. In one embodiment, the gate driver can measure the voltage across the source line by measuring the mutual inductance between an inductor and the source line.
[0045] Process 700 can proceed from block 702 to block 704. At block 704, the controller of the power conversion system can determine the overshoot voltage associated with the power module based at least on the voltage across the source line. Process 700 can proceed from block 704 to block 706. At block 706, the controller can determine the peak drain-source voltage of the power module based at least on the overshoot voltage. Process 700 can proceed from block 706 to block 708. At block 708, the controller can adjust the control signal used to drive the power device based on the determined peak drain-source voltage.
[0046] In one embodiment, the power device may be a first power device in a pair of power devices comprising a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module. The pair of power devices and at least one conductor with stray inductance may form a main power loop. The at least one conductor may include the source line of the first power device and the source line of the second power device in the pair. The gate driver may determine an overshoot voltage based on the stray inductance of the at least one conductor in the main power loop and the maximum value of the voltage across the source line of the first power device. The gate driver may also determine the peak drain-source voltage of the power device based on the overshoot voltage, the drain-source voltage of the second power device, and the DC link voltage of the main power loop. In one embodiment, during the transition of the power device from an on state to an off state, the gate driver may set the drain-source voltage of the second power device in the pair to zero and determine the peak drain-source voltage of the power device based on the overshoot voltage and the DC link voltage of the main power loop. Example
[0047] Example 1: A semiconductor device includes: a driver configured to: receive a control signal from a controller; and generate a gate current based on the control signal to drive a power device; and circuitry connected to a source terminal of the power device, the circuitry configured to: measure a voltage across a source line of the power device; and output the voltage across the source line to the controller, wherein the driver is further configured to: receive a regulated control signal from the controller, wherein the regulated controller signal is based at least on the voltage across the source line of the power device; and generate a new gate current based on the regulated control signal to drive the power device.
[0048] Example 2: The semiconductor device according to Example 1, wherein the power device is one of a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module.
[0049] Example 3: A semiconductor device according to any one of Examples 1 and 2, wherein the circuitry includes: a holding circuit configured to hold a peak value of the voltage across the source line; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the peak value of the voltage across the source line into a digital signal, wherein the voltage across the source line to the output of the controller includes outputting the digital signal to the controller.
[0050] Example 4: The semiconductor device according to any one of Examples 1 to 3 further includes a sensing line connected to the holding circuit, wherein the voltage across the source line is based on the mutual inductance between the sensing line and the source line.
[0051] Example 5: A semiconductor device according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the circuitry includes: a comparator configured to: determine that the voltage across the source line is greater than a predefined threshold; and, in response to the determination that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold, output a signal to the controller indicating that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold.
[0052] Example 6: A system comprising: a controller configured to generate a control signal; a half-bridge circuit; and a gate driver configured to: drive a first power device of the half-bridge circuit according to the control signal; measure a voltage across a source line of the first power device in the half-bridge circuit; and output the voltage across the source line to the controller; the controller further configured to: determine an overshoot voltage associated with the first power device based at least on the voltage across the source line; determine a peak drain-source voltage of the first power device based at least on the overshoot voltage; and adjust the control signal based on the determined peak drain-source voltage.
[0053] Example 7: According to the system of Example 6, the half-bridge circuit includes a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module, and the first power device is one of the high-side power device and the low-side power device.
[0054] Example 8: A system according to any one of Examples 6 and 7, wherein the gate driver includes: a holding circuit configured to hold a peak value of the voltage across the source line; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the peak value of the voltage across the source line into a digital signal, wherein the voltage across the source line to the output of the controller includes outputting the digital signal to the controller.
[0055] Example 9: The system according to any one of Examples 6 to 8 further includes a sensing line connected to the holding circuit, wherein the voltage across the source line is measured by the gate driver based on the mutual inductance between the sensing line and the source line.
[0056] Example 10: A system according to any one of Examples 6 to 9, wherein the gate driver includes: a comparator configured to: determine that the voltage across the source line is greater than a predefined threshold; and, in response to the determination that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold, output a signal to the controller indicating that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold.
[0057] Example 11: The system according to any one of Examples 6 to 10 further includes an ADC configured to: detect a DC link voltage of the main power supply loop supplied to the half-bridge circuit; and send the DC link voltage to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine the peak drain-source voltage of the first power device based at least on the overshoot voltage and the DC link voltage.
[0058] Example 12: A system according to any one of Examples 6 to 11, wherein the half-bridge circuit includes a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module, and the controller is configured to determine the overshoot voltage based on the voltage across the source lines of both the high-side power device and the low-side power device.
[0059] Example 13: A system according to any one of Examples 6 to 12, wherein: the half-bridge circuit includes a main power supply loop formed by at least one conductor having stray inductance and a pair of power devices including a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module; the first power device is one of the pair of power devices; the at least one conductor includes the source line of the first power device and the source line of the second power device in the pair of power devices; and the controller is configured to: determine the overshoot voltage based on the stray inductance of the at least one conductor in the main power supply loop and the maximum value of the voltage across the source line of the first power device; and determine the peak drain-source voltage of the first power device based on the overshoot voltage, the drain-source voltage of the second power device, and the DC link voltage of the main power circuit.
[0060] Example 14: A system according to any one of Examples 6 to 13, wherein the controller is configured to: set the drain-source voltage of the second power device to zero during the transition of the first power device from an on state to an off state; and determine the peak drain-source voltage of the first power device based on the overshoot voltage and the DC link voltage of the main power loop.
[0061] Example 15: A method comprising: measuring a voltage across a source line of a power device; determining an overshoot voltage associated with the power device based at least on the voltage across the source line; determining a peak drain-source voltage of the power device based at least on the overshoot voltage; and adjusting a control signal for driving the power device based on the determined peak drain-source voltage.
[0062] Example 16: According to the method of Example 15, the power device is one of the high-side power device and the low-side power device in the power module.
[0063] Example 17: The method according to any one of Examples 15 and 16, wherein measuring the voltage across the source line includes operating a peak hold circuit to hold the peak value of the voltage across the source line.
[0064] Example 18: The method according to any one of Examples 15 to 17, wherein measuring the voltage across the source line includes measuring the mutual inductance between the sensing line and the source line.
[0065] Example 19: A method according to any one of Examples 15 to 18, wherein: the power device is a first power device in a pair of power devices comprising a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module; the pair of power devices and at least one conductor having stray inductance form a main power loop; the at least one conductor comprises the source line of the first power device and the source line of the second power device in the pair of power devices; and the method further comprises: determining the overshoot voltage based on the stray inductance of the at least one conductor in the main power loop and the maximum value of the voltage across the source line of the first power device; and determining the peak drain-source voltage of the power device based on the overshoot voltage, the drain-source voltage of the second power device, and the DC link voltage of the main power loop.
[0066] Example 20: The method according to any one of Examples 15 to 19 further includes: setting the drain-source voltage of the second power device in the pair of power devices to zero during the transition of the power device from an on state to an off state; and determining the peak drain-source voltage of the power device based on the overshoot voltage and the DC link voltage of the main power supply circuit.
[0067] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions shown in the blocks may not appear in the order shown in the figures. For example, depending on the function involved, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or these blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order. It will also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or action or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.
[0068] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used herein also include the plural forms. It should be further understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.
[0069] The corresponding structures, materials, actions, and equivalents of all means or steps plus functional elements (if any) in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material, or action that performs the function in combination with other elements specifically claimed. The embodiments disclosed in this invention are provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical application of the invention and to enable those skilled in the art to understand various embodiments of the invention with various modifications suitable for the intended particular use.
Claims
1. A semiconductor device, comprising: The driver is configured as follows: Receive control signals from the controller; as well as A gate current is generated based on the control signal to drive the power device; as well as A circuit connected to the source terminal of the power device, the circuit being configured as follows: Measuring the voltage across the source line of the power device; and The controller outputs the voltage across the source line. The driver is also configured to: The controller receives a regulated control signal, wherein the regulated controller signal is based at least on the voltage across the source line of the power device; as well as A new gate current is generated based on the regulated control signal to drive the power device.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the power device is one of a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises: A holding circuit is configured to hold the peak value of the voltage across the source line; as well as An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is configured to convert the peak value of the voltage across the source line into a digital signal, wherein the voltage across the source line to the output of the controller includes outputting the digital signal to the controller.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 3, further comprising a sensing line connected to the holding circuit, wherein the voltage across the source line is based on the mutual inductance between the sensing line and the source line.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises: The comparator is configured as follows: Determine that the voltage across the source line is greater than a predefined threshold; as well as In response to the determination that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold, a signal indicating that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold is output to the controller.
6. A system comprising: The controller is configured to generate control signals; Half-bridge circuit; as well as The gate driver is configured as follows: The first power device of the half-bridge circuit is driven according to the control signal; Measure the voltage across the source line of the first power device in the half-bridge circuit; and The controller outputs the voltage across the source line; The controller is further configured to: The overshoot voltage associated with the first power device is determined based at least on the voltage across the source line; The peak drain-source voltage of the first power device is determined at least based on the overshoot voltage; as well as The control signal is adjusted based on the determined peak drain-source voltage.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the half-bridge circuit includes a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module, and the first power device is one of the high-side power device and the low-side power device.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein the gate driver comprises: A holding circuit is configured to hold the peak value of the voltage across the source line; as well as An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is configured to convert the peak value of the voltage across the source line into a digital signal, wherein the voltage across the source line to the output of the controller includes outputting the digital signal to the controller.
9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a sensing line connected to the holding circuit, wherein the voltage across the source line is measured by the gate driver based on the mutual inductance between the sensing line and the source line.
10. The system of claim 6, wherein the gate driver comprises: The comparator is configured as follows: Determine that the voltage across the source line is greater than a predefined threshold; as well as In response to the determination that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold, a signal indicating that the voltage across the source line is greater than the predefined threshold is output to the controller.
11. The system of claim 6, further comprising an ADC, the ADC being configured to: Detect the DC link voltage of the main power supply circuit supplied to the half-bridge circuit; and The DC link voltage is sent to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine the peak drain-source voltage of the first power device based at least on the overshoot voltage and the DC link voltage.
12. The system of claim 6, wherein the half-bridge circuit includes a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module, and the controller is configured to determine the overshoot voltage based on the voltage across the source lines of both the high-side power device and the low-side power device.
13. The system according to claim 6, wherein: The half-bridge circuit includes a main power supply loop, which is formed by at least one wire with stray inductance and a pair of power devices in the power module, including a high-side power device and a low-side power device. The first power device is one of the pair of power devices; The at least one conductor includes the source wire of the first power device and the source wire of the second power device in the pair of power devices; and The controller is configured to: The overshoot voltage is determined based on the stray inductance of at least one conductor in the main power circuit and the maximum value of the voltage across the source line of the first power device; as well as The peak drain-source voltage of the first power device is determined based on the overshoot voltage, the drain-source voltage of the second power device, and the DC link voltage of the main power circuit.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to: during the transition of the first power device from an on state to an off state: Set the drain-source voltage of the second power device to zero; and The peak drain-source voltage of the first power device is determined based on the overshoot voltage and the DC link voltage of the main power circuit.
15. A method comprising: Measure the voltage at the source line of a power-transfer device; The overshoot voltage associated with the power device is determined at least based on the voltage across the source line; The peak drain-source voltage of the power device is determined at least based on the overshoot voltage; as well as The control signal used to drive the power device is adjusted based on the determined peak drain-source voltage.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the power device is one of a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring the voltage across the source line includes operating a peak hold circuit to hold the peak value of the voltage across the source line.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring the voltage across the source line includes measuring the mutual inductance between the sensing line and the source line.
19. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The power device is the first power device in a pair of power devices that include a high-side power device and a low-side power device in a power module. The pair of power devices and at least one conductor with stray inductance form the main power circuit; The at least one conductor includes the source wire of the first power device and the source wire of the second power device in the pair of power devices; and The method further includes: The overshoot voltage is determined based on the stray inductance of at least one conductor in the main power circuit and the maximum value of the voltage across the source line of the first power device; as well as The peak drain-source voltage of the power device is determined based on the overshoot voltage, the drain-source voltage of the second power device, and the DC link voltage of the main power circuit.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: During the transition of the power device from the on state to the off state, the drain-source voltage of the second power device in the pair of power devices is set to zero; as well as The peak drain-source voltage of the power device is determined based on the overshoot voltage and the DC link voltage of the main power supply circuit.