Bondwire Fault Detection in Parallel Power Switches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current power electronic systems lack real-time detection capabilities for bondwire failures in power switches, which can lead to safety issues and system instability due to undetected bondwire losses, resulting in potential catastrophic failures.
Innovation Solution
A method and circuit for detecting bondwire faults in power electronic systems using a gate charge estimation circuit to measure parameters indicative of gate charge, allowing for real-time detection of bondwire losses or damages in switching circuits with multiple parallel switches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real-time detection capability is added to detect bondwire failures, then system safety and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases due to additional detection circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The gate charge estimation circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: it estimates the gate charge of the power switch for normal operation control, and simultaneously detects bondwire failures by monitoring anomalies in the gate charge measurement. This multi-functionality allows the same circuit to improve reliability without adding separate detection hardware, thereby avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection mechanism utilizes the existing gate charge measurement process to detect bondwire failures. The gate charge estimation circuit inherently monitors parameters that reveal bondwire status, allowing the system to self-diagnose failures using its own operational measurements without requiring external or dedicated detection resources.
2Measurement precision
If gate charge estimation circuit is used to detect bondwire faults, then detection precision is improved, but use of energy increases due to continuous parameter measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The gate charge estimation circuit performs continuous or periodic measurements of gate charge parameters during normal switching operations. By integrating the detection function into the existing operational measurement cycle, the system achieves continuous monitoring capability without requiring separate measurement cycles or additional energy-intensive dedicated detection operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate charge estimation circuit provides feedback on the measured gate charge parameters to control circuitry, which can then adjust operation or trigger fault responses. This feedback mechanism enables precise detection of bondwire failures through subtle parameter changes while using energy efficiently by only activating full detection sequences when anomalies are suspected.
Data Source
AI summary
A driver circuit associated with a power electronic system is disclosed. The driver circuit comprises a gate driver circuit configured to drive a switching circuit comprising a plurality of switches in parallel, each switch comprising a respective source bondwire. The driver circuit further comprises a bondwire fault detection circuit comprising a gate charge estimation circuit configured to measure a parameter of the switching circuit comprising a gate charge of the switching circuit or a parameter indicative of the gate charge associated with the switching circuit. The bondwire fault detection circuit further comprises a detection circuit configured to detect a fault associated with at least one source bondwire of the switching circuit, based on the measured parameter of the switching circuit.