Programmable Gate Driver for IGBT Transient Current Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gate driver technologies for insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are unable to transiently and programmatically change the gate current, limiting their adaptability and efficiency in power conversion applications.
Innovation Solution
A gate driver system incorporating a programmable decoder and a variable driver with a counter, address decoder, and latch unit, which uses tables to control MOS transistors and adjust gate current based on count values, allowing for transient and programmable changes in gate current.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a gate drive circuit with multiple on-gate resistors and off-gate resistors is used to adjust switching characteristics, then adaptability to different operation specifications is improved, but the ability to transiently and programmatically change gate current is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of gate current by replacing static resistor selection with a programmable counter that increments through predefined current profiles. The counter value dynamically changes during the switching process, enabling transient control of gate current magnitude and duration, which resolves the contradiction between adaptability and programmatic control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from static resistor selection to dynamic counter-based indexing. The counter value serves as a time-varying parameter that indexes into a lookup table of gate current profiles, allowing programmatic control of switching characteristics while maintaining adaptability to different operation specifications through software configuration
2Device complexity
If a gate driver with fixed gate current control is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but flexibility in controlling gate current for different applications is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a counter and lookup table as intermediary components between the control signal and the gate driver output. This intermediary layer provides programmable control flexibility without requiring complex analog circuitry, maintaining relative simplicity while enabling adaptable gate current control for different applications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a lookup table that stores pre-defined gate current profiles, effectively copying commonly needed current waveforms into memory. This allows the simple counter to select from multiple complex current profiles, achieving high control flexibility with minimal circuit complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A programmable decoder (201) includes a counter (204A) whose count value increases for each clock; an address decoder (205A) for converting the count value into an address; a storage (251A) storing a table defining data according to the address converted from the count value; and a latch unit (207) for latching the data according to the address output from the storage (251A). A variable driver (202) includes a plurality of MOS transistors (208), (209), (210). The latch unit (207A) has outputs connected to control electrodes of a plurality of MOS transistors (208), (209), (210). The table defines a plurality of data items in the table so that the driving force of the variable driver (202) increases with an increase of the count value. A counter (20A) updates the count value while the arm control signal is being activated.