Circuit arrangement and operating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9819298-B2
Application number	US-201414557780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 4, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A circuit arrangement ( 1 ) for operating an electric machine. The circuit arrangement ( 1 ) includes at least one high-voltage half-bridge circuit ( 2 ), which has a high-side semiconductor switch ( 3 ) and a low-side semiconductor switch ( 4 ). In each case one gate driver ( 5, 6 ) is assigned to the semiconductor switches ( 3, 4 ) for actuating said semiconductor switches, and includes a low-voltage controller ( 7 ), which actuates the gate drivers ( 5, 6 ). A high-voltage controller ( 11 ) senses output signals (AS) of the gate drivers ( 5, 6 ) and transmits at least the sensed output signals (AS) to the low-voltage controller ( 7 ) using a data bus ( 12 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circuit arrangement ( 1 ) for operating an electric machine, comprising:
at least one high-voltage half-bridge circuit ( 2 ) having a high-side semiconductor switch ( 3 ) and a low-side semiconductor switch ( 4 ), a gate driver ( 5 , 6 ) is assigned to each of the semiconductor switches ( 3 , 4 ) for actuating said semiconductor switches;
a low-voltage controller ( 7 ), which actuates the gate drivers ( 5 , 6 ); and
a high-voltage controller ( 11 ) which senses output signals (AS) of the gate drivers ( 5 , 6 ) and transmits at least the sensed output signals (AS) to the low-voltage controller ( 7 ) using a data bus ( 12 );
wherein the sensed output signals (AS) are between the gate drivers ( 5 , 6 ) and gates of the high-side semiconductor switch ( 3 ) and the low-side semiconductor switch ( 4 ).

2. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the low-voltage controller ( 7 ) transmits a synchronization signal to the high-voltage controller ( 11 ).

3. The circuit arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the transmission of the synchronization signal to the high-voltage controller ( 11 ) occurs regularly.

4. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the circuit arrangement ( 1 ) has a plurality of half-bridge circuits ( 2 ), wherein in each case one gate driver ( 5 , 6 ) is assigned to each semiconductor switch ( 3 , 4 ).

5. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the circuit arrangement ( 1 ) has only one high-voltage controller ( 11 ).

6. The circuit arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the high-voltage controller ( 11 ) is a microcontroller.

7. A method for operating a circuit arrangement ( 1 ) having at least one high-voltage half-bridge circuit ( 2 ), which has a high-side semiconductor switch ( 3 ) and a low-side semiconductor switch ( 4 ), wherein in each case one gate driver ( 5 , 6 ) is assigned to the semiconductor switches ( 3 , 4 ) for actuation thereof, and comprising a low-voltage controller ( 7 ), which actuates the gate drivers ( 5 , 6 ), the method comprising:
a high-voltage controller ( 11 ) sensing output signals (AS) of the gate drivers ( 5 , 6 ); and
transmitting at least these output signals to the low-voltage controller ( 7 ) using a data bus ( 12 );
wherein the sensed output signals (AS) are between the gate drivers ( 5 , 6 ) and gates of the high-side semiconductor switch ( 3 ) and the low-side semiconductor switch ( 4 ).

8. The method according to claim 7 characterized in that the low-voltage controller ( 7 ) generates a synchronization signal (SS) and transmits it to the high-voltage controller ( 11 ) using the data bus ( 12 ).

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Aldinger Stefan
• Butzmann Stefan
• Richter Tobias

Classifications

• H02M7/537

  using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters · CPC title

• H02H3/16

  responsive to fault current to earth, frame or mass (with balanced or differential arrangement H02H3/26 {; monitoring earth connection H02H5/105}) · CPC title

• H02M1/08

  Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters · CPC title

• H02P27/06 Primary

  using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03K17/18

  Modifications for indicating state of switch · CPC title