Driving circuit of a power circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9906221-B1
Application number	US-201615395738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2016
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A power circuit includes a power transistor flowing a power current to a ground according to the voltage of a driving node, a driving circuit, a first pre-driver, a second pre-driver, and a hysteresis circuit. The driving circuit includes a high-side transistor providing a supply voltage to the driving node according to a high-side voltage of a high-side node, a low-side transistor coupling the driving node to the ground according to a first internal signal, and a charge pump coupled to the high-side node and the driving node and generating the high-side voltage that exceeds the supply voltage according to the first internal signal. The first pre-driver receives a second internal signal to generate the first internal signal. The second pre-driver receives a third internal signal to generate the second internal signal. The hysteresis circuit receives a control signal to generate the third internal signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power circuit, comprising:
a power transistor, flowing a power current to a ground according to a driving voltage of a driving node; and
a driving circuit, comprising:
a high-side transistor, providing a supply voltage to the driving node according to a high-side voltage of a high-side node;
a low-side transistor, coupling the driving node to the ground according to a first internal signal; and
a charge pump, coupled to the high-side node and the driving node, wherein the charge pump is configured to generate a high-side voltage that exceeds the supply voltage according to the first internal signal;

a first pre-driver, receiving a second internal signal to generate the first internal signal;
a second pre-driver, receiving a third internal signal to generate the second internal signal; and
a hysteresis circuit, receiving a control signal to generate the third internal signal and configured to provide a hysteresis for the control signal, wherein the first pre-driver and the second pre-driver are configured to improve driving capability of the control signal.

2. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor are normally-off transistors.

3. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power transistor is a GaN transistor.

4. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein the charge pump comprises:
a first unidirectional conducting device, unidirectionally providing the supply voltage to a first node;
a capacitor, coupled between the first node and a second node;
a discharge resistor, coupled between the first node and the high-side node;
a second unidirectional conducting device, unidirectionally coupling the second node to the high-side node when a voltage of the second node exceeds a voltage of the high-side node;
a third unidirectional conducting device, unidirectionally providing the driving voltage to the second node when the driving voltage exceeds the voltage of the second node; and
a switch, receiving the control signal and configured to couple the high-side node to the ground according to the control signal.

5. The power circuit of claim 4 , wherein, when the control signal is at a high voltage level, the switch is turned ON and the capacitor is charged by the supply voltage through the first unidirectional conducting device, the second unidirectional conducting device, and the switch, wherein, when the control signal is at a low voltage level, the switch is turned OFF, the third unidirectional conducting device provides the driving voltage to the second node, and the capacitor is discharged to the driving node through the discharge resistor.

6. The power circuit of claim 4 , wherein each of the first unidirectional conducting device, the second unidirectional conducting device, and the third unidirectional conducting device is a diode or a diode-connected normally-off transistor.

7. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein the driving circuit further comprises:
a high-side normally-on transistor, comprising a source terminal coupled to the driving node, a gate terminal coupled to the driving node, and a drain terminal supplied by the supply voltage, wherein the high-side normally-on transistor is configured to improve driving capability of the high-side transistor.

8. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first pre-driver comprises:
a first normally-on transistor, comprising a gate terminal coupled to the driving circuit, a source terminal coupled to the driving circuit, and a drain terminal supplied by the supply voltage; and
a first normally-off transistor, comprising a gate terminal receiving the control signal, a source terminal coupled to the ground, and a drain terminal coupled to the driving circuit.

9. The power circuit of claim 8 , wherein the second pre-driver comprises:
a second normally-on transistor, comprising a gate terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the first normally-off transistor, a source terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the first normally-off transistor, and a drain terminal supplied by the supply voltage; and
a second normally-off transistor, comprising a gate terminal receiving the control signal, a source terminal coupled to the ground, and a drain terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the first normally-off transistor.

10. The power circuit of claim 9 , wherein the hysteresis circuit comprises:
a first resistor, coupled to the supply voltage;
a third normally-off transistor, comprising a gate terminal coupled to a third node, a source terminal coupled to a fourth node, and a drain terminal coupled to the first resistor;
a fourth normally-off transistor, comprising a gate terminal coupled to the third node, a source terminal coupled to the ground, and a drain terminal coupled to the fourth node;
a fifth normally-off transistor, comprising a gate terminal coupled to the first resistor, a source terminal coupled to the fourth node, and a drain terminal supplied by the supply voltage; and
a second resistor, coupled to the third node and receiving the control signal.

11. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein the driving circuit is a rail-to-rail driver, such that the driving voltage ranges from the supply voltage to the ground.

12. A driving circuit for driving a power transistor, wherein the power transistor flows a power current to a ground according to a driving voltage of a driving node, the driving circuit comprising:
a high-side transistor, providing a supply voltage to the driving node according to a high-side voltage of a high-side node;
a low-side transistor, coupling the driving node to the ground according to a first internal signal; and
a charge pump, coupled to the high-side node and the driving node, wherein the charge pump is configured to generate a high-side voltage that exceeds the supply voltage according to the first internal signal;
a first pre-driver, receiving a second internal signal to generate the first internal signal;
a second pre-driver, receiving a third internal signal to generate the second internal signal; and
a hysteresis circuit, receiving a control signal to generate the third internal signal and configured to provide a hysteresis function for the control signal, wherein the first pre-driver and the second pre-driver are configured to improve driving capability of the control signal.

13. The driving circuit of claim 12 , wherein the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor are normally-off transistors.

14. The driving circuit of claim 12 , wherein the power transistor is a GaN transistor.

15. The driving circuit of claim 12 , wherein the charge pump comprises:
a first unidirectional conducting device, unidirectionally providing the supply voltage to a first node;
a capacitor, coupled between the first node and a second node;
a discharge resistor, coupled between the first node and the high-side node;
a second unidirectional conducting device, unidirectionally coupling the second node to the high-side node when a voltage of the second node exceeds a voltage of the high-side node;
a third unidirectional conducting device, unidirectionally providing the driving voltage to the second node when the driving voltage exceeds the voltage of the second node; and
a switch, receiving the control signal and configured to couple the high-side node to the ground according to the control signal.

16. The driving circuit of claim 15 , wherein, when the control signal is at a high voltage level, the switch is turned ON and the capacitor is charged by the supply voltage through the first unidirectional conducting devi

Assignees

• Delta Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yang Chang Jing

Classifications

• H03K2217/0063

  High side switches, i.e. the higher potential [DC] or life wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load · CPC title

• H03K3/3565 Primary

  Bistables with hysteresis, e.g. Schmitt trigger · CPC title

• H03K2217/0072

  Low side switches, i.e. the lower potential [DC] or neutral wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load · CPC title

• H02M3/1588

  comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03K17/687

  the devices being field-effect transistors · CPC title