US Patent:
20160094025, Mar 31, 2016
Inventors:
- Chicago IL, US
Son T. Vo - Huntington Beach CA, US
Kenneth A. Seidner - Fountain Valley CA, US
Troy Cobb - Santa Ana CA, US
Shamoon Sikora - Diamond Bar CA, US
International Classification:
H02H 9/00
H02M 3/158
Abstract:
Embodiments described herein provide short circuit detection capabilities for current drivers. One embodiment includes a controller and a current driver. The current driver includes a power switch circuit that couples a supply rail to a high side of a load in response to receiving a drive signal. The current driver further includes a continuity circuit that couples the supply rail to the high side and indicates to the controller whether a first current flow to the high side exceeds a first threshold. The current driver further includes a current sense circuit that couples a low side of the load to ground and indicates to the controller whether a second current flow from the low side exceeds a second threshold. The controller identifies, based on the first current flow, the second current flow, and the drive signal, a plurality of short circuit conditions that may exist at the current driver.