JP2009095166A - Gate driving device for voltage control type switching device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose a gate driving device for a voltage control type switching device that quickly stops constant-current pulse output and constant-voltage pulse output when an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the voltage control type switching device. <P>SOLUTION: A constant-current driving circuit or a constant-voltage driving circuit includes a current output transistor or a voltage output transistor that generates constant-current pulse output or constant-voltage pulse output. The gate driving device for a voltage control type switching device supplies constant-current pulse output or constant-voltage pulse output to a gate of a voltage control type switching device by using the constant-current driving circuit or the constant-voltage driving circuit in order to drive the gate of the voltage control type switching device. The gate driving device for a voltage control type switching device is provided with a switch circuit that has a semiconductor switch element with a threshold voltage and generates switch output when a detection voltage, whose magnitude is changed corresponding to an output current of a switching device, exceeds the threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element. The gate driving device supplies an OFF-control voltage to a control terminal of a current output transistor or a voltage output transistor on the basis of the switch output. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device such as a power IGBT or MOSFET.

  This type of voltage-controlled switching device gate drive device uses a constant-voltage drive circuit, supplies a constant-voltage pulse output from this constant-voltage drive circuit to the gate of the voltage-controlled switching device, and drives the gate. Recently, as shown in FIG. 8 of Patent Document 1, a constant current driving circuit is used, and a constant current pulse output is supplied from the constant current driving circuit to the gate of the voltage controlled switching device. Those that drive are also used. Paragraph 0025 of Patent Document 1 describes that a constant current circuit is configured by resistors R12 and R13, switch elements Q12 and Q13, and operational amplifiers Q1 and Q2.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-95151, especially FIG. 8 and its description

  However, even when the gate of the voltage controlled switching device is driven by the constant current pulse output from the conventional constant current driving circuit, the storage characteristics of the voltage controlled switching device are controlled even if the constant current pulse output is controlled to be turned off. Depending on the response performance of the circuit that controls the constant current drive circuit, the constant current pulse output may not be instantaneously turned off, and current may continue to flow to the gate of the voltage controlled switching device. In addition, in the case where the gate of the voltage control type switching device is driven by the constant voltage pulse output from the conventional constant voltage driving circuit, even if the constant voltage pulse output is controlled to be turned off, the constant voltage pulse output is similarly There is a possibility that current may continue to flow to the gate of the voltage controlled switching device without being turned off instantaneously.

  For this reason, during operation of overcurrent protection for voltage controlled switching devices and arm short-circuit protection in application circuits using the same, supply of current and voltage to the gate of the voltage controlled switching device continues, and the protection circuit can be installed at high speed. It was difficult to operate. In particular, it is not possible to predict when and when an abnormal situation such as an overcurrent occurs, and not only overcurrent due to an increase in load current but also a voltage suddenly in a short time due to load short-circuit or arm short-circuit. In an application circuit in which the output current of the control type switching device may increase, if the response speed of the protection circuit is low, the voltage control type switching device may be destroyed.

  The present invention proposes a gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device that improves the speed at which the constant current pulse output or the constant voltage pulse output is turned off, and can perform a protective operation quickly in an abnormal situation. is there.

  A gate drive apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to a first aspect of the present invention uses a constant current drive circuit including a current output transistor for generating a constant current pulse output, and the constant current pulse output of the voltage controlled switching device is A gate driving device for a voltage controlled switching device for supplying to a gate and driving it, detecting an output current of the voltage controlled switching device, and detecting a detection voltage whose magnitude changes according to the output current. A current detection circuit for generating, a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, a switch circuit for generating a switch output when the detected voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element, and the switch output An off control circuit for generating an off control voltage for turning off the current output transistor, Off control circuit, the control terminal of the current output transistor, characterized by being configured to provide the OFF control voltage.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device, wherein a constant current drive circuit including a current output transistor for generating a constant current pulse output is used, and the constant current pulse output is voltage controlled switching. A gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device for supplying to and driving a gate of a device, wherein the output current of the voltage controlled switching device is detected, and the magnitude changes according to the output current A current detection circuit for generating a voltage; and a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, the switch circuit for generating a switch output when the detection voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element, The circuit is connected to a control terminal of the current output transistor, and based on the switch output, the circuit The control terminal, and wherein the generating the OFF control voltage for turning off the current output transistor.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gate drive device for a voltage control type switching device, wherein a constant voltage drive circuit including a voltage output transistor for generating a constant voltage pulse output is used, and the constant voltage pulse output is voltage controlled switching. A gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device for supplying to and driving a gate of a device, wherein the output current of the voltage controlled switching device is detected, and the magnitude changes according to the output current A current detection circuit that generates a voltage; a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage; a switch circuit that generates a switch output when the detection voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element; and the switch output And an off control circuit for generating an off control voltage for turning off the voltage output transistor. The off control circuit, the control terminal of the voltage output transistor, characterized by being configured to provide the OFF control voltage.

  Furthermore, a gate driving apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention uses a constant voltage driving circuit including a voltage output transistor for generating a constant voltage pulse output, and the constant voltage pulse output is voltage controlled switching. A gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device for supplying to and driving a gate of a device, wherein the output current of the voltage controlled switching device is detected, and the magnitude changes according to the output current A current detection circuit for generating a voltage; and a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, the switch circuit for generating a switch output when the detection voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element, A circuit is connected to the control terminal of the voltage output transistor, and based on the switch output, The control terminal, and wherein the generating the OFF control voltage for turning off the voltage output transistor.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gate drive device for a voltage-controlled switching device having a semiconductor switching element having a threshold voltage, and having a detection voltage whose magnitude changes according to the output current of the voltage-controlled switching device. A switch circuit for generating a switch output when a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element is exceeded, and an off control circuit for generating an off control voltage for turning off the current output transistor based on the switch output, Since the off control circuit is configured to supply the off control voltage to the control terminal of the current output transistor that outputs the constant current pulse output, the delay due to the storage characteristics of the current output transistor cannot be avoided, but the constant current Current output transistor that outputs pulse output can be quickly turned off, voltage control There is emphasis becomes easy effects with other protection circuit of the switching device.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gate drive device for a voltage-controlled switching device having a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, and the switch when the detected voltage exceeds the threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element. A switch circuit for generating an output, and the switch circuit is connected to a control terminal of a current output transistor for outputting a constant current pulse output, and based on the switch output, turns the current output transistor to the control terminal. Although the delay due to the storage characteristics of the current output transistor cannot be avoided, the current output transistor that outputs the constant current pulse output can be quickly turned off, and other protection of the voltage control type switching device is generated. This has the effect of facilitating emphasis with the circuit.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gate drive device for a voltage-controlled switching device having a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, and a switch output when the detected voltage exceeds the threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element. And a voltage output transistor that outputs a constant voltage pulse output. The voltage output transistor includes a switch circuit that generates a constant voltage pulse output, and an off control circuit that generates an off control voltage for turning off the voltage output transistor based on the switch output. Although the delay due to the storage characteristics of the voltage control type switching device cannot be avoided, the voltage output transistor that outputs the constant voltage pulse output can be quickly turned off. It is easy to emphasize the voltage control type switching device with other protection circuits. There is an effect.

  Furthermore, a gate drive device for a voltage-controlled switching device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention has a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, and when the detected voltage exceeds the threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element, the switch A switch circuit that generates an output, the switch circuit is connected to a control terminal of a voltage output transistor that outputs a constant voltage pulse output, and based on the switch output, the switch circuit turns off the voltage output transistor. Although the delay due to the storage characteristics of the output transistor cannot be avoided since the off-control voltage is generated, the voltage output transistor that outputs the constant voltage pulse output can be quickly turned off, and other protection circuits for the voltage-controlled switching device This has the effect of facilitating emphasis.

  Several embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is an electric circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of a gate driving apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. The gate driving apparatus of the first embodiment includes a voltage controlled switching device 1, a current detection circuit 10, a gate control circuit 20, a gate driving circuit 30, an off control circuit 60, a switch circuit 70, and a gate cutoff. A circuit 80 is included.

  The voltage-controlled switching device 1 is, for example, a power IGBT, and includes a gate G, a collector C, and an emitter E, and further includes a sense emitter Es. A protective diode 2 is connected between the collector C and the emitter E. The anode A of the protection diode 2 is connected to the emitter E, and the cathode K thereof is connected to the collector C. The collector C and the emitter E are connected to the application circuit 3.

  The emitter E is directly connected to a common potential CG, for example, a ground potential, and the sense emitter Es is connected to the common potential CG through the current detection circuit 10. When the output current Ic flows through the emitter E of the voltage controlled switching device 1, a sense current Is proportional to the output current Ic flows through the sense emitter Es. The current detection circuit 10 has a detection resistor 11 connected between the sense emitter Es and the common potential CG, and this detection resistor 11 generates a detection voltage VD having a magnitude proportional to the output current Ic at both ends thereof. To do. Thus, by using the IGBT having the sense emitter Es and connecting the detection resistor 11 to the sense emitter Es, the detection voltage VD whose magnitude changes according to the output current Ic can be detected at a high speed.

  The voltage controlled switching device 1 may be an IGBT that does not have a sense emitter Es. In this case, the detection resistor 11 is connected to the emitter E and configured to generate the detection voltage VD. The voltage controlled switching device 1 can also be a power MOSFET. This power MOSFET has a gate, a drain, and a source, and the drain and the source are connected to the application circuit 3. A detection resistor 11 is connected to the source, and the detection resistor 11 generates a detection voltage VD whose magnitude changes according to the output current Ic.

  The gate control circuit 20 has input terminals 21, 22 and 23, output terminals 24, 25 and 26, and a common potential terminal 27. The input terminal 21 is connected to the control signal input terminal 28, and the control signal CS is supplied from the control signal input terminal 28. The input terminal 22 is connected to the sense emitter Es side of the detection resistor 11, and the detection voltage VD is input to the input terminal 22. The input terminal 23 is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 and receives the gate voltage Vg. The common potential terminal 27 is directly connected to the common potential CG. While monitoring the gate voltage Vg, the gate control circuit 20 generates control output signals SA, SB, and SC at the output terminals 24, 25, and 26 based on the control signal CS, and generates the detection voltage VD. By monitoring, when an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1, the gate drive circuit 30 is controlled so that the switching device 1 does not fail.

  The gate drive circuit 30 includes a constant current drive circuit 40 and a constant voltage drive circuit 50. The constant current drive circuit 40 supplies a constant current pulse output to the gate G of the switching device 1. The constant current drive circuit 40 includes a current output transistor 41, resistors 42, 43, and 44, and a control transistor 45, and is connected between the DC power supply terminal 46 and the common potential CG. The DC power supply terminal 46 is supplied with a DC voltage + VDD1. The current output transistor 41 is composed of, for example, a PNP bipolar transistor Q1. The collector C of the transistor Q1 is directly connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 and supplies a constant current pulse output to the gate G. The emitter E of the transistor Q1 is connected to the DC power supply terminal 46 through the resistor 42. The resistors 43 and 44 and the control transistor 45 are connected in series between the DC power supply terminal 46 and the common potential CG, and the control terminal of the transistor Q1, that is, the base B is directly connected to the interconnection point of the resistors 43 and 44. .

The current output transistor 41 can also be configured with a MOSFET, for example, a P-channel MOSFET. In this case, the source of the P-channel MOSFET is connected to the DC power supply terminal 46 through the resistor 42, its drain is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1, and its control terminal, that is, the gate is the interconnection point of the resistors 43 and 44. Connected directly to.

  The control transistor 45 controls the current output transistor 41. The control transistor 45 is composed of, for example, an N channel MOS transistor Q2. The source S of the MOS transistor Q2 is directly connected to the common potential CG, its drain D is connected to the DC power supply terminal 46 through the resistors 43 and 44, and its gate G is connected to the output terminal 24 of the gate control circuit 20. Is supplied with a control output signal SA.

  When the control output signal SA is at a low level, the control transistor 45 is turned off, the current output transistor 41 is also turned off, and no constant current pulse output is supplied. When the control output signal SA becomes high level, the control transistor 45 is turned on, and the base current flows through the current output transistor 41. Therefore, the current output transistor 41 is also turned on, and the constant current pulse output is supplied to the gate G of the switching device 1. Supplied.

  The constant voltage drive circuit 50 supplies a constant voltage output to the gate G of the switching device 1. The constant voltage drive circuit 50 includes a pair of switch elements 51 and 52 and a pair of resistors 53 and 54, and is connected between the DC power supply terminal 55 and the common potential CG. An interconnection point of the pair of resistors 53 and 54 is directly connected to the gate G of the switching device 1, and a constant voltage output is supplied from the interconnection point of the resistors 53 and 54 to the gate G of the switching device 1. The DC power supply terminal 55 is supplied with a DC voltage + VDD2. The switch element 51 and the resistor 53 are connected in series between the DC power supply terminal 55 and the gate G, and the switch element 52 and the resistor 54 are connected in series between the gate G and the common potential CG. The switch elements 51 and 52 are configured by MOSFETs or bipolar transistors.

  When the control output signal SB is supplied to the switch element 51 from the output terminal 25 of the gate control circuit 20, and the control output signal SB is at a low level, the switch element 51 is turned on. The switch element 52 is supplied with the control output signal SC from the output terminal 26 of the gate control circuit 20, and the switch element 52 is turned on when the control output signal SC is at a high level. When the control output signal SB is at a high level, the switch element 51 is turned off. When the control output signal SC is at a low level, the switch element 52 is turned off. The constant voltage drive circuit 50 supplies a constant voltage output from the DC voltage + VDD2 to the gate G of the switching device 1 when the switch element 51 is turned on and the switch element 52 is turned off.

  The off control circuit 60 forcibly controls the current output transistor 41 of the constant current drive circuit 40 to an off state. The operation of the current output transistor 41 is controlled by the control transistor 45, but the off control circuit 60 supplies the off control voltage VOFF to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41 regardless of the control by the control transistor 45. The off control circuit 60 includes a semiconductor switch element 61 and resistors 62 and 63 and is connected to a DC power supply terminal 64. The semiconductor switch element 61 is composed of, for example, a PNP bipolar transistor Q3, and its collector C is directly connected to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41, that is, the base B of the transistor Q1. The resistors 62 and 63 are connected in series with each other, and are connected in series with the switch circuit 70 between the DC power supply terminal 64 and the common potential CG. The base B of the transistor Q3 is directly connected to the interconnection point of the resistors 62 and 63. When the current output transistor 41 is constituted by a MOSFET, the collector C of the transistor Q3 is connected to its control terminal, that is, the gate. A DC voltage + VDD3 is supplied to the DC power supply terminal 64, and the DC voltage + VDD3 is equal to or higher than the DC voltage + VDD1 of the constant current drive circuit 40. That is, VDD3 ≧ VDD1.

The semiconductor switch element 61 can also be constituted by a MOSFET, for example, a P-channel MOSFET. In this case, the source of the MODFET is connected to the DC power supply terminal 64, its drain is connected to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41, and its gate is directly connected to the interconnection point of the resistors 62 and 63.

  When an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1 and the switch circuit 70 generates a low level switch output SOL, the off control circuit 60 turns on the semiconductor switch element 61 and generates an off control voltage VOFF. A control voltage VOFF is supplied to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41. Since the relation of VDD3 ≧ VDD1 is established, the off control voltage VOFF gives a potential higher than the potential of the emitter E to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41. The off control voltage VOFF is a voltage for forcibly turning off the current output transistor 41. With this off control voltage VOFF, the voltage between the base and the emitter of the current output transistor 41 becomes 0 volt when VDD3 = VDD1, and the base has a higher potential than the emitter when VDD3> VDD1. It becomes a reverse voltage.

  When the control transistor 45 of the constant current drive circuit 40 is turned on and the current output transistor 41 is turned on, when this off control voltage VOFF is applied to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41, the current output transistor 41 is forced. The constant current pulse output is stopped. Even when the off control circuit 60 generates the off control voltage VOFF in a state where the control transistor 45 is off and the current output transistor 41 is off, in this state, the current output transistor 41 is in the off state. There is no special influence on the constant current drive circuit 40.

  The switch circuit 70 supplies a low-level switch output SOL to the off control circuit 60 when an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1 and the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1. The switch circuit 70 includes a semiconductor switch element 71 and a resistor 72. The semiconductor switch element 71 is constituted by, for example, an NPN bipolar transistor Q4, and its collector C is connected to the DC power supply terminal 64 through the resistors 62 and 63 of the off control circuit 60. The emitter E of the transistor Q4 is directly connected to the common potential CG, and its base B is connected to the sense emitter Es side of the detection resistor 11 in the current detection circuit 10 through the resistor 72.

  The semiconductor switch element 71 has a threshold voltage VT1 between the base B and the emitter E of the transistor Q4. The semiconductor switch element 71 is turned on when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1, and a low-level switch output SOL is applied to its collector C. Output. When the detection voltage VD is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage VT1, the semiconductor switch element 71 is turned off, and the semiconductor switch element 61 of the off control circuit 60 is also turned off. Therefore, the off control circuit 60 does not generate the off control voltage VOFF and is constant. The operation of the current drive circuit 40 is not affected.

  The semiconductor switch element 71 can also be configured by a MOSFET, for example, an N-channel MOSFET. In this case, the drain is connected to the DC power supply terminal 64 through the resistors 62 and 63, the source is connected to the common potential CG, and the gate is connected to the sense emitter Es side of the detection resistor 11 through the resistor 72. In this MOSFET, the threshold voltage of its gate is the threshold voltage VT1.

  Transistors Q3 and Q4 that perform turn-on operation at high speed are used for the semiconductor switch elements 61 and 71, respectively. These turn-on speeds are desirably 250 nsec or less, ideally 100 nsec or less. Specifically, the transistors Q3 and Q4 are configured by selecting a transistor having the high turn-on speed from among the discrete transistors and by using the discrete transistors. However, if there is a transistor having the above-mentioned high turn-on speed among the transistors configured by IC, it can be configured by using this transistor. As for the semiconductor switch element 61, it is assumed that the semiconductor switch element 61 is driven to be on when the control transistor 45 is in the on state. select.

  The semiconductor switch elements 61 and 71 have the above-described high turn-on speed, so that when the overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1, the current output transistor 41 is quickly turned off at the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1. can do. The delay of the off operation of the current output transistor 41 is only a delay due to the storage characteristics of the transistor 41, and it is possible to prevent the constant current pulse output from continuing due to a delay in determination and a delay in circuit response.

  The gate cutoff circuit 80 includes a protective semiconductor switch element 81 and resistors 82 and 83. The protective semiconductor switch element 81 is composed of, for example, an NPN bipolar transistor Q5, and its collector C is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 through the resistor 82, its emitter E is directly connected to the common potential CG, and its base B Is connected to the sense emitter Es side of the detection resistor 11 in the current detection circuit 10 through the resistor 83. This protective semiconductor switch element 81 has a threshold voltage VT2 between the base B and the emitter E of the transistor Q5, and when the overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1 and the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT2. And the gate G is connected to the common potential CG. When the protective semiconductor switch element 81 is turned on, the potential of the gate G of the switching device 1 is controlled to be discharged to the common potential CG through the resistor 82 and lowered.

  The threshold voltage VT2 is substantially the same as or slightly higher than the threshold voltage VT1 of the semiconductor switch element 71. When the threshold voltage VT2 is slightly higher than the threshold voltage VT1, or even when VT2 = VT1, if the protective switch element 81 is composed of a semiconductor switch element lower than the turn-on speed of the semiconductor switch element 71, the switching device 1 When an overvoltage abnormality occurs, the switch circuit 70 and the off control circuit 60 apply the off control voltage VOFF to the current output transistor 41, and after the constant current pulse output is stopped, the gate cutoff circuit 80 operates. The conventional gate cutoff circuit operates in a state where the constant current pulse output continues, and thus there is a possibility that a current continues to flow through the switching device 1, but such a problem is solved.

  The switch element 81 can also be configured with a MOSFET, for example, an N-channel MOSFET. In this case, the drain is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 through the resistor 82, the source is connected to the common potential CG, and the gate is connected to the sense emitter Es side of the detection resistor 11 through the resistor 82. In this MOSFET, a threshold voltage VT2 is applied based on the threshold voltage of its gate.

  Now, the operation of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described. First, operations of the constant current drive circuit 40 and the constant voltage drive circuit 50 in the gate drive circuit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows an operation in the case where the control signal CS changes to a low level after becoming a high level. FIG. 2A shows changes in the voltage Vce between the collector C and the emitter E of the voltage-controlled switching device 1 and the output current Ic. FIG. 2B shows a change in the gate voltage Vg of the switching device 1. FIG. 2C shows the level change of the control signal CS, and FIGS. 2D, 2E and 2F show the level change of the control output signals SA, SB and SC, respectively.

  FIG. 2 shows a control period T1 in which the control signal CS is at a high level and a control period T2 in which the control signal CS is at a low level. Immediately before the control period T1, the control signal CS is at a low level, the control output signal SA is at a low level, the control output signals SB and SC are both at a high level, and the control output signal SB is at a high level. Since the switch element 51 is turned off and the control output signal SC is at a high level, the switch element 52 is turned on.

  The control period T1 includes a first control section TA and a second control section TB, and is switched from the first control section TA to the second control section TB. In the first control period TA, the constant current drive circuit 40 operates, and a constant current pulse output is supplied from the constant current drive circuit 40 to the gate G of the switching device 1. In the second control period TB, the constant voltage output from the constant voltage driving circuit 50 is supplied to the gate G of the switching device 1. By switching between the constant current drive circuit 40 and the constant voltage drive circuit 50, stable gate driving is performed.

  In the first control section TA, the control output signals SA and SB are at a high level and the control output signal SC is at a low level. In this state, since the control output signal SA is at a high level, the control transistor 45 of the constant current drive circuit 40 is turned on, the current output transistor 41 is also turned on, and the constant current drive circuit 40 operates. A constant current pulse output is supplied to the gate G from the drive circuit 40. By this constant current pulse output, the gate voltage Vg of the gate G rises linearly, and when the gate voltage Vg reaches a predetermined value Vth1, the switching device 1 starts the turn-on operation Ton. In this turn-on operation Ton, the output current Ic increases and the voltage Vce decreases. After the turn-on operation Ton is completed, the switching device 1 is turned on.

  The gate control circuit 20 monitors the gate voltage Vg input to the input terminal 23, and when the gate voltage Vg reaches a predetermined value Vg1, the switching operation from the first control section TA to the second control section TB is performed. Do. In the second control section TB, all of the control output signals SA, SB, SC are at a low level. In the second control period TB, since the control output signal SA is at a low level, the control transistor 45 of the constant current drive circuit 40 is turned off, the current output transistor 41 is also turned off, and the constant current pulse output is stopped. In the second control section TB, since the control output signals SB and SC are both at the low level, the switch element 51 in the constant voltage drive circuit 50 is turned on and the switch element 52 is turned off. For this reason, the constant voltage drive circuit 50 supplies a constant voltage to the gate G based on the DC voltage + VDD2.

  In the control period T2, the control signal CS is at a low level, the control output signal SA is at a low level, and the control output signals SB and SC are both at a high level. Since the control output signal SA is at a low level, the constant current drive circuit 40 does not operate. In the constant voltage drive circuit 50, since the control output signals SB and SC are both at a high level, the switch element 51 is turned off and the switch element 52 is turned on. For this reason, the constant voltage from the constant voltage driving circuit 50 is also stopped, and the gate voltage Vg is discharged through the switch element 52 and the resistor 54, and thus decreases. As the gate voltage Vg decreases, the switching device 1 goes from the on state ON to the turn-off operation Toff and then into the off state OFF.

  Now, regardless of the operating state of the gate drive circuit 30, an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1, the output current Ic increases, and the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold value VT1 of the semiconductor switch element 71. The semiconductor switch element 71 generates a low level switch output SOL, and the semiconductor switch element 61 of the off control circuit 60 supplies the off control voltage VOFF to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41 in the constant current drive circuit 40. If the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold value VT1 in the state where the current output transistor 41 of the constant current drive circuit 40 is generating a constant current pulse output in the first control section TA, the semiconductor switch elements 71 and 61 are both A high-speed turn-on operation is performed, and the current output transistor 41 is forcibly turned off.

  Outside the first control section TA, the control transistor 45 is turned off and the current output transistor 41 is also in the off state. Even in this state, when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold value VT1, in the first embodiment, the semiconductor switches 71 and 61 similarly perform the turn-on operation at high speed, and apply the off control voltage VOFF to the control terminal of the current output transistor 41. In this state, since the current output transistor 41 is in an off state, the off control voltage VOFF does not affect the current output transistor 41. When an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1 outside the first control section TA, the protective semiconductor switch element 81 of the gate cutoff circuit 80 is turned on at the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT2, and this gate cutoff is performed. The circuit 80 protects the switching device 1.

  In the first embodiment in which the gate cut-off circuit 80 is used in addition to the switch circuit 70 and the off control circuit 60, in the state where the constant current drive circuit 40 outputs a constant current pulse output in the first control section TA, first, The switch circuit 70 and the off control circuit 60 forcibly turn off the current output transistor 41, stop the constant current pulse output, and then operate the gate cut-off circuit 80, thereby switching the switching device 1 at a higher speed. To recover from the overcurrent state.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 3 is an electric circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of the gate driving apparatus of the voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention.

  In the second embodiment, a switch output extension circuit 90 is added to the first embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. The switch output extension circuit 90 is connected in parallel with the semiconductor switch element 71 of the switch circuit 70. This switch output extension circuit 90 includes a capacitor 91 and a resistor 92, which are connected in series. One end of the capacitor 91 is connected to the emitter E of the transistor Q4 constituting the semiconductor switch element 71, and one end of the resistor 92 is Each collector C is connected.

  The capacitor 91 is charged through the resistors 62, 63, and 92 by the DC voltage + VSS3 of the DC power supply terminal 64 in a state where the semiconductor switch element 71 of the switch circuit 70 is turned off, and when the semiconductor switch element 71 is turned on, Discharge occurs through the resistor 92 and the semiconductor switch element 71. When the semiconductor switch element 71 returns to the off state, the capacitor 91 is charged again from the DC power supply terminal 64 through the resistors 62, 63, and 92. After the semiconductor switch element 71 is turned off, for a predetermined time, The low level switch output SOL is extended.

  As described above, the capacitor 91 has a function of extending the low-level switch output SOL for a predetermined time until the semiconductor switch element 71 is turned off, and extends the time for forcibly turning off the current output transistor 41. By providing the switch output extension circuit 90, the current output transistor 41 of the constant current drive circuit 40 is forcibly turned off for a longer time, so that the overcurrent protection of the switching device 1 by the switch circuit 70 is performed once. When the overcurrent abnormality is eliminated, the protection operation can be continued for a predetermined time even after the overcurrent abnormality is resolved, and the emphasis with other protection circuits becomes easy.

  The switch output extension circuit 90 may be a monostable multivibrator circuit in which the operation time is set by a capacitor and a resistor, instead of the capacitor 91 and the resistor 92, and the monostable multivibrator circuit is integrated into an IC. You can also.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 4 is an electric circuit diagram showing Embodiment 3 of the voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. In the third embodiment, the constant current drive circuit 40 in the first embodiment is replaced with a constant current drive circuit 140. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  The constant current drive circuit 140 used in the third embodiment includes a current mirror circuit 141, a constant current circuit 142, and a constant current control circuit 143. A control output signal SA is supplied to the constant current control circuit 143 from the output terminal 24 of the gate control circuit 20. The current mirror circuit 141 includes a constant current driving transistor 141a and a current output transistor group 141b having substantially the same characteristics as the constant current driving transistor 141a and connected in parallel to each other. The constant current drive transistor 141a is composed of, for example, a PNP bipolar transistor Q11, and each transistor of the current output transistor group 141b is composed of, for example, the same PNP bipolar transistor Q12.

  The emitter E of the transistor Q11 is directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 46 to which the DC voltage + VDD1 is applied, and its collector C is connected to the common potential CG through the constant current circuit 142 and also connected to its base B. The control terminal of the transistor Q11, that is, the base B is commonly connected to the control terminal of each transistor Q12, that is, the base B. The emitters E of the transistors Q12 are commonly connected to each other and directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 46. The collectors C of the transistors Q12 are also commonly connected to each other and directly connected to the gate G of the switching device 1.

  The constant current circuit 142 sets a constant current value flowing through the transistor Q11, and this constant current value is determined by the constant current control circuit 143. The constant current control circuit 143 is driven by the control output signal SA of the gate control circuit 20, and when the control output signal SA becomes high level, the constant current control circuit 143 is driven, and each transistor Q12 has a transistor. Since the same current as Q11 flows, a constant current pulse output having a current value obtained by adding the constant current flowing through the transistor Q11 by the number of transistors Q12 is supplied to the gate G of the switching device 1.

  The collector C of the transistor Q3 constituting the semiconductor switch element 61 of the off control circuit 60 is directly connected to the control terminal of the transistor Q11 and each transistor Q12, that is, the base B. When the transistor Q3 receives the low level switch output SOL from the switch circuit 70, the transistor Q3 applies the off control voltage VOFF to the bases B of the transistors Q11 and Q12, as in the first embodiment. This off control voltage VOFF forces the transistors Q11 and Q12 to be in an off state in a state where the current output transistor group 141b of the constant current driving circuit 140 supplies a constant current pulse output to the gate G of the switching device 1. Stops constant current pulse output. In the third embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
FIG. 5 is an electric circuit diagram showing Embodiment 4 of the gate driving apparatus of the voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, a switch output extension circuit 90 shown in FIG. 3 is added to the third embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the third embodiment.

  The switch output extension circuit 90 of the fourth embodiment is configured in the same manner as in the second embodiment and performs the same operation as that of the second embodiment, so that the same effect as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

Embodiment 5 FIG.
FIG. 6 is an electric circuit diagram showing Embodiment 5 of the gate driving apparatus of the voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. In the fifth embodiment, the constant current drive circuit 40 in the first embodiment is replaced with a constant current drive circuit 240, and the off control circuit 60 in the first embodiment is deleted. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  The constant current drive circuit 240 used in the fifth embodiment includes a current output transistor 241, resistors 242, 243, 244, and a constant current control circuit 245, and the constant current control circuit 245 includes the gate control circuit 20. The control output signal SA is supplied from the output terminal 24. The current output transistor 241 is composed of, for example, an NPN bipolar transistor Q13. The collector C of the transistor Q13 is directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 46, and the emitter E is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 through the resistor 242, and a constant current pulse output is supplied from the emitter E to the gate G. The The control terminal of the current output transistor 241, that is, the base B of the transistor Q 13 is connected to the interconnection point of the resistors 243 and 244.

  The constant current control circuit 245 is connected to the control terminal of the current output transistor 241 through the resistor 243, that is, the base B of the transistor Q13. The constant current control circuit 245 includes two comparison circuits COM1 and COM2 that perform feedback control. The comparison circuit COM2 outputs a difference voltage between the voltage Vg of the gate G of the switching device 1 and the voltage of the emitter E of the transistor Q13, and the comparison circuit COM1 outputs the difference voltage output from the comparison circuit COM2 and the constant voltage. Outputs deviation from current set value input. The constant current control circuit 245 operates when the control output signal SA is at a high level, and supplies the deviation output from the comparison circuit COM1 through the resistor 243 to the control terminal of the current output transistor 241, ie, the base B of the transistor Q13. Then, a constant current pulse output is supplied to the gate G from the emitter E of the current output transistor 241 while performing feedback control. The transistor Q13 operates as an emitter follower and supplies a constant current pulse output to the gate G. When the control output signal SA is at a low level, the constant current control circuit 245 does not operate and the constant current pulse output stops.

  The collector C of the transistor Q4 constituting the semiconductor switch element 71 of the switch circuit 70 is directly connected to the control terminal of the current output transistor 241, that is, the base B of the transistor Q13 through the resistor 244. In the fifth embodiment, when the control output signal SA is at a high level, the switch circuit 70 receives power from the constant current control circuit 245 through the resistors 243 and 244. When the control output signal SA is at a low level, the switch circuit 70 The circuit 70 is not powered.

  In the fifth embodiment, when the control output signal SA is at a high level and the current output transistor 241 supplies the constant current pulse output to the gate G of the switching device 1, an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1. At the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1, the switch circuit 70 generates a low level switch output SOL. This low level switch output SOL causes a current to flow from the resistor 243 to the common potential CG through the resistor 244 and the semiconductor switch element 71, and an off control voltage VOFF is generated at the interconnection point of the resistors 243 and 244.

  In the fifth embodiment, the resistor 244 has a resistance value sufficiently smaller than that of the resistor 243, and the off control voltage VOFF is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vth1 of the switching device 1. The threshold voltage Vth1 is a value of the gate voltage Vg when a current of 0.01% of the rated current flows through the switching device 1. A gate voltage Vg is applied to the emitter E of the transistor Q13 constituting the current output transistor 241, and the gate voltage Vg is higher than the threshold voltage Vth1 throughout most of the first control period TA. Accordingly, in most of the first control period TA, the voltage on the base B side is smaller than the voltage on the emitter E side between the base B and the emitter E of the transistor Q13 at the timing when the off control voltage VOFF is generated. A reverse voltage is applied, and the current output transistor 241 is forcibly turned off.

  As described above, in the fifth embodiment, when the off-control voltage VOFF is generated in the state where the current output transistor 241 generates the constant current pulse output in the first control period TA, the current output transistor 241 is The constant current pulse output is stopped by forcibly turning off. Since the semiconductor switch element 71 generates the low level switch output SOL at a high turn-on speed at the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1, the current output transistor 241 quickly stops the constant current pulse output, and the constant current Prevent pulse output from continuing. In the second control section TB and the control period T2, the control output signal SA is at a low level, and the constant current control circuit 245 does not operate. Therefore, power is not supplied to the switch circuit 70, and the switch circuit 70 does not operate.

  The current output transistor 241 can also be configured with a MOSFET, for example, an N-channel MOSFET. In this case, the drain of the MOSFET is directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 46, the source is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 through the resistor 242, and the control terminal, ie, the gate is the interconnection of the resistors 243 and 244. Connected directly to the point.

Embodiment 6 FIG.
FIG. 7 is an electric circuit diagram showing Embodiment 6 of the gate driving apparatus of the voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. In the sixth embodiment, the gate drive circuit 30 in the first embodiment is replaced with a gate drive circuit 300, and in the gate control circuit 20, the input terminal 23 and the output terminal 25 are deleted. The gate control circuit 20 is configured to supply a control output signal SA from the output terminal 24 and a control output signal SC from the output terminal 26 to the gate drive circuit 300, respectively. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  The gate drive circuit 300 used in Embodiment 6 includes a constant voltage drive circuit 340 and a gate off circuit 350. The constant voltage driving circuit 340 supplies a constant voltage pulse output to the gate G of the voltage controlled switching device 1. The gate-off circuit 350 connects the gate G of the switching device 1 to the common potential CG and turns off the switching device 1.

  The constant voltage drive circuit 340 includes a voltage output transistor 341, resistors 342, 343, and 344 and an inverter circuit 345. The voltage output transistor 341 is composed of, for example, a P-channel MOSFET Q14. The MOSFET Q14 has a source S, a drain D, and a gate G. The source S is directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 64, and the drain D is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 through a resistor 342. The control terminal of the voltage output transistor 341 is the gate G of the MOSFET Q13, which is directly connected to the interconnection point of the resistors 343 and 344.

  The voltage output transistor 341 can also be configured by a bipolar transistor, for example, a PNP bipolar transistor. In this case, the emitter of the PNP-type bipolar transistor is directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 64, its collector is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 through the resistor 342, and its base is directly connected to the interconnection point of the resistors 343 and 344. The

  The resistors 343 and 344 are connected in series and connected to the output of the inverter circuit 345. The inverter circuit 345 is composed of a logic IC, and a control output signal SA is supplied to the input from the output terminal 24 of the gate control circuit 20. The inverter circuit 345 outputs a control output signal ISA obtained by inverting the control output signal SA.

  The gate-off circuit 350 includes a switch element 351 and a resistor 352, and is connected between the gate G of the switching device 1 and the common potential CG. The switch element 351 and the resistor 352 are connected in series with each other. The switch element 351 is composed of a MOSFET or a bipolar transistor. The switch element 351 is supplied with a control output signal SC from the output terminal 26 of the gate control circuit circuit 20, and when the control output signal SC is at a high level. The switch element 351 is turned on, and the switch element 351 is turned off when the control output signal SC is at a low level.

  The off control circuit 60 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the collector C of the transistor Q3 constituting the semiconductor switch element 61 is directly connected to the control terminal of the voltage output transistor 341, that is, the gate G of the MOSFET Q14. The voltage VOFF is supplied to the control terminal of the voltage output transistor 341. The switch circuit 70 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and when the overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1 and the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1, the semiconductor switch element 71 is turned on, and the low level switch An output SOL is generated, and the semiconductor switch element 61 of the OFF control circuit 60 generates an OFF control voltage VOFF by the switch output SOL. The semiconductor switch elements 61 and 71 have a high turn-on speed, and promptly generate the off control voltage VOFF at the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1. In a state where the voltage output transistor 341 of the constant voltage driving circuit 340 supplies a constant voltage pulse output to the gate G of the switching device 1, the off control voltage VOFF forcibly turns off the voltage output transistor 341.

  The gate cutoff circuit 80 is also configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT2, the gate G of the switching device 1 is connected to the common potential CG, and the gate voltage Vg of the gate G is lowered. Let

    Now, the operation of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 7 will be described. First, operations of the constant voltage driving circuit 340 and the gate-off circuit 350 in the gate driving circuit 300 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 shows the operation when the control signal CS changes to the low level after the control signal CS becomes the high level, as in FIG. FIG. 8A shows changes in the voltage Vce between the collector C and the emitter E of the voltage-controlled switching device 1 and the output current Ic. FIG. 8B shows a change in the gate voltage Vg of the switching device 1. FIG. 8C shows the level change of the control signal CS, and FIGS. 8D and 8E show the level change of the control output signals SA and SC, respectively.

  FIG. 8 also shows a control period T1 in which the control signal CS is at a high level and a control period T2 in which the control signal CS is at a low level. Immediately before the control period T1, since the control signal CS is low level, the control output signal SA is low level, the control output signal SC is high level, and the control output signal SC is high level, the switch element 351 is turned on. Is in a state.

  In the control period T1, the constant voltage driving circuit 340 operates, and a constant voltage pulse output is supplied from the constant voltage driving circuit 340 to the gate G of the switching device 1. In the control period T1, the control output signal SA is at a high level and the control output signal SC is at a low level. In this state, since the control output signal SA is at the high level, the inverted control output signal ISA output from the inverter circuit 345 of the constant voltage drive circuit 340 is at the low level, the voltage output transistor 341 is turned on, and The voltage driving circuit 340 operates, and a constant voltage pulse output is supplied from the constant voltage driving circuit 340 to the gate G of the switching device 1. Due to this constant voltage pulse output, the gate voltage Vg of the switching device 1 rises in a CR charge waveform, and when the gate voltage Vg reaches the threshold voltage Vth1, the switching device 1 starts the turn-on operation Ton. In this turn-on operation Ton, the output current Ic increases and the voltage Vce decreases. After the turn-on operation Ton is completed, the switching device 1 is turned on.

  In the control period T2, the control signal CS becomes low level, the control output signal SA becomes low level, and the control output signal SC becomes high level. Since the control output signal SA is at a low level, the constant voltage drive circuit 340 does not operate. In the gate-off circuit 350, since the control output signal SC is at a high level, the switch element 351 is turned on. For this reason, the gate voltage Vg is discharged through the switch element 351 and the resistor 352, and thus decreases. As the gate voltage Vg decreases, the switching device 1 goes from the on state ON to the turn-off operation Toff and then into the off state OFF.

  Now, regardless of the operating state of the gate drive circuit 300, an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1, the output current Ic increases, and the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold value VT1 of the semiconductor switch element 71. The semiconductor switch element 71 generates a low level switch output SOL, and the semiconductor switch element 61 of the off control circuit 60 supplies the off control voltage VOFF to the control terminal of the voltage output transistor 41 in the constant voltage drive circuit 340. If the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold value VT1 in the state where the voltage output transistor 341 of the constant voltage driving circuit 340 generates a constant voltage pulse output in the control period T1, both the semiconductor switch elements 71 and 61 are high-speed. A turn-on operation is performed to forcibly turn off the voltage output transistor 341.

  In the control period T2, the voltage output transistor 341 is in an off state. Even in this state, when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold value VT1, in the sixth embodiment, the semiconductor switches 71 and 61 similarly perform the turn-on operation at high speed and apply the off control voltage VOFF to the control terminal of the voltage output transistor 341. In this state, since the voltage output transistor 341 is in the off state, the off control voltage VOFF does not affect the voltage output transistor 341. When an overcurrent abnormality of the switching device 1 occurs during the control period T2, the protective semiconductor switch element 81 of the gate cutoff circuit 80 is turned on at the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT2, and the gate cutoff circuit 80 Thus, the switching device 1 is protected.

  In the sixth embodiment in which the gate cut-off circuit 80 is used in addition to the switch circuit 70 and the off control circuit 60, first, in the state where the constant voltage drive circuit 340 outputs the constant voltage pulse output in the control period T1, the switch circuit 70 and the off control circuit 60 forcibly turn off the voltage output transistor 341, stop the constant voltage pulse output, and then operate the gate cut-off circuit 80, thereby allowing the switching device 1 to operate at a higher speed. It is possible to recover from the current state.

Embodiment 7 FIG.
FIG. 9 is an electric circuit diagram showing a seventh embodiment of the gate driving apparatus of the voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. In the seventh embodiment, a switch output extension circuit 90 shown in FIG. 3 is added to the sixth embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the sixth embodiment. The switch output extension circuit 90 of the seventh embodiment is configured in the same way as in the second embodiment and performs the same operation as that of the second embodiment, so that the same effect as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

Embodiment 8 FIG.
FIG. 10 is an electric circuit diagram showing an eighth embodiment of the gate driving apparatus of the voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. In the eighth embodiment, the constant voltage drive circuit 340 in the sixth embodiment is replaced with the constant voltage drive circuit 440, and the off control circuit 60 in the sixth embodiment is deleted. The other configuration is the same as that of the sixth embodiment.

  The constant voltage drive circuit 440 used in the eighth embodiment includes a voltage output transistor 441 and resistors 442, 443, and 444. A control output signal SA is output from the output terminal 24 of the gate control circuit 20 to the resistor 443. Supplied. The voltage output transistor 441 is composed of, for example, an NPN bipolar transistor Q15. The collector C of the transistor Q15 is directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 46, and the emitter E is connected to the gate G of the switching device 1 through the resistor 442, and a constant voltage pulse output is supplied from the emitter E to the gate G. The

  The control terminal of the voltage output transistor 441, that is, the base B of the transistor Q15 is connected to the interconnection point of the resistors 443 and 444. A control output signal SA is supplied to the base B of the transistor Q15 through the resistor 443. The constant voltage drive circuit 440 operates when the control output signal SA is at a high level. When the control output signal SA is at a high level, a base current flows through the resistor 443 to the voltage output transistor 441, and a constant voltage pulse output is supplied from the emitter E of the voltage output transistor 441 to the gate G of the switching device 1. When the control output signal SA is at a low level, the constant voltage drive circuit 440 does not operate and the constant voltage pulse output stops.

  The collector C of the transistor Q4 constituting the semiconductor switch element 71 of the switch circuit 70 is connected through the resistor 444 to the control terminal of the voltage output transistor 441, that is, the base B of the transistor Q15. In the eighth embodiment, when the control output signal SA is at a high level, the switch circuit 70 receives power from the control output signal SA through the resistors 443 and 444. When the control output signal SA is at a low level, the switch circuit 70 receives power. No power is supplied to 70.

  In the eighth embodiment, when the control output signal SA is at a high level and the voltage output transistor 441 supplies a constant voltage pulse output to the gate G of the switching device 1, an overcurrent abnormality occurs in the switching device 1. At the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1, the switch circuit 70 generates a low level switch output SOL. This low level switch output SOL causes a current to flow from the resistor 443 to the common potential CG through the resistor 444 and the semiconductor switch element 71, and an off control voltage VOFF is generated at the interconnection point of the resistors 443 and 444.

  In the eighth embodiment, the resistor 444 has a resistance value sufficiently smaller than that of the resistor 443, and the off control voltage VOFF is set to be equal to or lower than the threshold voltage Vth1 of the switching device 1. The threshold voltage Vth1 is a value of the gate voltage Vg when a current of 0.01% of the rated current flows through the switching device 1. A gate voltage Vg is applied to the emitter E of the transistor Q15 constituting the voltage output transistor 441, and the gate voltage Vg is higher than the threshold voltage Vth1 throughout most of the period T1. Therefore, in most of the period T1, at the timing when the off-control voltage VOFF is generated, a reverse voltage whose base B side voltage is lower than the emitter E side voltage is present between the base B and the emitter E of the transistor Q15. The voltage output transistor 441 is forcibly turned off.

  As described above, in the eighth embodiment, in the state where the voltage output transistor 441 generates the constant voltage pulse output in the control period T1, the voltage output transistor 441 is compulsorily generated when the off control voltage VOFF is generated. The constant voltage pulse output is stopped. Since the semiconductor switch element 71 generates the low level switch output SOL at a high turn-on speed at the timing when the detection voltage VD exceeds the threshold voltage VT1, the voltage output transistor 441 quickly stops the constant voltage pulse output, and the constant voltage Prevent pulse output from continuing. In the control period T2, the control output signal SA is at a low level, no power is supplied to the switch circuit 70, and the switch circuit 70 does not operate.

  The voltage output transistor 441 can also be configured with a MOSFET, for example, an N-channel MOSFET. In this case, the drain of the MOSFET is directly connected to the DC power supply terminal 46, the source is connected to the switching device 1 through the resistor 442, and the gate is connected to the switching device 1, and the control terminal, ie, the gate Connected directly to the point.

  The gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention is used for various voltage controlled switching devices such as IGBTs and MOSFETs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an electric circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of a gate driving apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a timing diagram for explaining the operation of the first embodiment. It is an electric circuit diagram which shows Embodiment 2 of the gate drive apparatus of the voltage control type switching device by this invention. It is an electric circuit diagram which shows Embodiment 3 of the gate drive device of the voltage control type switching device by this invention. It is an electric circuit diagram which shows Embodiment 4 of the gate drive device of the voltage control type switching device by this invention. It is an electric circuit diagram which shows Embodiment 5 of the gate drive device of the voltage control type switching device by this invention. It is an electric circuit diagram which shows Embodiment 6 of the gate drive apparatus of the voltage control type switching device by this invention. FIG. 20 is a timing diagram for explaining operations in the sixth embodiment. It is an electric circuit diagram which shows Embodiment 7 of the gate drive apparatus of the voltage control type switching device by this invention. It is an electric circuit diagram which shows Embodiment 8 of the gate drive apparatus of the voltage control type switching device by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: voltage-controlled switching device, 10: current detection circuit, 20: gate control circuit,
30.300: Gate drive circuit, 40, 140, 240: Constant current drive circuit,
41, 141b, 241: current output transistor, 60: off control circuit,
70: switch circuit, 71: semiconductor switch element, 80: gate cutoff circuit,
81: Protective semiconductor switch element, 90: Switch output extension circuit, 91: Capacitor,
340, 440: constant voltage drive circuit, 341, 441: voltage output transistor.

Claims (8)

A gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device that uses a constant current drive circuit including a current output transistor for generating a constant current pulse output, supplies the constant current pulse output to a gate of the voltage controlled switching device, and drives the gate Because
A current detection circuit that detects an output current of the voltage-controlled switching device and generates a detection voltage whose magnitude changes according to the output current;
A switch circuit having a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, and generating a switch output when the detected voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element;
An off control circuit for generating an off control voltage for turning off the current output transistor based on the switch output;
A gate driving apparatus for a voltage driven switching device, wherein the off control circuit is configured to supply the off control voltage to a control terminal of a current output transistor.   2. The gate drive apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to claim 1, further comprising a switch output extension circuit including a capacitor, wherein the switch output extension circuit is connected to the switch circuit and extends the switch output. A gate drive apparatus for a voltage-controlled switching device.   2. The gate driving apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to claim 1, further comprising a gate cutoff circuit connected to a gate of the voltage controlled switching device, wherein the gate cutoff circuit is a protection having a threshold voltage. A semiconductor switch element for protection, supplying the detection voltage also to the semiconductor switch element for protection, and when the detection voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element for protection, by the semiconductor switch element for protection, A gate drive apparatus for a voltage-controlled switching device, wherein the gate of the voltage-controlled switching device is connected to a common potential. A gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device that uses a constant current drive circuit including a current output transistor for generating a constant current pulse output, supplies the constant current pulse output to a gate of the voltage controlled switching device, and drives the gate Because
A current detection circuit that detects an output current of the voltage-controlled switching device and generates a detection voltage whose magnitude changes according to the output current;
A semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, and a switch circuit that generates a switch output when the detected voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element;
The switch circuit is connected to a control terminal of the current output transistor, and generates a control voltage for turning off the current output transistor at the control terminal based on the switch output. Gate drive device for switching devices. A gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device that uses a constant voltage drive circuit including a voltage output transistor for generating a constant voltage pulse output, supplies the constant voltage pulse output to the gate of the voltage controlled switching device, and drives the gate Because
A current detection circuit that detects an output current of the voltage-controlled switching device and generates a detection voltage whose magnitude changes according to the output current;
A switch circuit having a semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, and generating a switch output when the detected voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element;
An off control circuit for generating an off control voltage for turning off the voltage output transistor based on the switch output;
A gate drive apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device, wherein the off control circuit is configured to supply the off control voltage to a control terminal of the voltage output transistor.   6. The gate drive apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to claim 5, further comprising a switch output extension circuit including a capacitor, wherein the switch output extension circuit is connected to the switch circuit and extends the switch output. A gate drive apparatus for a voltage-controlled switching device.   6. The gate driving apparatus for a voltage controlled switching device according to claim 5, further comprising a gate cutoff circuit connected to a gate of the voltage controlled switching device, wherein the gate cutoff circuit is a protection having a threshold voltage. A semiconductor switch element for protection, the detection voltage is also supplied to the protection semiconductor switch element, and when the detection voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the protection semiconductor switch element, A gate drive apparatus for a voltage-controlled switching device, wherein the gate of the voltage-controlled switching device is connected to a common potential. A gate drive device for a voltage controlled switching device that uses a constant voltage drive circuit including a voltage output transistor for generating a constant voltage pulse output, supplies the constant voltage pulse output to the gate of the voltage controlled switching device, and drives the gate Because
A current detection circuit that detects an output current of the voltage-controlled switching device and generates a detection voltage whose magnitude changes according to the output current;
A semiconductor switch element having a threshold voltage, and a switch circuit that generates a switch output when the detected voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the semiconductor switch element;
The switch circuit is connected to a control terminal of the voltage output transistor, and generates a control voltage for turning off the voltage output transistor at the control terminal based on the switch output. Gate drive device for switching devices.

Images