A clamping circuit comprises a first field-effect transistor (FET) having a gate, a source, and a drain, a diode, a first voltage source, and coupling circuitry configured to couple the first voltage source to the drain of the first FET and the diode to the source of the first FET.

A soft-start method for a switching regulator is provided. In the soft-start method, a first gate drive signal for limiting an inrush current is provided, by a control circuit, to a switching circuit in a first soft-start stage. After the control circuit determines that a mode switching condition is satisfied according to an output voltage and an output current, a second drive signal for increasing a rise rate of an output voltage is provided to the switching circuit so that the output voltage increases with a faster rise rate and reaches a predetermined voltage at a second soft-start stage.

A new and improved intrinsically safe barrier (“ISB”) provides advantages in connection with installation of field equipment in hazardous areas including Division 2/Zone 2 areas. In one embodiment the new ISB provides a pluggable/unpluggable ISB for use with a receiving terminal base adapted for individual field mounting and alternatively for use with a circuit mount terminal base to permit direct mounting of ISB on circuit boards. A highly effective heat sink design and potting material allows for heat dissipation to allow the ISB to serve a wider range of applications.

An electronic device according to various embodiments may include: a battery, a switch coupling the battery to a main board on which components of the electronic device are disposed, a power management module comprising power management circuitry including a function of powering on the electronic device at a power-on time set to power on the electronic device that is in a power-off state of the electronic device, and a processor. The processor may be configured to: upon identification of a power-off request for the electronic device, set the power-on time and power off the electronic device, based on the electronic device being powered on upon identification of the power-on time, compare a power-off period of the electronic device with a threshold period, and based on the power-off period of the electronic device being longer than a threshold period, decouple the battery from the main board by opening the switch.

A miniature circuit breaker for providing short circuit and overload protection is disclosed herein. The miniature circuit breaker features a field effect transistor (FET), which may be a depletion mode metal oxide semiconductor FET (D MOSFET), a junction field-effect transistor (JFET), or a silicon carbide JFET, the FET being connected to a bi-metallic switch, where the bi-metallic switch acts as a temperature sensing circuit breaker. In combination, the D MOSFET and bi-metallic switch are able to limit current to downstream circuit components, thus protecting the components from damage.

A power detection circuit is provided. The power detection circuit includes a comparator circuit operative to generate an output signal in response to an input signal. The output signal is configured to change from a first value to a second value in response to the input signal attaining a first threshold value. The output signal is configured to change from the second value to the first value in response to the input signal subsequently attaining a second threshold value. A current limiting circuit is connected to the comparator circuit and operative to limit a leakage current of the comparator circuit.

A snubber circuit includes a snubber substrate including an electrically insulating carrier and an electrically conducting structured layer applied thereon, the electrically conducting structured layer including two segments. The snubber circuit further includes two electrically resistive layers, each resistive layer being applied onto the two segments of the electrically conducting structured layer of the snubber substrate, and a capacitor disposed on the electrically resistive layers and having two terminals, each terminal being electrically connected to one of the electrically resistive layers. Further, a power semiconductor module having such a snubber circuit is disclosed.

Various embodiments relate to a protection circuit, comprising: a pad configured to input an external voltage from a connector; a first circuit branch connected to the pad and configured to receive a fast ramp-up over voltage at the pad; a second circuit branch connected to the pad and configured to receive a ramp-up over voltage at the pad; a third circuit branch connected to the pad and configured to output an over voltage detection signal when an over voltage is received at the pad, wherein the third circuit branch includes a voltage divider with a variable resistor with a variable voltage node and an enable switch; and a logic circuit including an enabling transistor configured to control the variable resistor and the enable switch.

A protection device includes a first inductive element connecting first and second terminals and a second inductive element connecting third and fourth terminals. A first component includes a first avalanche diode connected in parallel with a first diode string, anodes of the first avalanche diode and a last diode in the string being connected to ground, cathodes of the first avalanche diode and a first diode in the string being connected, and a tap of the first diode string being connected to the first terminal. A second protection component includes a second avalanche diode connected in parallel with a second diode string, anodes of the second avalanche diode and a last diode in the string being connected to ground, cathodes of the second avalanche diode and a first diode in the string being connected, and a tap of the second diode string being connected to the third terminal.

An apparatus to determine offset voltage to adjust a fuse current determination including a fuse load circuit structured to determine that no current is demanded for a fuse load, and to further determine that contactors associated with the fuse are open, an offset voltage determination circuit structured to determine an offset voltage corresponding to at least one component in a fuse circuit associated with the fuse, in response to the determining that no current is demanded for the fuse load, and an offset data management circuit structured to store the offset voltage, and to communicate a current calculation offset voltage for use by a controller to determine current flow through the fuse.