In electronic systems, the downstream circuitry may be damaged by overcurrent and overvoltage events. Therefore, there is provided a dual protection device for protecting electrical components in electronic systems. The protection device includes a mechanical fuse in conjunction with an electronic fuse, eFuse, the two components connected in series, together protecting against overcurrent events on two levels. The mechanical fuse provides high overcurrent protection, realising fast and reliable protection at high overcurrent events, and the electronic fuse provides low overcurrent protection, realising accurate and resettable protection for low overcurrent events.

A device and method that includes a shunt regulator of a universal serial bus (USB) compatible power supply device is disclosed. The shunt regulator includes an amplifier with an output, a first input, and a second input. The shunt regulator also includes a current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that is coupled to the first input of the amplifier and a voltage bus node. The current DAC adjusts a sink or a source current delivered at the first input of the amplifier to regulate a programmable output voltage (Vbus) in the USB-compatible power supply device. The current delivered by the DAC is responsive to receipt of a digital code indicative of a programmable power supply command specifying the Vbus to be delivered by the USB-compatible power supply device on the voltage bus node.

One example discloses a voltage select circuit, comprising: a first input configured to receive a first input voltage; a second input configured to receive a second input voltage; a first diode having a first polarity coupled to the first input; a second diode having a first polarity coupled to the second input; an output coupled to a second polarity of both the first and second diodes; a diode bypass circuit coupled to the first input and the output in parallel with the first diode, and coupled to the second input; and wherein the bypass circuit is configured to pass the first input voltage to the output if an absolute value of the second input voltage is less than a voltage drop of the second diode.

A system includes a monitored component and a comparator configured to compare a sense voltage from the monitored component with a reference voltage. The system also includes an adaptive input clamping circuit configured to limit the sense voltage input to the comparator to below an upper threshold voltage.

A reactive power system comprises a plurality of electrical capacitor banks, with each electrical capacitor bank electrically connected in series with an electrical switch. The electrical switches may be electrically connected to a system such as, for example, an electrical induction motor starter system. A controller is coupled with the motor starter system and each of the electrical switches. The controller, in response to receiving a signal from the motor starter system, determines which of the plurality of electrical capacitor banks from which electrical power should be provided for the motor starter system. For the determined or identified electrical capacitor bank(s), the controller identifies the corresponding electrical switch(es) and communicates a signal to close the switch(es). Closing the switches results in the capacitors in the corresponding electrical capacitor banks to be electrically connected to the motor starter system and to provide current to the motor starter system.

An adaptive gate driver for a driving a power MOSFET to switch is disclosed. The adaptive gate driver includes a load sense circuit to sense a current through the power MOSFET. A controller coupled to the load sense circuit compares the sensed current to a threshold to determine if the load on the power MOSFET is a normal load or a heavy load. Based on the comparison, the controller controls the gate driver to drive the power MOSFET with a first strength level when a normal load determined and at second strength level when a heavy load is determined. The driving strength in the heavy-load condition is lower than the normal-load condition and by lowering the driving strength of the gate driver during the heavy-load condition a voltage across the power MOSFET may be prevented from exceeding a threshold related to a breakdown condition during a switching period.

There is to provide a power circuit capable of stabilizing an internal power source voltage and assuring a normal operation of a load circuit. According to one embodiment, the power circuit includes a regulator which generates an output voltage using an entered input voltage, a voltage detecting circuit which detects the output voltage, and a clamp circuit which outputs an internal power source voltage based on the output voltage and in a first failure that the output voltage is larger than a predetermined first voltage, outputs the internal power source voltage suppressed to the first voltage and less, in which the clamp circuit outputs the internal power source voltage to the logic circuit which operates with the internal power source voltage of the first voltage and less and the voltage detecting circuit outputs the first failure to the logic circuit when detecting the first failure.

A semiconductor device according to related art has a problem that a clamp voltage that clamps an output voltage cannot adaptively vary in accordance with a power supply voltage, and it is thus not possible to reduce heating of a semiconductor chip to a sufficiently low level. According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a drive circuit (10) that controls on and off of an output transistor (13) and an overvoltage protection circuit (12) that controls a conductive state of the output transistor (13) when an output voltage Vout reaches a clamp voltage, and the overvoltage protection circuit (12) has a circuit structure that sets the clamp voltage to vary in proportion to a power supply voltage VDD.

A current mode switching regulator circuit and operating method includes a variable duty cycle power switch controller, a voltage feedback loop that provides a feedback signal based on the output voltage, a current feedback loop that provides a current sense signal based on the output current, and an offset circuit having an external signal input and coupled to the current feedback loop. The power switch controller controls the switching regulator circuit to generate an output voltage and an output current. The offset circuit is configured to provide an offset output control signal, independently of the voltage feedback loop, to control the power switch controller so as to vary a duty cycle of the power switch controller based on the current sense signal and an external offset signal applied to the external signal input.

According to one embodiment, electronic circuitry includes: a detection circuit including a diode, a cathode side of the diode being connected to one end of a semiconductor switching element and an anode side of the diode being connected to a first node; a comparator circuit configured to compare a voltage of the first node and a threshold voltage and generate a first signal; a first filter connected between the first node and another end of the semiconductor switching element and configured to suppress the voltage of the first node in a first period based on a control signal indicating turn-on of the semiconductor switching element; and a control circuit configured to determine at least one of the threshold voltage and the first period based on the first signal.