An apparatus, system and method of controlling the supply of DC current from a power source to an electrical load provides for a protective circuit that senses the characteristics of the connected load prior to permitting the enablement of a switch connecting the supply and the load. A voltage arising from applying a constant current to the load during a time period is compared with a predetermined threshold determined by the intended capacity of the switch so that, when closed, the current through the switch is compatible with the switch. The protective circuit may be used in conjunction with semiconductor switches, electromechanical contactors or relays. A plurality of such devices may be incorporated in an enclosure and controlled by logic so as to manage the supply of power from a power source to a plurality of electrical loads having differing power requirements.

The electronics comprises a load circuit, a power supply circuit having a rechargeable electrical energy storer, and a protection circuit. An input of the power supply circuit is adapted to be electrically connected with an external energy supply. Both the power supply circuit and the protection circuit have at least two operating modes. Additionally, the protection circuit is adapted in the first operating mode to monitor the cell voltage applied on the circuit input to determine whether its voltage level has exceeded a predetermined maximum value and, in given cases, automatically to deactivate the operating mode.

A method for monitoring a protective device, which has a series circuit of a multiplicity of thyristors. The protective device has a series circuit of N>1 thyristors. The series circuit is connected in a parallel circuit with an electrical device to be protected. A snubber branch is connected in parallel with each thyristor. For the purpose of testing a firing capacity, n<N thyristors in a first thyristor group are fired when a positive voltage is present across the series circuit and a negative snubber current is flowing through the snubber branches of the thyristors in the first thyristor group.

The present disclosure describes a system and method for protecting an electronic device from high voltages that may exceed tolerance limits for circuitry within the electronic device. A protection circuit blocks high voltages from the device components through gating techniques. Such gating techniques may similarly be used to control whether power is received by the electronic components when an error condition is detected by a control unit.

The present disclosure describes a system and method for protecting an electronic device from high voltages that may exceed tolerance limits for circuitry within the electronic device. A protection circuit blocks high voltages from the device components through gating techniques. Such gating techniques may similarly be used to control whether power is received by the electronic components when an error condition is detected by a control unit.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to detecting and recording information associated with electrical overstress (EOS) events, such as electrostatic discharge (ESD) events. For example, in one embodiment, an apparatus includes an electrical overstress protection device, a detection circuit configured to detect an occurrence of the EOS event, and a memory configured to store information indicative of the EOS event.

A serial-parallel converter protection system includes a controller, a drive, a first switching transistor, and a second switching transistor. An input terminal of a converter is connected to an output terminal of the converter through the first switching transistor. The output terminal of the converter is connected in parallel with the second switching transistor. When an output voltage of the converter is greater than a first threshold, the controller controls the first switching transistor to be turned off and controls the second switching transistor to be turned on. In some embodiments, when the output voltage of the converter is greater than the first threshold, the controller controls the first switching transistor to be turned off and controls the second switching transistor to be turned on, so that the converter is bypassed, thereby preventing a voltage and a current from impacting a component inside the converter.

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system can include a positive input line configured to connect between a voltage input and a load, and a negative input line configured to connect between the voltage input and the load. A logic module can be operatively connected to and/or configured to detect a fault (e.g., a short circuit) in either of the positive input line or the negative input line 104 between the voltage input and the load.

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system can include a positive input line configured to connect between a voltage input and a load, and a negative input line configured to connect between the voltage input and the load. A logic module can be operatively connected to and/or configured to detect a fault (e.g., a short circuit) in either of the positive input line or the negative input line 104 between the voltage input and the load.

A protection circuit including an auxiliary winding, a rectifier unit, the filter unit, a voltage divider unit and a controller is provided. The auxiliary winding is configured to induce an AC voltage. The rectifier unit is coupled to the auxiliary winding and configured to rectify the AC voltage into a DC voltage. The filter unit is coupled to the rectifier unit and configured to filter the DC voltage into a DC filter voltage. The voltage divider unit is coupled to the rectifier unit and the filter unit to transmit the DC filter voltage. The controller is coupled to the voltage divider unit and configured to detect a partial voltage of the DC filter voltage and detect whether to activate a protection mechanism according to the partial voltage.