A coupler for connecting a portable inverter supply to a load center includes a neutral-to-ground bonding switch that is actuated from a closed state to an open state when a load side center neutral connector and a load side center ground connector of the coupler are respectively connected to a load center side neutral conductor and a load center side ground conductor. In the closed state, the neutral-to-ground bonding switch connects the second conductor to the third conductor. In the open state, the neutral-to-ground bonding switch disconnects the second conductor from the third conductor.

Power cycle life of an intelligent power module that includes an IGBT is estimated by an abnormality detection circuit(s) while a chip temperature detection circuit or a case temperature detection circuit is outputting a chip overheating warning signal or a case overheating warning signal. Once the estimated power cycle life has reached a prescribed value, the abnormality detection circuit outputs an abnormality detection signal to forcedly and permanently stop operation of a driver circuit that drives an IGBT. The abnormality detection circuit may include a prescribed period calculation circuit that calculates the duration of the warning signal, a prescribed count calculation circuit that calculates the number of times the warning signal has been generated, and/or a cumulative time calculation circuit that calculates that the cumulative duration of periods in which the warning signal has been generated so as to estimate the power cycle life of the intelligent power module.

In order both to accommodate instantaneous current as well as overcurrent protection in accordance with the load, an overcurrent protection circuit has: a threshold value generation unit that, in accordance with a threshold value control signal, switches between setting an overcurrent detection threshold value to a first set value (Iref) and a second set value (Iset) lower than the first set value; an overcurrent detection unit that compares a sense signal in accordance with the current being monitored and the overcurrent detection value and generates an overcurrent protection signal; a reference value generation unit that generates a reference value (Iset) in accordance with the seconds set value; a comparison unit that compares the sense signal and the reference value, and generates a comparison signal; and a threshold value control unit that monitors the comparison signal, and generates a threshold value control signal.

Systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of a semiconductor control system are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a method for protecting a semiconductor switch comprising receiving a first voltage during a second blanking period following a first blanking period; determining whether a short circuit fault is occurring by comparing the first voltage to a fast detection threshold corresponding to a first value of a drain-source voltage of the semiconductor switch; if a short circuit is not occurring: receiving a second voltage after the second blanking period ends; determining whether a short circuit fault is occurring by comparing the second voltage to a slow detection threshold corresponding to a second value of the drain-source voltage; and if a short circuit fault is occurring, opening the semiconductor switch, wherein the first value of the drain-source voltage is greater than the second value of the drain-source voltage.

In a short circuit protection circuit, a first gate resistor is connected between a first output node of a gate driver and a first gate terminal. A first real-time control circuit operates to decrease a potential of the first gate terminal when the first real-time control circuit detects that a short circuit current passes through a first semiconductor switching element. The operation monitoring circuit includes a differential voltage circuit configured to output a potential difference between a potential proportional to a potential difference across the first gate resistor and the potential of a first power supply. The operation monitoring circuit monitors, based on an output of the differential voltage circuit, whether the first real-time control circuit is in operation.

A method for a power system having a string of a plurality of power sources connected across a power device includes connecting a plurality of safe voltage units having safety switches connected respectively across each of the power sources. The method includes sensing a plurality of parameters of the power sources, and monitoring for a signal transmitted from the power device. Each of the safety switches is activated to be OFF responsive to detecting the signal within a predetermined time period. Upon not detecting the signal from the power device within the predetermined time period, a safe mode of operation of the power system is entered in which the voltages of each of the power sources is reduced to a voltage level less than a predetermined voltage level by turning the safety switches ON.

In some examples, a system comprises a first component; a second component configured to receive signals from the first component via one or more wires; and a controller. In at least some examples, the controller is coupled to the one or more wires and is trained with a classification model to distinguish between signals indicating arc events and signals not indicating arc events. In at least some example, the controller is further configured to: receive the signals; extract features that are at least partially related to the received signals; classify the extracted features using the classification model; determine an occurrence of the arc event based on the classification; and provide an output signal indicating an arc event.

A semiconductor device includes, for example, an external terminal, an output element, a detecting element configured to detect occurrence of a negative voltage at the external terminal, and an off-circuit configured to forcibly turn off the output element when the detecting element detects occurrence of the negative voltage.

The present disclosure provides a short-circuit protection apparatus and method. The short-circuit protection apparatus includes a current detection circuit, a control circuit, and a voltage detection circuit. The current detection circuit detects an output current of an output circuit and outputs a current detection signal when the detected current is greater than a preset current. The control circuit receives the current detection signal and controls the output circuit to be turned off The voltage detection circuit detects an output voltage of the output circuit. When the output voltage is not in the preset voltage range, the output voltage is detected continuously When the output voltage is in the preset voltage range, the control circuit receives the voltage detection signal for controlling the output circuit.

An organic semiconductor device, a driving device and a driving method are provided. The driving device is configured to drive a load. The driving device includes a short circuit protection circuit and a delay circuit. The short circuit protection circuit is configured to provide an enable signal. The delay circuit provides a delay time length according to the energy passing through the load, and determines a start time point of the short circuit protection circuit to provide the enable signal according to the delay time length.