A vehicle powertrain includes an IGBT, having a Kelvin emitter and a mirror current sense, configured to energize an inductance, a first switch configured to draw a current from a gate of the IGBT at a rate based on a resistance engaged by the first switch while a current of the inductance exceeds a threshold, and a second switch configured to increase the rate in response to the current being less than the threshold. In one embodiment, the current is based on a filtered voltage across a resistor connected between the mirror current sense and chassis ground while the Kelvin emitter is connected to chassis ground. In another embodiment, the current is based on a filtered voltage across a resistor connected between the mirror current sense and the Kelvin emitter.

A semiconductor switching circuit, for use in a HVDC power converter, comprising: a main semiconductor switching element, including first and second connection terminals between which current flows from the first connection terminal to the second connection terminal and an auxiliary semiconductor switching element electrically connected between the first and second connection terminals thereof, and a control unit, operatively connected to auxiliary semiconductor switching element and programmed to control the switching element to create an alternative current path between the first and second connection terminals by at least two of: a fully-on mode in which the switching element is operated at its maximum rated base current or gate voltage; a pulsed switched mode in which the switching element is turned on and off; and an active mode in which the switching element is operated with a continuously variable base current or gate voltage.

A power converter and control circuit are provided. The control circuit has a power controller for turning on the power switch to maintain a desired output voltage and mode selection switch provides a mode selection signal. Depending on the magnitude of an input voltage of the power converter, in which the mode selection circuit compares the input voltage of the power converter with a reference voltage, a modulation controller is configured to turn on a modulation switch to activate the capacitor according to the mode selection signal.

A circuit for controlling a switching power supply includes a disable signal generator generating a disable signal in response to an input clock signal, a timer circuit generating a timeout signal in response to the disable signal, a comparison signal generator generating a comparison signal in response to an output signal of the power supply, a first threshold signal generator generating a first threshold signal in response to the comparison signal, the first threshold signal having a value greater than that of the comparison signal, and a first comparator comparing the first threshold signal and a sense signal to de-assert the modulation signal when the sense signal is equal to or greater than the first threshold signal and the timeout signal has a first logic value.

Disclosed is a dual-mode operation controller in collocation with an input capacitor, a flyback transformer, a first primary-side switch, a second primary-side switch, a current-sensing resistor, a primary-side voltage-sensing unit, a secondary-side rectifier, and an output capacitor as a Primary-Side Regulation (PSR) flyback converter, which is dynamically controlled to operate in two operating modes, including Quasi-Resonant-Discontinuous Conduction Mode (QR-DCM) and Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM), in accordance with a loading condition so as to convert a unregulated DC input voltage source into a regulated DC output voltage source. The dual-mode operation controller has at least 5 pins, and the flyback transformer includes a primary-side winding, a secondary-side winding, and an auxiliary winding. The first primary-side and second primary-side switches are connected in series with the current-sensing resistor and placed at the low side of the primary-side winding, and the second primary-side switch is driven by the dual-mode operation controller.

A power conversion device connected in parallel to a second power conversion device including power conversion circuitry that performs power conversion by changing a connection state between first multiple lines on a primary side and second multiple lines on a secondary side, baseline selection circuitry that selects one of the second multiple lines on the secondary side as a baseline and partial modulation control circuitry that controls the power conversion circuitry to maintain a state in which the baseline is connected to one of the first multiple lines on the primary side and to change a connection state between other second multiple lines on the secondary side and the first multiple lines on the primary side, wherein the baseline selection circuitry switches a line selected as the baseline based on a switching timing used by second baseline selection circuitry of the second power conversion device to select a second baseline.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for efficient operation of a switch arrangement are described. Selectively operating one of a plurality of parallel-connected switches at different times along a period of a periodic waveform may allow for improved efficiency, uniform loss-spreading, and enhanced thermal design of an electronic circuit including use of power switches.

A method for controlling a first and a second reverse-conducting insulated gate bipolar transistor (RC-IGBT), electrically connected in series, is disclosed. A collector of the first RC-IGBT is electrically connected to a positive pole of a direct current voltage source, and an emitter of the second RC-IGBT is electrically connected to a negative pole of the DC voltage source. Further, an emitter of the first RC-IGBT is electrically connected to a collector of the second RC-IGBT to form an alternating current terminal. A gate voltage is applied to respective gates of the first and second RC-IGBTs, wherein the gate voltage is controlled based on a magnitude and a direction of an output current on the AC terminal and on a command signal alternating between a first and a second value.

Provided is a buck converter. The converter includes a power switch configured to receive and switch an input voltage and convert the input voltage into an output voltage, and a switch control circuit configured to generate a signal having a frequency synchronized with the input voltage, compensate for the signal by using an edge threshold voltage in an edge area of the signal according to at least one of a load state and the input voltage, and control switching of the power switch by using a result of comparing the signal with a band voltage corresponding to the output.

A classification circuit generates first information for classifying an operating state of a power semiconductor element into one of a plurality of predetermined operating regions. A selector circuit generates second information for selecting a plurality of modes with different switching speeds, based on a user input. A characteristic control circuit stores a drive adjustment signal in advance for each of combinations of the operating regions and the modes and outputs the drive adjustment signal in a combination of one operating region and one mode that is selected in accordance with the first information and the second information. A gate drive circuit charges/discharges a gate at a charge rate and a discharge rate variably set in accordance with the drive adjustment signal from the characteristic control circuit, at the time of on/off of the power semiconductor element.