A control circuit comprising an output controller coupled to an output side of a power converter. The output controller comprises a switch control signal generator to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of the power controller and to communicate a control signal to an input controller coupled to an input side to control a turn ON of a power switch. The control signal is generated in response to the feedback signal and is communicated in response to an enable signal. The output controller comprises an extremum locator to generate the enable signal in response to a winding signal representative of an instantaneous voltage on an output terminal of an energy transfer element and the extremum locator enables the switch control signal generator such that the transition of the power switch from the OFF state to the ON state occurs substantially when the winding signal reaches an extremum.

A drive circuit of a power semiconductor element comprises a gate drive voltage generator to generate, based on an ON/OFF drive timing signal input to an input terminal, a gate drive voltage to be applied to a gate electrode of a switching element having the gate electrode for controlling a main current that flows between a first main electrode and a second main electrode, wherein the gate drive voltage generator includes a gate current limiting circuit in which a current limiter to limit a current and a voltage limiter to limit the magnitude of a voltage applied to both ends of the current limiter are connected in parallel.

A power module including at least one substrate, a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate, a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, a second terminal including a contact surface, a third terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, a plurality of power devices arranged on and connected to the at least one power substrate, and the third terminal being electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of power devices. The power module further including a base plate and a plurality of pin fins arranged on the base plate and the plurality of pin fins configured to provide direct cooling for the power module.

A gate drive device drives a gate of each of two semiconductor switching elements constituting upper and lower arms of a half bridge circuit. The gate drive device detects a peak value of an element voltage that is a voltage of a main terminal of one of the two semiconductor switching elements, as one semiconductor switching element, or a change rate of the element voltage during a change period in which the element voltage changes. The gate drive device determines whether an energization to the one semiconductor switching element during the change period is a forward energization in which a current flows in a forward direction or a reverse energization in which the current flows in a reverse direction.

A method of manufacturing a power semiconductor system includes providing a power module having one or more power transistor dies and attaching an inductor module to the power module such that the inductor module is electrically connected to a node of the power module. The inductor module includes a substrate with a magnetic material and windings at one or more sides of the substrate. Further methods of manufacturing power semiconductor systems and methods of manufacturing inductor modules are also described.

An electronic device includes a switched-mode power supply having a first operating phase during which the output node of the switched-mode power supply is coupled by an on switch to a source of a first reference voltage. The first operating phase is followed by a second operation phase during which the output node of the switched-mode power supply is in a high impedance state. While in the second operating phase, a capacitor connected to the output node of the switched-mode power supply at least partially discharges into a load.

To provide a semiconductor device signal transmission circuit for drive-control, a method of controlling a semiconductor device signal transmission circuit for drive-control, a semiconductor device, a power conversion device, and an electric system for a railway vehicle capable of preventing malfunction due to noise while speeding up or reducing loss of a switching operation. The semiconductor device signal transmission circuit for drive-control that is connected between a semiconductor device constituting an arm in a power conversion device and a drive circuit configured to drive the semiconductor device, including: an inductor; and an impedance circuit including a switch and connected in parallel with the inductor.

[Problem] To provide a single-direction insulative DC-DC power converter using a single-direction switch circuit capable of realizing soft switching even with a simple circuit configuration and a method for controlling the DC-DC power converter. [Solution] A power converter comprising a primary circuit and a secondary circuit connected via a high-frequency transformer, wherein a circuit having a switching element is provided to the primary circuit, the secondary circuit has, connected in parallel, a DC capacitor and a diode rectifying circuit including four diodes U+, U−, V+, and V− each having a resonance capacitor C.sub.r connected in parallel, and a resonance circuit formed by the resonance capacitor C.sub.r and a leakage inductance L of a the high-frequency transformer is formed in the secondary circuit.

Controller and method for a power converter. For example, a controller for a power converter includes: a first terminal configured to receive a first terminal voltage; a second terminal configured to receive a second terminal voltage; a comparator configured to receive a first threshold voltage and the second terminal voltage and to generate a comparison signal based at least in part on the first threshold voltage and the second terminal voltage; and a switch configured to receive the first terminal voltage and the comparison signal, the switch being further configured to be closed to allow a current to flow out of the second terminal through the switch if the comparison signal is at a first logic level; wherein the comparator is further configured to: receive a first reference voltage as the first threshold voltage if the first terminal voltage is smaller than a second threshold voltage.

An apparatus includes a first group of switches connected in series, a second group of switches connected in series, a first flying capacitor between a first common node and a third common node of the first group of switches, a second flying capacitor between a first common node and a third common node of the second group of switches, wherein the first group of switches and the second group of switches are configured such that the apparatus operates in one of three operating modes including a bypass operating mode, a hybrid operating mode and a boost/buck operating mode.