A power converting device such that an overcurrent is interrupted and damage to a power semiconductor element can be prevented is obtained. The power converting device includes a power semiconductor element, a wiring member connected to an electrode of the power semiconductor element, a bus bar that supplies power to the power semiconductor element, and a frame that houses the power semiconductor element, wherein the bus bar has a connection terminal connected to the wiring member, and a fuse portion is provided in the connection terminal.

A unit having a power supply circuit that converts an input voltage from an input power supply to a predetermined output voltage, includes: an output terminal configured to output the output voltage to the outside of the unit; a switch provided between the power supply circuit and the output terminal; and a switch control part configured to turn off the switch when the input voltage is not applied from the input power supply and turn on the switch when the input voltage is applied.

Embodiments include a technique for eliminating secondary fuses in high power solid state power controllers, the technique includes controlling gate power provided to a field effect transistor array, and detecting a failure mode. The technique also includes disabling the gate power based at least in part on detecting the failure mode, and restoring the gate power responsive to resolving the failure mode.

An overcurrent detection circuit includes a di/dt detection circuit to detect di/dt of a current Ie that flows in an emitter of an IGBT, a control circuit to detect whether the current Ie is an overcurrent based on di/dt and to output a detection result to a driving circuit, and a mask circuit to set a mask period in which an operation of overcurrent determination in the control circuit is masked.

In recent years, an improvement in detection accuracy of an overcurrent is desired. An overcurrent detection device is provided, which includes a gate current detection unit that detects whether a gate current flowing to a semiconductor element is equal to or above a reference gate current; a sense current detection unit that detects whether a sense current flowing through a sense-emitter terminal of the semiconductor element is equal to or above a reference sense current; and an adjustment unit that decreases a detected value of the sense current relatively to the reference sense current if the gate current is equal to or above the reference gate current.

A discharge handling system includes: a power module; a power conversion device; and an arc discharge detection device, the arc discharge detection device including an arc discharge detector configured to detect occurrence of an arc discharge between the power module and the power conversion device, the arc discharge detection device monitoring the number of times of the arc discharge detected by the arc discharge detector and discharge time of the arc discharge every time a monitoring time elapses. The system includes a determination unit configured to determine necessity of maintenance within a predetermined period on condition that any of conditions (1) to (3) below is satisfied: (1) the number of times of the arc discharge in the monitoring time is from 1 to a number-of-times threshold inclusive; (2) each of the discharge time of the arc discharge in the monitoring time is equal to first determination time or less; and (3) total of the discharge time of the arc discharge in the monitoring time is equal to second determination time or less.

Systems and methods for accurate and fast measurement of junction temperature for power modules are provided. Such systems and methods include a one or more power transistors that each have a respective die surface over which is positioned and electrically coupled to a conductive overlay. A temperature sensor is physically bonded to a top surface of the conductive overlay to provide a direct temperature measurement for the one or more power transistors.

A circuit for measuring temperature of an external switch is disclosed. The circuit includes a variable resistor, a switch coupled to the variable resistor in series, a fixed value resistor coupled to the variable resistor and a comparator coupled between the variable resistor and the fixed value resistor. The circuit is configured to compare voltage drop between a drain and a source of the external switch when the external switch is in ON state with voltage drop at the variable resistor and output a signal to indicate an overtemperature based on the comparing.

A power converting device such that an overcurrent is interrupted and damage to a power semiconductor element can be prevented is obtained. The power converting device includes a power semiconductor element, a wiring member connected to an electrode of the power semiconductor element, a bus bar that supplies power to the power semiconductor element, and a frame that houses the power semiconductor element, wherein the bus bar has a connection terminal connected to the wiring member, and a fuse portion is provided in the connection terminal.

An apparatus includes a pulsed-width modulation signal corresponding to a cutoff voltage, a periodic signal generation circuit, a comparator, and logic. The comparator is configured to compare a voltage input with an output of the periodic signal generation circuit and, based on a comparison of the voltage input with the output of the periodic signal generation circuit, generate another pulsed-width modulation signal. The logic is configured to compare the pulsed-width modulation signal and the other pulsed-width modulation signal to determine whether the voltage input has reached the cutoff voltage.