A circuit for controlling a gate driver includes a delay circuit, a first logic circuit, and a second logic circuit. The delay circuit receives a first turn-off signal and produces a second turn-off signal by delaying an assertion of the first turn-off signal by a freewheeling duration. The first logic circuit receives the first and second turn-off signals and produces a smart turn-off signal by asserting the smart turn-off signal when the first turn-off signal is asserted and the second turn-off signal is not asserted. The second logic circuit receives a restart signal and the smart turn-off signal and produces a smart reset signal by asserting the smart reset signal when the restart signal and the smart turn-off signal are de-asserted, and de-asserting the smart reset signal when one or more of the restart signal and the smart turn-off signal are asserted.

A system and method for an overcurrent detector includes a device. The device includes a threshold generation circuit, and an overpower determination circuit. The threshold generation circuit is configured to produce a threshold value based on an output of a temperature sensor proximate to a power transistor, and a maximum power dissipation in the power transistor. The overpower determination circuit is configured to determine an overpower state of the power transistor based on the threshold value and a switch voltage. The switch voltage is detected between a source and a drain or a collector and an emitter of the power transistor.

A system for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load includes an output capacitor coupled in parallel with the load, and a transistor having a gate, a collector configured to be coupled to the power source, and an emitter configured to be coupled to the load. The system also includes a supply resistor configured to be electrically coupled between the power source and the load and to provide a resistor charging current from the power source to the output capacitor to charge the output capacitor in response to initial power being provided by the power source. The system also includes a gate resistor having a first terminal coupled to the gate of the transistor to cause the transistor to operate in a linear mode in response to the initial power being provided by the power source to increase a speed of charging the output capacitor.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a normally-on type first switching element that has a source, a drain, and a gate, a normally-off type second switching element that has a drain that is connected to the source of the first switching element, a gate that is supplied with a driving signal, and a source, a resistor that is connected between the gate of the first switching element and the source of the second switching element, a first capacitor that is connected in parallel to the resistor, and a second capacitor between the gate and the source of the first switching element.

A drive circuit for a power semiconductor element according to the present disclosure includes: a control command unit that outputs a turn-on command for a power semiconductor element; a gate voltage detection unit that detects a gate voltage applied to a gate terminal after the control command unit outputs the turn-on command; a differentiator that subjects the gate voltage detected by the gate voltage detection unit to time differentiation; and a determination unit that determines, based on the gate voltage detected by the gate voltage detection unit and a differential value by the differentiator, whether the power semiconductor element is in a short-circuit state or not.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a normally-on type first switching element that has a source, a drain, and a gate, a normally-off type second switching element that has a drain that is connected to the source of the first switching element, a gate that is supplied with a driving signal, and a source, a resistor that is connected between the gate of the first switching element and the source of the second switching element, a first capacitor that is connected in parallel to the resistor, and a second capacitor between the gate and the source of the first switching element.

A gate driving circuit that drives a gate of a main switching device is provided, where the gate driving circuit includes: a first resistor connected between a first potential and the gate of the main switching device; a second resistor connected between a second potential being lower than the first potential and the gate of the main switching device; a first switching device connected in series with the first resistor between the first potential and the gate of the main switching device; a second switching device connected in series with the second resistor between the second potential and the gate of the main switching device; and a control circuit that changes at least one resistance value of a resistance value of the first resistor and a resistance value of the second resistor according to a length of an ON period during which the main switching device is turned on.

A method of protecting a gate driver circuit includes receiving an input signal to energize a gate driver output of the gate driver circuit, determining that an abnormal operating condition exists at the gate driver output, continuously energizing the gate driver output for a time period, and entering a pulsed mode of operation for energizing the gate driver output after the time period has lapsed.

A device including: a transistor having a collector-emitter junction connected in series or parallel to a current detection resistance for detecting current that flows through a current sensing terminal of a switching element; and an overshoot processing circuit connected between the current sensing terminal and a base of the transistor, which reduces overshoot of sense current flowing through the current detection resistance, the overshoot is caused by switching operation of the switching element, by controlling the transistor depending on current input from the current sensing terminal, is provided.

A method for operating a renewable energy power system driven by at least one renewable energy power source and having at least one current conversion device includes determining a temperature of power semiconductor device(s) of the current conversion device(s). The method also includes determining whether an amount of power of the renewable energy power source(s) is above a predetermined threshold. Further, the method includes increasing or maintaining the temperature of the power semiconductor device(s) during periods of time when the amount of the renewable energy power source(s) is below the predetermined threshold.