An ignition device capable of more reliably protecting a primary winding of an ignition coil from high temperature is provided. The ignition device includes an ignition coil, a switching element, a temperature sensor, and a thermal cutout circuit. A primary winding of the ignition coil is connected to a DC power supply and the switching element. The temperature sensor is provided to measure the temperature of the switching element. The thermal cutout circuit forcibly turns off the switching element when the temperature of the switching element becomes higher than a predetermined forcible turn-off temperature Toff. The thermal cutout circuit is configured to lower the forcible turn-off temperature Toff when the power supply voltage Vb of the DC power supply decreases.

A control device for connecting between two portions of an electrical power supply line. The device includes a bipolar transistor including a wide bandgap semiconductor material and having its emitter connected to one portion of the power supply line, its collector connected to another portion of the power supply line, and the device also including control connected to the base of the transistor.

A device that comprises a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die comprises a first clock signal generator. The second semiconductor die comprises a fault detection circuit, the fault detection circuit comprising a second clock signal generator, a first counter coupled to the second clock signal generator, multiple storage devices coupled to the second clock signal generator and to the first counter, a logic gate coupled to the multiple storage devices, a second counter coupled to the logic gate and to the first clock signal generator, and a comparator coupled to the logic gate and the second counter.

A multi-sense circuit includes a transistor circuit having sense nodes and a gate node, a peak detector having inputs coupled to the sense nodes of the transistor circuit and an output, and a control circuit having a gate control node coupled to the gate node of the transistor circuit and an overcurrent protection node coupled to the output of the peak detector.

A conversion circuit includes a main device, a voltage control switching circuit and a trigger circuit. The trigger circuit includes an output terminal and a sense terminal. The sense terminal is electrically connected to the control terminal of the main device. The voltage control switching circuit includes a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal. A first terminal is configured to receive an original signal. A second terminal is connected to a control terminal of the main device, and is configured to transmit a driving signal to drive the main device. A control terminal is connected to the main device and the output terminal. The driving signal has a first voltage level generated by the voltage control switching circuit in response to a voltage level at the control terminal of the voltage control switching circuit.

A device that comprises a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die comprises a first clock signal generator. The second semiconductor die comprises a fault detection circuit, the fault detection circuit comprising a second clock signal generator, a first counter coupled to the second clock signal generator, multiple storage devices coupled to the second clock signal generator and to the first counter, a logic gate coupled to the multiple storage devices, a second counter coupled to the logic gate and to the first clock signal generator, and a comparator coupled to the logic gate and the second counter.

A conversion circuit includes a main device, a voltage control switching circuit and a trigger circuit. The trigger circuit includes an output terminal and a sense terminal. The sense terminal is electrically connected to the control terminal of the main device. The voltage control switching circuit includes a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal. A first terminal is configured to receive an original signal. A second terminal is connected to a control terminal of the main device, and is configured to transmit a driving signal to drive the main device. A control terminal is connected to the main device and the output terminal. The driving signal has a first voltage level generated by the voltage control switching circuit in response to a voltage level at the control terminal of the voltage control switching circuit.

A control device for connecting between two portions of an electrical power supply line. The device includes a bipolar transistor including a wide bandgap semiconductor material and having its emitter connected to one portion of the power supply line, its collector connected to another portion of the power supply line, and the device also including control connected to the base of the transistor.

An embodiment method includes detecting an inverse current condition at a switch, and driving a node associated with a switch driver driving the switch to a predetermined voltage in response to the detection of an inverse current condition at the switch. An embodiment switch device includes a switch driver configured to be coupled to a control terminal of a switch, an inverse current detector configured to detect an inverse current condition at the first and second load terminals of the switch, and a voltage driver configured to drive a node associated with the switch driver to a predetermined voltage in response to the inverse current detector detecting an inverse current condition.

An ignition device capable of more reliably protecting a primary winding of an ignition coil from high temperature is provided. The ignition device includes an ignition coil, a switching element, a temperature sensor, and a thermal cutout circuit. A primary winding of the ignition coil is connected to a DC power supply and the switching element. The temperature sensor is provided to measure the temperature of the switching element. The thermal cutout circuit forcibly turns off the switching element when the temperature of the switching element becomes higher than a predetermined forcible turn-off temperature Toff. The thermal cutout circuit is configured to lower the forcible turn-off temperature Toff when the power supply voltage Vb of the DC power supply decreases.