TRANSMISSION OF ACTUATION SIGNALS AND DATA SIGNALS

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transmitting an actuation signal and a first data signal between a control device and an actuation device of a power semiconductor device. To minimize the expenditure for the operation of the physical transmission channels and the costs for the laying of the physical connection between control device and actuation device, the transmission of the actuation signal and the first data signal between the control device and the actuation device takes place simultaneously and via a common transmission channel, wherein the first data signal is combined with the actuation signal by means of a digital modulation method or coding method. A feedback signal and second data signal are transmitted in the opposite direction. A first coding length is shorter than the interval length of the actuation signal. A second coding length is shorter than the interval length: of the feedback signal.

Claims

1.-17. (canceled)

18. A method for transmitting an actuation signal and a first data signal between a control device and an actuation device for a power semiconductor device, said method comprising: transmitting the actuation signal and the first data signal from the control device to the actuation device simultaneously and via a common transmission channel; combining the first data signal with the actuation signal by means of a digital modulation method or coding method; transmitting a feedback signal together with a second data signal in the opposite direction; using a first coding length which is shorter than the interval length of the actuation signal for the first data signal; and using a second coding length which is shorter than the interval length of the feedback signal for the second data signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the actuation signal and the first data signal are approximately in the form of a rectangle.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the feedback signal and the second data signal are approximately in the form of a rectangle.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising combining the second data signal with the feedback signal by the digital modulation method or the coding method.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the actuation signal is transmitted at a higher data rate than the first data signal and/or the feedback signal is transmitted at a higher data rate than the second data signal.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the first data signal is combined with the actuation signal using an XOR operation or an XNOR operation.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the second data signal is combined with the feedback signal using an XOR operation or an XNOR operation.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the first data signal is coded with the aid of pulse phase coding and/or pulse width coding, in particular by inversion.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the first data signal is coded with the aid of pulse phase coding and/or pulse width coding by inversion.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the second data signal is coded with the aid of pulse phase coding and/or pulse width coding, in particular by inversion.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the second data signal is coded with the aid of pulse phase coding and/or pulse width coding by inversion.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein a plurality of first data signals is combined with the actuation signal.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein a plurality of second data signals is combined with the feedback signal.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein a multivalent first data signal is combined with the actuation signal.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein a multivalent second data signal is combined with the feedback signal.

33. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting digital information and/or data protocols.

34. An arrangement, comprising: a transmitter including a mixing device provided for combining an actuation signal with a first data signal and for combining a feedback signal with a second data signal; a transmission channel provided for transmitting the combination of the actuation signal with the first data signal and transmitting receiving the combination of the feedback signal with the second data signal; and a receiver provided for receiving the combination of the actuation signal with the first data signal and for receiving the combination of the feedback signal with the second data signal.

35. The arrangement of claim 34, wherein the receiver comprises a device for detecting the synchronization time, a bit detection unit which is provided for recovering and outputting the first data signal and second data signal, an actuation detection unit which is provided for recovering and outputting the actuation signal and the feedback signal, and a phase-locked loop which is provided for supplying a reference time for the bit detection unit and the actuation detection unit.

36. A system, comprising: a control device; an actuation device interacting with the control device for digital transmission of an actuation signal and a first data signal in one direction and for digital transmission of a feedback signal together with a second data signal in another direction opposite to the one direction; an arrangement a transmitter including a mixing device provided for combining an actuation signal with a first data signal and for combining a feedback signal with a second data signal, a transmission channel provided for transmitting the combination of the actuation signal with the first data signal and transmitting receiving the combination of the feedback signal with the second data signal, and a receiver provided for receiving the combination of the actuation signal with the first data signal and for receiving the combination of the feedback signal with the second data signal; and a power semiconductor device actuated by the actuation device with an analog actuation signal.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the power semiconductor device has a power converter.

Description

[0040] The invention will be described and explained in more detail below using the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures. In the drawings:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for actuation of a power semiconductor device,

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a transmitter,

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a receiver,

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a timing diagram for coding an uncoded actuation signal or feedback signal each with one data signal by means of an XOR operation,

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a timing diagram for coding an uncoded actuation signal or feedback signal each with one data signal by means of pulse phase coding, and

[0046] FIG. 6 shows a timing diagram for coding an uncoded actuation signal or feedback signal each with one data signal by means of pulse width coding.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system 1 for the actuation of a power semiconductor device 13 which has a control device 9, an actuation device 12, a power semiconductor device 13 and two arrangements 2 for coding an actuation signal 3 or a feedback signal 6 each with one data signal 4, 5. Each arrangement comprises a transmitter 10 and a receiver 11. The actuation signal 3 and the first data signal 4 are generated by the control device 9 and combined by the transmitter 10 to form a first coded signal 7. The actuation signal 3 and the first data signal 4 are reconstructed from this signal 7 by the receiver 11. The actuation signal 14 is fed to the power semiconductor device 13 with the aid of the actuation device 12. The feedback signal 6 of the actuation device 12 of the power semiconductor device 13 is combined together with a second data signal 5 from a transmitter 10 to form a second coded signal 8. The feedback signal 6 and the second data signal 5 are reconstructed from this signal 8 by the receiver 11 and fed back to the control device for further processing.

[0048] For modulation or mixing of the signals 3, 4, 5, 6 the following modulation variants or coding variants can be used in this method, cf. in this regard FIGS. 4 to 6: an XOR or XNOR operation, pulse phase coding and pulse width coding. For all three coding variants: [0049] the coding length 27, 27a, 27b is shorter than the interval length 25. [0050] the transmission period 26 comprises at least two interval lengths 25.

[0051] With an XOR or XNOR operation, an actuation signal 3 with a first data signal 4 and a feedback signal 6 with a second data signal 5 are logically linked to each other by an XOR operation or XNOR operation within the coding length 27.

[0052] With pulse phase coding, the coding length 27 is inserted at different coding times 28a, 28b within the transmission period as a function of the value of the first data signal 4 or second data signal 5. The actuation signal 3 and the feedback signal 6 are inverted within the coding length 27.

[0053] With pulse width coding the coding length 27a, 27b is changed within the transmission period as a function of the value of the first data signal 4 or second data signal 5. The actuation signal 3 and the feedback signal 6 are inverted within the coding length.

[0054] Any combinations of the coding variants are possible. Multivalent first or second data signals and/or a plurality of first or second data signals can be coded thereby.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a transmitter 10 which has a mixing device 15. Coding of the first coded signal 7 comprising an actuation signal 3 and a first data signal 4 is illustrated by way of example. An actuation signal 3 and a first data signal 4 are fed to the mixing device 15 and combined to form a first coded signal 7. In addition, a reference clock 16 is supplied.

[0056] The second coded signal 8 is generated from the feedback signal 6 and the second data signal 5 in the same way.

[0057] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a receiver 11. The actuation signal 3 or the feedback signal 6 and a data signal 4, 5 are obtained in the receiver from a coded signal 7, 8. The coded signal 7, 8 is sampled and processed for this purpose.

[0058] The receiver is composed of a device for detecting the synchronization time 17, a phase-locked loop 20, an actuation detection unit 18 and a bit detection unit 19.

[0059] The reconstruction of the actuation signal 3 and first data signal 4 from the first coded signal 7 is illustrated by way of example. The first coded signal 7 is simultaneously fed to the device for detection of the synchronization time 17, to the actuation detection unit 18 and to the bit detection unit 19. For detection of the synchronization time 17 the device detects an appropriate synchronization time 30 which feeds a phase-locked loop 20. The output signal of the phase-locked loop 20 supplies a reference time 29 for the actuation detection unit 18 and the bit detection unit 19. The actuation signal 3 is recovered from the first coded signal 7 and the first data signal 4 is recovered from the bit detection unit 19 by the actuation detection unit 18 by way of example.

[0060] The feedback signal 6 and the second data signal 5 are reconstructed from the second coded signal 8 in the same way.

[0061] In FIG. 4 illustrates a timing diagram for coding an uncoded actuation signal or feedback signal 22, each having one data signal, by means of an XOR operation. The uncoded actuation signal or feedback signal 22 runs along the time axis 21 and is divided into a plurality of intervals 25 within a transmission period 26. The additional information is coded for the values “0” or “1” at the same times in the transmission period by an XOR operation. Alternatively, the coding can occur with an XNOR operation. In accordance with the truth tables for the XOR operation the signal characteristic does not change in the case of coding with “0” 23 at the coding time 28. The signal characteristic in the case of coding with “1” 24, by contrast, is inverted at the coding time 28 for a constant coding length 27.

[0062] FIG. 5 shows a timing diagram for coding an uncoded actuation signal or feedback signal 22 each having one data signal by means of pulse phase modulation, also called pulse phase coding. With this coding variant, the coding time 28 varies while the coding length 27 remains constant. The signal characteristic in the case of coding with “0” 23 is inverted at the coding time for “0” 28b for a coding length 27, the signal characteristic in the case of coding with “1” 24 is inverted at the coding time for “1” 28a for the same coding length 27.

[0063] FIG. 6 shows a timing diagram for coding an uncoded actuation signal or feedback signal 22 each having one data signal by means of pulse width modulation, also called pulse width coding. With this coding variant, the signal characteristic is inverted at coding time 28 in each case. The signal characteristic in the case of coding with “0” 23 and the signal characteristic in the case of coding with “1” 24 differ in the coding length 27. In addition, the coding time 28 can optionally be varied. The signal characteristic in the case of coding with “0” 23 is inverted at the coding time for “0” 28b for the coding length for “0” 27b, the signal characteristic in the case of coding with “1” 24 is inverted at the coding time for “1” 28a for the coding length for “1” 27a.

[0064] To summarize, the invention relates to a method for transmitting an actuation signal 3 and a first data signal 4 between a control device 9 and an actuation device 12 of a power semiconductor device 13. To minimize the expenditure for the operation of the physical transmission channels and the costs for the laying of the physical connection between control device 9 and actuation device 12, it is proposed that transmission of the actuation signal 3 and first data signal 4 takes place simultaneously and via a common transmission channel, wherein the first data signal 4 is combined with the actuation signal 3 by means of a digital modulation method or coding method.