Clamp circuit and method for detecting an activation of same

Details Clamp circuit and method for detecting an activation of same Clamp circuit and method for detecting an activation of same

1995-08-31

1996-10-01

Wambach, Margaret Rose

Miscellaneous active electrical nonlinear devices, circuits, and

Signal converting, shaping, or generating

Amplitude control

327326, 327541, 327545, 327580, H03K 508

Patent

active

055613918

ABSTRACT:
A clamp circuit (50) for protecting a MOSFET (52) from destructive voltages includes a clamping element (56), a Zener diode (64), two current mirrors (66 and 62), a current switch (58), a reference current source (68), and a voltage detector (72). When a drain voltage of the MOSFET (52) rises above a clamping voltage of the clamp circuit (50), a clamping current exceeding a current in the current switch (58) flows through the clamping element (56) and activates the MOSFET (52). During the activation, the two current mirrors (66 and 62) generate an output current exceeding a reference current in the reference current source (68) and raise a voltage at an input terminal of the voltage detector (72). The voltage detector (72) generates a signal indicating the activation of the clamp circuit (50), thereby indicating that the clamp circuit (50) and its inductive load (74) are intact.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5005061 (1991-04-01), Robb et al
patent: 5115369 (1992-05-01), Robb et al.
patent: 5365099 (1994-11-01), Phipps et al.
patent: 5381105 (1995-01-01), Phipps
patent: 5434527 (1995-07-01), Antone
patent: 5467050 (1995-11-01), Clapp, III et al.

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