公开(公告)号：DE69533308D1

公开(公告)日：2004-09-02

申请号：DE69533308

申请日：1995-05-16

Applicant: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL ,  CONS RIC MICROELETTRONICA

Inventor： PULVIRENTI FRANCESCO ,  GARIBOLDI ROBERTO

IPC: G01R19/165 ,  G01R31/02 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B19/05

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting an open load by means of a driver having at least one main power transistor (M10) connected to the load (L) and one auxiliary transistor (M11) connected in parallel with the main transistor (M10) between a first power supply voltage reference (Vs) and a second voltage reference (GND), the method providing a comparison between a first voltage (VIN1) present on a terminal (S10) connected to the load of the main transistor (M10) and a second voltage (VIN2) present on a terminal (S11) of the auxiliary transistor (M11). The invention also relates to a circuit for detecting an open load (L), in which the said method is implemented.

公开(公告)号：DE69727807D1

公开(公告)日：2004-04-01

申请号：DE69727807

申请日：1997-10-10

Applicant: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL

Inventor： GENOVA ANGELO ,  GARIBOLDI ROBERTO ,  CANTONE GIUSEPPE

IPC: H03K3/011 ,  H03K3/0232 ,  H03K3/355

公开(公告)号：IT1318776B1

公开(公告)日：2003-09-10

申请号：ITMI20001900

申请日：2000-08-23

Applicant: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL ,  TECDIS S P A

Inventor： GARIBOLDI ROBERTO ,  NIDASIO GIOVANNI ,  SALA LEONARDO ,  LAVORERIO RICCARDO

IPC: H03L20060101

公开(公告)号：DE69623754T2

公开(公告)日：2003-05-08

申请号：DE69623754

申请日：1996-05-31

Applicant: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL ,  CONS RIC MICROELETTRONICA

Inventor： URSINO RICCARDO ,  GARIBOLDI ROBERTO

IPC: G05F1/575 ,  G05F1/00

Abstract: The invention relates to a voltage regulator connected between first (VS) and second (GND) voltage references and having an output terminal (O1) for delivering a regulated output voltage (Vout), which voltage regulator comprises at least one voltage divider (11), connected between the output terminal (O1) and the second voltage reference (GND), and a serial output element (18) connected between the output terminal (O1) and the first voltage reference (VS), the voltage divider (11) being connected to the serial output element (18) by a first conduction path which includes at least one error amplifier (EA) of the regulated output voltage (Vout) whose output is connected to at least one driver (DR) for turning off the serial output element (18), the voltage regulator comprising, between the voltage divider (11) and the serial output element (18), at least a second conduction path for turning off the serial output element (18) according to the value of the regulated output voltage (Vout), in advance of the action of the first conduction path. The invention also concerns a method of turning off a serial output element (18) as a regulated output voltage (Vout) from a voltage regulator (10) changes.

公开(公告)号：IT1313850B1

公开(公告)日：2002-09-24

申请号：ITMI992469

申请日：1999-11-25

Applicant: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL

Inventor： NOVELLI ALDO ,  GARIBOLDI ROBERTO ,  GENOVA ANGELO ,  FILIPPO ROBERTO

IPC: H03K17/0412 ,  H03K17/06

Abstract: A high side circuit is described which comprises at least one power device (1) having a first non drivable terminal (D) connected to a supply voltage (Vcc), at least one load (2) connected between a second non drivable terminal (S) of the power device (1) and ground, and driving circuitry (10). The driving circuitry (10) comprises suitable dimensioned transistors (M1, M2, M3) which are connected to each other and to a higher voltage (Vboot) than the supply voltage (Vcc) in order to control the turning on and the turning off of the power device (1) and to minimize the potential difference between the second non drivable terminal (S) and a drivable terminal (G) of the power device (1) during the turning off state to avoid the re-turning on of the same power device.

公开(公告)号：DE69421083D1

公开(公告)日：1999-11-11

申请号：DE69421083

申请日：1994-11-17

Applicant: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL ,  CONS RIC MICROELETTRONICA

Inventor： COLLETTI PAOLO ,  BONTEMPO GREGORIO ,  PULVIRENTI FRANCESCO ,  GARIBOLDI ROBERTO

IPC: H01L27/04 ,  G05F1/573 ,  H01L21/822 ,  H01L29/78 ,  H02H7/00 ,  H03K17/08 ,  H02H9/02

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to supply a method and a circuit simple and accurate enough to protect at least one transistor against exceeding a complex limit implying processing of multiple electrical quantities associated with said transistor. Since in many practical cases said complex limit corresponds to the product of at least two quantities, typically a current and a voltage, the circuit in accordance with the present invention generates electrical signals basically proportional to said quantities, multiplies them, compares the product with a reference signal corresponding to the limit placed on the transistor and acts on the transistor in such a way that said limit is not exceeded. Advantageously the multiplication of currents can be provided simply by means of connection in series of bipolar transistor junctions at which said currents are supplied to the respective emitters. In this case it is additionally advantageous to generate the reference signal by means of connection in series of the bipolar transistor junctions in such a manner as to have an analogous behaviour of the multiplier and the generator.

公开(公告)号：DE69222144D1

公开(公告)日：1997-10-16

申请号：DE69222144

申请日：1992-03-12

Applicant: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL

Inventor： GARIBOLDI ROBERTO ,  LEONE MARCELLO

IPC: H02M1/08 ,  H03F3/26 ,  H03K17/06 ,  H03K17/687 ,  H02M3/18

Abstract: A drive circuit (20) comprising a voltage source (21) supplying a reference voltage (VREF) at its output (35); a voltage elevating circuit (23) connected to the supply (VS) and to the output (35) of the voltage source, and supplying at its output (42), under normal operating conditions, a drive voltage (VCP) greater than the supply voltage and increasing with the reference voltage. The input of the voltage source (21) is connected to the output (42) of the voltage elevating circuit (23), and defines a positive feedback resulting in an increase in the reference voltage (VREF) alongside an increase in the drive voltage (VCP), and therefore a corresponding increase in the drive voltage (VCP) up to a maximum permissible value, thus providing for a sufficient drive voltage for driving the gate-source junction of power MOS transistors, even in the presence of a low supply voltage.