公开(公告)号：EP4277130A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-15

申请号：EP23164784.3

申请日：2023-03-28

Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.

Inventor： POLETTO, Vanni ,  LOI, Fabrizio

IPC: H03K17/082

Abstract: A method, comprising: coupling a high-side switching transistor (Q HS ) between a high-side reference node (Vs) and a switching node (V OUT ), coupling a low-side switching transistor (Q LS ) between the switching node (V OUT ) and a low-side reference node (GND); coupling an inductive load (L, Z L ) to the switching node (V OUT ) and to a reference node among the high-side reference node (Vs) and the low-side reference node (GND), arranging the respective high-side switch (Q HS ) or low-side switch (Q LS ) to be freewheeling as a result, coupling an inductive load (L, Z L ) to the switching node (V OUT ) and to a reference node selected out of the high-side reference node (Vs) and the low-side reference node (GND), with a respective one of the high-side switching transistor (Q HS ) or low-side switching transistor (Q LS ) being freewheeling as a result, and in response to a short circuit occurring at the switching node (V OUT ) with the respective freewheeling switching transistor (Q HS , Q LS ) in the conductive state: sensing (22; M S ) an electrical signal (V OUT ; I HS ; I LS ) at the switching node (V OUT ), performing a comparison (22) between the electrical signal (V OUT ; I HS ; I LS ) sensed at the switching node (V OUT ) and a threshold level (I REF , V TH , 23; 23A), and providing a driving signal (CMP; 24, 26, 21) to the control node of the respective freewheeling switching transistor to switch the respective freewheeling switching transistor (Q HS , Q LS ) to the non-conductive state as a result of the comparison indicating that the electrical signal (I HS ; I LS ) has reached the threshold level (I REF , V TH , 23; 23A).