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2-3 Traditional Methods of Over-Current Shutdown
For shutting down an IGBT when an Over-Current condition is detected, a soft turn-off is preferred
because it reduces a high voltage spike across the collector and emitter of the IGBT device at fault.
Thus it provides a wider margin for the RBSOA limit during a short-circuit condition, allowing the
snubber circuit to be significantly minimized or even eliminated. When implemented in the discrete
circuit based on the floating ground reference architecture, a soft turn-off circuit can get very com-
plex. Each IGBT gate drive circuit requires an additional fast opto isolator and soft turn-off circuit with
the dedicated totem pole buffer transistors. Given circuit costs and complexities, a snubber circuit is
preferred to the discrete soft shutdown circuit. For low Hp devices, the snubber circuit can be imple-
mented with a high frequency type capacitor across the DC bus, near the IGBTs.
2-4 Problems with the Traditional Method
A. Circuit Control Problems
In a soft shutdown scheme, simultaneous shutdown of all 6 IGBTs is required to prevent a potential
false turn-on while the IGBTs are in the soft shutdown mode. If a high side IGBT is turned off softly
while the other IGBTs are in the middle of a switching transition within a PWM period, that IGBT can
unintentionally be turned back on. It is extremely difficult to synchronize simultaneous shutdown
using traditional architecture.
B. Part Count, Size, and Cost Problems
If the system requires full IGBT protection, including Ground Fault protection, and if it is based on the
floating ground reference architecture, then the gate drive and protection circuit require the following
major components (even without the soft shutdown feature):
6 fast opto isolators
2 fast Hall Effect sensors or fast linear opto isolators
2 comparators
4 floating 15V power supplies
Hall Effect sensors and opto isolators are relatively large and bulky, and require a lot more space
than a monolithic IC. In addition, if the system requires a soft shutdown function, 6 additional opto
isolators and 6 buffer circuits (with a provision for soft turn off capability) are required. Thus, whereas
low Hp AC drive systems are today moving toward smaller sizes, the above solutions provide neither
the simplicity nor the integration of the gate drive and protection circuitry that is needed.
The total cost, including assembly of the inverter system, is large due to the large number and
bulkiness of components. Furthermore, components such as the Hall Effect sensors are still subject
to manual assembly.
To circumvent these issues, a small, integrated IC device that is capable of performing all the above
functions is a necessity.