DRIVING TRANSISTORS

AND THYRISTORS
 Functionality of Gate/Base Drive
• Turn power switch from off­state to on­state Circuits

• Minimize turn­on time through active region where power dissipation is large

• Provide adequate drive power to keep power switch in on­state

• Turn power switch from on­state to off­state

• Minimize turn­off time through active region wherepower dissipation is large

• Provide bias to insure that power switch remains off

• Control power switch to protect it when overvoltages or overcurrents are sensed

• Signal processing circuits which generate the logic control signals not considered part of the drive circuit

• Drive circuit amplifies control signals to levels required to drive power switch 

• Drive circuit has significant power capabilities compared to logic level signal processing circuits

• Provide electrical isolation when needed between power switch and logic level signal processing/control circuits
 Drive Circuit Design
Considerations
• Drive circuit topologies

• Output signal polarity ­ unipolar or bipolar
• AC or DC coupled
• Connected in shunt or series with power switch
0 t
• Output current magnitude
• Large Ion shortens turn­on time but lengthens turn­off delay time Unipolar
• Large Ioff shortens turn­off time but lengthens turn­on delay time

• Provisions for power switch protection
• Overcurrents
• Blanking times for bridge circuit drives 0 t

• Waveshaping to improve switch performance Bipolar
• Controlled diB/dt for BJT turn­off
• Anti­saturation diodes for BJT drives
• Speedup capacitors
• Front­porch/backporch currents
 
• Component layout to minimize stray inductance and shielding from switching 
noise
 Unipolar DC­coupled Drive Circuit ­  BJT Example

• Circuit operation
• V control > Vreference - BJ T at comparator output on
which puts Qpnp and Qsw on
• V control < Vreference - BJ T at comparator output off
V
which turns Qpnp off and thus Qsw off BB V
d
• Design procedure

V BE,off
Io
• R2 =
IB,off
; IB,off based on desired turn-off time. Comparator Q pnp
V BE,on
• Ipnp = IB,on + ; IB,on value based on BJ T beta and R1
R2 Vcontrol
value of Io.
Q sw
• V BB = VCE,on(Qpnp) + R1 IC,pnp + VBE,on(Qsw) R
2
• V BB = 8 to 10 V ; compromise between larger values which
minimize effects of V BE variations and smaller values
which minimize power dissipation in drive circuit
Vreference
Unipolar DC­coupled Drive Circuits­ MOSFET  examples
V V
BB d
• V control > V reference
Io comparator output
Comparator R1 high and Q sw on
R2
V control • V control < V reference
Q sw
-
comparator output
+ low and Q sw off
V reference

V V • V control > Vreference

GG d
comparator output
Io
high putting Q npn
Comparator R1 on and thus Q sw on

Vcontrol • V control < V reference

Q sw
+ R comparator output
G
low putting Q pnp on
- and thus Q sw off
Vreference

V
V d
GG

Io

V control IC buffer amp with R

G
totem pole output Q sw
DS0026 or UC1706/07
 Bipolar DC­coupled Drive Circuit­ BJT Example

• Vcontrol < Vreference ­ comparator output 
V V low, TB­ on and  Qsw off.
BB+ d

Comparator R Io
B Df • Large reverse base current flows to 
minimize turn­off time and base­emitter 
Vcontrol CBB+ of Qsw reversed biased to insure off­
T
+
B+ state.
Qsw
- T B-
• Vcontrol > Vreference ­ comparator output 
high, TB+ on and Qsw on.
C
BB-

V • Large forward base current to minimize 
BB- turn­on time and to insure saturation of 
Qsw for low on­state losses
 Bipolar DC­coupled Drive Circuit­ MOSFET Example
VGG+ V
d

Comparator Io
D
f
T
Vcontrol B+ C • Bipolar drive with substantial output 
GG+
current capability
+
Qsw
R
- G
V reference T B-

C
GG-
V
GG-
V
V d
GG+
Io
C GG+

V control IC buffer amp with

totem pole output
• Simple bipolar drive circuit with 
Q sw
DS0026 or UC1706/07
R
G moderate (1 amp)output current 
capability
C
GG-
V GG-
 Methods of Control Signal Isolation
Input to remainder of
Logic level isolated drive circuit
control ckts • Transformer isolation
Power switch reference node
(BJT emitter, MOSFET source)
Logic ground
Light- V Isolated
BB+
emitting dc supply
diode
Signal
Input to remainder of
from
control
isolated drive circuit • Opto­coupler isolation
logic
Power switch
Control logic reference node
ground Photo-transistor

V
BB+

AC
power in
• Isolated dc power supplies 
for drive circuits
V BB-
GATE DRIVE DESIGN
 Qg 3 − Qg 2 Vgg
tdoff = Rg ⋅ n
Vgg − Vg 2 Vg 2
 Thyristor Gate Drive Circuit

1 4
Line
Voltage

3 2

DC power supply for

gate trigger circuit
Delay angle block is 
commercially available 
integrated circuit ­ 
zero crossing
detection gate pulse
TCA780 circuit family
isolation
transformers

Input Delay Pulse

Control Angle Amplifier
Signal Block

gate pulse
Control isolation
Logic transformers
Ground
 Thyristor Gate Drive Circuit (cont.)
Transformer
Line Voltage

α α α Ramp

Control
voltage Thyristor gate drive waveforms
Control of
1&2

Control of
3&4

D1
15 V

D
f
R Gate pulse amplifier
G

T
Trigger signal G
 GTO Gate Drive Circuit

R R
2 4
T T
G2 G1

R 10 A
1
pulse V
R GG+
R 6
5
2A

Lσ 1
• Turn on TG1and TG2 to get 
Control R
3
large front­porch current
Circuit

L
G
Lσ 2
• Turn off TG1 after some 
R
V
GG- specified time to reduce total 
gate current to back­porch 
7

T
G3
turn-off value.
pulse

Auxilliary
power supply
for gate drive
circuit