Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a drive circuit that turns on or off a switching device; a mirror clamp circuit that prevents erroneous turning-on of the switching device due to a mirror current; and an active discharge circuit that soft-turns on the switching device more slowly than the drive circuit or to turn off the switching device in a state where the mirror clamp circuit is disabled.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a drive circuit configured to perform one of turn-on and turn-off of a switching device to be driven at a time of normal driving; and an active discharge circuit configured to perform one of soft turn-on and soft turn-off of the switching device more mildly than the one of the turn-on and the turn-off by the drive circuit at a time of active discharge.

Abstract: An abnormal voltage protection circuit 502 includes a voltage-current conversion circuit 507, 511, a current-voltage conversion circuit, and an abnormal voltage detection circuit C3, C4. The voltage-current conversion circuit 507, 511 is configured to convert a monitor target voltage VEE2 that is negative with respect to a reference voltage into a current signal I1, I3. The current-voltage conversion circuit is configured to convert the current signal I1, I3 into a voltage signal V7, V11 that is positive with respect to the reference voltage. The abnormal voltage detection circuit C3, C4 is configured to compare the voltage signal V7, V11 with a threshold value voltage V8, V12, so as to be able to detect the monitor target voltage VEE2 is an upper limit voltage V8 or higher, or a lower limit voltage V12 or lower.

Abstract: A signal transmission device 200X comprises a transmission circuit, a reception circuit configured to output a drive control signal in accordance with a first internal signal and a second internal signal; an insulation circuit; and a driving circuit. The transmission circuit drives at least one of the first internal signal and the second internal signal at a specific period in accordance with an external signal. The reception circuit detects that the period of at least one of the first internal signal and the second internal signal is a specific period and outputs a drive control signal. The driving circuit receives the drive control signal, suspends driving of a driving target switch element, and puts an output node of the driving circuit in a high impedance state.

Abstract: A signal transmission device comprises: an insulation element for performing signal transmission between a primary circuit system and a secondary circuit system while providing insulation therebetween; a self-diagnosis circuit which is provided in the secondary circuit system and performs self-diagnosis of the secondary circuit system; a storage circuit which is provided in the secondary circuit system and in which memory access is permitted after completion of the self-diagnosis; and a transmission circuit which is provided in the secondary circuit system and outputs a transmission pulse signal to the insulation element. The transmission circuit generates one pulse or a group of a plurality of pulses in the transmission pulse signal at the completion timing of each of the self-diagnosis and the memory access and continues generating pulses at the period of a first time in the transmission pulse signal when an abnormality in the memory access is being detected.

Abstract: A signal transmission device includes a transmission circuit, a reception circuit, and an isolation circuit. The transmission circuit is configured to drive at least one of a first internal signal and a second internal signal at a specific period according to an external signal. The reception circuit includes: a detection circuit configured to be able to detect that the period of at least one of the first internal signal and the second internal signal is the specific period; a first driving circuit configured to set the gate of a switching device to high impedance state according to the detection result of the detection circuit; and a second driving circuit configured to turn ON the switching device by inputting a specific voltage to the gate according to the detection result. The specific voltage has a voltage value higher than or equal to the ON threshold voltage of the switching device.

Abstract: A signal transmission device includes a transmission circuit which outputs a control signal, a reception circuit and an insulating circuit. The reception circuit receives an input of an external signal. The reception circuit drives a drive target switch based on the control signal in a state where the external signal is at a first logic level at which the voltage of the external signal is equal to or lower than a first threshold voltage, and drives and controls the drive target switch based on the external signal regardless of the control signal in a state where the external signal is at a second logic level at which the voltage of the external signal is higher than the first threshold voltage.

Abstract: A signal transmission device includes a transmission-side circuit, a reception-side circuit, an insulating circuit and a protection circuit configured to monitor an SAT voltage for a drive target switch during the on period of the drive target switch. The transmission-side circuit includes a first drive circuit, a second drive circuit and a drive control circuit. When the first drive circuit is enabled and the second drive circuit is disabled, the protection circuit starts monitoring the SAT voltage after a first blanking period has elapsed since a starting point of a transition period of the drive target switch whereas when the first drive circuit is disabled and the second drive circuit is disabled, the protection circuit starts monitoring the SAT voltage after a second blanking period longer than the first blanking period has elapsed since the starting point.

Abstract: A signal transmission device includes a primary side circuit that receives a primary side control signal from the external device, a secondary side circuit that drives a gate of the target transistor, and an insulation circuit that transmits a primary side control signal as a secondary side control signal to the secondary side circuit in an insulation form. The secondary side circuit is configured to control a gate voltage of the target transistor in accordance with the secondary side control signal so as to switch the target transistor between ON and OFF, and to be capable of adjusting a slew rate of change of the gate voltage of the target transistor in multiple steps. The secondary side circuit generates temperature information according to temperature of the target transistor, and compares the temperature information with reference information, so as to adjust the slew rate.

Abstract: In a target transistor, a first conductive electrode, a second conductive electrode, and a control electrode are respectively connected to first, second, and third wirings. The control circuit responds to an input control signal so as to supply a high side voltage or a low side voltage to the third wiring, thereby controlling the target transistor to be ON or OFF. If the low side voltage is lower than the voltage of the second wiring by a predetermined threshold voltage or more, an overvoltage signal in an asserted state is output. When the overvoltage signal in the asserted state is output, the control circuit supplies the low side voltage to the third wiring regardless of the input control signal, and a protection switching element, which is disposed between the second wiring and a fourth wiring applied with the low side voltage, is set to be ON.

Abstract: A signal transmission device includes a first die, a second die, and a third die that transmits a signal between the first and second dies while isolating between them. The third die includes a first isolating device and a second isolating device. In a first operation mode, a rising edge and a falling edge in an input pulse signal are transmitted from the first die via the first and second isolating devices to the second die. In a second operation mode, a first data signal and a first clock signal are transmitted from the first die via the first and second isolating devices to the second die.

Abstract: A driving circuit includes a voltage sense circuit that senses, in the on-period of a switching device as a driving target, a node voltage corresponding to the on-resistance of the switching device and a logic circuit that externally transmits a voltage sense signal (e.g., duty signal) corresponding to the sense value of the node voltage.

Abstract: For example, a driving circuit includes a short-circuit detection circuit that detects a short-circuit condition in which an excessive short-circuit current can pass through a switching device, and a controller that forcibly turns off the switching device on detecting a short-circuit condition. When forcibly turning off the switching device, the controller switches an output pulse signal for driving the switching device from a logic level (e.g., high level) corresponding to an on-period to a logic level (e.g., low level) corresponding to an off-period while reducing the slew rate stepwise.

Abstract: A signal transmission device includes a first logic, a second logic, a plurality of isolation devices configured to isolate and transmit a plurality of sets of first signals and second signals between the first logic and the second logic, and a plurality of output circuits configured to generate a plurality of output signals according to instructions from the second logic. The first logic is capable of simultaneously transmitting a plurality of combinations of signals from different sets among the plurality of sets of the first signals and the second signals. The second logic performs operations according to the combination of signals received via the plurality of isolation devices from among the plurality of sets of the first signals and the second signals.

Abstract: A signal transmission device includes a transmission circuit, a reception circuit, and an isolation circuit. The transmission circuit is configured to drive at least one of a first internal signal and a second internal signal at a specific period according to an external signal. The reception circuit includes: a detection circuit configured to be able to detect that the period of at least one of the first internal signal and the second internal signal is the specific period; a first driving circuit configured to set the gate of a switching device to high impedance state according to the detection result of the detection circuit; and a second driving circuit configured to turn ON the switching device by inputting a specific voltage to the gate according to the detection result. The specific voltage has a voltage value higher than or equal to the ON threshold voltage of the switching device.

Abstract: A method for setting a menu shown on a display of a terminal in accordance with the interest of a user. In the method, the terminal sends a transmission request for menu information to a setting system. The menu information, which is stored in the setting system, is used to set a graphical user interface that is included in the menu. The setting system retrieves the menu information in response to the transmission request for the menu information. The setting system transmits the retrieved menu information to the terminal. The terminal uses the received menu information to change the setting of the menu.

Abstract: A method for setting a menu shown on a display of a terminal in accordance with the interest of a user. In the method, the terminal sends a transmission request for menu information to a setting system. The menu information, which is stored in the setting system, is used to set a graphical user interface that is included in the menu. The setting system retrieves the menu information in response to the transmission request for the menu information. The setting system transmits the retrieved menu information to the terminal. The terminal uses the received menu information to change the setting of the menu.