JP2013255339A - Gate drive device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gate drive device that prevents adverse effects such as radio noise by stably suppressing a noise component of a current flowing through a load even if characteristics of the load vary with temperature and time.SOLUTION: The gate drive device having a gate control section 11 for outputting a gate signal to a MOS 10, a current detection section 2 for detecting a current flowing through a load L, and a pulse generation section 3 for shaping an output waveform of the current detection section 2 to a pulse signal to be fed back to the gate control section 11 includes a variation detection section 40 for detecting a characteristic variation caused by at least either an inductance or a parasitic resistance component of the load L. The gate control section 11 controls a voltage of the gate signal G2 so as to keep a constant frequency of the current flowing through the load L on the basis of an output signal of the variation detection section 40.

Description

  The present invention relates to the MOS gate drive device that controls a current flowing through an inductance of a load by PWM driving a MOS transistor (hereinafter abbreviated as MOS).

  For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-237411 (Patent Document 1) discloses a drive device for an electromagnetic valve used in a high-pressure fuel pump that increases the pressure of fuel supplied to a direct injection engine for a vehicle. In the driving device, the current flowing in the inductance of the load (solenoid of the solenoid valve) is controlled by PWM driving the MOS.

  FIG. 9 is a simplified view of a conventional MOS gate drive device that controls the current flowing through the solenoid of the solenoid valve in the same solenoid valve drive device as that of Patent Document 1. In FIG. (A) is the figure which shows the conventional gate drive device 90 which showed the principal part with the block diagram, (b) is the example which actualized the gate drive device 90 of (a) more, and is the gate drive device 90a. FIG. In addition, in the gate drive device 90 of (a) and the gate drive device 90a of (b), the same code | symbol was attached | subjected about each corresponding part.

  In FIG. 9A, a gate drive device 90 surrounded by a broken line is a gate drive device for the MOS 10 that controls the current flowing through the inductance of the load L by PWM driving the MOS 10. A gate driving device 90 shown in FIG. 1A is configured to pulse the output waveform of the gate control unit 1 that outputs a gate signal G1 to the MOS 10, the current detection unit 2 that detects the current I flowing through the load L, and the current detection unit 2. And a pulse generation unit 3 that forms a signal and feeds it back to the gate control unit 1.

  The current detector 2 outputs a voltage (waveform) corresponding to the current value of the current I flowing through the load L, and the pulse generator 3 turns the MOS 10 on / off from the voltage (waveform) output by the current detector 2. A pulse signal for generating the signal is generated. In response to the pulse signal, the gate control unit 1 converts the voltage into a voltage suitable for the gate drive of the MOS 10, and the MOS 10 is turned on and off.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, in the gate drive device 90a that embodies the gate drive device 90 of FIG. 9A, the voltage of resistors R1 and R2 constituting the gate control unit 1 and the switch S are The gate signal G1 is output to the P-channel control MOS 10a corresponding to the MOS 10). The diode D1 connected in parallel to the load L between the drain of the P-channel control MOS 10a and the ground is a diode for circulating the energy remaining in the inductance of the load L. The switching MOS 20 is a switch that switches each of the through states for a plurality of loads L. Further, as shown in parentheses, a parasitic resistance R exists in the load L.

  The current detection unit 2 in the gate drive device 90a of FIG. 9B includes an I / V conversion shunt resistor Rs connected in series to a load L and a differential operational amplifier OA1. The differential operational amplifier OA1 detects and differentially amplifies the voltage across the shunt resistor Rs, and outputs a voltage waveform proportional to the control current I flowing through the load L. The pulse generation unit 3 in the gate driving device 90a includes a comparator (comparator) Cp1. The comparator Cp1 receives a voltage waveform from the differential operational amplifier OA1 and a predetermined threshold voltage Vth / Vtl that determines the upper limit / lower limit of the control current, compares the voltages, and converts the input voltage waveform into a pulse waveform. To do. Then, the pulse waveform which is the output of the comparator Cp1 is fed back to the switch S of the gate control unit 1, and the control MOS 10a is PWM-driven by the gate signal G1a output from the gate control unit 1.

JP 2002-237411 A

  In the case of the MOS gate driving device for supplying the PWM control current to the load L, such as the electromagnetic valve driving device in the direct injection engine exemplified above, if the characteristics of the load L fluctuate with temperature or changes with time, the load L The noise component of the current flowing through the channel increases, and adverse effects such as radio noise may occur.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining fluctuations in the control current I flowing through the load L that is a source of adverse effects such as radio noise described above in the conventional gate drive device 90a shown in FIG. 9B. 10A to 10C are diagrams showing the output waveform of the differential operational amplifier OA1 (the waveform of the control current I) and the output waveform of the comparator Cp1, respectively. FIG. This is a case where there is no characteristic variation due to aging and the control current I is at a predetermined reference frequency. (B) shows the case where the time constant τ (= L / R) increases due to the temperature change or aging of the load L, and the frequency of the control current I becomes smaller than the reference frequency, and (c) shows the load This is a case where the time constant τ decreases due to a change in temperature of L or a change over time, and the frequency of the control current I becomes higher than the reference frequency. An adverse effect such as radio noise occurs particularly when the time constant τ of (c) is small and the frequency of the control current I is larger than the reference frequency.

  As described above, adverse effects such as radio noise due to the temperature change of the load L and the characteristic change due to the change over time are caused by a change in the inductance value L and a change in the value R of the parasitic resistance component due to the temperature rise or change over time of the load L. It is thought to be caused by. When these change, the time constant τ (= L / R) changes, and as a result, the control frequency of the gate signal G1a formed by the gate control unit 1 changes due to feedback from the current detection unit 2 and the pulse generation unit 3 This is because the frequency of the PWM control current I output from the control MOS 10a also changes.

  Therefore, the present invention is a MOS gate driving device that controls the current flowing through the inductance of the load by PWM driving the MOS, and the current flowing through the load is controlled even if the characteristics of the load fluctuate with temperature and changes over time. An object of the present invention is to provide a gate driving device that can stably suppress noise components and does not cause adverse effects such as radio noise.

  A gate driving device according to the present invention is a MOS gate driving device that controls a current flowing through an inductance of a load by PWM driving a MOS, and a gate control unit that outputs a gate signal to the MOS; In the gate drive device comprising: a current detection unit that detects a current flowing through the load; and a pulse generation unit that shapes an output waveform of the current detection unit into a pulse signal and feeds back to the gate control unit. A variation detecting unit that detects a characteristic variation caused by at least one of an inductance and a parasitic resistance component of the load, and the gate control unit detects a current flowing through the load based on an output signal of the variation detecting unit; The voltage of the gate signal is controlled so that the frequency is constant.

  The gate driving device is a MOS gate driving device that PWM-controls the current flowing through the inductance of the load, and includes a gate control unit, a current detection unit, and a pulse generation unit. The gate control unit outputs a gate signal to the MOS, the current detection unit detects the current flowing through the load, and the pulse generation unit shapes the output waveform of the current detection unit into a pulse signal and feeds back to the gate control unit To do. The gate drive device having such a configuration and function is, for example, an electromagnetic valve drive device used in a high pressure fuel pump for increasing the pressure of fuel supplied to a direct injection engine for a vehicle. ) Is used as a MOS gate drive device that PWM-controls the current flowing through.

  In the case of MOS gate drive devices that flow PWM control current to the inductance of a load, such as a solenoid valve drive device in a direct injection engine, the current that flows to the load when the load characteristics fluctuate with temperature and changes over time. In some cases, the noise component of the radio wave increases and adverse effects such as radio noise occur.

  The adverse effects such as radio noise caused by the temperature change of the load and the characteristic change due to the change with time are considered to be caused by the change of the inductance value L and the change of the value R of the parasitic resistance component due to the temperature rise or change with time of the load. . When these change, the time constant τ (= L / R) changes, and as a result, the control frequency of the gate signal formed by the gate control unit changes due to feedback from the current detection unit and the pulse generation unit. This is because the frequency of the PWM control current output from the MOS also changes.

  Therefore, the gate driving device has a variation detecting unit that detects a characteristic variation caused by at least one of the inductance and parasitic resistance of the load. Then, based on the output signal of the fluctuation detector, the gate controller controls the voltage of the gate signal so that the frequency of the current flowing through the load is constant. That is, in the gate driving device, the voltage level of the gate signal is variable, whereby the gate voltage of the MOS that performs PWM operation can be controlled to change the on-resistance value Ron of the MOS. Therefore, in the system in which the inductance of the MOS and the load is combined, the total time constant τa composed of the ON resistance Ron of the MOS and the load (inductance value L, parasitic resistance component value R) is τa = L / (Ron + R) It becomes. When the load inductance value L or the parasitic resistance component value R changes due to temperature changes or changes over time, the on-resistance Ron of the MOS is changed by changing the gate voltage, and the MOS and the load are combined. The total time constant τa can be made constant so that the frequency of the current flowing through the load does not fluctuate. As a result, it is possible to prevent adverse effects such as radio noise caused by characteristic changes due to temperature changes and changes with time of the load.

  As described above, the gate drive device described above is a MOS gate drive device that controls the current flowing through the inductance of the load by PWM-driving the MOS, and the characteristics of the load fluctuate with temperature and changes over time. However, the noise component of the current flowing through the load can be stably suppressed, and a gate drive device that does not cause adverse effects such as radio noise can be obtained.

  The fluctuation detection unit in the gate driving device includes a frequency detection unit that detects a frequency of a current flowing through the load, and a frequency that compares the frequency with a predetermined reference frequency and calculates a fluctuation of the frequency from the reference frequency. A configuration including a fluctuation calculation unit is preferable. In this case, for example, the frequency detection unit includes an F / V converter that inputs the pulse signal, converts the frequency of the pulse signal into a voltage, and outputs the voltage. The frequency variation calculation unit includes the F / V converter. A differential amplifier that inputs a voltage from the / V converter, performs operational amplification in comparison with a reference voltage corresponding to the reference frequency, and outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference can be used. According to this, since the frequency of the current flowing through the load is directly detected and the fluctuation from the reference frequency is calculated, it is possible to more reliably prevent adverse effects due to radio noise.

  Further, the fluctuation detection unit includes an A / D converter that performs A / D conversion on an output voltage of the differential amplifier, and the gate control unit is configured to output the gate according to an output signal of the A / D converter. An intermediate digital configuration for controlling the signal voltage may be adopted.

  The current detection unit in the gate driving device detects, amplifies, for example, a shunt resistor connected in series to the load and a voltage across the shunt resistor, and outputs a voltage waveform proportional to the current flowing through the load. It may be configured with a differential operational amplifier. Further, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the pulse generation unit includes a comparator that inputs a voltage waveform of the differential operational amplifier and converts the voltage waveform into a pulse waveform in comparison with a predetermined threshold voltage. Can be adopted.

  When the MOS is a P-channel, the gate driving device is configured such that, for example, the gate control unit can switch a voltage dividing resistor inserted between a power supply potential and a ground potential, and the voltage dividing resistor can The voltage of the gate signal is controlled by switching the pressure ratio. When the MOS is an N channel, the voltage of the gate signal is controlled by switching the output voltage of a charge pump circuit or a bootstrap circuit configured in the gate control unit. Can do.

  As described above, the gate drive device described above is a MOS gate drive device that controls the current flowing through the inductance of the load by PWM-driving the MOS, and the characteristics of the load fluctuate with temperature and changes over time. However, the noise component of the current flowing through the load can be stably suppressed, and a gate drive device that does not cause adverse effects such as radio noise can be obtained.

  Therefore, in the gate drive device described above, for example, the inductance may be a solenoid that drives an electromagnetic actuator. In addition, the electromagnetic actuator may be for vehicle use, and is particularly suitable when the electromagnetic actuator is an electromagnetic valve of a high-pressure fuel pump that supplies fuel to a direct injection engine.

  In a vehicle, a large number of electromagnetic actuators having inductance as a load are mounted, and electronic devices that are easily affected by noise are also arranged nearby. However, by adopting the above-described MOS gate driving device, it is possible to stably suppress the noise component of the current flowing through the load, and it is possible to stably operate electronic devices that are easily affected by noise such as radio noise. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure explaining the fundamental structure and operation | movement of the gate drive device based on this invention, (a) is a figure which shows the gate drive device 50 which showed the principal part with the block diagram, (b) is (a) FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a gate driving device 51 having a variation detecting unit 41 in a more specific example of the variation detecting unit 40 in the gate driving device 50 of FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a gate driving device 51a in a more specific example of the gate driving device 51 shown in FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the frequency of the control current I flowing through the load L and the output voltage V (F / V) of the F / V converter in the gate driving device 51a of FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a gate potential Gg of a P-channel control MOS 10a and a load control signal (output waveform of a comparator Cp1) in the gate drive device 51a of FIG. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a frequency control function of a (control) current I included in the gate driving devices 50, 51, and 51a, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are output waveforms of the differential operational amplifier OA1, respectively FIG. 11 shows the output waveform of the comparator Cp1 in comparison with that of the conventional gate driving device 90a shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b). FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a frequency control function of a (control) current I included in the gate driving devices 50, 51, and 51a, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are output waveforms of the differential operational amplifier OA1, respectively 10 is a diagram showing the output waveform of the comparator Cp1 in comparison with that of the conventional gate driving device 90a shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (c). FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a gate driving device 51b in another example in which the gate driving device 51 shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a gate potential Gg of an N-channel control MOS 10b and a load control signal (output waveform of the comparator Cp1) in the gate drive device 51b of FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the figure which simplified and showed the conventional gate drive device of MOS, (a) is the figure which shows the conventional gate drive device 90 which showed the principal part with the block diagram, (b) is the figure of (a). It is a figure which shows the circuit structure of the gate drive device 90a in the example which actualized the gate drive device 90 more. In the conventional gate drive device 90a, it is a figure explaining the fluctuation | variation of the control current I which flows into the load L which becomes a cause of bad influences, such as radio noise, (a)-(c) is an output waveform of differential operational amplifier OA1, respectively It is the figure which showed the output waveform of (the waveform of the control current I) and the comparator Cp1.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the basic configuration and operation of a gate driving device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a diagram showing a gate driving device 50 whose main part is shown in a block diagram. These are the examples which actualized the fluctuation | variation detection part 40 in the gate drive device 50 of (a), and are figures which show the circuit structure of the gate drive apparatus 51 which has the fluctuation | variation detection part 41. FIG. In the gate driving devices 50 and 51 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those of the conventional gate driving device 90 shown in FIG. 9A.

  FIG. 2 is a more specific example of the gate driving device 51 shown in FIG. 1B, and is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of the gate driving device 51a. In the gate driving device 51a shown in FIG. 2, the same parts as those in the conventional gate driving device 90a shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 2, a diode D1 connected in parallel to the load L between the drain of the P-channel control MOS 10a and the ground is a diode for circulating the energy remaining in the inductance of the load L. The switching MOS 20 is a switch that switches each of the passing states for a plurality of loads L. Further, as shown in parentheses, a parasitic resistance R exists in the load L. Further, the control MOS 10a has an on-resistance Ron that depends on the gate voltage. As will be described in detail later, in the gate driving devices 50, 51, and 51a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the on-resistance Ron that depends on the gate voltage is used to make the frequency of the current I flowing through the load L constant. In addition, the voltages of the gate signals G2 and G2a are controlled.

  In FIGS. 1A and 1B, gate drive devices 50 and 51 surrounded by broken lines are MOS 10 gate drive devices that control the current I flowing through the inductance of the load L by PWM driving the MOS 10. . The gate drive devices 50 and 51 form a gate control unit 11 that outputs a gate signal G2 to the MOS 10, a current detection unit 2 that detects a current I flowing through the load L, and a waveform of the output of the current detection unit 2 into a pulse signal. And a pulse generation unit 3 that feeds back to the gate control unit 11.

  The current detector 2 outputs a voltage (waveform) corresponding to the current value of the current I flowing through the load L, and the pulse generator 3 turns the MOS 10 on / off from the voltage (waveform) output by the current detector 2. A pulse signal for generating the signal is generated. In response to the pulse signal, the gate control unit 11 converts the voltage into a voltage suitable for the gate drive of the MOS 10, and the MOS 10 is turned on and off.

  The current detector 2 and the pulse generator 3 in the gate driving devices 50 and 51 of FIG. That is, the current detection unit 2 in the gate driving devices 50 and 51 in FIG. 1 is the same as the gate driving device 90 in FIG. 9A, and is connected in series to the load L as shown in the gate driving device 51a in FIG. Alternatively, it may be configured by a shunt resistor Rs for I / V conversion and a differential operational amplifier OA1. The differential operational amplifier OA1 detects and differentially amplifies the voltage across the shunt resistor Rs, and outputs a voltage waveform proportional to the control current I flowing through the load L. The pulse generator 3 in the gate driving devices 50 and 51 in FIG. 1 is also similar to the gate driving device 90 in FIG. 9A, and as shown in the gate driving device 51a in FIG. 2, a comparator (comparator) Cp1. The structure which consists of may be sufficient. The comparator Cp1 receives a voltage waveform from the differential operational amplifier OA1 and a predetermined threshold voltage Vth / Vtl that determines the upper limit / lower limit of the control current, compares the voltages, and converts the input voltage waveform into a pulse waveform. To do. In the gate driving device 51a of FIG. 2, the pulse waveform that is the output of the comparator Cp1 is fed back to the gate control unit 11a, and the control MOS 10a is PWM-driven by the gate signal G2a output from the gate control unit 11a.

  On the other hand, unlike the conventional gate driving device 90 shown in FIG. 9A, the gate driving device 50 shown in FIG. 1A detects characteristic fluctuations caused by at least one of the inductance of the load L and the parasitic resistance component. The fluctuation detecting unit 40 is provided. Then, the gate control unit 11 controls the voltage of the gate signal G2 based on the output signal of the fluctuation detection unit 40 so that the frequency of the current I flowing through the load L is constant.

  For example, the fluctuation detection unit 40 in the gate drive device 50 of FIG. 1A detects the temperature of the load L, calculates the characteristic fluctuation due to the temperature dependence of the inductance of the load L and the parasitic resistance component evaluated in advance, You may make it output to the gate control part 11. FIG. However, like the variation detection unit 41 in the gate drive device 51 of FIG. 1B, the frequency detection unit 41a that detects the frequency of the current flowing through the load L is compared with a predetermined reference frequency, It is preferable to have a configuration including a frequency fluctuation calculation unit 41b that calculates fluctuations of the frequency from the reference frequency. According to this, since the frequency of the current I flowing through the load L is directly detected and the fluctuation from the reference frequency is calculated, the adverse effect due to radio noise in the conventional gate driving devices 90 and 90a described with reference to FIGS. Can be prevented more reliably.

  More specifically, for example, as shown in the gate drive device 51a of FIG. 2, the frequency detection unit 41a receives the pulse signal from the pulse generation unit 3, converts the frequency of the pulse signal into a voltage, and outputs the voltage. The configuration is composed of an F / V converter. In addition, the frequency fluctuation calculation unit 41b receives the voltage from the F / V converter, compares it with the reference voltage Vref corresponding to the reference frequency, amplifies the difference, and outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference. It can be configured by a differential amplifier OA2.

  2 includes an A / D converter that A / D converts the output voltage of the differential amplifier OA2. The gate control unit 11a adopts a midway digital configuration in which the voltage of the gate signal G2a is controlled by the output signal of the A / D converter.

  1 is different from the gate controller 1 in the gate driver 90 of FIG. 9A based on the output signals of the fluctuation detectors 40 and 41. The gate controller 11 in the gate driver 50 and 51 in FIG. The voltage of the gate signal G2 to be changed is variable. For example, the gate controller 11a in the gate drive device 51a of FIG. 2 has a combination of four sets of resistors R2a to R2d and switches Sa to Sd connected in series to the resistor R1, and the gate signal G2a output to the P-channel control MOS 10a. Is determined. The switches Sa to Sd are switched by the outputs of the AND elements Aa to Ad, which respectively receive the pulse signal from the pulse generator 3 that determines the ON timing and the signal from the A / D converter corresponding to each frequency fluctuation amount. It is done. As described above, the gate controller 11a in the gate driving device 51a in FIG. 2 obtains the combined resistance R2 of the resistances R2a to R2d selected by the switches Sa to Sd according to the output of the A / D converter. The gate voltage of 10a is adjusted by the voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing resistor composed of the combined resistor R2 and the resistor R1. Thus, the voltage of the gate signal G2a is controlled so that the frequency of the current I flowing through the load L is constant.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the frequency of the control current I flowing through the load L and the output voltage V (F / V) of the F / V converter in the gate driving device 51a of FIG. In FIG. 3, the reference frequency Vref input to the reference frequency Vref of the current I and the differential amplifier OA2 is indicated by a one-dot chain line.

  Point Pa in FIG. 3 is a case where the frequency of the control current I is smaller than the reference frequency. At this time, the switches Sa to Sd are turned on according to the difference of the reference voltage Vref of the output voltage V (F / V), and the gate voltage Increase Conversely, the point Pb is when the frequency of the control current I becomes larger than the reference frequency. At this time, the switches Sa to Sd are turned off according to the difference of the reference voltage Vref of the output voltage V (F / V), and the gate voltage Make it smaller. Note that the gate voltage can be controlled more finely by increasing the number of output bits of the A / D converter (the number of combinations of the resistors R2a to R2d and the switches Sa to Sd).

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the gate potential Gg of the P-channel control MOS 10a and the load control signal (output waveform of the comparator Cp1) in the gate driving device 51a of FIG. The gate potential Gg of the P-channel control MOS 10a is changed by changing the combination of the four sets of resistors R2a to R2d and switches Sa to Sd connected in series to the resistor R1 with a signal from the A / D converter. As shown by the broken lines, the voltage level of the gate potential Gg can be changed.

  1 and FIG. 2 are gate drive devices of MOSs 10 and 10a that perform PWM control (control) of a current I flowing through the inductance of a load L (control), and gate control units 11 and 11a. The current detection unit 2 and the pulse generation unit 3 are provided. The gate control units 11 and 11a output gate signals G2 and G2a to the (control) MOSs 10 and 10a, the current detection unit 2 detects a (control) current I flowing through the load L, and the pulse generation unit 3 The output waveform of the current detector 2 is formed into a pulse signal and fed back to the gate controllers 11 and 11a. The gate drive devices 50, 51, 51a having such a configuration and function increase the pressure of fuel supplied to, for example, a direct injection engine for a vehicle, similarly to the conventional gate drive devices 90, 90a shown in FIG. In a solenoid valve drive device used for a high-pressure fuel pump, a MOS gate drive device that PWM-controls a current flowing through an inductance of a load L (solenoid of a solenoid valve).

  In the case of a MOS gate driving device that applies a PWM control current to the inductance of the load L, such as a driving device for an electromagnetic valve in a direct injection engine, the characteristics of the load L as described above with reference to FIGS. When the temperature fluctuates due to changes in temperature or time, the noise component of the current I flowing through the load L increases, which may cause adverse effects such as radio noise.

  The adverse effects such as radio noise caused by the temperature change of the load L and the characteristic change due to the change with time are caused by the change of the inductance value L and the change of the parasitic resistance component value R due to the temperature rise or change with time of the load L. Conceivable. When these change, the time constant τ (= L / R) changes, and as a result, the control frequencies of the gate signals G1 and G1a formed by the gate control unit 1 by feedback from the current detection unit 2 and the pulse generation unit 3 This changes the frequency of the PWM control current I output from the MOSs 10 and 10a.

  Therefore, the gate drive devices 50, 51, and 51a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have a configuration that includes fluctuation detection units 40 and 41 that detect characteristic fluctuations caused by at least one of the inductance of the load L and the parasitic resistance R. Yes. Based on the output signals of the fluctuation detectors 40 and 41, the gate controllers 11 and 11a set the voltages of the gate signals G2 and G2a so that the frequency of the (control) current I flowing through the load L is constant. Control. That is, in the gate driving devices 50, 51, 51a, the voltage levels of the gate signals G2, G2a are variable, thereby controlling the gate voltages of the MOSs 10, 10a operating in PWM, and turning on the MOSs 10, 10a. The resistance value Ron can be changed. Therefore, in the system in which the inductances of the MOSs 10 and 10a and the load L are combined, the total time constant τa composed of the ON resistance Ron of the MOSs 10 and 10a and the (inductance L, parasitic resistance component R) of the load L is τa = L / ( Ron + R). When the inductance value L of the load L or the parasitic resistance component value R changes due to a temperature change or a change over time, the on-resistance Ron of the MOSs 10 and 10a is changed by changing the gate voltage, and the MOSs 10 and 10a The total time constant τa of the system including the load L can be made constant so that the frequency of the (control) current I flowing in the load L can be prevented from changing. As a result, it is possible to prevent an adverse effect such as radio noise caused by a change in characteristics due to a temperature change or a change with time of the load L.

  FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are diagrams for explaining the frequency control function of the (control) current I possessed by the gate drive devices 50, 51, 51a. FIGS. 5A and 5B and FIGS. 6A and 6B show the output waveform of the differential operational amplifier OA1 (the waveform of the control current I) and the output waveform of the comparator Cp1, respectively. It is the figure shown in comparison with that of the conventional gate drive device 90a shown to (c).

  5A and 6A show the case where there is no characteristic variation due to temperature change or aging of the load L, and the control current I is at a predetermined reference frequency, and the output waveform shown in FIG. Is the same.

  FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a case where the time constant τ (= L / R) increases due to a temperature change or a change with time of the load L. When the gate voltage is not corrected, FIG. ), The frequency of the control current I becomes smaller than the reference frequency, as shown in the middle brackets. Actually, in the gate driving devices 50, 51, 51a, when the time constant τ (= L / R) increases due to the temperature change or the time change of the load L, the gate voltage is set so that the on-resistance Ron of the MOS 10, 10a decreases. Increase Thus, the total time constant τa of the system including the MOSs 10 and 10a and the load L is controlled to be constant at the initial set value τ0. For this reason, the output waveform of the differential operational amplifier OA1 (the waveform of the control current I) is slightly different from the output waveform of (a), but the frequency of the control current I remains unchanged at the reference frequency.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a case where the time constant τ (= L / R) becomes small due to a temperature change or a change with time of the load L. When the gate voltage is not corrected, FIG. ), The frequency of the control current I becomes larger than the reference frequency as shown in the brackets in the middle stage. Actually, in the gate driving devices 50, 51, 51a, when the time constant τ (= L / R) decreases due to the temperature change or the change with time of the load L, the gate voltage is set so that the on-resistance Ron of the MOS 10, 10a increases. Make it smaller. As a result, the total time constant τa of the system including the MOSs 10 and 10a and the load L is controlled to be constant at the initial set value τ0. Therefore, the frequency of the control current I remains unchanged at the reference frequency.

  As described above, the gate driving devices 50, 51, 51a described above are gate driving devices for the MOS 10, 10a that control the current I flowing through the inductance of the load L by PWM driving the MOS 10, 10a. Even if the characteristics of the load L fluctuate with temperature and changes over time, the noise component of the current I flowing through the load L can be stably suppressed, and a gate drive device that does not cause adverse effects such as radio noise can be obtained.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of the gate driving device 51b as another example in which the gate driving device 51 shown in FIG. In the gate driving device 51b shown in FIG. 7, the same parts as those in the gate driving device 51a shown in FIG.

  In the gate drive device 51a shown in FIG. 2, the MOS for driving the load L is a P-channel control MOS 10a. In the gate control unit 11a, a series resistor R1 is inserted between the power supply potential and the ground potential. The resistors R2a to R2d to be connected are configured to be switchable. And the voltage of the gate signal G2a is controlled by switching the voltage dividing ratio by the voltage dividing resistor.

  On the other hand, in the gate drive device 51b shown in FIG. 7, the MOS driving the load L is the N-channel control MOS 10b, and the output voltage of the charge pump circuit or bootstrap circuit configured in the gate control unit 11b is obtained. By switching, the voltage of the gate signal G2b is controlled.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the gate potential Gg of the N-channel control MOS 10b and the load control signal (output waveform of the comparator Cp1) in the gate drive device 51b of FIG. The gate potential Gg of the N-channel control MOS 10b is obtained by switching the output voltage of the charge pump circuit or the bootstrap circuit with a signal from the A / D converter, as shown by the double-ended arrows and broken lines in the figure. The voltage level of Gg can be changed.

  In the gate drive device 51b shown in FIG. 7 as well, the voltage level of the gate signal G2b is variable, thereby controlling the gate voltage of the N-channel control MOS 10b that performs PWM operation, thereby controlling the control MOS 10b. The on-resistance value Ron can be changed. Therefore, when the inductance value L of the load L or the parasitic resistance component value R changes due to temperature change or change over time, the on-resistance Ron of the control MOS 10b is changed by changing the gate voltage, and the control MOS 10b and the load L The total time constant τa of the combined system can be made constant so that the frequency of the (control) current I flowing through the load L can be prevented from changing. As a result, it is possible to prevent an adverse effect such as radio noise caused by a change in characteristics due to a temperature change or a change with time of the load L.

  As described above, each of the gate drive devices described above is a MOS gate drive device that controls the current flowing through the inductance of the load L by PWM driving the MOS, and the characteristics of the load L are the temperature and Even if it fluctuates over time, the noise component of the current I flowing through the load L can be stably suppressed, and a gate drive device that does not cause adverse effects such as radio noise can be obtained.

  Therefore, in the gate drive device described above, for example, the inductance may be a solenoid that drives an electromagnetic actuator. In addition, the electromagnetic actuator may be for vehicle use, and is particularly suitable when the electromagnetic actuator is an electromagnetic valve of a high-pressure fuel pump that supplies fuel to a direct injection engine.

  In a vehicle, a large number of electromagnetic actuators having inductance as a load are mounted, and electronic devices that are easily affected by noise are also arranged nearby. However, by adopting the above-described MOS gate driving device, it is possible to stably suppress the noise component of the current flowing through the load L, and it is possible to stably operate electronic devices that are easily affected by noise such as radio noise. it can.

50, 51, 51a, 51b, 90, 90a Gate driver 10, 10a, 10b (control) MOS
L load 1, 11, 11a, 11b Gate control unit G1, G1a, G2, G2a, G2b Gate signal 2 Current detection unit 3 Pulse generation unit 40, 41 Fluctuation detection unit

Claims (11)

A MOS gate driving device that controls a current flowing through an inductance of a load by PWM driving a MOS transistor (hereinafter abbreviated as MOS),
A gate control unit that outputs a gate signal to the MOS, a current detection unit that detects a current flowing through the load, and a pulse generator that forms an output waveform of the current detection unit into a pulse signal and feeds back to the gate control unit A gate drive device comprising:
A variation detecting unit for detecting characteristic variation caused by at least one of the inductance and parasitic resistance component of the load;
The gate driving device, wherein the gate control unit controls the voltage of the gate signal so that a frequency of a current flowing through the load is constant based on an output signal of the variation detection unit. The fluctuation detecting unit is
A frequency detector for detecting the frequency of the current flowing through the load;
The gate driving device according to claim 1, further comprising a frequency fluctuation calculating unit that compares the frequency with a predetermined reference frequency and detects a fluctuation of the frequency from the reference frequency. The frequency detection unit includes an F / V converter that inputs the pulse signal, converts the frequency of the pulse signal into a voltage, and outputs the voltage.
The frequency fluctuation calculation unit includes a differential amplifier that receives a voltage from the F / V converter, performs operational amplification in comparison with a reference voltage corresponding to the reference frequency, and outputs a voltage corresponding to the difference. The gate driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The fluctuation detecting unit has an A / D converter for A / D converting the output voltage of the differential amplifier,
The gate driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the gate control unit controls the voltage of the gate signal according to an output signal of the A / D converter. The current detection unit is
The shunt resistor connected in series to the load, and a differential operational amplifier that detects and amplifies the voltage across the shunt resistor and outputs a voltage waveform proportional to the current flowing through the load. The gate drive apparatus as described in any one of 1-4. The pulse generator is
6. The gate drive device according to claim 5, further comprising a comparator that receives a voltage waveform of the differential operational amplifier and converts the voltage waveform into a pulse waveform in comparison with a predetermined threshold voltage. The MOS is a P channel,
In the gate control unit, a voltage dividing resistor inserted between a power supply potential and a ground potential can be switched,
The gate driving device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage of the gate signal is controlled by switching a voltage dividing ratio by the voltage dividing resistor. The MOS is an N channel,
The voltage of the gate signal is controlled by switching an output voltage of a charge pump circuit or a bootstrap circuit configured in the gate control unit. Gate drive device.   The gate drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inductance is a solenoid that drives an electromagnetic actuator.   The gate drive device according to claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic actuator is for vehicle use.   The gate drive device according to claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic actuator is an electromagnetic valve of a high-pressure fuel pump that supplies fuel to a direct injection engine.

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