A 30V 2A Real-Time Programmable Solid-State Circuit Breaker with Improved Detection-Speed and Enhanced Power-Efficiency

Abstract

State-of-the-art circuit breakers embodying a predetermined fixed current limit exhibit difficulty in differentiating large inrush current during startups and gentle overcurrent during on-state with load, and thus often fail to provide prompt protection. This paper presents a monolithically integrated solid-state circuit breaker that features a variable current limit by means of employing our proposed real-time programmable current limit controller, low quiescent current by our proposed Darlington-LDMOS-based high-voltage regulator, and fast detection speed by our improved on-chip LDPMOS current sensor. The prototype circuit breaker, realized in a 130nm BCDLite process, features a programmable current limit range of 0.2-2A, maximum input voltage of 30V, quiescent current of 30µA, and fault-current response time of 0.2µs. When benchmarked against the state-of-the-art solid-state circuit breakers, our design simultaneously features the widest current limit range, highest input voltage handling capability, ~13× lower quiescent current, and ~5× shorter response time.