What is Active Short Circuit (ASC) in UCC21736?
Isolated Gate Drivers
Exported on 12/16/2021
Isolated Gate Drivers – What is Active Short Circuit (ASC) in UCC21736?
Table of Contents
1 What is ASC? ...............................................................................................................3
2 When is ASC used? .....................................................................................................4
3 How does the APWM channel operation differ from other UCC217xx devices? .....5
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Isolated Gate Drivers – What is Active Short Circuit (ASC) in UCC21736?
1 What is ASC?
Active Short Circuit protection is a feature unique to UCC21736, located where AIN pin is normally for other variants,
as shown in Figure 1(see page 3). The ASC pin still functions as an analog input for the Analog-to-PWM channel, a
feature shared with other UCC217xx devices, but includes an additional comparator to distinguish a logic HIGH
signal. Thus, ASC is both a logic input as well as an analog input. Because ASC is a prioritized input, it can be used
When rises above the rising threshold , where , the device forces the output
HIGH regardless of the input state, turning on the IGBT/FET. ASC pin takes priority over both PWM input and VCC
UVLO, which are ignored when . VDD and VEE UVLO are still prioritized over ASC. ASC protection
function will disable once falls below the falling threshold , where
Electrical / timing specifications for ASC are located in Electrical Characteristics1 section of the UCC21736
datashseet. Figure 362 and Figure 373 in the UCC21736 show timing diagram of ASC operation during VCC and VDD
UVLO events.
Figure 1: UCC21736 block diagram
1 [Link]
2 [Link]
3 [Link]
What is ASC? – 3
Isolated Gate Drivers – What is Active Short Circuit (ASC) in UCC21736?
2 When is ASC used?
the ASC pin is used as part of a system-level Active short circuit mechanism in PMSM application. Active short circuit
is a safe-shutdown scheme used to bring the motor to a safe state quickly. In the case of a fault, simply turning off
all the drivers, and thus open-circuiting the motor windings is not desired. PMSM will create a large back-EMF4 in
response to this open-circuit condition which will forward-bias the IGBT's free-wheeling diodes and force current
into the Bus supply / battery. ASC can be used to pull the low-side IGBTs low and bring the motor to a safe-state and
soaking the back-EMF. Active short circuit protection is less beneficial in AC Induction motors which do not have
permanent magnets and therefore do not generate a large back-EMF under open circuit conditions.
The ASC feature of UCC21736 can benefit both industrial PMSM drives as well as traction inverters which are
generally based on PMSM due to their high torque density. Because the ASC input is located on the secondary/"hot-
side" of UCC21736, designs which will use the ASC function requires logic/controller or additional circuits on the
"hot-side" in order to signal the ASC pin.
ASC can be activated regardless of PWM input state or if VCC drops out completely and can therefore be used to
bring the motor to a safe-state if the primary side controller stops providing input or the driver primary side loses
power.
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When is ASC used? – 4
Isolated Gate Drivers – What is Active Short Circuit (ASC) in UCC21736?
3 How does the APWM channel operation differ from other
UCC217xx devices?
Revision A of UCC21736 datasheet currently states that APWM decreases with increasing ,
which is incorrect and will be updated in Revision B
The APWM duty cycle relationship with is different than with other UCC217xx devices with AIN pin. In
UCC21736, AWPM duty cycle increases with increasing . In UCC21750, UCC21759, UCC21710, and UCC21732,
APWM duty cycle decreases withincreasing . This converse relationship is shown in Figure 2(see page 5).
Figure 2: APWM Duty Cycle relationship
Figure 3: Live Behavior of APWM output of UCC21736
How does the APWM channel operation differ from other UCC217xx devices? – 5
Isolated Gate Drivers – What is Active Short Circuit (ASC) in UCC21736?
APWM output continues following regardless of whether ASC is active or not.
For UCC21736, APWM duty cycle follows Equation 1(see page 0).
(1)
For UCC217xx devices with an AIN pin, APWM duty cycle follows Equation 2(see page 0).
(2)
How does the APWM channel operation differ from other UCC217xx devices? – 6