[TriEmbed] N-MOSFET Symbol

Pete Soper pete at soper.us
Fri Mar 11 10:50:18 CST 2016


That was very clear about the other transistor forward conducting. One 
last question. Here's the datasheet for the transistor Brian Grawburg 
started us with:

http://datasheet.octopart.com/FQP30N06L-Fairchild-datasheet-82531.pdf

In the context of the simple case of one of these transistors driving a 
motor what does it mean for the drain-source breakdown voltage BVdss to 
be the same as the max drain-source voltage Vdss together with the 
avalanche current and diode recovery specs?


-Pete


On 03/11/2016 10:40 AM, Shane Trent wrote:
> Pete,
>
> I think it is easier if you look at a half-bridge using just two 
> transistors with a bi-polar power supply.
>
> Let's assume we have +/12V on the power rails with one terminal of the 
> motor grounded and the other connected to your half-bridge output. We 
> run the motor forward by turning on the top FET and applying +12V to 
> the motor terminal and run it backward by turning on the bottom FET 
> and applying -12V to the motor output. In this case when you cut the 
> power to the motor the body diode of the FET that was NOT conducting 
> acts as the catch diode for the motor (the body diode of the FET that 
> was used to apply power does not conduct any current). So if you 
> decide to drive the motor in only one direction and remove one of the 
> FETs, you will have to add a catch diode since you removed the body 
> diode of the 2nd FET which was acting as your catch diode. This is why 
> h-bridge and half-bridge circuits with BJTs include catch diodes and 
> ones with MOSFET typically do not.I like to imaging my explanations 
> makes sense but I am never sure. So, did that make sense to you?
>
> You can use external catch diodes with a MOSFET full or half-bridge 
> but you need to ensure the external diodes have a lower Vf than the 
> FET body diodes to ensure the external diodes conduct before the body 
> diodes. You may also see fast external diodes used with a FET to clamp 
> inductive current spikes faster than the FET body diode can conduct, 
> clamping the current spikes a lower voltage.
>
> Shane
>
> On Thu, Mar 10, 2016 at 11:51 PM Pete Soper <pete at soper.us 
> <mailto:pete at soper.us>> wrote:
>
>     Out in the world there are droves of H bridge motor control
>     circuits with beefy MOSFETS and no diodes in sight except the body
>     diodes. How is that possible?
>
>     -Pete
>
>     On 03/10/2016 05:59 PM, Shane Trent wrote:
>>     Pete,
>>
>>     I believe you still need the snubber even with the body diode. A
>>     snubber is typically placed across the inductor (motor or
>>     solenoid or relay coil) and not across the switching element.
>>
>>     For example, if you turn off an N-FET supplying several amps to a
>>     large solenoid, when you turn the FET off the collapsing magnetic
>>     field of the coil will cause the voltage across the solenoid
>>     terminals to increase. The N-FET will neither forward conduct or
>>     reverse conduct via the body diode until the transistors
>>     breakdown voltage (Vds max) is exceeded and the FET fails.
>>
>>     The tradeoff with using a diode snubber (it seems to be more of a
>>     voltage clamp) across the coil is that it will act as a catch
>>     diode or recirculation diode and cause the solenoid to turn off
>>     more slowly. You can strike a balance between voltage and
>>     turn-off speed by combining a regular diode and Zener diode to
>>     allow the voltage to increase across the solenoid without
>>     exceeding the FET's maximum voltage rating. But there are MANY
>>     ways to design inductive clamps.
>>
>>     Shane
>>
>>     On Thu, Mar 10, 2016 at 4:24 PM Pete Soper via TriEmbed
>>     <triembed at triembed.org <mailto:triembed at triembed.org>> wrote:
>>
>>         This may come across as high-minded, but really I just want
>>         to pass it along as something that's hopefully on target.
>>         This topic forced me to go study and read and I'm looking for
>>         confirmation I'm not misleading anybody.
>>
>>         The specific motor control application that I think might be
>>         relevant to Brian's kids is treated with the "freewheeling
>>         diode"s link on this page:
>>
>>         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_MOSFET#Body_diode
>>
>>         Here is the transistor Brian's kids are going to use:
>>
>>         https://www.fairchildsemi.com/datasheets/FQ/FQP30N06L.pdf
>>
>>         This transistor can handle 32 amps of avalanche current and
>>         is specifically designed for inductive loads. The body diode
>>         in this transistor qualifies as a snubber when a motor is
>>         turned off and is "freewheeling". The energy will go straight
>>         to ground without incident. Searching for this part number
>>         and "motor" gives a number of hits where hobby folks are
>>         putting rectifiers across the motor windings. This strikes me
>>         as redundant. (At this point one might think "but wait, this
>>         transistor is only rated at 60 volts source to drain". But
>>         when the coil field collapses and the source voltage shoots
>>         up the transistor junction "avalanches" and begins to conduct
>>         current very quickly, yanking the voltage right down close to
>>         ground. The "avalanche feature" of the transistor is
>>         manufacturing technique that avoids "hot spots" that might
>>         ruin the part.)
>>
>>         Sorry for assuming we more or less knew the application:
>>         wimpy little low power motors with massive overkill
>>         components.  And I'm probably running the risk of causing
>>         folks to blow up their parts by not simply recommending a
>>         separate snubber.  It may be going too far to suggest that
>>         the body diode should be included in the schematic when it
>>         can be considered a snubber, but I confess this the frame of
>>         mind I'd developed before the discussion woke me up. I'll be
>>         reading datasheets more carefully in the future!
>>
>>         Ah, but we haven't mentioned improperly switching the
>>         transistor and having it sit in its linear zone. I claim the
>>         local record for how fast a MOSFET can desolder itself when
>>         this happens at six amperes to a small SMD. :-)
>>
>>
>>         -Pete
>>
>>
>>
>>         On 03/09/2016 06:44 PM, kschilf at yahoo.com
>>         <mailto:kschilf at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>         Hi Pete,
>>>
>>>         Good note about warning flags.
>>>
>>>         I have no idea about the application.  Current in an
>>>         inductor can not change instantaneously.  If you are going
>>>         to interrupt the circuit, you should provide a path to allow
>>>         the inductor current to continue (catch diode in a switching
>>>         power supply) or diminish (diode across a relay winding),
>>>         etc.  If not, you let Mr. Murphy determine where the energy
>>>         will go, sometimes with exciting consequences.  :-)
>>>
>>>         Sincerely,
>>>         Kevin Schilf
>>>
>>>
>>>         ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>         *From:* Pete Soper via TriEmbed <triembed at triembed.org>
>>>         <mailto:triembed at triembed.org>
>>>         *To:* triembed at triembed.org <mailto:triembed at triembed.org>
>>>         *Sent:* Wednesday, March 9, 2016 5:25 PM
>>>         *Subject:* Re: [TriEmbed] N-MOSFET Symbol
>>>
>>>         I'm pretty sure about 70% of Brian's interest in this
>>>         subject involves
>>>         dealing with inductive loads. The body diode in the
>>>         schematic symbol is
>>>         a merciful hint.  If his kids can remember that the lack of
>>>         a body diode
>>>         is a red flag they might avoid blowing up their BJTs or
>>>         adding redundant
>>>         components.
>>>
>>>         -Pete
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
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>

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