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Power-User

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Power Stage Piezo Driver

07/31/2012 12:27 AM

Piezo-actuator is represented by Cpzt=15uF which must be charged from -30v up to 150v holding along duty cycle,then from 150v to -30v again keeping so until next pulse.This should be made by the pnp and npn transistors in the right side serie with 9 ohms resistors.Think this shoud work?

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#1

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

07/31/2012 12:09 PM

Well, it is a little difficult to make out what you have on the schematic. It looks a little bit like short-hand for standard symbols. Perhaps you could take a little more time and draw it more clearly.

From a practical point of view, however, the problem becomes one of what will happen if both transistors are on at the same time. Unfortunately, transistors take a finite amount of time to turn on and off. So, if you pick carefully and the turn off time is always faster than the turn on time then you will be off to a good start.

I don't see a way for the base current of the PNP transistor to be limited for the signal input. It could prove to be unhealthy for that transistor. Since I don't know what your input signal looks like, it appears to be risky.

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#2
In reply to #1

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

07/31/2012 2:22 PM

O.K.The input pulse is rectangular type,lets say two volts,when lower transistor is on,through the 100uf same volts are transmited to upper pnp transistor cutting it off..(my theory) but don't know what happens when you plug the circuit at the beginning.Believe or not, the drawing was hard and was edited (contrast for example) tried with "pcb artist" and couldn't put it here because its .type, pasted in a word doc and fail again so scan and gimp...

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#3

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

08/01/2012 1:22 AM

I do not know, what is the purpose of this exercise, as piezo driver IC, like the LT3572, and higher power ones and boards are freely available for various frequency ranges. Fully engineered, with all the damping, contol and protection built-in. There even is an ic incorporating all the transmit and receive function for a hospital ultrasound machine. Reinventing the wheel is a waste of time.

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#4
In reply to #3

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

08/01/2012 10:38 AM

I don't even know why you think this is an "exercise" professor but clearly whatever your IC does, don't apply here. Did you even read the question?.-

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Power-User

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#5

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

08/01/2012 12:38 PM

It appears that you want to drive the piezo element back and forth between its -30 and +150V extremes? Often sine-wave or other linear drive schemes are recommended for piezo actuators, but I suppose there are times when a square wave would be best.

I'm a big fan of the high-voltage half-bridge driver ICs made by International Rectifier and Fairchild. For example, IR has a nice part, the IRS21094, which can be used to switch up to 600 volts.

In the circuit below, I've tied the IC's COM pin to a -30V supply, and added an MPSA92 300-volt logic-level-shift transistor, so the IC can be used for bipolar drive, but driven from ground-based TTL logic-control signals.

Two 600V MOSFETs do the actual high-current switching, and I've selected Fairchild's n-channel FQP10N60, rated at 10A. We can use the capacitor formula dV/dt = i/C to calculate the piezo's switching speed, t = dV C / I = 270us for 180V, 15uF and 10A drive.

The transient high current comes from electrolytic capacitors C1 and C2. It might be a good idea to add a series power resistor to the output to slow things down a little bit.

NotUrOrdinaryJoe mentioned the possibility of rail-rail conduction if one transistor hasn't turned off before the other turns on. If we take the '10n60's total gate charge to be 60nC, and the driver's off-current to be 250mA, we get an OFF delay time = Q/i + 200ns = 440ns. The irs2109 version has a fixed 400ns (min) delay time, which is marginal (the ON drive output has a delay too), but the irs21094 version adds an adjustable delay time, which I've set with RDT to a comfortable 2us.

The circuit can be used with up to 600-volts rail-to-rail, and with up to -300V on the negative rail. You'd select C1 C2 and Rz accordingly.

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#6
In reply to #5

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

08/01/2012 1:06 PM

"the irs21094 version adds an adjustable delay time"

Sorry, I meant to say, deadtime, not delay time.

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#8
In reply to #6

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

08/02/2012 9:27 AM

Hi, i kept studing your circuit several hours.I tell you my doubts: 1)i think a resistor serie with load should be necesary or Cpiezo becomes a shortcircuit,same than using bjts;2) i can't follow details, (not an expert in this huge variety of these fet components):Don't bridge keeps confuse when asimetrical power supply -30v-0v-+150v is provided?;3) i got the circuit data, your squematics just adds a very low current to vcc=-18v by a reference diode,think those are 5-10ma (i'll chek),is it enough?.Your circuit looks so simple and beautiful is a temptation quit my own and make yours think will work? i wasn't sure about my own..

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#7
In reply to #5

Re: Power Stage Piezo Driver

08/01/2012 2:44 PM

Thanks my friend,this is the kind of answer you expect but normally you don't get.I quit my electronics studies at the beggining of digital, flip-flops an pulse forming circuits so i was trying to use coupple transistors , i forgot everything about thiristors or fets but anyway, i'll stop my components purchases until study your 10a 600v component what you are a fan, perhaps i could avoid try the TTL and linear ampop (me transistors fan).Of course i'll study carefully the whole chekout of your circuit.Obviously you are a very capable man who dont get happy showing feathers...You don't have any problem to calculate or so neither.I share with you your passion for work and help others.Thanks again.I think i'll tell you my next steps on if you like.-

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ferquiza (4); leveles (1); NotUrOrdinaryJoe (1); Winfield Hill (2)

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