Patent ID: 8593771

Claim:
A power handling circuit comprising: a positive power terminal and a negative power terminal that receive an electrical power source, the electrical power received at the power terminals having a positive polarity when the positive power terminal has a higher electrical potential than the negative power terminal, and having a negative polarity when the negative power terminal has a higher electrical potential than the positive power terminal; a first semiconductor device having a first conduction terminal, a second conduction terminal, a modulation terminal, and a primary current path between its first and second conduction terminals, the first semiconductor device conducting current through its primary current path responsive to an electrical signal applied to its modulation terminal; a first drive circuitry coupled to the modulation terminal of the first semiconductor device, the first drive circuitry generating an electrical signal that is coupled to the modulation terminal when the electrical power received at the power terminals has the positive polarity, wherein a power port of the first drive circuitry is coupled to the positive power terminal and a ground port of the first drive circuitry is coupled to the negative power terminal; and a second drive circuitry coupled to the modulation terminal of the first semiconductor device, the second drive circuitry circuit generating an electrical signal to the modulation terminal of the first semiconductor device that causes the primary current path of the first semiconductor device to become conductive when the electrical power received at the power terminals has the negative polarity, wherein a power port of the second drive circuitry is coupled to the negative power terminal and a ground port of the second drive circuitry is coupled to the positive power terminal.