Patent ID: 7439636

Claim:
A driver for a MOSFET based, high voltage, high current electronic relay, wherein the relay includes a MOSFET switching circuit selectively switching between switch conducting and switch isolation, the MOSFET switching circuit including at least one small-signal MOSFET, a depletion-mode MOSFET and at least one power MOSFET, wherein the depletion-mode MOSFET is connected to the at least one power MOSFET to selectively maintain the at least one power MOSFET in non-conducting, the driver comprising: a driver system coupled to the switching circuit for controlling switching between switch conducting and switch isolation, the driver system including: a current supply providing a supply of current for actuating the switching circuit; and a transformer arrangement coupled to the current supply for receiving the supply of current from the current supply, the transformer arrangement being adapted for coupling with the switching circuit for selectively applying a predetermined voltage to the switching circuit which establishes the switching circuit in switch conducting or switch isolation; and at least one optoisolator referenced to the at least one small-signal MOSFET for controlling operation of the at least one power MOSFET in controlling the establishment of the switching circuit in switch conducting or switch isolation, wherein the at least one optoisolator drives a gate of the at least one small-signal MOSFET with reference to a source node of the at least one small-signal MOSFET to activate the at least one small-signal MOSFET which in turn controls operation of the at least one power MOSFET.