Help with an H-bridge circuit

Thread Starter

Soulfly188

Joined Dec 28, 2010
4
It works well until I attach a load. I measure the voltages at the top gate at 7V(-5V of the source) and the bottom gate at 3.9V(+3.9V of source).
The transistor controlling the bottom FET is dropping 1V from CE, but I don't think that should matter since the FET is a voltage controlled device.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Referring to this schematic:

You have not specified what you are using for Q1 or Q2 besides showing that they are P-ch MOSFETs, however it is likely that they are not logic-level MOSFETs - so in order for them to be considered fully turned on, Vgs (voltage on the gate, referenced to the source terminal) must be -10v. Your upper MOSFET's Vgs is only -5v, which is not turning the MOSFET on fully.

The IRFZ44N MOSFETs are standard-level N-ch MOSFETs, which require a Vgs of 10v in order to be considered fully turned on.
You show B5 as being 5v. Q8 is an emitter follower. Thus, the emitter of Q8 will never be higher than about V(B5) - 0.63v, or 4.37v; you are barely above the Vgs(th) (gate threshold voltage rage), where the MOSFET might only be conducting at around 250uA and Vds=Vgs. You must look at the Id specification to determine Rds(on) at the specified Vgs; in this case Vgs is specified at 10v.

You have further complicated the situation by the voltage divider made up of R7, Q8, and R8 in parallel with R33. This will result in very slow gate charge/discharge times, resulting in the MOSFETs operating in the linear region where they dissipate power as heat.
 
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