November 2012

Doc ID 1703 Rev 3

1/15

AN280

Application note

Controlling voltage transients in full-bridge driver applications

By Thomas Hopkins

Introduction

In applications that involve fast switching of inductive loads, designers must consider the

voltage transients that are generated in such applications.To insure a reliable design, the

voltage transients must be limited to a level that is within the safe operating conditions of the

switching device. This application note discusses the sources of voltage transients in full-

bridge applications and techniques that can be used to limit these overvoltage conditions to

safe levels. Special attention is given to applications using monolithic implementations of

full-bridge circuits like the STMicroelectronics L6201, L6202 and L6203. In this note the

example circuits generally show the L6203, but the same circuit can be used with the L6201

and the L6202.

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