GATE DRIVE CIRCUIT AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME

A gate drive circuit 300 for applying a voltage to a gate of a semiconductor switching device 100 is disclosed. The gate drive circuit 300 includes a gate drive controller 310 that provides voltage commands for operating the semiconductor switching device 100, a plurality of primary gate resistors 312, 314 coupled between the gate drive controller 310 and the semiconductor switching device 100, one or more secondary gate resistors 315, 316, 317, 318 connected in parallel with the primary gate resistors 312, 314, a primary transistor 324, 325 connected in series with each of the primary gate resistors 312, 314, and a secondary transistor 326, 327, 328, 329 connected in series with each of the secondary gate resistors 315, 316, 317, 318. Further, one of the primary or secondary transistors 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329 receives the one or more voltage commands from the gate drive controller 310 and provides one or more corresponding voltage levels to the semiconductor switching device 100 via one of the primary or secondary gate resistors 312, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318 so as to control the on-off behavior of the semiconductor switching device 100.