Patent attributes
A control circuit controls a driving transistor connected in series with an electrical load between a power supply voltage and a ground. The control circuit includes a pull-up resistor connected at one end to a power supply voltage side of the driving transistor, a current detection resistor for detecting an electric current flowing from the driving transistor to the ground, a current mirror circuit including a starting transistor connected between the pull-up transistor and the current detection resistor. The current mirror circuit supplies a mirror current of the electric current. The control circuit further includes a current source circuit for supplying a driving current to a control terminal of the driving transistor in accordance with the mirror current to turn ON the driving transistor in response to an external control signal.