Connected to a power element having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a control electrode, a power element protection circuit detects a voltage between the first and second electrodes of the power element and the current flowing through the power element, then logarithmically converts a current proportional to the detected voltage and a current proportional to the detected current individually, then adds the results together, then subtracts a predetermined value from the sum, then antilogarithmically converts the result with an antilogarithmic converter, and then limits the driving of the power element based on the output of the antilogarithmic converter.
