DC/DC converters are designed for gate drivers
DC/DC converters in the RA3 range by Recom are designed to power IGBT, Si, SiC and GaN gate drivers. The 3W surface mount parts of low-cost, unregulated DC/DC converters provide the optimum voltages for semiconductor switch gate drivers, added the company. There are variants with outputs of single 8.0, 9.0, or dual +7/-1.0V, +15/-3.0V, and +20/-5.0V. These values cover the requirements of IGBTs, silicon MOSFETs and the latest silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs and GaN HEMT cells.
The RA3 DC/DC converters have 5.2kV/ one minute functional isolation and hold UL / IEC / EN 62368-1, CAN / CSA-C22.2 No 62368-1 certification, as well as EN 61204-3 compliance. EMI EN 55032 class ‘A’ level is met without extra filtering while class ‘B’ compliance requires just a simple LC filter, advised Recom. The 3W model suits not only large IGBTs but also other Si, SiC, and GaN devices when switched at high frequency.
Input voltages available are +5.0, +12 and +24V with ±10 per cent tolerance and efficiency is typically better than 80 per cent. Isolation capacitance is less than 10pF for high immunity to the fast, high voltage switching edges seen in high-side drivers, particularly with the wide band-gap technologies of SiC and GaN. The operating temperature range is -40 to +85 degrees C without derating (80 degrees C for 1.0, 8.0 and 9.0V output parts).
The surface mount RA3 series has ‘land grid’ style terminations and dimensions of just 23.4 x 15 x 8.5mm. According to Recom, this gives 35 per cent reduction in footprint and 60 per cent reduction in volume compared with competitor parts. The surface mount format with wide spacings enables the necessary high isolation to be achieved on a PCB between the DC/DC output pins and other circuitry, with connection to just the top layer.
The enclosed format and wide temperature range means the RA3 series is suitable for use in harsh environments such as renewable energy, solar inverters, induction heating, telecomms, EV battery chargers and motor drives.
In addition to being smaller, they also required fewer external components, making them easier to design in, said Recom.
Samples and OEM pricing are available from all authorised distributors or directly from Recom.
