Gate driver ICs resolve ground-shift in switched mode power supplies
Two gate drivers in the EiceDriver family from Infineon solve ground-shift issues in switched mode power supplies (SMPS).
Parasitic inductances during switching a MOSFET on or off, or in SMPS, cause ground shifts which can lead to uncontrolled switching of gate driver ICs. In extreme cases, this results in electrical overloading of power MOSFETs and malfunctioning of the SMPS.
The single channel, low-side gate driver ICs, the 1EDN7550 and 1EDN8550 have been released by Infineon Technologies. Both of the gate drivers have truly differential control inputs and can effectively prevent false triggering of power MOSFETs. The 1EDN7550 and 1EDN8550 are designed for use in industrial, server and telecomms SMPS as well as wireless charging applications, telecomms DC/DC converters and power tools .
The EiceDRIVER 1EDN7550 and 1EDN8550 are immune to static ground offsets up to ±70V. Safe operation is guaranteed at dynamic ground offsets of up to ±150V, all without having to cut ground loops. The gate driver ICs’ differential inputs mean that only the voltage difference between the two inputs is decisive for the switching behaviour of the gate driver IC. The gate drivers are suitable for controlling power MOSFETs with Kelvin source contact. These gate driver ICs provide more than adequate robustness against ground shifts due to parasitic source inductances of the power MOSFET, claims Infineon. Compared with galvanically isolated gate driver ICs, these single-channel low-side gate driver ICs are more space-efficient and at a lower cost when compared to traditional solutions, says the company.
In addition, they are cost-effective for applications where the distance between a control IC (providing the control signals to the gate driver IC) and the gate driver IC is greater than usual, due to product design requirements, PCB technology or daughter card concepts. What these constellations have in common is that parasitic ground inductances are the cause of ground shifts between the control IC and the gate driver IC, explains Infineon. The 1EDNx550 family solves these challenges and shortens product development times.
Infineon’s 1EDNx550 low-side gate driver family is available in a SOT-23 six-pin package. According to Infineon, when compared to traditional solutions, the drivers enable higher power density, reduced product development effort at a lower cost.
The devices of the EiceDRIVER family 1EDNx550 are now available to order.
