Three-phase gate driver has smart shutdown for industrial safety
Rugged against negative voltage spikes down to -100V, the STDrive601 three-phase driver for 600V N-channel power MOSFETs and IGBTs has been introduced by STMicroelectronics.
The driver responds to logic inputs in what is described as a class-leading 85 nanoseconds. They also feature smart-shutdown circuitry for fast-acting protection, says STMicroelectronics. The STDRIVE601 turns off the gate-driver outputs immediately after detecting overload or short-circuit, for a period determined using an external capacitor and resistor. Designers can set the required duration, using large C-R values if needed, without affecting the shutdown reaction time. An active-low fault indicator pin is provided.
The STDrive601 replaces three half-bridge drivers on the PCB layout, says the company, and optimises the performance of three-phase motor drives for equipment such as home appliances, industrial sewing machines, and industrial drives and fans.
All outputs can sink 350 and source 200mA, with a gate-driving voltage range of 9.0 to 20V, for driving N-channel power MOSFETs or IGBTs. Matched delays between the low-side and high-side sections eliminate cycle distortion and allow high-frequency operation, while interlocking and deadtime insertion are featured to prevent cross conduction.
The driver is fabricated in ST’s BCD6S offline process. The STDrive601 operates from a logic supply voltage up to 21V and high-side bootstrap voltage up to 600V. Integrated bootstrap diodes save on the bill of materials, while under-voltage lockout (UVLO) on each of the low-side and high-side driving sections prevents the power switches operating in low-efficiency or dangerous conditions, explains ST.
An evaluation board, the EvalSTDrive601, is also available. The STDrive601 IC is housed in a SO28 package and is in production today.
