Isolated gate driver IC introduces Allegro’s Power-Thru series

Allegro MicroSystems has introduced the Power-Thru portfolio with the AHV85110 isolated gate driver. Theisolated gate driver is a single package that drives GaN FETs with up to a 50 per cent smaller footprint and a 40 per cent efficiency improvement compared to competitors’ offerings, claimed Allegro.

Wide-bandgap silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) field effect transistors (FETs) offer clear efficiency benefits at the system level but there are integration challenges, said the company.

A traditional gate driver implementation requires both an isolated gate driver and a separate isolated power supply. When assembled, connections between the driver, power source and FET can add unwanted noise and create pathways of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Working around these effects can create design complexity, add time and increase the cost of a project. It can also increase a project’s schedule, size and weight, said Allegro.

Its patent protected, highly differentiated Power-Thru AHV85110 gate driver combines the isolated gate driver and the isolated power supply into a single, compact, robust package. Allegro said it minimises EMI pathways and simplifies integration to accelerate time to market, efficiency gains, and production cost savings.

The differentiated Power-Thru technology enables engineers to provide more power, more efficiently, using 50 per cent of the design footprint for PCB savings and reduces bill of materials (BOM) count and production cost.

Another benefit is the elimination of bootstrap circuits and isolated supplies while minimising common-mode capacitance, which reduces EMI filter design efforts and improves overall efficiency, said Allegro.

It also provides a reliable, scalable design process across platforms by eliminating the need to fully redesign a power module when working with multiple GaN FET suppliers, added the company.

https://www.allegromicro.com