Isolated gate drivers with integrated sensing for IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs save energy and protect high-voltage systems

Texas Instruments introduced several new isolated gate drivers that provide unparalleled levels of monitoring and protection for high-voltage systems. The UCC21710-Q1 and UCC21732-Q1 and UCC21750 enable designers to create smaller, more efficient and higher-performing designs in traction inverters, onboard chargers, solar inverters and motor drives. 

The devices are the industry’s first to offer integrated sensing features for insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) to simplify designs and enable greater system reliability in applications operating up to 1.5 KVRMS. With integrated components, the devices provide fast detection time to protect against overcurrent events while ensuring safe system shutdown.

Utilizing capacitive isolation technology, the UCC21710-Q1, UCC21732-Q1 and UCC21750 maximize insulation barrier lifetimes while providing high reinforced isolation ratings, fast data speeds and high-density packaging.

“System robustness is becoming an increasing challenge in high-voltage motor drive and power delivery applications,” said Steve Lambouses, vice president, TI High-Voltage Power. “These new gate drivers using TI’s isolation technology, combined with the other integrated features and support, can enable engineers to more quickly ramp to production reliable systems, while minimizing space and cost.”

Key features and benefits of TI’s UCC21710-Q1, UCC21732-Q1 and UCC21750 products

• Enhanced system performance: The new isolated gate drivers’ high peak drive strength of ±10 A maximize switching behavior and reduce losses, while 200 ns of overcurrent detection enables fast system protection.
• Strengthened system-level reliability: The UCC217xx family extends insulation barrier lifetimes with capacitive isolation technology and industry-leading reinforced isolation ratings with surge immunity up to 12.8 kV. Additionally, the devices ensure accurate data communication with common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) of  more than 150 V/ns.
• Reduced system size: The gate drivers eliminate external components with integrated buffers and sensors while providing accurate temperature, current or voltage sensing, with an isolated analog-to-pulse-width modulation sensor to simplify system-level diagnostics and prevent switch failures.

Advanced system performance and reliability at any power level

For designers of industrial applications needing increased noise immunity and wider operating temperatures, TI also announces the UCC23513, an opto-compatible gate driver with 3A drive strength and 5KVRMS reinforced safety isolation. Developed to maximize system performance and reliability in motor drives, solar inverters and power supplies, the new gate driver offers a wide junction temperature range from -40ºC to +150ºC and high CMTI  greater than 100 V/ns – enabling designers to achieve levels of performance not available with traditional optocouplers. Designers can accelerate time to market with the UCC23513’s pin-to-pin compatibility with opto isolated gate drivers and ready-to-use design resources.

Package, availability and pricing

Pre-production samples of the UCC21710-Q1, UCC21732-Q1, UCC21750 and UCC23513 gate drivers are available now in the TI store. The table lists pricing and package type.