Gate driver for demanding industrial applications

28th May 2014

Nat Bowers

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Datasheet

Developed for high-end systems in the industrial sector, Infineon Technologies has introduced the 1EDS-SRC EiceDRIVER Safe driver. The component features the first Slew Rate Control (“SRC”) adjustable in real-time at the IGBT and the secure electric isolation of complies with the strict specifications of VDE 0884-10 and has specially developed short-circuit protection functions.

The driver component presented thus offers a wide application range and high system efficiency in applications with isolation voltages as high as 1200V.

The Slew Rate Control lets developers choose from among a total of eleven collector emitter voltages at turn-on. Depending on design requirements, this means the switching speed of the IGBTs and the EMI behaviour can be varied flexibly during operations. Fast IGBT turn-on enables high switching frequencies. On the other hand, slow turn-on reduces electromagnetic interference (EMI) and voltage peaks by reflection at the motor. This means a reduced burden on isolations and increased motor service life, and thus lower overall system costs for the customer.

The improved switching behaviour lets developers use smaller dv/dt filters or even eliminate them completely in application design, also cutting overall system costs. Compared to conventional driver components without Slew Rate Control, the 1EDS-SRC EiceDRIVER Safe saves approximately 30% of turn-on loss reduction. The driver IC presented achieves this performance for the first time among driver components with secure electric insulation.

In addition, several protective functions prevent overload and damage to the system at turn-off. The basic configuration includes both UVLO (under voltage lockout) and optionally available automatic turn-off in case of a short circuit. The short circuit itself can be detected in two different ways: By monitoring collector emitter voltage (desaturation detection) or by detecting voltage drop at a current-sensing resistor.

In both cases the 1EDS-SRC EiceDRIVER Safe realises a soft off, i.e. turn-off is slower in case of an error. The voltage drop in case of failure can be controlled even more precisely using the TLTO (two-level turn-off), already familiar from other EiceDRIVER components. The 1EDS-SRC EiceDRIVERSafe offers optimum control of short circuits in three-level inverters in particular, since the automatic short-circuit turn-off can be deactivated for the driver IC.

"The 1EDS-SRC EiceDRIVER Safe adds a powerful, exceptionally reliable and extremely flexible component for complex and sensitive industrial high-voltage applications to our portfolio of driver ICs. The 1EDS-SRC EiceDRIVER Safe is the only high-voltage power semiconductor on the market which lets the customer configure the slew rate of the gate voltage in real-time and depending on specified individual system requirements. This innovation is Infineon's answer to growing demand for design flexibility and security in the high-end sector of industrial production technologies," commented Dr. Oliver Hellmund, responsible for worldwide marketing of the EiceDRIVER, Infineon.

Samples of the 1EDS-SRC EiceDRIVER Safe are available starting now, with production planned to start in September 2014.