ADI & Microsemi launch scalable SiC driver reference design

The dual SiC MOSFET driver reference design provides user-friendly design guides, enabling faster time to market for customers using Microsemi SiC MOSFETs and supports the transition to Microsemi’s next-gen SiC MOSFETs.

The reference design provides customers with a highly isolated SiC MOSFET dual-gate driver switch to provide a means for evaluating SiC MOSFETs in a number of topologies. This includes modes optimised for half-bridge switching with synchronous dead time protection and asynchronous signal transfer with no protection. It can also be configured to provide concurrent drive with the requirement to study unclamped inductive switching (UIS) or double pulse testing. The reference design was developed for Microsemi SiC MOSFET discrete devices and modules and serves as an engineering tool for the evaluation of its portfolio of SiC devices. The board supports the modification of gate resistor values to accommodate most Microsemi discretes and modules.

“The dual SiC MOSFET driver reference design not only enables Microsemi customers to accelerate their product development efforts, but also accommodates the roll-out of our next-generation SiC MOSFETs to ensure a smooth transition for the end user,” said Jason Chiang, strategic marketing manager for Microsemi. “Customers taking a holistic view at power electronics design can utilise our new SiC driver solution to select the best driver and components for their designs, with the ability to scale to their specific SiC MOSFET needs.”

The dual SiC MOSFET driver reference design is ideal for a wide range of end markets and applications, including aerospace (actuation, air conditioning and power distribution), automotive (hybrid/electric vehicle powertrains, electric vehicle battery chargers, DC-to-DC converters, and energy recovery), defense (power supply and high power motor drive), industrial (photovoltaic inverters, motor drives, welding,  uninterruptible power supply, switched-mode power supply, induction heating and oil drilling) and medical (MRI and X-ray power supply).

Analog Devices collaborates with Microsemi as part of the Accelerate Ecosystem, designed to reduce time to market for end customers and time to revenue for ecosystem participants. Microsemi’s Accelerate Ecosystem brings together leading silicon, intellectual property (IP), systems, software and design experts to deliver validated board and system-level solutions for end customers.

SiC products offer a number of advantages, including improved system efficiency with 25-50% power output increases for the same physical dimensions, efficiency at higher switching frequencies over Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), reduced system size and weight, operating stability over temperature (+175°C) and significant cooling cost savings.

According to market research firm Yole Développement, the SiC power market is forecasted to be more than $550 million in 2021, with a 2015-2021 compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19%. The firm also describes how the benefits of SiC are influencing the development of new products and SiC technologies. Microsemi is well-positioned with these trends, with its SiC MOSFETs offering superior dynamic and thermal performance over conventional Silicon power MOSFETs, among other advantages. Incorporating Analog Device’s ADuM4135 isolated SiC driver solution into Microsemi’s MSCSICMDD/REF1 SiC MOSFET driver reference design further augments the company’s ability to cater to customers’ product development requirements.

Analog Devices’ isolated gate drivers with DESAT and a host of other protection features provide strong gate drive capability (6A) coupled with robust electrical isolation, critical for long life and safe operation in high voltage power conversion systems. The company’s isolated gate driver portfolio offers designers performance and reliability advantages over designs employing optocouplers or pulse transformers.

Utilising Analog Devices’ proven iCoupler technology, the isolated gate driver series offers a number of key benefits in the high voltage and high switching speed applications that Wide Band Gap devices and specifically SiC MOSFETS enable. These include superior propagation delay of better than 50ns with channel-to-channel matching of less than 5ns, Common Mode Transient Immunity (CMTI) of better than >100KV/us and capability to support lifetime working voltages of up to 1500VDC in a single package.

The dual SiC driver reference design (MSCSICMDD/REF1), which includes an evaluation board, is available for purchase orders now. The device is being showcased at PCIM Europe, May 16-18, in Microsemi’s booth, 6-318 and in Analog Devices’ booth, 6-458.