Microchip Technology (hereafter Microchip) said on the 22nd that it is launching a new 600-volt-class gate driver. A gate driver is a drive chip that turns power switching devices on and off.
The new products unveiled by Microchip consist of 12 devices that apply the following methods: ▲"half-bridge," which drives two switches as a set ▲"high/low side," which drives switches in the power and ground directions individually ▲"3-phase driver" for AC drive. Microchip said, "These high-voltage gate drivers, built on existing power management solutions, are designed to make it easier to develop motor control and power conversion systems for industrial and consumer applications."
The 600V gate drivers offer drive current options from 600 mA up to a maximum of 4.5 A. The company said the switching speed—rapidly turning current on and off—is fast and delivers high efficiency. They support 3.3V logic, the digital signal voltage commonly used by microcontrollers, enabling integration with microcontrollers (MCUs).
Noise immunity, which reduces malfunctions in electrically noisy environments, has also been enhanced, and Schmitt trigger inputs—an input structure with thresholds that improves noise robustness—have been applied. They also include built-in dead time to protect metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs).
The company said the gate drivers can be combined with its motor control and power conversion product lines, as well as MCUs and MOSFETs, to implement a "complete system solution." It also said the products align with industry trends such as electrification of industrial systems, expansion of renewable energy, miniaturization, and rising demand for high-efficiency motor control.
Rudy Jaramillo, vice president of Microchip's Analog Power and Interface business unit, said, "The 600V gate drivers provide the reliability and efficiency needed to address complex motor control and power conversion challenges," and "help engineers bring power systems to market faster with higher confidence."