Rugged intelligent power driver for aerospace and industrial uses introduced by X-REL
GRENOBLE, France, 19 March 2014. X-REL Semiconductor SAS in Grenoble, France, is introducing the rugged XTR26010 monolithic isolated intelligent power driver for silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon power switches in aerospace, industrial, hybrid and electric vehicle, transportation, geothermal, and oil and gas applications.
The power drivers are able to operate at extreme temperatures in applications such as motor drive, power conversion and high-voltage communications. The device can drive transistors that are normally on -- like JFETs and MESFETs -- as well as those that are normally off -- like MOSFETs, JFETs, BJTs, and SJTs.
The XTR26010 driver enables the increase of the application's safety while increasing the maximum switching frequency. These features include isolated communication protocol between low-side and high-side drivers in order to prevent any possible cross-conduction in the application; independent monitoring of gate, drain and source terminals to detect any possible failure; on-chip Miller clamp with adjustable timing; possible pulsed drive for rapid turn-on of normally-off transistors; and on-chip soft shut-down switch.
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Intelligent power modules (IPM) requires minimal parasitic inductances and capacitances between the driver and the power switch, as well as few passive components to allow miniaturization as well as increased reliability.
The XTR26010 can be placed alongside the power switches thanks to its high temperature capability, while using a minimum number of passive components ensuring minimized bill-of-material.
The XTR26010 operates in temperatures from -60 to hotter than 230 degrees Celsius, with an expected lifetime of about five years. Isolated communication of the XTR26010 intelligent power driver with an application controller comes through the XTR40010 isolated transceiver.
With many transistors per phase, the drive strength of the XTR26010 (3 Amp per output) can be multiplied by using one or several XTR25010 power gate driver controlled by the XTR26010.
For more information contact X-Rel Semiconductor online at www.x-relsemi.com.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
