Isolated Gate Drivers

Analog Devices small form factor isolated gate drivers are designed for the higher switching speeds and system size constraints required by power switch technologies such as SiC (silicon carbide) and GaN (gallium nitride), while still providing reliable control over switching characteristics for IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) and MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) configurations. These isolated gate drivers leverage ADI’s proven iCoupler isolation technology combined with high speed CMOS and monolithic transformer technology to enable ultralow propagation delay without sacrificing common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) performance. High pulse fidelity architecture enables motor power efficiency to meet new required efficiency levels, and superior timing performance stability reduces voltage distortion, as well as harmonic and output power content on solar inverters.
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Overcoming Limitations of Optocoupler and High Voltage Gate Driver Solutions

Isolated gate drivers provide electrical isolation as well as strong gate drive capability, which is often required for safety and robustness in many system architectures. The isolated gate driver portfolio from Analog Devices offers designers performance and reliability advantages over designs utilizing optocouplers or pulse transformers. Utilizing ADI’s proven iCoupler® technology, the isolated gate driver family offers the advantage of a maximum propagation delay of 50 ns, less than 5 ns channel-to-channel matching, a 50-year lifetime for 400 V rms working voltage and galvanic isolation in a single package.

Explore more advantages of iCoupler-based digital isolation products.

Existing Solutions Limitations ...
Optocoupler Gate Driver Solution Limitations
 Optocoupler-Based_Driver_Solution_sm
  • Poor Timing Performance
    • Requires longer dead-time effecting overall efficiency
    • Long propagation delays ≥350ns
    • Part-to-part variation ≥200ns
    • Difference between rise and fall times ≥100ns
  • LED Wearout
    • Limits the lifetime to <10 years of operation at high temperature
    • Most rated for operation to 85°C
 
 High Voltage Gate Driver Solution Limitations
 High-Voltage_Driver_Solution_sm
  
  • Latch-Up When Glitches Go
    Beyond the Supply Voltage
    • Rely on junction isolation which
      can breakdown and cause latch-up
    • Latch-up related shoot through
      best avoided with galvanic isolation
ADI's Solution ...
iCoupler Isolated Gate Drivers Overcome the Limitations of Optocoupler- and High Voltage-based Gate Drivers
 

Isolated_gate_driver_diagram
 
  • Small Single Package Solution
  • Fastest timing enables higher switching speeds for higher power densities
    and better efficiency in AC/DC converters, DC/DC converters, inverters, 
    motor control
  • Standard CMOS enables high-reliability at low cost
  • Balanced push-pull output stage simplifies gate driving
  • True galvanic isolation between outputs seperates high and low side minimizing cross conduction




  • Latch-Up When Glitches Go 
    Beyond the Supply Voltage
    • Rely on junction isolation which
      can breakdown and cause latch-up
    • Latch-up related shoot through
      best avoided with galvanic isolation 
  • Latch-Up When Glitches Go 
    Beyond the Supply Voltage
    • Rely on junction isolation which
      can breakdown and cause latch-up
    • Latch-up related shoot through
      best avoided with galvanic isolation 
  • Latch-Up When Glitches Go 
    Beyond the Supply Voltage
    • Rely on junction isolation which
      can breakdown and cause latch-up
    • Latch-up related shoot through
      best avoided with galvanic isolation 

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