New 600V Date Driver Range Eases System Design

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PSD - What was the company’s thinking behind the launch?

Microchip - There is a rising demand in the marketplace for power management applications, such as inverters, power supplies and motor control. These new parts complement what we are already providing to customers, which include DSP-type products, other microcontrollers and sensor devices. With the recent supply crunch, there were demands to have multiple suppliers for some products. So these are designed to be compatible solutions. Previously, we have been more active in the 100V market, but these new devices open up the larger EV market, as well as industrial applications, such as in robotics, motors, and power supplies.

PSD - Could you tell me more about the individual components in the family and their intended applications?

Microchip – At launch, there were 12 individual parts in the new 600V family. Those parts are split into three topologies; high-side/low-side, half-bridge and three-phase. All of the devices support 3.3V logic for seamless integration with microcontrollers. They are designed with enhanced noise immunity, Schmitt-triggered inputs and internal deadtime to protect the MOSFETs. All of the devices are pin-compatible to industry standard solutions, comply to JEDEC specifications and have an extended temperature range.

There are seven high-side/low-side devices, four half-bridges, and one three-phase part. The high-side and low-side drivers allow the setting of deadtime to be done off-chip, and that frees up designers to be as creative as they want. The half-bridge driver has the deadtime set on-chip, so it is easy to design in. The three phase drivers are really focused on BLDC motors and inverters.

The seven high-side/low-side devices offer a variety of options. For example, MCP14LH2106 comes in a compact 8-pin SOIC package, while MCP14LH21064 has the same electrical specifications, but comes in a 14-pin package, which allows the integration of additional capabilities, such as the offset of deadtime. All of the parts vary from a 350mA to 4.5A, with the larger currents intended for more demanding and higher voltage industrial inverters and power supplies. Undervoltage Lockout (UVLO) is standard on the high-side/low-side devices and other safety features have also been built-in, such as over-temperature and over-voltage, with some featuring over-current as well. The half-bridge devices in the family are differentiated by current handling capacity and features. For example, MCP14H2103 and MCP14H2104 are the same basic part, but both have different configurability options.

The high-side/low-side and the half-bridge devices will normally be used in general applications, such as DC/DC converters and motor controls. One interesting use that we have seen for the high-side/low-side devices is in stepper motors for applications like 3D printers. The three-phase devices are used in commercial industrial type parts going into white goods, but also into large three-phase motors and three-phase power supplies for industrial and commercial applications, for example, in conveyor systems, pumps, and fans.

Are there any specific features that make the 600V gate drivers stand out from the competition?

Our drivers do switch a little bit faster than our competitors, they have a lower heat signature, and they are very rugged and reliable. However, I think the real advantage to designers is that Microchip can bring all these pieces together - the MCU LDOs, MOSFETs, current sense, and now the drivers. We are one of a very few companies that can offer a total system solution. We have reference designs and other materials available to support customers in the adaptation of these products. That means that we can provide the whole circuit and help optimize performance and size. Our support team is already familiar with all of the products. This allows our customers to get to market more quickly with a proven solution.

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/products/power-management/gate-motor-drivers/mosfets-igbts