Microchip’s new plug-and-play mSiC gate driver works out of the box to reduce high-voltage design time – Charged EVs

Microchip Technology has added a new offering to its line of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor solutions. The new 3.3 kV XIFM plug-and-play mSiC gate driver uses the company’s patented Augmented Switching technology, and is designed to work out of the box with preconfigured module settings to reduce design and evaluation time.

“The complex development work of designing, testing and qualifying a gate driver circuit design is already completed with this plug-and-play solution,” says Microchip. “The XIFM digital gate driver is a compact solution that features digital control, an integrated power supply and a robust fiber-optic interface that improves noise immunity. Preconfigured turn-on/off gate drive profiles are tailored to optimize module performance.”

The new gate driver incorporates 10.2 kV primary-to-secondary reinforced isolation with built-in monitoring and protection functions including temperature and DC link monitoring, Undervoltage Lockout (UVLO), Overvoltage Lockout (OVLO), short-circuit/overcurrent protection (DESAT) and Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC). The product complies with EN 50155, a key specification for railway applications.

“As the silicon carbide market continues to grow and push the boundaries of higher voltage, Microchip makes it easier for power system developers to adopt wide-bandgap technology with turnkey solutions like our 3.3 kV plug-and-play mSiC gate driver,” said Clayton Pillion, VP of Microchip’s silicon carbide business unit. “By having the gate drive circuitry preconfigured, this solution can reduce design cycle time by up to 50% compared to a traditional analog solution.”

Source: Microchip Technology