Fairchild’s Integrated Low-Side Gate Driver Incorporates 3.3-V LDO in 5-Lead SOT-23

Saving board space, reducing bill of material (BOM) costs, and decreasing time to market are constant challenges for electrical designers. Many applications today use a combination of a microcontroller, an external low-dropout regulator (LDO), and a gate driver in systems such as switch-mode power supplies (SMPS), consumer electronics, or portable hand-tools. To help designers of such systems save component count, board space, design time and cost, Fairchild Semiconductor developed the FAN3180 which is a single, 2-A low-side driver with an integrated 3.3-V output voltage regulator which can power microcontrollers or ASICs as well as provide a strong gate drive for an external semiconductor switch.

The FAN3180 includes a 3.3-V, 15-mA output LDO with ±1 percent regulation at 25 degree C, ±2.5 percent total variation, peak gate drive capability of 2.8-A sink and 2.5-A source at VDD = 12 V, and controlled output pulses during start-up and shut-down. It has 23-ns typical propagation delay times and 19-ns rise and 13-ns fall times with 1-nF load.

The operating range is 5- to 18V with a 200-µA maximum standby supply current and VON / VOFF UVLO of 4.75 V / 4.55 V. The operating temperature range is -40 degree C to +125 degree C and the device is offered in a lead (Pb)-free green 5-pin SOT-23 package.

Samples available upon request with production quantities available 8-12 weeks ARO. The FAN3180 is priced at US $0.60 in 1,000 piece quantities.