Infineon Adds to its EiceDRIVER 1ED Isolated Gate Driver Family
The new EiceDRIVER X3s offer active shutdown, short circuit clamping as well as either an active Miller Clamp or separate source and sink outputs
The EiceDRIVER X3 Compacts are available in 5.5, 10 and 14 amp versions and all feature a common mode transient immunity (CMTI) of 200 kV/μs and an insulation test voltage of 5.7 kV RMS.
Image courtesy of Infineon
The devices are available in a compact DSO-8 300 mil package. Maximum output supply voltage for all units is 40 volts.The 14 amp version can successfully drive IGBT7s, which require much higher drive current than do IGBT 4’s. Their propagation delay matching of 7ns maximum leads to shorter deadtimes. All family variants include internal filters, which allow for a lower total BOM.
What is an Active Miller Clamp?
The miller capacitor, CGG, is part-and-parcel of IGBTs, as an example. It can inadvertently serve as a pathway, allowing a signal meant to turn on one power semiconductor in a half-bridge configuration to also turn on the other.
As described in an AVAGO article, a miller clamp is a transistor whose job is to short the gate to emitter path at the appropriate moment, as such full-filling its role as a clamp. It will need to be able to momentarily sink an amp or more.
The Six members of the EiceDRIVER X3 Compact Family
Al units are designed to be drivers for IGBTs, SiCs and Silicon MOSFETs of up to 2300 volts. Each features a coreless, galvanically isolated transformer gate driver.
| Typical current in Amps | Defining Feature(s) | Undervoltage Lockout | |
| 1ED3120MU12H | 5.5 | Separate output | 8/10 volts |
| 1ED3121MU12H | 5.5 | Separate output | 10.5/12.5 volts |
| 1ED3122MU12H | 10 | Active Miller clamp | 8/10 volts |
| 1ED3123MU12H | 14 | Separate output | 8/10 volts |
| 1ED3124MU12H | 14 | Separate output | 10.5/12.5 volts |
| 1ED3131MU12H | 5.5 |
Separate output |
10.5/12.5 volts |
Maximum switching speed is 1 MHz. The devices all work with 3.3 and 5 volt supply voltages
Below is a reference diagram for the separate output versions
Image courtesy of datasheet
Next is the general diagram for Active Miller clamp version
Image courtesy of datasheet
The second diagram illustrates the makeup of the 1ED3122MU12H. As can be seen, it sacrifices the separate driver sink output for an Active Miller clamp output. This pin is to be connected directly to the gate of the IGBT that is being driven. It will serve to help avoid parasitic turn on.
Applications
The six members of the EiceDRIVER X3 Compact family will find application in:
- Solar inverters
- EV charging
- Brushless DC and AC motors
- Industrial drives
- High voltage DC/DC and DC/AC converters
- Uninterruptible power supplies
- Server and telecom SMPS
- Commercial air conditioning
- Induction heating
Infineon sees the new devices as suitable drivers for its superjunction MOSFETs, its SiC MOSFETs as well as for IGBT modules.
Physical Considerations
- The PG-DSO-8 packages have a maximum board footprints of 10.60 by 6.40 by 2.65 mm
- Junction temperatures can range from -40 to +150℃
Regulatory Concerns
The units feature UL 1577 certification VISO = 5.7 kV (rms) for 1 min (planned)
Getting to Market Faster
Evaluation Boards include:
- The EVAL-1ED3121MX12H for the 1ED3121MX12H
- The EVAL-1ED3122MX12H for the 1ED3122MX12H
- The EVAL-1ED3124MX12H for the for 1ED3124MX12H
