International Rectifier Announces Availability of the New IR2172 Linear Current-Sensing IC

International Rectifier (El Segundo, CA) announced the availability of the new IR2172 linear current-sensing IC with built-in shutdown for motor drive applications. The IR2172 is designed to eliminate external current-sensing protection circuits. It is rated at 600V, for 230V three-phase ac inverters or brushless dc industrial motor drives used in conveyor belts and similar applications. The IR2172 has a 1.5 microsecond over-current shutdown feature.

The new motor driver comes in two industry-standard package outlines: the SO-8 and eight-pin DIP. The monolithic high-voltage IC construction of the device is intended to eliminate optical or mechanical links between current sensors and motor drive output circuits. The company claims that this increases reliability while shrinking circuit size by as much as 75 percent, compared to circuits using Hall-effect or opto-based couplers.

According to David Tam, vice president for power-integrated circuits at International Rectifier, "The new IR2172 significantly simplifies motor-drive design in three ways. First, the IR2172 eliminates bulky and slow opto- or Hall-effect couplers. Also, as opto-couplers age, the current transfer ratio between the LED and receiving device degrades, whereas the IR2172 does not degrade. Second, the direct connection between the IR2172 and the motion-control microprocessor or DSP simplifies over-current protection circuits. And third, the new device uses PWM output and runs off a bootstrap supply rather than a dedicated secondary supply."

Pricing for the new IR2172 begins at $3.55 each in 10,000-unit quantities.