News

Six Videos Featuring GaN Technology Applications

April 25, 2016 by Jeff Shepard

Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) has created and posted to its website six short videos presenting end-customer applications using eGaN® FETs and ICs. The videos show how GaN technology is changing the way we live and challenge power systems design engineers to incorporate the high performance of gallium nitride FETs and ICs into their next generation power system designs.

The application demonstration videos posted are: 1. eGaN Technology Changing the Way We Live: Demonstrations from APEC 2016, Alex Lidow shows eGaN FETs and ICs in more than 10 applications, including single stage 48 V to Point of Load DC-DC conversion, wireless power transfer, LiDAR mapping, and envelope tracking.

2. eGaN Technology for Wireless Power Transfer, eGaN products are already used extensively in wireless power transfer systems, including a multi-mode system. This video shows how. In addition to EPC’s demonstrations, several customer wireless power end products are featured, such as those from WiTricity, Solace Power, and Gill Electronics.

3. eGaN FETs for LiDAR (Light Distancing and Ranging), LiDAR technology is rapidly gaining traction in applications where speed and accuracy is vital, such as in autonomous vehicle guidance and augmented reality systems. This video demonstrates the capability of eGaN FETs to enable high current pulses with ultra-short transition times of a few hundred picoseconds.

4. eGaN FETs for Envelope Tracking, Envelope Tracking can double communication base station efficiency and increase cell phone talk time in both 4G and 5G standards. In this video, the ultra-fast performance of EPC’s 60 W, 20 MHz bandwidth, 4-Phase, LTE compatible envelope tracking demonstration board is presented.

5. eGaN FETs, ICs, and Modules for 48 V to Point of Load DC-DC Conversion, Rethinking server power architecture used in the data center with GaN technology allows the elimination of the intermediate 12 V bus currently used, while increasing power usage efficiency (PUE). In this video, two demonstrations showing; 1) a single stage conversion from 48 V to 1V at 40 A, using a GaN-based module from Texas Instruments, and 2) a 48 V to 1.8 V at 20 A single-stage hard-switched buck converter using eGaN ICs are discussed.

6. eGaN Technology Enabling 700 W DCX DC-DC Conversion in Eighth-Brick DOSA Form Factor, This video showcases an eighth brick, 700 W DC-DC running in DCX mode. eGaN FETs enable higher power density in DOSA standard brick footprints due to gallium nitride’s superior switching characteristics, thermal performance, and small size.

According to Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of EPC. “This collection of short, to-the-point videos introduces the viewer to very specific end-use applications currently enabled or enhanced by the high performance of gallium nitride FETs and ICs. These videos are designed to spark innovation in the use of GaN products by innovative, forward-thinking power system design engineers.”

The GaN application demonstration videos are easily accessible on the EPC video library or through the EPC YouTube Video Channel. The presenters in these videos, Alex Lidow, Michael DeRooij, David Reusch, John Glaser and Yuanzhe Zhang are EPC application engineers with over seventy-five years of experience working in power transistor design and applications. All five presenters have doctorates in scientific disciplines with extensive practical experience in the emerging GaN transistor and IC technologies.