Automotive-qualified HV switch IC uses SiC MOSFET
The InnoSwitch 3-AQ IC family from Power Integrations is the industry’s first automotive-qualified switching power supply ICs to incorporate a silicon carbide (SiC) primary switching MOSFET. The devices are targeted for use in 600- and 800-volt battery and fuel-cell electric passenger vehicles, as well as electric buses, trucks and a wide range of industrial power applications.
This highly integrated ICs reduce the number of components required to implement a power supply by as much as 50 %, saving significant circuit-board space, enhancing system reliability and mitigating component sourcing challenges, the vendor promises.
As 800V batteries are becoming standard for EVs, multiple vehicle systems are connected to this electrical source, yet delicate electronic control circuits require just a few volts for operation and communication. “InnoSwitch devices allow the electronics to safely sip from the energy available on the main bus, using minimal board area and without wasting energy”, explains Peter Vaughan, director of automotive business development at Power Integrations. “Most exciting is the opportunity to dramatically simplify the emergency power supply for the main traction inverter, which may be called upon at a moment’s notice to operate from any voltage between 30 volts and 1000 volts.”
The InnoSwitch devices are now available with a choice of cost-effective silicon, high-efficiency gallium nitride (GaN) and high-voltage SiC transistors, permitting designers to optimize their power solution across a broad range of consumer, computer, communications, industrial and automotive applications.
Offered in a compact InSOP-24D package, the ICs use a FluxLink feedback link, providing reinforced isolation up to 5000 VRMS for secondary-side control. The FluxLink technology enables direct sensing of the output voltage, providing benefits such as accurate regulation and extremely fast transient response. The circuit will start from 30 volts without external circuitry – critical for functional safety. Additional protection features include input under-voltage, output over-voltage and over-current limiting.
The inclusion of synchronous rectification and a quasi-resonant (QR) / CCM flyback controller achieves greater than 90% efficiency. These parts consume less than 15 mW at no-load, which is ideal for reducing self-discharge in battery management systems.
A reference design, DER-913Q, and hardware kit RDK-919Q, are available for designers wishing to evaluate the InnoSwitch3-AQ 1700-volt IC.
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