Power Integrations introduces 900V gallium nitride flyback switching IC

     Power Integrations introduces a 900V gallium nitride (GaN) device to add to the InnoSwitch3 family of flyback switching ics. Using the company's unique PowiGaN technology, the new IC delivers up to 100W of power with an efficiency of more than 93%, eliminating the need for heat sinks and simplifying power supply design for space-constrained applications. The InnoSwitch3 design also features excellent light-load efficiency, making it ideal for providing auxiliary power to electric vehicles in low-power sleep mode.

     The AEC-Q100 compliant InnoSwitch3-AQ product family is particularly suitable for electric vehicles based on 400V busbar systems, while the 900V PowiGaN switch provides greater power and design margin for systems with 12V battery replacement, and is more efficient than silicon-based converters.

     Peter Vaughan, Director of Automotive Business Development at Power Integrations, said: "The mainstream bus voltage for electric vehicles is 400V. Electric vehicle manufacturers are optimizing their new-generation 400V systems and redesigning various power converters in vehicles, such as on-board chargers. The 900V PowiGaN switch is very useful because it can easily cope with the high inductive noise spikes that often occur in automotive environments. The additional power provided by our gallium nitride technology meets the growing power needs of electric vehicle manufacturers. In addition, the efficiency of the power converter, even in the auxiliary power supply system, is very important for the improvement of the vehicle's range and temperature rise performance."

     In the industrial sector, increased power capacity and higher efficiency are also extremely advantageous in applications such as auxiliary power supplies (Psus) in home appliances, three-phase motors and servers. The new 900V device is pin-compatible with existing 725V and 750V InnoSwitch3-EP devices and offers a higher safety margin, making it ideal for countries or regions with unstable mains voltage.

     Silvestro Fimiani, Senior product Marketing Manager at Power Integrations, said: "Our ability to offer gallium nitride devices with rated voltages up to 900V is a testament to the extremely high reliability and durability of our PowiGaN technology."

     The new 900V InnoSwitch3-EP and InnoSwitch3-AQ constant voltage/constant Displacement fly-back switchics feature flyback controllers in synchronous rectification, trough open discontinuous on-mode (DCM) and continuous on-mode (CCM). FluxLink communication technology enables IC packages to be located on safety isolation bands, thereby increasing efficiency and eliminating the need for optocouplers. PowiGaN technology enables the InnoSwitch3-EP IC to deliver up to 100W (at 230VAC±15% conditions) without heat sinks.

     The InnoSwitch3-EP device incorporates a number of protection features, including input overvoltage and undervoltage protection, output overvoltage and overcurrent limits, and overtemperature shut-off. This family of devices offers standard and peak output power options. The automotive-grade InnoSwitch3-AQ device delivers 100W of output power from a 400V bus and has similar performance and protection features to the popular 1700V silicon Carbide InnoSwitch3-AQ IC used in 800V electric vehicle systems.