Gate driver chipset targets clean energy

Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. has expanded its High Voltage Power-Thru portfolio with the launch of its two-chip AHV85000 and AHV85040 isolated gate-driver solution for GaN FETs. This gate driver chipset works with external transformers to help maximize power efficiency for clean energy applications, including solar inverters, xEV charging infrastructures and energy storage systems (ESS), as well as data center power supply units.

(Source: Allegro MicroSystems)

The new combo chip features the same benefits as the company’s existing gate driver technology but moves the isolation transformer to an external design, instead of internally. Allegro said this offers engineers greater design flexibility for isolation, power and layout by allowing them to choose the transformer that meets their design requirements.

Allegro offers a selection of recommended third-party transformers. These transformers are optimized for different drive voltage and gate charge characteristics, including E-mode GaN (6-V drive) and Cascode-GaN (12-V drive).

The combo chip offers advantages for applications with different isolation requirements, Allegro said. This includes giving designers the ability to choose the isolation level and where to put the isolation barrier in the system.

The chipset transmits both PWM signal and bias power through a single external isolation transformer, eliminating the need for a high-side bootstrap and external secondary-side bias supply. It provides a 50-ns propagation delay with recommended transformers. The AHV85000 and AHV85040 are housed in a 3 × 3-mm DFN-10 package.