28 January 2016

EPC launches development board with 50A, 1MHz capability to reduce size in point-of-load applications

Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA, which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) for power management applications, has introduced the EPC9059 half-bridge development board for high-current, high-frequency point-of-load (POL) applications using eGaN ICs to reduce power conversion size. 

The EPC9059 development board has a 30V maximum device voltage with a 50A maximum output current. In this application, two 30V EPC2100 eGaN ICs operate in parallel with a single onboard gate driver to achieve higher output currents. EPC says that GaN devices have superior current-sharing capability compared to silicon MOSFETs, making them more attractive for parallel operation.

The total system efficiency of the board, operating with 12V input to 1V output with a switching frequency of 1MHz, peaks near 90%. It runs with natural convection and no heat-sink up to 32A, and at heavy load condition of 40A showed a 2.5% efficiency advantage over silicon-based DrMOS solutions, which translates to an almost 20% reduction in total system power loss.

EPC says that the board demonstrates how eGaN technology enables smaller size, higher efficiency and higher power density at the higher frequencies and higher currents required in next-generation point-of-load converters.

EPC9059 development boards are priced at $137.75 each and are available now from distributor Digi-Key Corp.

Tags: EPC E-mode GaN FETs GaN-on-Si

Visit: http://digikey.com/Suppliers/us/Efficient-Power-Conversion.page

Visit: http://epc-co.com/epc/Products/DemoBoards.aspx