News: Microelectronics
26 January 2022
EPC launches 2kW, two-phase 48V/14V bidirectional converter with regulated output voltage reference design board
Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA – which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) and integrated circuits for power management applications – has announced the availability of the EPC9170, a 2kW, two-phase 48V–14V bidirectional converter that operates with 96.8% peak efficiency in a small footprint. The board features the ePower 100V, 65A integrated circuit chipset. The chipset includes the EPC23101 eGaN IC plus EPC2302 eGaN FET for a solution capable of a maximum withstand voltage of 100V, delivering up to 65A load current, while capable of switching speeds greater than 1MHz.
The fast-switching speed and low losses of the gallium nitride (GaN) devices allow the converter to operate at 500kHz, which significantly reduces the size of the solution, and exceeds 96.5% efficiency between 60A and 110A with 95.8% efficiency at 140A.
Key features of the EPC23101 integrated circuit used on the EPC9170 include integrated high-side FET with 3.3mΩ max R DS(on) with gate driver, input logic interface, level shifting, bootstrap charging, gate drive buffer circuits and gate driver output to drive external low-side eGaN FET. The integration of the driver further simplifies the design and reduces parasitics.
The EPC2302 eGaN FET, featured on the EPC9170, offers a super small typical RDS(on), of just 1.4mΩ, together with very small QG, QGD and QOSS parameters for low conduction and switching losses.
Both the EPC23101 and EPC2302 feature a thermally enhanced QFN package with exposed top with optimized pinout between the two devices. The combined chipset footprint is 7mm x 5mm, offering an extremely small solution size for the highest-power-density applications.
“eGaN FETs and ICs provide the fast switching, small size, and high efficiency needed to further reduce the size and weight of 48V to 12V and 14V converters,” says CEO Alex Lidow. “The EPC9170 is an ideal example of the capabilities of the new ePower chipset to increase frequency and efficiency to allow smaller inductance for less phases and higher power density in space- and weight-critical designs.”
The EPC9170 demonstration board is priced at $498 each and is available for immediate delivery from distributor Digi-Key Corp.
