Texas Instruments (TI) has released a space-grade 200V GaN FET gate driver that supports a wide voltage range from 22V to 200V and various radiation immunity levels, improving the efficiency of power systems in all types of aerospace missions.

TI announced on the 25th that it has launched a new family of half-bridge gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistor (FET) gate drivers with radiation resistance and radiation hardening capabilities.

This product family includes the industry's first space-grade GaN FET gate driver that supports up to 200V operation.

TI's space-grade GaN FET gate drivers support the entire voltage range required for satellite power system design, from input power supply for solar panels to power distribution and conversion.

The product family is available in pin-to-pin compatible ceramic and plastic packaging options and supports three voltage levels.

FET gate drivers using GaN technology provide advantages such as improved electrical system performance, extended mission duration, reduced satellite mass and volume, and minimized thermal management overload through size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimization.

200V GaN FET gate drivers are used for input power conversion in propulsion systems and solar panels. Suitable, the 60V and 22V versions are designed for power distribution and conversion within the satellite.

In addition, TI's space-grade GaN FET gate driver family offers various aerospace-certified packaging options, including radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant, depending on three voltage levels.

TI's new gate driver is designed to accurately drive GaN FETs with short rise and fall times, improving the size and density of power supplies.

This allows the satellite to perform its mission by using power generated from solar panels more effectively.

"Satellites perform a variety of critical missions, ranging from providing global internet services to monitoring climate and transportation activities, helping humanity better understand and explore the world," said Javier Valle, Product Line Manager at TI's Aerospace Power Products business unit. "TI's new product family enables satellites in low, medium, and geostationary orbits to operate for extended periods while maintaining high levels of power efficiency in the extreme environments of space."