Provides the best protection for inverter and motor drive applications
Si828x ISOdriver Family, High Voltage Industrial and Green Energy Applications

Silicon Labs (Country Manager Baek Woon-dal) has further expanded its ISOdriver product family by launching an isolated gate drive designed to protect sensitive Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) switches in power inverter and motor drive applications.

The new Si828x ISOdriver family offers industrial-grade isolation (5kVrms immunity), best-in-class integration with an integrated DC-DC converter (optional), the industry's fastest desaturation detection, superior timing performance, and superior noise and transient immunity.

The Si828x product family is an ideal solution for industrial motor drives, solar inverters, high-voltage power converters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) compressor control. Users expect these systems to operate for at least 25 years even in harsh environments, and the isolator is the component that fails first and limits the product's lifespan.

Traditional isolators based on optocouplers have significant limitations in terms of temperature range, noise immunity, and product life. In contrast, the Si828x gate driver, based on Silicon Labs' proven CMOS isolation technology, operates across the entire industrial temperature range, has a product lifespan of up to 100 years, and meets strict UL, VDE, CQC, and CSA standards.

The Si828x product family integrates robust isolation characteristics, advanced gate driver technology, and rapid overcurrent monitoring into a single, cost-effective device to economically protect IGBT switches. High-power inverter and power converter systems primarily utilize IGBTs for switching operations; however, overcurrent conditions can not only damage the IGBTs and degrade critical system functions but also compromise product safety and reliability. Efficient IGBT switching requires isolated gate drivers, such as the Si828x device, equipped with specialized monitoring and control capabilities.

A key feature of the Si828x is that it is a 4-ampere gate driver equipped with a desaturation detection function to monitor the IGBT in the event of an overcurrent. When an overcurrent occurs, the Si828x driver protects the IGBT and the system by initiating a controlled shutdown of the corresponding switch and simultaneously updating the controller of the error status. In addition, the Si828x integrates a split output function, a Miller clamp to prevent parasitic gate turn-on, and a function to feed back driver power status and errors to the controller.

The Si828x product family includes driver versions that integrate isolated DC-DC converters. This enables developers to simplify layouts, reduce component count and board size, and alleviate the complexity of creating and managing multiple power domains. A single power bus can be deployed across the entire system, resolving complex space constraints. In addition, the power supply can be localized to each driver, which can reduce inductance, minimize noise, and eliminate transients.

"Power inverters and converters for today's industrial and green energy designs require the best signal isolation technology with excellent timing characteristics, low power consumption, and high reliability," said Ross Sabolcik, Vice President of Power Products at Silicon Labs. "Silicon Labs' new Si828x ISO driver family provides the best gate driver solution for these applications by enabling developers to increase system efficiency and noise immunity, minimize design complexity, and enhance system safety and product lifespan."