Voltage clamping until correct turn-on signal occurs
Reduce controller material costs with built-in galvanic insulation
STMicroelectronics has introduced the STGAP2S single-channel galvanically isolated gate driver. With a maximum gate-drive output voltage of 26 V and optional separate turn-on/turn-off outputs or an integrated active Miller clamp, the device can control silicon-carbide (SiC) or silicon MOSFETs and IGBTs in a variety of switching topologies.

The STGAP2SCM features a dedicated active Miller clamp pin, providing a convenient solution for preventing unwanted transistor turn-on in half-bridge configurations. Connecting the MOSFET gate to this pin clamps the voltage until the next correct turn-on signal occurs, thereby providing ground isolation at turn-off.

The STGAP2SM, with separate turn-on and turn-off outputs, allows optimization of switching transitions using two external gate resistors.

All STGAP2S gate drivers provide 4A rail-to-rail output, enabling clean and efficient switching even for high-power inverters. Furthermore, input-to-output propagation delay is less than 80ns, enabling precise PWM control at high switching frequencies suitable for SiC devices. High dV/dt common-mode transient immunity prevents spurious switching that causes energy dissipation.

The device also features built-in 1700 V galvanic isolation, which can reduce material costs in consumer or industrial motor drives, 600 V or 1200 V inverters, DC/DC converters, battery chargers, welders, induction heaters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and power-factor correction (PFC) controllers.

Additionally, it features a wide range of integrated protection features. These include Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO), which protects the power switch when the supply voltage drops too low, overheating protection, and hardware interlocking to prevent high-side/low-side cross-conduction in half-bridge circuits. A standby mode is also supported, which conserves power while maintaining the output in a safe state.

Additionally, you can start designing quickly and easily by utilizing the EVALSTGAP2SCM evaluation board during design.

The STGAP2SCM is available now, and the STGAP2SM will be available in Q4 2018. Both are available in the industry-standard, ultra-small SO-8 power package, with pricing starting at $1.49 in quantities of 1,000.