Littelfuse, Inc., a diversified industrial technology manufacturing company, announced the release of the IX4352NEAU automotive-qualified low-side gate driver designed to meet the growing demands of SiC MOSFET and IGBT control in electric vehicle (EV) powertrain and dc-dc converter applications.
The IX4352NEAU is the first AEC-Q100-qualified low-side gate driver to offer an integrated and adjustable negative gate-drive bias, eliminating the need for an external negative voltage rail or the costly dc-dc converters typically required to suppress parasitic turn-on of high-speed power devices.
This unique capability simplifies gate driver design, improves switching performance, and reduces total system cost.
“By integrating the IX4352NEAU in their latest designs, our customers can develop safer, more compact, and more efficient power systems,” said June Zhang, product manager, Integrated Circuits Division at Littelfuse. “This helps accelerate their time to market, while reducing total system cost in the growing markets of automotive dc-dc converters and automotive drivetrains.”
Features
- Adjustable negative gate drive bias (down to −10 V): Improves dv/dt immunity, suppresses parasitic turn-on, and ensures faster turn-off of SiC MOSFETs and IGBTs.
- A 9-A peak source and sink drive capability (separate pins): Enables tailored turn-on and turn-off timing to optimize efficiency and reduce switching losses.
- Integrated protections: DESAT detection, active soft shutdown, UVLO, TSD, and fault output: Enhances system reliability and protects valuable power switches during fault conditions.
- A 3.3-V TTL/CMOS-compatible inputs: Tolerant up to 7 V, allowing easy interfacing with most control logic.
- AEC-Q100 qualified and thermally robust: Ensures consistent performance across a wide temperature range, with improved thermal threshold accuracy and charge pump operation maintained during thermal shutdown.
Applications
- Automotive dc-dc converters
- EV drivetrains
- EV inverters and motor drives
- Switching power supplies
Compared to conventional low-side gate drivers, the IX4352NEAU increases power density, reduces component count, and provides a safer overcurrent turn-off transition. Its built-in charge pump regulator with adjustable negative bias is a market first, offering automotive designers a fully integrated solution to overcome parasitic turn-on and improve switching behavior in SiC- and IGBT-based systems.
The IX4352NEAU is an automotive-grade extension of the proven commercial-grade IX4352NE, optimized to meet the strict reliability and performance demands of automotive environments.
Check out this video to learn more.
Filed Under: Technology News