Pages 8 through 13 of this EE March issue highlight market trends, challenges, and new products in the area of power supplies and loads—and we look forward to seeing many products in this field at the upcoming APEC 2019 event in Anaheim, CA over March 17-21. Here, this Tech Focus provides a look at some recent product innovations in power semiconductors, including drivers, transistors, and metal oxide silicon field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) that power today’s applications.
200W high power piezo driver for fast switching
Nano precision motion industry vendor PI (Physik Instrumente) has released the new model E-
619, a high-power piezo amplifier designed to drive high-capacitance multilayer piezo actuators with rapid rise times or high frequencies. As a special form of electro-ceramics, piezo materials are the gold standard when it comes to speed, force, and precision in a small package. Providing sink/source currents up to 10 amps and an output voltage swing of 160V-pp (-30V to +130V), the new piezo driver delivers up to 1,200 watts of peak power. Despite its high performance, this amplifier is efficient, due to its energy recovery circuitry. A temperature sensor input provides overheating protection of piezo actuators. The E-619 high power piezo driver comes in two standard versions with a maximum bandwidth of 20kHz and 3kHz, respectively. Optional upgrade modules for closed-loop position servo control and digital control via a USB and TCP/IP interface are also available.
Silicon carbide MOSFETs for aerospace and defense
Solid State Devices, Inc. (SSDI) has introduced the SFC35N120 1200-volt silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs for high-reliability aerospace and defense power electronics applications like
high-voltage DC-DC converters and PFC boost converters. These hermetic enhancement-mode N-channel MOSFETs deliver a maximum continuous drain current of 26 to 30 amps and low RDS(ON) of 96 micro-ohms max at 20 amps and 25 degrees C. The SFC35N120 has a typical fast switching speed of less than 30 nanoseconds. With an on-resistance of 190 milliohms max at 150 C, this device also displays high temperature performance, which allows for smaller devices, facilitates parallel configurations, and reduces thermal management hardware such as fans and heatsinks. Since silicon carbide has a higher critical breakdown field compared to silicon, silicon carbide MOSFETs can achieve the same voltage rating in a smaller package than silicon MOSFETs. The SFC35N120 is available in the TO-257 through-hole package and two surface-mount options: the SMD.5 and Cerpack.
High-power, multi-channel laser for LiDAR systems
Osram Opto Semiconductors has announced an ultrafast laser driver with a high-power, multi-channel Surface Mount (SMT) laser for LiDAR (light detection and ranging) systems. Osram, a
provider of LiDAR lasers, and GaN Systems, a vendor of GaN power semiconductors, partnered to develop the breakthrough in laser driver technology that enables longer range and higher-resolution LiDAR architectures. Osram has continuously expanded its laser portfolio for LiDAR to accommodate the needs of customers, including increasing the peak power of the SPL DS90A_3 to 120 W at 40 A. In addition, Osram plans to release a four-channel SMT laser in 2019. The additional channels increase the field of view and total peak power, with each channel being capable of generating 120 W. Osram and GaN Systems developed a laser driver with a one nanosecond pulse rise time, while driving all four channels at 40 A each to deliver 480 W peak power. This peak power then can be modulated at low-duty cycles to produce high-resolution 3D cloud points at long range for new LiDAR designs.
High-power RF transistor
Ampleon’s new 500-Watt BLC2425M10LS500P LDMOS RF power transistor is designed for pulsed and CW applications operating in the 2400 MHz to 2500 MHz frequency range. Suitable
for use in a wide range of industrial, consumer, and professional cooking RF energy applications, the transistor has a high-power-to-footprint ratio as it delivers 500-Watt CW from a single SOT1250 air cavity plastic package. Ampleon states that at 67% efficiency, the BLC2425M10LS500P has best-in-class performance, within this frequency range and power level. Such high-efficiency characteristics will keep the required cooling capacity to a minimum while also ensuring low energy consumption and operating costs of the end-equipment. The transistor also exhibits ruggedness by being able to operate with a VSWR 10:1 load mismatch through all phases, further simplifying the system design and protection circuitry. The integration of the BLC2425M10LS500P into the application is simplified by the integrated input and output pre-match.
Family of code-free FOC sensorless BLDC fan drivers
Allegro MicroSystems has announced the launch of the company’s QuietMotion family. This family consists of field-oriented control (FOC) brushless DC (BLDC) electric motor controllers
that are customer code-free. The devices are designed to provide reliable and efficient low audible noise performance while reducing design cycle time. Whereas most FOC BLDC drivers require software developers to code the algorithm in a microprocessor, QuietMotion devices integrate Allegro’s innovative FOC algorithms. These advanced algorithms allow for smooth, quiet motion while eliminating the need to write software. This significantly lowers R&D expenses and reduces time to market. With only five external components, these devices also minimize bill of materials (BOM) cost, improve reliability and reduce design complexity. The family includes the AMT49406, a solution for applications that demand high efficiency and low acoustic noise—such as pole and ceiling fans, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, and exhaust fans. Meanwhile, the A89301 offers ultra-quiet operation, as well as additional flexibility and programmable features for premium appliances, such as high-end appliance fans, high-end ceiling fans, and air purifiers.
Comments
Comments