IC Boosts Isolated DC/DC Converter Efficiencies To 90%

Isolated dc-to-dc converter efficiencies are said to be pushed to 90% for 3.3V outputs with the IR1175 Synchronous Rectification device, an application-specific IC designed to provide optimized gate drive for MOSFETs configured as synchronous rectifiers in the secondary side of an isolated dc-to-dc converter. The chip programs the gate drives to insure that the losses through the synchronous rectifiers are minimized and the parasitic diodes do not conduct. Pre-firing the MOSFETs eliminates parasitic diode conduction and all the output current is now conducted through the active channels of the MOSFETs with lower losses. Pricing is $2.95 each/10,000.