Bipolar Transistors Maximize Power Density in Compact Automotive Designs
Diodes Inc. optimized its DXTN/P 78Q and 80Q series of ultra-low VCE(sat) (collector-emitter saturation voltage) NPN and PNP transistors with high conduction efficiency and thermal performance for demanding automotive power switching and control systems. All 12 devices in the series are rated for continuous operation in 12-, 24-, and 48-V applications at up to +175°C, offering high electrostatic-discharge (ESD) robustness (HBM 4 kV, CDM 1 kV).
Typical applications include gate-driving MOSFETs and IGBTs, power line and load switching, low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulation, DC-DC conversion, and driving motors, solenoids, relays, and actuators.
Both series span BVCEO (breakdown voltage, collector-emitter, base open) ratings from 30 to 100 V and deliver robust current handling. The DXTN/P 80Q series provides extra headroom for demanding designs, with continuous ratings up to 10 A and peak pulse capability of 20 A.
Ultra-low saturation voltage (just 17 mV at 1 A) and an on-state resistance as low as 12 mΩ minimize conduction losses, which can help designers cut conduction losses by up to 50% versus previous generations.
Housed in the ultra-compact PowerDI 3333-8 package (3.3 × 3.3 mm), these devices cut an application’s PCB footprint by up to 75% versus the traditional SOT223, freeing space for additional functionality. A large underside heatsink delivers ultra-low thermal resistance (RθJL) of 4.2°C/W.
The DXTN/P 78Q and DXTN/P 80Q series, both now available, cost between $0.19 and $0.21, and $0.20 and $0.22, respectively, in 6,000-piece quantities. Standard compliance versions, the DXTN/P 78 and 80 series, are also available and suitable for industrial and commercial applications.
About the Author
Lee Goldberg
Contributing Editor
Lee Goldberg is a self-identified “Recovering Engineer,” Maker/Hacker, Green-Tech Maven, Aviator, Gadfly, and Geek Dad. He spent the first 18 years of his career helping design microprocessors, embedded systems, renewable energy applications, and the occasional interplanetary spacecraft. After trading his ‘scope and soldering iron for a keyboard and a second career as a tech journalist, he’s spent the next two decades at several print and online engineering publications.
Lee’s current focus is power electronics, especially the technologies involved with energy efficiency, energy management, and renewable energy. This dovetails with his coverage of sustainable technologies and various environmental and social issues within the engineering community that he began in 1996. Lee also covers 3D printers, open-source hardware, and other Maker/Hacker technologies.
Lee holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Thomas Edison College, and participated in a colloquium on technology, society, and the environment at Goddard College’s Institute for Social Ecology. His book, “Green Electronics/Green Bottom Line - A Commonsense Guide To Environmentally Responsible Engineering and Management,” was published by Newnes Press.
Lee, his wife Catherine, and his daughter Anwyn currently reside in the outskirts of Princeton N.J., where they masquerade as a typical suburban family.
Lee also writes the regular PowerBites series.