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Gate Driver

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38 views7 pages

Gate Driver

kSGDKBJDFS

Uploaded by

ahmad72mizan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Gate Driver

A power amplifier that accepts a low-power input from a controller IC and produces a
high-current drive input for the gate of a high-power transistor such as an IGBT or
power MOSFET.

Types of switches for 2 to 500kW application:

 MOSFET
 IGBT

Why gate driver is required.


1. Voltage Level Shifting

Inverters typically use power transistors such as MOSFETs or IGBTs, which require
specific gate voltage levels to turn on and off. These voltages are often much higher
than the control signal voltages provided by a microcontroller or a logic circuit. A
gate driver translates the low-voltage control signals to the higher voltage levels
needed to drive the power transistors effectively.

2. Current Amplification

Power transistors need sufficient gate charge to switch states. This requires a certain
amount of current, especially during the transition periods. Gate drivers provide the
necessary current to quickly charge and discharge the gate capacitance of the
transistors, ensuring fast and efficient switching. This is critical for reducing
switching losses and improving the overall efficiency of the inverter.

3. Isolation

In many inverter applications, especially those involving high voltages or dealing


with mains power, isolation between the control circuitry and the power stage is
essential for safety and noise immunity. Gate drivers often provide this isolation,
either through optical isolation (optocouplers) or magnetic isolation (transformers or
isolation ICs), protecting the low-voltage control circuitry from high-voltage spikes
and disturbances.

4. Switching Speed and Efficiency

Efficient inverter operation requires precise control over the switching of power
transistors. Gate drivers are designed to provide rapid switching, minimizing the
time the transistor spends in the transition region where both current and voltage
are significant, thus reducing switching losses and improving overall efficiency.

5. Protection Features

Gate drivers often include protection features such as under-voltage lockout (UVLO),
overcurrent protection, and fault detection. These features help protect the power
transistors and the inverter as a whole from conditions that could cause damage,
ensuring reliable operation and extending the lifespan of the components.

6. Dead Time Control

In applications where both high-side and low-side transistors are used (such as in
half-bridge or full-bridge inverters), gate drivers can manage the dead time between
the switching of the transistors. This is crucial to prevent shoot-through conditions
where both transistors are on simultaneously, which could lead to short circuits and
component damage.

How a Gate Driver Works


Functionality:

 A gate driver acts as an interface between the low-power control signals (from
a microcontroller or a PWM signal) and the high-power semiconductor switches
(like MOSFETs or IGBTs).
 It amplifies the control signal to a level that can fully turn the switch on or off,
ensuring fast switching times and reducing switching losses.

Operation:

 When the control signal (e.g., a PWM signal) is applied to the gate driver's
input, it generates a corresponding high or low output voltage.
 For a MOSFET, this typically means driving the gate to a high voltage (e.g., 10-
15V for an N-channel MOSFET) to turn it on and to 0V to turn it off.
 The driver provides sufficient current to charge and discharge the gate
capacitance quickly, which is crucial for high-speed switching.
Isolation:

 Gate drivers often provide isolation between the control circuitry and the high-
power switches. This isolation is vital in high-voltage applications to protect the
control circuit and ensure safety.

Bootstrap Gate Driver


 A bootstrap gate driver is a type of gate driver commonly used in high-side
MOSFET driving applications, such as in half-bridge or full-bridge configurations
in DC-DC converters or motor drives.

Working Principle

Bootstrap Capacitor:

 The bootstrap circuit utilizes a capacitor (the bootstrap capacitor) to generate


a voltage higher than the supply voltage to drive the gate of the high-side
MOSFET.

Charging the Bootstrap Capacitor:

 When the low-side MOSFET is on, the bootstrap diode allows the bootstrap
capacitor to charge to the supply voltage minus the diode drop.
 The charging path typically goes from the supply voltage through the
bootstrap diode to the bootstrap capacitor and then to the low-side MOSFET's
drain (which is connected to the ground when the low-side MOSFET is on).

Driving the High-Side MOSFET:

 When the low-side MOSFET turns off and the high-side MOSFET needs to be
turned on, the bootstrap capacitor provides the necessary gate drive voltage.
 The capacitor’s voltage adds to the supply voltage, allowing the gate driver to
output a voltage higher than the supply voltage to the high-side MOSFET’s
gate.

Recharging Cycle:

 This cycle repeats with the capacitor recharging every time the low-side
MOSFET is on, ensuring that the high-side MOSFET can be driven properly in
subsequent cycles.

Key Components
1. Bootstrap Diode:

A fast-recovery diode that allows current to flow into the bootstrap capacitor when
the low-side MOSFET is on and prevents discharge through the power supply when
the high-side MOSFET is on.
2. Bootstrap Capacitor:

A capacitor that stores charge to provide the necessary gate voltage for the high-
side MOSFET.

3. Gate Driver IC:

An integrated circuit that manages the timing and logic of switching the high-side
and low-side MOSFETs, often incorporating both the low-side and high-side drivers in
one package.

Advantages and Limitations


Advantages:

 Cost-effective solution for high-side gate driving.


 Simplifies the design by avoiding the need for complex isolated power supplies
for the high-side switch.

Limitations:

 The bootstrap capacitor needs to be periodically recharged, which may limit


the maximum duty cycle.
 The bootstrap circuit introduces additional components, which can add
complexity to the PCB layout.

UCC27282 3-A 120-V Half-Bridge Driver


1 Features
• Drives two N-channel MOSFETs in high-side low- side configuration.
• 5-V typical under voltage lockout
• Input interlock.
• Enable/disable functionality in DRC package.
• 16-ns typical propagation delay
• 12-ns rise, 10-ns fall time with 1.8-nF load
• 1-ns typical delay matching
• Absolute Maximum Negative Voltage Handling on Inputs (–5 V)
• Absolute Maximum Negative Voltage Handling on HS (–14 V)
• ±3-A peak output current
• Absolute maximum boot voltage 120 V
• Low current (7-µA) consumption when disabled.
• Integrated bootstrap diode
• Specified from –40°C to 140°C junction temperature.
2 Applications
• Telecom and merchant power supplies
• Motor drives and power tools
• Auxiliary inverters
• Half-bridge and full-bridge converters
• Active-clamp forward converters
• High voltage synchronous-buck converters
• Class-D audio amplifiers
•
3 Description
 The UCC27282 is a robust N-channel MOSFET driver with a maximum
switch node (HS) voltage rating of 100 V. It allows for two N-channel
MOSFETs to be controlled in half-bridge or synchronous buck configuration-
based topologies. Its 3-A peak source and sink current along with low pull-
up and pull-down resistance allows the UCC27282 to drive large power
MOSFETs with minimum switching losses during the transition of the
MOSFET Miller plateau. Since the inputs are independent of the supply
voltage, UCC27282 can be used in conjunction with both analog and digital
controllers.
 The input pins as well as the HS pin are able to tolerate significant negative
voltage, which improves system robustness. Input interlock further
improves robustness and system reliability in high noise applications. The
enable and disable functionality provides additional system flexibility by
reducing power consumption by the driver and responds to fault events
within the system. 5-V UVLO allows systems to operate at lower bias
voltages, which is necessary in many high frequency applications and
improves system efficiency in certain operating modes. Small propagation
delay and delay matching specifications minimize the dead-time
requirement which further improves efficiency.
 Under voltage lockout (UVLO) is provided for both the high-side and low-
side driver stages forcing the outputs low if the VDD voltage is below the
specified threshold. An integrated bootstrap diode eliminates the need for
an external discrete diode in many applications, which saves board space
and reduces system cost. UCC27282 is offered in a small package enabling
high density designs.
Device Information(1)
PART NUMBER PACKAGE (SIZE)
SON10 (3 mm x 3 mm)
SOIC8 (6 mm x 5mm))
UCC27282
SON8 (4 mm x 4 mm)
SON10 (4 mm x 4 mm)

(1) For all available packages, see the orderable addendum at the end of the data sheet

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