Enhanced Efficiency in Home Appliances and Industrial Applications through GaN Motor-Drive ICs
Navitas Semiconductor Introduces High-Performance GaNSense Motor Drive ICs
Navitas Semiconductor, a leader in gallium-nitride (GaN) power semiconductors, has unveiled a new family of GaNSense Motor Drive ICs, designed to revolutionise motor-drive applications in home appliances and industrial motors.
The GaNSense Motor Drive ICs offer significant advantages over traditional silicon IGBT solutions, boasting up to 4% higher efficiency, 40% smaller PCB footprint, and 15% lower system cost. These ICs integrate two GaN FETs in a half-bridge configuration, complete with built-in drive, control, sensing, and autonomous protection, tailored for motor-drive applications up to 600 W.
Key features of the GaNSense Motor Drive ICs include bidirectional, lossless current sensing, adjustable turn-on and turn-off slew rates, an autonomous freewheeling function, multiple built-in safety features, and operation at a 650 V rating. The current sensing mechanism measures both positive and negative currents without external shunt resistors, improving accuracy and reducing component count. The slew rates are adjustable, allowing designers to optimize electromagnetic interference (EMI), performance, and efficiency.
The autonomous freewheeling function activates upon reverse current detection, reducing conduction losses, improving efficiency, and minimising heatsink size and costs. The ICs also come equipped with multiple safety features such as high- and low-side short-circuit protection, overtemperature protection (OTP), and 2-kV ESD robustness on all pins.
The new GaNSense Motor Drive IC family is suitable for use in a wide range of motor-drive applications, including air conditioners, heat pumps, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and hair dryers. The ICs are available in several variants, each offering different on-resistance values in compact PQFN packages.
Compared to traditional silicon IGBT solutions, the GaNSense Motor Drive ICs drive system improvements by reducing losses in switching, enabling higher power density, and lowering overall Bill of Materials (BOM) and size. Moreover, automotive-qualified versions offer robust protection features suitable for electric vehicles and industrial applications.
Datasheets for the new GaNSense Motor Drive ICs are available online, making it easier for designers to incorporate these high-performance ICs into their next motor-drive project. With their combination of higher efficiency, smaller size, lower cost, integrated sensing and protection, and easier system design, the GaNSense Motor Drive ICs are set to become the go-to choice for motor-drive applications.
The revolutionary GaNSense Motor Drive ICs from Navitas Semiconductor, introduced to enhance motor-drive applications, could potentially transform lifestyle appliances, such as air conditioners, heat pumps, washing machines, and even hair dryers, by offering a 4% increase in efficiency, a 40% reduction in PCB footprint, and a 15% lower system cost compared to traditional silicon IGBT solutions. With their integrated technology features like bidirectional current sensing, adjustable slew rates, and autonomous protection, these power electronics components may pave the way for a more efficient, compact, and cost-effective technological future.
