Awesome word isolated gate driver, making size and speed no longer a problem for next generation switching power supply

ADI's isolated gate driver portfolio offers performance and reliability advantages over optocoupler or pulse transformer designs. Recently, the group has added new members - small isolated gate drivers - ADuM4120 and ADuM4121 series.

The family is specifically designed for the higher switching speeds and system size constraints required by power switch technologies such as SiC (Silicon Carbide) and GaN (Gallium Nitride), while still providing reliable control of the switching characteristics of IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) configurations.

Traditional technologies such as optocouplers or pulse transformers have difficulty providing short delays and maintaining CMTI performance, while the ADuM4120 and ADuM4121 are specifically designed to support the higher switching speeds of new inverter architectures. In systems that require multiple power switches, these small isolated gate drivers in SOIC packages can minimize PCB layout space, thereby reducing cooling requirements. In addition, the small size of these gate drivers allows them to be placed close to the power switches, reducing parasitic inductance between the driver and the switch. ADuM4120 and ADuM4121 can operate over a high temperature range and high operating voltage, making them ideal for improving energy efficiency and timing performance stability in solar inverters, motor controllers, and industrial inverter applications.

All four devices in the new series are 2 A output single-channel gate drivers that provide 5 kV rms isolation, low propagation delay, and CMTI performance greater than 150 kV/μs. These isolated gate drivers have an input supply range of 2.5 V to 6.5 V, which is compatible with lower voltage systems, and true galvanic isolation can be achieved between input and output. The ADuM4120 and ADuM4120-1 provide thermal shutdown for overtemperature protection. The ADuM4120 with input glitch filter can reduce system noise on the input pin to avoid triggering erroneous outputs, while the ADuM4120-1 without glitch filter provides a low propagation delay of 33ns typical. Both the ADuM4121 and ADuM4121-1 have built-in Miller clamps for additional protection.

The ADuM4121 device also features thermal shutdown protection. These gate drivers from Analog Devices retain key performance specifications in a small package, providing designers with the flexibility necessary to successfully build next-generation power conversion systems.