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Single-stage bi-directional switch (BDS) converters
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avitas Semiconductor, the pure-play, next-generation power semiconductor company and specialist in gallium nitride (GaN) power ICs and silicon carbide (SiC) technology, has announced what it’s described as “the world’s first production- released 650 V bi-directional GaNFast ICs and high-speed isolated gate-drivers”. These are said to create “a paradigm shift in power with single-stage BDS converters, which enables the transition from two- stage to single-stage topologies”. Targeted applications range widely and open up multi-billion-dollar market opportunities across EV charging (On-Board Chargers (OBC) and roadside), solar inverters, energy storage and motor drives, according to the company.
Over 70 per cent of today’s high-voltage power converters use a ‘two-stage’ topology. For example, a typical AC-DC EV OBC implements an initial power-factor- correction (PFC) stage and a follow-on DC-DC stage, with bulky ‘DC-link’ buffering capacitors. Navitas said that “the resulting systems are large, lossy, and expensive. Bi-directional GaNFast consolidates the two stages into a single, high-speed, high-efficiency stage and in the process,
eliminates the bulky capacitors and input inductors - the ultimate solution in EV OBCs”.
A leading EV and solar micro-inverter manufacturer have already begun their implementation of single-stage BDS converters to improve efficiency, size, and cost in their systems. GaNFast-enabled single-stage converters are said to achieve up to 10 per cent cost savings, 20 per cent energy savings, and up to 50 per cent size reductions. The ultimate power semiconductor switch (transistor) can block voltage and allow current flow in two directions, with the highest efficiency. Navitas’ expertise in GaN innovation has delivered the bi-directional GaNFast power IC.
Previously, two discrete, ‘back-to-back’ single switches had to be used, but new bi-directional GaNFast ICs are leading-edge, single-chip designs (monolithic integration) with a merged drain structure, two gate controls, and a patented, integrated, active substrate clamp. One high-speed, high- efficiency bi-directional GaNFast IC replaces up to four older switches, increasing system performance while reducing component count, PCB area, and system costs.
The initial 650 V bi-directional GaNFast ICs include NV6427 (100 mΩ RSS(ON)
typ.) and NV6428 (50 mΩ RSS(ON) typ) in thermally enhanced, top-side-cooled TOLT-16L (Transistor Outline Leaded Topside-cooled) packaging. The product family will be extended into lower RSS(ON) offerings in the future. The new, high-speed IsoFast devices are galvanically isolated, high-speed drivers optimized to drive bi-directional GaN. With 4x higher transient immunity than existing drivers (up to 200 V/ns) and no external negative bias supply needed, they are designed to deliver reliable, fast, accurate power control in high-voltage systems. Initial
parts are the NV1702 (dual, independent- channel, digital, isolated bi-directional GaN gate driver) and NV1701 (half-bridge GaN digital isolator) in SOIC-16N and SOIC-14W packages. Bi-directional GaNFast ICs
(NV6427 and NV6428) are fully qualified and immediately available in mass-production quantities. IsoFast (NV1701 and NV1702) samples are available now to qualified customers.
https://navitassemi.com/ Silicon Labs unveils BG29 for connected health devices S
ilicon Labs, the specialist in low- power wireless, has announced its new Series 2 BG29 family of wireless SoCs, designed to bring high compute and connectivity to the smallest form factor Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) devices without compromising performance. BG29 is said to be suitable for today’s most intensive Bluetooth LE applications like wearable health and medical devices, asset trackers, and battery-powered sensors. The BG29 is available in compact quad flat no-lead (QFN) and wafer-level chip scale packages (WLCSP), featuring substantial memory with significant RAM and Flash capacities. These extended memory resources enable advanced applications such as real-time data processing, complex algorithm execution, and high-speed communication protocols.
www.cieonline.co.uk
It features a DCDC boost for wide voltage range support, a Coulomb counter for accurate battery monitoring, and Silicon Labs Secure Vault High designed for PSA Level 3 to protect sensitive data. Smart medical devices are transforming healthcare globally, but miniaturization— building smaller connected devices without sacrificing performance or power— remains a key development obstacle. The BG29 integrates high-performance wireless, long battery life, large memory capacity, and multi-connection support in even the smallest devices, like blood glucose monitors, where it was previously extremely challenging.
The BG29 family of devices is expected to become generally available in Q3 of this year.
www.silabs.com Components in Electronics March 2025 9
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