EPC Applications Using eGaN Technology

GaN technology is being designed into many end-customer applications. At premier events all over the world, EPC showcases more than 25 applications where GaN technology is Changing the Way We Live. In this series of short videos, EPC application engineering experts present eGaN® FETs and ICs in a wide range of applications including products that customers are currently taking to market.

APEC 2019

EPC's Alex Lidow shows off their latest wide-bandgap solutions at APEC

EPC's Alex Lidow shows off their latest wide-bandgap solutions at APEC
In this video, EPC CEO Alex Lidow talks to Embedded Computing Design's Alix Paultre at the APEC exhibition in Anaheim, California. The various design-ins shown underscore the advantages GaN-based devices can provide a power system.

EPC on Why Silicon is Dead at APEC 2019

EPC on Why Silicon is Dead at APEC 2019
In this episode of PSDtv Alix Lidow, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) is at APEC 2019 in Anaheim and discusses why their GaN on Silicon devices make Silicon now dead.

Application Demonstrations:

How eGaN Transistor Technology Improves LiDAR Performance

How eGaN Transistor Technology Improves LiDAR Performance
One big application area for eGaN transistor technology is in the lidar units built into autonomous vehicles and drones. EPC's Alex Lidow explains why eGaN excels at powering lidar lasers and why both solid-state and rotating lidar units will have roles in new robotics.

Why Gate Drivers are Joining eGaN Transistors on the Same Chip

Why Gate Drivers are Joining eGaN Transistors on the Same Chip
Power transistors made with eGaN technology can switch in a nanosecond or less. The circuit necessary to drive these transistors tend involve a lot of parasitic elements that can contribute to ringing and other sub-optimum effects. As explained by EPC's Alex Lidow, combining the eGaN gate driver on the same chip as the power transistor itself avoids such problems. The resulting gate drive/power transistor can run directly from a CMOS logic chip. This simplifies the design of power electronics as used for wireless power schemes that eliminate the need for ac cords.

Graphics-Intensive Applications Benefit From Power-Dense eGaN® DC-DC Converters

Graphics-Intensive Applications Benefit From Power-Dense eGaN DC-DC Converters
A 720-W demo design illustrates the benefits of using eGaN power transistors in dc/dc converters. As explained by EPC's Alex Lidow, the reference board is super small and hits 1,400 W/cubic inch with a 96% energy efficiency and a BOM cost of just six cents per watt. The hard-switching buck converter operating at 700 kHz delivers the kind of power density that comes in handy for high-end video gaming, bitcoin mining, and other applications that make intensive use of graphics processors.

Cut the Cord!  GaN-Based Wirelessly Powered Tabletop

Cut the Cord! GaN-Based Wirelessly Powered Tabletop
EPC demonstrates the first ever tabletop capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously. In this video, the tabletop powers a laptop, a video monitor, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, a desk lamp, a bedside lamp, and a cell phone. In addition to innovative antenna design, at the heart of this tabletop is EPC's GaN power technology. GaN is making possible wireless power not only for our phones, but also for our homes.

GaN Laser Diode Driver for LiDAR

GaN Laser Diode Driver for LiDAR
LiDAR (Light Distancing and Ranging) uses pulsed lasers to rapidly create a three-dimensional image or map of a surrounding area. This technology is rapidly gaining traction in applications where this increased accuracy is vital, such as autonomous vehicles and augmented reality systems. Today’s eGaN® FETs and ICs switch ten times faster than the aging power MOSFET giving LiDAR systems superior resolution, faster response time, and greater accuracy.

GAN FET vs. MOSFET:  48 V – 1.8 V DC-DC Conversion

48 V – 1.8 V DC-DC Conversion Gen5 GaN FET vs. MOSFET
With its latest generation process, EPC has dealt another blow to the silicon MOSFET power element, bringing improved performance while decreasing the size and cost. This video shows a side-by-side comparison of a 100 V GaN FET outperforming a comparable MOSFET in a much smaller footprint with 30% less power loss and 3X the power density.

GAN FET vs. MOSFET:  150 V – 12 V DC-DC Conversion

150 V – 12 V DC-DC Conversion Gen5 GaN FET vs. MOSFET
EPC has dealt another blow to the silicon MOSFET power element, bringing improved performance while decreasing the size and cost. This video shows a side-by-side comparison of a 200 V GaN FET outperforming a comparable MOSFET in a much smaller footprint – 15X smaller – with 40% less power loss and 3X the power density.

Motor Drive Applications

Motor Drive Applications
In this video is an example of a 48 V, 10 A 3-phase GaN Inverter reference design from Texas Instruments using an LMG5200. A GaN solution has better thermal profiles where heat sinks can be eliminated and lower inductance reduces size and weight. Also reduced losses and torque ripple results in a more precise motor control. This reference design has an incredible efficiency rating of 98.5%!

eGaN FETs for Envelope Tracking

eGaN FETs for Envelope Tracking
Envelope tracking is a power supply technique for improving the energy efficiency of radio frequency power amplifiers by precisely tracking the power demand, as compared to today’s fixed-power systems. Envelope Tracking can double base station efficiency and increase cell phone talk time. In this video, we discuss the ultra-fast performance of our 60 W, 20 MHz bandwidth, 4-Phase, LTE compatible envelope tracking demonstration board using eGaN FETs.

700 W DCX DC-DC Conversion in Eighth-Brick DOSA Form Factor

eGaN Technology Enabling 700 W DCX DC-DC Conversion in Eighth-Brick DOSA Form Factor
This video showcases an 700 W DC-DC converter in an eighth-brick DC-DC converter running in DCX mode. This demo shows that eGaN FETs enable higher power density in traditional DC-DC brick footprints, due to gallium nitride’s superior switching characteristics, thermal performance, and small size.