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GaN devices have gone from initial R&D to mainstream designs over the last 15 years. Unfortunately, there are many misunderstandings left-over from those early-stage bipolar drive circuit developments or dead-end technology branches. One of the most pernicious is the topic of bipolar drive. In actuality, unipolar drives are the best way to drive eGaN® FETs.
Power Electronics Tips
October, 2022
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) introduces the 150 V, 6 mΩ EPC2308 GaN FET, offering higher performance and smaller solution size for high power density applications including DC-DC conversion, AC/DC SMPS and chargers, solar optimizers and microinverters, and motor drives.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— October 2022 — EPC, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN®) power FETs and ICs, expands the selection of off-the-shelf GaN FETs in thermally enhanced QFN packages with the introduction of the 150 V EPC2308 designed for motor drive in power tools and robots, high density DC-DC from/to 80 V-100 V for industrial applications, synchronous rectification to 28 V – 54 V for chargers, adaptors and power supplies, smartphones USB fast chargers, and in solar optimizers and microinverters.
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Gallium nitride devices are leading the innovation in power conversion. The benefits of GaN-based inverters are becoming increasingly evident in motor drive applications.
Power Electronics News
October, 2022
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As the level of automation increases in machines, detailed awareness of the surroundings becomes necessary. Time-of-flight based 3D imaging systems have become the eyes of machines. eGaN® technology has been the workhorse of laser drivers for these systems, enabling the resolution to make intelligent decisions.
Bodo’s Power Systems
October, 2022
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The EPC9176 GaN-based inverter reference design enhances motor drive system performance, range, precision, torque, all while simplifying design. The extremely small size of this inverter allows integration into the motor housing resulting in the lowest EMI, highest density, and lowest weight.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— October, 2022 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9176, a 3-phase BLDC motor drive inverter using the EPC23102 ePower™ Stage GaN IC with embedded gate driver function and two GaN FETs with 5.2 mΩ typical RDS(on). The EPC9176 operates from an input supply voltage between 20 V and 80 V and can deliver up to 28 Apk (20 ARMS). This voltage range and power level makes the solution ideal for a variety of 3-Phase BLDC motor drive applications with 36 V – 80 V input including eBikes, eScooters, power tools, drones, robots, DC servo, medical robots and factory automation.
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In this article, different power loop layouts are analyzed with simultaneous considerations for thermal management and electric parasitics.
The results show that an improved layout can provide a significant reduction in operating temperature rise while maintaining electrical performance benefits.
EE Power
October, 2022
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The development of gallium nitride technology has ushered in a new age for power electronics. The greater bandgap, critical field, and electron mobility are the three factors that affect GaN technology the most. To concentrate on expanding motor drive applications based on GaN technology in the e-mobility, robotics, drone, and industrial automation areas, EPC has opened a new design application center close to Turin, Italy.
EE Times Europe
September, 2022
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Alex Lidow, former CEO of International Rectifier and CEO of Efficient Power Conversion, is one of the few individuals to have pioneered two revolutionary power semiconductor technologies – the silicon power MOSFET and the gallium nitride HEMT. How did he come to have these two unique opportunities?
elektroniknet.de
September, 2022
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There is a commonly held belief in the industry that GaN devices are wasted on inverters for electric motors. After all, if the performance of the system is restricted by the use of a 20KHz PWM, then there can be little benefit in using a material that gains the majority of its advantages from faster switching speeds. However, according to Marco Palma, Director of Motor Drives Systems and Applications at EPC, there are some ways that GaN can still prove effective in that role.
Power Systems Design
September, 2022
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EPC’s inverter reference design is based around a GaN chip to reduce powertrain sizes
E-mobility Engineering
September, 2022
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New Motor Drive Center of Excellence (CoE) design center in Turin, Italy, to help customers exploit the power of GaN for growing motor drive applications
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— September, 2022 — EPC has opened a new design application center near Turin, Italy, to focus on growing motor drive applications based on GaN technology in the e-mobility, robotics, drones, and industrial automation markets. The specialist team will support customers in accelerating their design cycles and define future Integrated Circuits for power management with state-of-the art equipment to test applications from 400 W to 10’s of kW.
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GaN FETs in thermally enhanced QFN packages offer higher performance and smaller solution size for high power density applications, including DC-DC conversion, AC/DC chargers, solar optimizers and microinverters, motor drives, and Class D Audio
Power Electronics News
September, 2022
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) introduces the 100 V, 3.8 mΩ EPC2306 GaN FET, offering higher performance and smaller solution size for high power density applications including DC-DC conversion, AC/DC chargers, solar optimizers and microinverters, motor drives, and Class D Audio.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— September 2022 — EPC, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN®) power FETs and ICs, expands the selection of off-the-shelf GaN FETs in thermally enhanced QFN packages with the introduction of the 100 V EPC2306 designed for 48 V DC-DC conversion used in high-density computing applications, in 48 V BLDC motor drives for e-mobility and robotics, and in solar optimizers and microinverters, and Class D Audio.
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The 100 V EPC2218 GaN FETs alleviate space limitations to achieve higher frequency and power rating in BRC’s new M500/14 power optimizer
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— August 2022. BRC Solar GmbH has revolutionized the photovoltaic market with its power optimizer, increasing energy yield and performance of pv plants and systems. Designing-in Efficient Power Conversion’s EPC2218 100 V FETs into its next generation M500/14 power optimizer has enabled a higher current density due to the low power dissipation and the small size of the GaN FET making the critical load circuit more compact. The small parasitic capacitance and inductance of the GaN FETs creates a clean switching performance which allows good EMI behavior in the field. Another benefit of the GaN FETs is the zero reverse recovery losses.
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) introduces the latest ePower™ Stage IC that integrates a complete GaN half-bridge power stage capable of up to 35 A at 1 MHz operation offering higher performance and smaller solution size for high power density applications including DC-DC conversion, motor drives, and class-d audio amplifiers.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— August 2022 — EPC announces the introduction of a 100 V, 35 A integrated circuit designed for 48 V DC-DC conversion used in high-density computing applications and in 48 V BLDC motor drives for e-mobility, robotics, and drones.
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands its family of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) gallium nitride (GaN) products for power conversion solutions in critical spaceborne and other high-reliability environments with the addition of a fifth rad hard device to the product family.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— June 2022 — EPC announces the introduction of the EPC7004 radiation-hardened GaN FET. The EPC7004 is a 100 V, 7 mΩ, 160 APulsed, rad-hard GaN FET in a small 6.56 mm2 footprint. The EPC7004 has a total dose radiation rating greater than 1 Mrad and SEE immunity for LET of 85 MeV/(mg/cm2). The EPC7004, along with the rest of the Rad Hard family, EPC7014, EPC7007, EPC7019, EPC7018, are offered in a chip-scale package, the same as the commercial eGaN® FET and IC family. Packaged versions will be available from EPC Space.
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands its family of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) gallium nitride (GaN) products for power conversion solutions in critical spaceborne and other high-reliability environments with a 100 V device that has the lowest on-resistance of any 100 V rad hard transistor currently available on the market.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— June 2022 — EPC announces the introduction of the EPC7018 radiation-hardened GaN FET. The EPC7018 is a 100 V, 3.9 mΩ, 345 APulsed, rad-hard GaN FET in a small 13.9 mm2 footprint. The EPC7018 has a total dose radiation rating greater than 1 Mrad and SEE immunity for LET of 85 MeV/(mg/cm2). The EPC7018, along with the rest of the Rad Hard family, EPC7014, EPC7007, EPC7019, are offered in a chip-scale package, the same as the commercial eGaN® FET and IC family. Packaged versions will be available from EPC Space.
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) provides a forum for engineers to receive product support, ask questions, and share ideas on using GaN technology.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— June, 2022 — EPC announces the debut of a user community, the “GaN Talk Support Forum” as an environment for engineers to access product and design support and share ideas on the use of gallium nitride (GaN) based power technology. The forum was developed for engineers, engineering students, and all GaN enthusiasts and provides an opportunity for users to submit GaN-related questions and share ideas with the user community. Questions can be searched by topic category, top topics, or latest posts. Beyond submitting questions, users can share past questions and answers from within the forum via a ‘share’ link in the post.
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In this PCIM interview EPC CEO, Alex Lidow, explains how GaN FETs and ICs developed by EPC provide the short pulse widths needed for higher-resolution LiDAR that enable autonomy as well as other vision-based systems.
Electronic Design
May, 2022
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Join host Dr. Sanjay Gupta and guest Alex Lidow, CEO of Efficient Power Conversion – or EPC – in episode 5 as they explore the ways GaN is advancing the future of wireless charging. As wireless power increases in maturity and adoption, the industry needs solutions that improve performance, efficiency, and user experience. Gallium Nitride is essential to enabling higher power applications than can be achieved with traditional silicon, opening the door for charging multiple devices and more diverse devices, such as laptops, drones, robots, power tools, eBikes, and industrial equipment. Wireless charging circuits employing GaN transistors are also five to ten times smaller than silicon devices able to handle the same power levels.
AirFuel Alliance
May, 2022
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