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Automotive 48 V/12 V converters are essential in modern hybrid electric vehicles, as the energy is exchanged between the 48 V and 12 V buses. This two-voltage system accommodates legacy 12 V systems and provides higher power for 48V to loads such as vacuum and water pumps, electric super chargers, steering, and audio systems. Among all the requirements for the 48 V/12 V converter, efficiency, power density, size and cost are on the top of the list. This article addresses these design criteria by employing the GaN ePower™ Stage, EPC23101, and compares it with a previous design using discrete EPC2206 devices.
Bodo’s Power Systems
March, 2022
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The EPC9167 GaN-based inverter reference design enhances motor system performance, range, precision, torque, all while lowering overall system cost. The extremely small size of this inverter allows integration into the motor housing resulting in the lowest EMI, highest density, and lowest weight.
Robotics Tomorrow
March, 2022
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Video Interview - Efficient Power Conversion’s CEO, Alex Lidow, talks with Electronic Design about the future of gallium nitride (GaN), the rate of GaN adoption and its use in power supplies and other technologies.
Electronic Design
March, 2022
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In this article, the most common reasons for some customers to be slower in their embracing what is clearly a displacement technology for their older silicon-based power MOSFETs will be discussed. Without going into the detailed statistics, a list of reasons, in order of frequency is derived. This list is based upon the understanding that some applications will place higher emphasis than others on certain characteristics of GaN. Our discussion is limited to devices rated at less than 400 V, as that is the application focus for Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) FET and IC products.
Power Systems Design
March, 2022
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EPC’s GaN Experts will be available during APEC, exhibiting various demonstrations showcasing how GaN technology’s superior performance is transforming the delivery of power across many industries, including computing, communications, and emobility.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — March 2022 — The EPC team will be delivering multiple technical presentations, as well as a professional seminar on gallium nitride (GaN) technology and applications at the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC 2022) in Houston from March 20th through the 24th (See detailed schedule below). In addition, the company will demonstrate its latest eGaN® FETs and ICs in a large variety of customer end products in booth #1307.
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A bidirectional converter developed by gallium nitride specialist EPC in collaboration with MPS operates at an advertised peak efficiency of 97 percent.
EETimes
February, 2022
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The EPC9167 GaN-based inverter reference design enhances motor system performance, range, precision, torque, all while lowering overall system cost. 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.— February, 2022 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9167, a 3-phase BLDC motor drive inverter using the EPC2065 eGaN® FET. The EPC9167 operates from an input supply voltage between 14 V and 60 V (nominal 48 V) and has two configurations – a standard unit and a high current version:
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A few simple thermal management guidelines can help conduct heat away from GaN FETs. Enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) FETs offer high power-density with ultra-fast switching and low on-resistance, all in a compact form factor. However, the power levels these high-performance devices provide can be limited by extreme heat-flux densities. If not managed properly, the generated heat can compromise reliability and performance. Fortunately, chip-scale packaging for eGaN FETs can be leveraged at the board-side and the backside (i.e., case) to better dissipate heat.
Power Electronics Tips
February, 2022
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The EPC9165 is a two-phase, regulated output voltage, 48 V – 14 V bidirectional converter that delivers 2 kW with 96.8% peak efficiency
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— February 2022 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9165, a 2 kW, two-phase 48 V – 14 V bidirectional converter that operates with 97 % peak efficiency in a small footprint. This solution is ideal for high-density and high-power 48V battery packs such as those required for eMobility and light mobility.
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This article presents the design and performance of an automotive buck/reverse-boost converter with GaN for efficient 48 V power distribution.
Electronics Today
December/January Edition
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Demonstrating the design of a bi-directional DC-DC converter for automotive 48 V power distribution, showing how GaN technology is a powerful enabler for efficient electrification. The trend towards increasing electrification in the automotive industry enables car makers both to deliver new innovations to market cost-effectively and to meet increasingly stringent emissions legislation. Raising the vehicle’s main bus voltage to 48 V helps meet the demands of power-hungry
systems such as the start-stop motor/generator of a mild hybrid vehicle, as well as loads such as electric power steering, electric supercharging, and vacuum and water pumps.
Bodo’s Power Systems
December, 2021
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EPC has introduced a 100 V, 65 A integrated circuit chipset 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. The EPC23101 eGaN IC plus EPC2302 eGaN FET offers an ePower Chipset capable of a maximum withstand voltage of 100 V, delivering up to 65 A load current, while capable of switching speeds greater than 1 MHz.
Bodo’s Power Systems
February, 2022
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) publishes Phase-14 Reliability Report, which adds to the extensive knowledge and demonstrates a robustness capability unmatched by silicon power devices.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— February 2022 — EPC announces its Phase-14 Reliability Report, documenting the strategy used to achieve a remarkable field reliability record. The rapid adoption of GaN devices in many diverse applications calls for the continued accumulation of reliability statistics and research into the fundamental physics of failure in GaN devices. The Phase-14 Reliability Report presents the strategy used to measure and predict lifetime based upon tests that force devices to fail under various conditions. This information can be used to create more robust and and higher performance products for applications such as lidar for autonomous cars, robotics, security, and drones, high power density computing, and satellites, to name just a few.
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The EPC9170 is a two-phase, regulated output voltage, 48 V – 14 V bidirectional converter that delivers 2 kW with 96.8% peak efficiency
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— January 2022 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9170, a 2 kW, two-phase 48 V – 14 V bidirectional converter that operates with 96.8% peak efficiency in a small footprint. The board features the ePower™ 100 V, 65 A integrated circuit chipset. The chipset includes the EPC23101 eGaN® IC plus EPC2302 eGaN® FET for a solution capable of a maximum withstand voltage of 100 V, delivering up to 65 A load current, while capable of switching speeds greater than 1 MHz.
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) provides engineers with a growing array of design tools, models, and performance simulations for high performance GaN-based designs.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— January, 2022 — EPC announces the debut of the GaN Power Bench™, a suite of design tools to assist engineers in getting the optimal performance from their GaN-based designs. eGaN® FETs and ICs provide the fast switching, high efficiency and small size that can meet the stringent power density requirements of today’s leading-edge applications. The tools in the GaN Power Bench assist designers in the selection of the best GaN device for the application, simulate and optimize the thermal performance of the design, and provide application examples with all the supporting documentation needed to quickly and easily replicate the optimal design tips necessary for ideal performance.
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Wide-bandgap semiconductors like gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) are changing how people are thinking about power. In this video, Electronic Design talks to Alex Lidow, Founder and CEO of Efficient Powert Conversion (EPC), about the growing role of GaN in advanced embedded applications like automotive, among others such as space.
Electronic Design
January, 2022
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The year 2021 was a transitional year in which the world decided to open its doors to GaN. In this interview with Power Electronics News during CES week, GaN industry experts confirmed that GaN is now proving its superiority over silicon.
Power Electronics News
January, 2022
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The combination of the Renesas two-phase synchronous GaN boost controller with ultra-efficient eGaN® FETs from EPC (Efficient Power Conversion) enables high power density and low-cost DC-DC conversion.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— January, 2022 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9166, a 500 W DC-DC demo board that converts a 12 V input to 48 V output. The EPC9166 demo board demonstrates the Renesas ISL81807 80 V two-phase synchronous boost controller with the latest generation EPC2218 eGaN FETs from EPC to achieve greater than 96.5% efficiency in a 12 V input to 48 V regulated output conversion with 500 kHz switching frequency. The output voltage can be configured to 36 V, 48 V, and 60 V. The board can deliver 480 W power without a heatsink.
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In the field of motion control, there is a growing use of GaN devices, especially in low voltage applications. This paper provides guidelines for designers on the optimal use of GaN FETs in motor control applications, identifying the advantages and discussing the main issues.
Energies Journal
October, 2021
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Mature, low-cost manufacturing and proven reliability spur use in EVs, smartphones, and consumer electronics.
Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has logged more than 100 emerging applications for its eGaN FETs and ICs. Alex Lidow, the company’s CEO, said the five fastest-growing applications are lidar systems for robotics, drones, consumer products, driver alertness systems, and autonomous vehicles; DC-DC converters for AI systems, servers, and telecom power systems; motor drives for e-mobility and robotics; satellite systems, including motor drives and DC-DC power supplies that require radiation hardness; and solar power point trackers.
Semiconductor Engineering
December, 2021
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