As the outer reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere and space are opened to commercial development, motors will become increasingly important to systems places there for various functions. With the inevitability of manufacturing in space, motors – including their drivers – will take on even more functions. Of equal importance will be the motor drivers selected to drive those motors efficiently and reliably.

Components in Electronics
October, 2021
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The EPC9163 is a two-phase, 48 V – 12 V bidirectional converter that delivers 2 kW with 96.5% efficiency in small solution size for mild-hybrid cars and battery power backup units.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— November, 2021 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9163, a 2 kW, two-phase 48 V – 12 V bidirectional converter that operates with 96.5 % efficiency in a very small footprint. The design of this demonstration board is scalable; that is, two converters can be paralleled to achieve 4 kW or three converters can be paralleled to achieve 6 kW. The board features eight EPC2218 100 V eGaN^® FETs and is controlled by a module that includes the Microchip dsPIC33CK256MP503 16-bit digital controller.

EPC introduces the 40 V, 1.3 milliohm EPC2067 eGaN^® FET offering designers a device that is smaller, more efficient, and more reliable than MOSFETs for high-performance, space-constrained applications.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — October 2021 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power FETs and ICs, expands the selection of low voltage, off-the-shelf gallium nitride transistors with the introduction of the EPC2067 (1.3 mΩ typical, 40 V) eGaN FET. 

A 50 W, 12 V to 60 V eGaN^® FET-based synchronous boost converter achieves 95.3% peak efficiency with low temperature rise with a simple, low-cost topology.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— October, 2021 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9162, a bi-directional buck or reverse-boost converter.  This demonstration board features the 100 V EPC2052 for the synchronous converter, and the EPC2038 in the synchronous bootstrap FET circuit. 

This month has been a busy one in the FET space. Here are a few FETs from EPC, UnitedSiC, and Intel that depart from traditional silicon transistors in interesting ways.

All About Circuits
October, 2021
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The design of an LLC resonant converter illustrates how eGaN FETs can shrink the physical size of modern supply circuitry.

Power Electronic Tips
October, 2021
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GaN devices and applications, such as lidar, DC-DC conversion, motor drive, and low-cost satellites using gallium nitride FETs and ICs, form the focus of this book, GaN Power Devices and Applications.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — October 2021 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power FETs and ICs, announces the publication of a valuable learning resource for professional engineers, systems designers, and electrical engineering students seeking the latest information on gallium nitride technology and applications. 

GaN transistors and ICs increase power density in motor drive applications. An optimal lay-out approach allows obtaining ring-free output switching waveforms and clean current reconstruction signals either from leg shunts or from in-phase shunts.

EEPower
October, 2021
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The new gallium nitride (GaN) family aims to deliver time-of-flight (ToF) applications for autonomous cars and 3D sensing across the consumer and industrial sectors. In an interview with EE Times, Alex Lidow, CEO at EPC, highlighted how introducing the eToF Laser Driver family’s for LiDAR system design at a low cost competes with the Mosfet when it comes to LiDAR applications.

EEWeb
September, 2021
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — September 2021 — Idle power consumption and overall efficiency were key concerns of innosonix GmBH when designing its latest high-end Maxx Series multi-channel power amplifier. By changing from traditional silicon FETs to EPC’s EPC2059 eGaN FET the company reduced idle loss by 35% and lowered the on resistance to increase the total power efficiency by 5%.

The EPC2059 is a 6.8 mΩ, 170 V enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) transistor offering superior audio performance for high-end amplifier applications. The low on resistance and low capacitance of the EPC2059 enables high efficiency and lowers open loop impedance for low Transient Intermodulation Distortion (T-IMD). The fast-switching capability and zero reverse recovery charge enable higher output linearity and low cross over distortion for lower Total Harmonic Distortion (THD).

Gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors allow for innovation in the harsh radiation environments of space applications.

Electronics Weekly
September, 2021
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Unlike silicon, whereby specific manufacturing processes and packaging are required to insulate semiconductors from the effects of radiation, GaN devices are largely resistant to the damage caused by space radiation due to their physical characteristics and structure. In an interview with Alex Lidow, CEO at EPC, Power Electronic News have discovered the features of GaN for space applications.

Power Electronics News
September, 2021
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EPC introduces the 40 V, 1.6 milliohm EPC2069 eGaN^® FET, offering designers a device that is smaller, more efficient, and more reliable than currently available devices for high performance, space-constrained applications.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — September 2021 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power FETs and ICs, advances the performance capability of low voltage, off-the-shelf gallium nitride transistors with the introduction of the EPC2069 (1.6 mΩ typical, 40 V) eGaN FET. 

Over the past decade computers, displays, smart phones and other consumer electronics systems have become thinner while also becoming more powerful. As a result, the market continues to increase its demand for thinner power supply solutions with greater power density. This article examines the feasibility of adopting various non-isolated dc-dc step-down topologies for an ultra-thin 48 V to 20 V rated to 250 W. It examines the pros and cons of various non-isolated topologies and how the topology impacts the choice of the power transistors and magnetics, specifically the inductors, as these two components account for the bulk of the losses in a converter. The article also undertakes a detailed analysis of the challenges to design thin inductors for these applications, including examining the factors that drive inductor losses, inductor size, and the design tradeoffs, including the impact on EMI. For this work, an ultrathin multilevel converter topology was selected, built, and tested. The experimental results obtained from this converter were used to further refine the operating setting and component selections that resulted in a peak efficiency exceeding 98%.

Michael de Rooij, EPC
Quentin Laidebeur, Würth Elektronik

IEEE Power Electronics Magazine
September, 2021
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With the continuous and fast-paced growth of data processing infrastructures, higher power levels that can be delivered in smallest areas are demanded.

Power Systems Design
September, 2021
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With the growing adoption of and increasing applications for GaN, Bodo Arlt has taken the opportunity to talk to EPC’s CEO and Co-Founder, Alex Lidow to discuss what he believes is the next big market for this evolving technology

Bodo’s Power Systems
September, 2021
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A roundtable discussion with GaN industry experts hosted by Bodo’s Power Systems. Guests included:

1. Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion
2. Doug Bailey, Vice President Marketing & Applications Engineering at Power Integrations
3. Dilder Chowdhury, Director, Strategic Marketing, Power GaN Technology at Nexperia
4. Tom Ribarich, Sr. Director Strategic Marketing at Navitas Semiconductor

Gallium nitride and silicon carbide are designated wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors based on the energy required to shift electrons in these materials from the valence to the conduction band — about 3.2 eV for SiC and 3.4 eV for GaN, compared with just 1.1 eV for silicon. The WBG properties lead to a higher applicable breakdown voltage, which can reach up to 1,700 V in some applications. At this year’s digital only PCIM Europe, held in May, several companies showed their latest innovations in GaN and SiC and offered insights on where WBG technology is headed.

EE Times – Europe
July, 2021
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Technology for space applications has been an important part of 2021, thus more components are coming out that are rad-hard. Recently, two new FETS have come out, what do they bring to this space?

All About Circuits
June, 2021
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These new generation eGaN^® FETs address the new needs of the eMobility, delivery and logistic robot, and drone markets for compact BLDC motor drives and cost-effective high-resolution Time of Flight.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— June, 2021 — EPC, the world’s leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power FETs and ICs, advances the performance capability while lowering the cost for off-the-shelf gallium nitride transistors with the introduction of EPC2065 and EPC2054