GaN Talk Blog

As humanoid robots evolve to replicate human movement with precision and agility, engineers face an increasing demand for compact, efficient, and responsive motor drives. The EPC91120 reference design demonstrates how GaN integration enables inverter electronics to be embedded directly inside robotic joints—reducing weight, improving efficiency, and enhancing motion control.

As server and data center operators demand higher efficiency and greater power density, power supply designers are increasingly turning to gallium nitride (GaN) technology. GaN’s fast switching speeds, low losses, and compact device footprints enable system architectures that would be impractical with silicon.

As artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and space systems redefine what’s possible in power electronics, gallium nitride (GaN) technology continues to lead the transformation. In a recent interview with Electronic Product Design & Test (EPDT), Dr. Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of EPC, shared his perspective on how GaN is reshaping the semiconductor landscape — and what’s next for this fast-evolving technology.

As gallium nitride (GaN) adoption accelerates in applications from data centers and robotics to automotive and consumer electronics, packaging plays an increasingly critical role. EPC’s thermally enhanced power quad flat no-lead (PQFN) packages deliver the performance and density engineers demand, but success in real-world systems depends on one thing: reliable assembly.

A motor drive inverter reference design featuring a wide input range from 30 V to 140 V is suitable for battery systems of 80 V, 110 V, and more. Examples of applications include industrial automation systems, agricultural machinery, and material handling equipment such as forklifts. This blog post discusses the design of an off-the-shelf reference design for these systems, with a focus on the PCB layout developed to optimize the performance of the GaN FETs used.

In the race for higher power density and  efficiency, the EPC91109 evaluation board was designed to showcase the full capabilities of gallium nitride (GaN) FETs in USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) and other compact applications.

If you're developing next-generation portable power systems, the EPC91109 gives you a hands-on preview of how GaN can unlock performance that silicon simply can’t match.

The future of humanoid robotics depends on compact, efficient, and reliable motion control. Every gram, every millimeter, and every milliwatt matters. That’s why EPC developed the EPC91118: a 3-phase BLDC motor drive reference design specifically shaped for integration inside humanoid robot joints—featuring monolithic GaN ICs that deliver unmatched power density and switching performance.

Designing compact, efficient BLDC motor drives for 96–150 V battery systems presents a unique set of challenges. The power stage must handle moderate voltages with fast switching and low conduction losses, all while maintaining robust current sensing and protection features. Until now, there has been no off-the-shelf reference design that directly addresses this operating point.

Explore the EPC91116 eval board—an affordable, automotive-qualified platform for high-speed iToF laser drivers using the EPC2203 eGaN FET and low-cost gate drive. Accelerating Automotive iToF Development with the EPC91116 Evaluation Board

As humanoid robots become essential tools across industries like healthcare and logistics, precise motor control for intricate movements, such as wrist and toe articulation, is critical. The EPC91104 motor drive inverter reference design is tailored for compact, high-precision motor applications.