EPC Technical Articles

Design High-Efficiency Solar Optimizers with GaN FETs

Enhancing Photovoltaic System Performance with Compact, Reliable, Cost-Effective GaN Technology

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— December, 2024 — Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC), the world leader in enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN®) power devices, proudly announces the launch of the EPC9178, the latest reference design for photovoltaic (PV) optimizers. Designed to deliver high reliability while addressing critical challenges in energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness through the reduction of passive components in solar energy systems, the EPC9178 demonstrates the transformative potential of GaN technology for renewable energy solutions.

GaN ICs simplify Motor Joint Inverter Design for Humanoid Robots

Battery-powered applications such as new-generation robots, drones, and power tools require a reduction in space and a simplification of the design to control electric motors. Optimizing size and components results in innovative solutions that include more functions in a small space without losing efficiency and performance. EPC ePower™ Stage ICs technology helps to simplify and improve the inverter design in advanced motor control applications.

Bodo’s Power Systems
June, 2024
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Power Steering with GaN ePower™ ICs

With Electronic Power Steering (EPS), the hydraulic system is replaced with an electric motor that aids the driver only when needed. Its digital assistance control can be modified online to adapt to driving conditions. There are, however, several design constraints to consider. One is that the driver does not want to lack the haptic feedback from the tires, especially when a vehicle is large, such as a truck. Other constraints are determined by safety regulations, particularly for automatic guided vehicles. These constraints require adopting an efficient, accurate and redundant system. Gallium nitride technology helps the designers in all these areas.

Power Electronics News
March, 2023
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GaN-based Design of a 2 kW 48 V/12 V Bi-directional Power Module for 48 V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles

With the increase in government mandates to combat climate change, automakers are moving quickly to leverage new technology to respond by switching from the internal combustion engine to electric-drive vehicles. This article presents the design of a 2 kW, two-phase 48 V/12 V bi-directional converter using GaN FETs that achieves 96% efficiency and is targeted for the 48 V mild hybrid system.

PSD North America
March, 2023
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Bi-directional power module for 48 V mild hybrid electric vehicles

An exploration of a GaN-based design of a 2 kW 48V/12V bi-directional power module for 48 V mild hybrid electric vehicles.

Electronics Today
January, 2023
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Richtek and EPC team up to create small 140-watt fast-charging solution

Richtek, the global leading analog IC design company has teamed up with EPC, the leading provider of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power management technology to launch a new reference design for fast charging applications, achieving high power density and up to 98% efficiency.

DigiTimes
January, 2023
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eBook: The Next Silicon Frontier

Despite the continued progress in traditional transistor scaling, the semiconductor industry has reached an inflection point. The demand for faster, smaller, smarter, and more energy-efficient chips calls for new design and manufacturing paradigms. This eBook includes contributions from technology and market experts Malcolm Penn, Future Horizons; Tim Burgess and Bernd Westhoff, Renesas Electronics; Jean-Christophe Eloy, Yole Group; Luc Van den hove, imec; Ezgi Dogmus, Poshun Chiu, and Taha Ayari, Yole Intelligence; Alex Lidow, Efficient Power Conversion; Victor Veliadis, PowerAmerica; Richard Collins and Yu-Han Chang, IDTechEx; and Jean-René Lèquepeys, CEA-Leti.

EETimes
December, 2022
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eGaN FETs Enable More Than 4-kW/in3 Power Density for 48 V to 12 V Power Conversion

Growing computational power and miniaturization of electronics in computing and data centers is increasingly putting pressure on 48-V power delivery and conversion systems. High-efficiency and high-power–density converters enable a reduction in power losses at the system level while allowing smaller form factors. In this context, LLC resonant topologies combined with GaN technology succeed to deliver outstanding performance, as it has been demonstrated with multiple examples. This article will show the key design parameters and components to achieve beyond 4 kW/in3 of power density in a 48-V to 12-V LLC converter using eGaN® FETs.

Power Electronics News
December, 2022
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GaN-Based Low-Voltage Inverter for Electric Scooter Drive System

This paper deals with the application of the latest generation low voltage (up to 80 V) Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices for motor drive applications in the field of electric micro-mobility. A two-level inverter topology oriented to light electric traction (such as electric scooters) with a power rate of 1500 W has been considered. An experimental board using two GaN FETs in parallel connection for each switch of an inverter leg has been arranged. The intrinsic parameters spread of the device, as well as the leakage inductances of both the circuit and the PCB, to evaluate the impact on the current share during both the transient phase and in the steady state have been investigated. In the paper, several simulation runs have been carried out and described. Furthermore, the inverter experimental board has been used to evaluate the phase voltages and currents at different load conditions. Finally, the temperature limits versus phase current variation have been evaluated.

IEEE 2022 AEIT International Annual Conference (AEIT)
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Note: This site requires IEEE membership to access full paper.

Next-Generation GaN Technology Doubles Power Density

In this article EPC explains the improved performance in their Gen 6 GaN FETs and how the resulting devices can achieve the same RDS(on) as previous generation devices in die that are half the size.

How2Power
November, 2022
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GaN Power Behind Mild Hybrid Vehicle Electrification

With increasing legislation aimed at higher fuel efficiency standards, vehicle manufacturers are searching for cost-effective solutions to meet these demands while still providing the power required for ever-increasing electronically driven functions.  This article details a bi-directional high power converter for mild-hybrid cars and battery backup units using GaN FETs to achieve efficiency exceeding 96% when converting from 48 V to 14.3 V at 500 kHz switching frequency.

Power Electronics Europe
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Podcast: electronica 2022 preview

From Nov. 15 to 18, electronica 2022 will bring the international electronics industry together at the Munich exhibition grounds. Wide Bandgap Semiconductors, Renewable Energies, Smart Grid, and Energy Storage will be the major topics covered by the Power Electronics Forum at electronica 2022. In this podcast, onsemi president and CEO Hassane El-Khoury, Silanna Semiconductor North America CEO Mark Drucker, and of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) CEO Alex Lidow will introduce the Power Electronics Forum. Interview with Alex Lidow starts at 31:55

EETimes
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Dispelling Myths: Don’t believe it when they say you need a bipolar gate drive for eGaN FETs

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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GaN ePower Stage ICs Bring Logic-In, Power-Out Simplicity to Motor Drive Applications

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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Chasing the Speed of Light

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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PCB Power Loop Layout for Chip-scale Package GaN FETs Optimizes Electrical and Thermal Performance

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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Dispelling a Myth – GaN and Motor Drivers

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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Reference design aimed at e-bikes

EPC’s inverter reference design is based around a GaN chip to reduce powertrain sizes

E-mobility Engineering
September, 2022
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Packaged GaN FETs Offers Footprint Compatible Solutions to Optimize Performance vs. Cost

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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Interview with Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) Corporation

Easy Engineering interviewed EPC’s Director of Marketing, Renee Yawger, on the current state of GaN adoption and the future of GaN technology.

Easy Engineering
May, 2022
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