Monolithic GaN integration has matured to the point that complex circuits such as a half bridge gate driver with various features can now be realized. This article will cover DC-to-DC and BLDC motor drive application examples that benefit from monolithic half-bridge integration.

Power Electronics News
May, 2023
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This article discusses the advantages of GaN-based power stages and introduces a sample device from EPC, implemented in a half-bridge topology. It explains how to use associated development kits to quickly get started on a project. In the process, designers will learn how to measure the parameters of a BLDC motor and operate it in sensorless field orientation control (FOC) with minimal programming effort using Microchip Technology’s motorBench Development Suite.

Digi-Key Electronics
April, 2023
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expands its family of footprint compatible ePower™ Stage ICs to boost power density and simplify design for different power requirements in DC-DC applications, motor drives, and class-d audio amplifiers.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 2023 — EPC announces the introduction of two new 100 V power stage ICs rated at 15 A (EPC23104) and 25 A (EPC23103). The two devices join the 100 V 35 A power stage IC EPC23102 offered by EPC.

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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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 R_DS(on). The EPC9176 operates from an input supply voltage between 20 V and 80 V and can deliver up to 28 Apk (20 A_RMS). 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.

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.  

The latest ePower™ integrated circuits based on gallium nitride technology by Efficient Power Conversion are revolutionizing motor drive applications such as industrial drones, e-bikes, scooters, power tools.

Bodo’s Power Systems
April, 2022
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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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Manufacturers of GaN power semiconductors showcased their latest products, from 100 V to 650-V devices at PCIM Europe. PCIM Europe showcased several presentations about the benefits and use cases of wide bandgap (WGG) semiconductors, including gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC). Several manufacturers, including EPC, GaN Systems, Infineon, Nexperia, and STMicroelectronics announced several new families of GaN power semiconductors during the week.

Electronic Products
May, 2021
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The EPC2152 ePower™ Stage enables higher performance and smaller solution size for high performance, low-cost BLDC motors as demonstrated in the EPC9146 demonstration board.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— May, 2021 — EPC announces the availability of the EPC9146, a 400 W motor drive demonstration. The EPC9146 power board contains three independently controlled half bridge circuits, featuring the EPC2152 monolithic ePower™ Stage with integrated gate driver, 80 V maximum device voltage, 15 A (10 A_RMS) maximum output current. The inverter board measures just 81 mm x 75 mm and achieve an efficiency of greater than 98.4% at 400 W output power.

GaN transistors and ICs allow increasing power density in motor drive applications by eliminating electrolytic capacitors in the input filter. The superior switching behavior of GaN helps to remove dead time and obtain un-matched sinusoidal voltage and current waveforms for smoother, silent operation.

Bodo’s Power Systems
April, 2021
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) announces that the EPC2152 ePower™ Stage IC has received the 2020 Elektra Award for Semiconductor Product of the Year (Analogue).

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 2021 — EPC’s ePower™ stage, EPC2152 Integrated Circuit (IC), has been honored with an Elektra Award 2020 in the Semiconductor Product of the Year – Analogue category. The award presentation was announced on March 25^th during a virtual awards ceremony hosted by Electronics Weekly. These prestigious annual awards have been running for over 19 years to reward and recognize companies and individuals for their excellent performance, innovation, and contribution to the global electronics industry. Judging is carried out by an independently and unbiased, diverse, and knowledgeable panel of industry experts.

GaN technology is developing rapidly with frequent releases of new generations of discrete devices that become the platform for new generations of more efficient, smaller, and lower cost integrated circuits. GaN integrated circuits make products smaller, faster, more efficient, and easier to design.

Power Systems Design
March, 2021 (page 36)
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EPC’s ePower™ Stage EPC2152 Integrated Circuit has been selected as a finalist in the Semiconductor Product of the Year – Analogue category, in this year’s Elektra Awards.  These prestigious annual awards have been running for over 19 years to reward and recognize companies and individuals for their excellent performance, innovation and contribution to the global electronics industry.

Companies are invited to enter individual categories and must demonstrate how innovative their product is, how it addresses its intended application better than incumbent products and what additional applications or markets could be opened-up.  Judging is carried out by an independently and unbiased, diverse, and knowledgeable panel of industry experts.  Due to the current COVID restrictions the Elektra Awards ceremony this year will be held virtually on 25th March and the winners announced during the event.

Just like life’s reality, when the aged leaves the center stage for the younger ones, Silicon is taking the bow. The advent and adoption of Gallium Nitride (GaN) have succeeded in gradually easing out the old reliable Silicon. For over four decades, power management efficiency and cost have improved steadily as innovations in power MOSFET structures, technology, and circuit topologies have kept pace with the growing need for electrical power. In the new millennium, however, the rate of improvement has slowed dramatically as the silicon power MOSFET approaches its theoretical bounds. At the same time, the new material, GaN is steadily progressing on its journey toward a theoretical performance boundary that is 6,000 times better than the aging silicon MOSFET and 300 times better than the best GaN products on the market today.

EEWeb
July 16, 2020
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Beyond just performance and cost improvement, the most significant opportunity for GaN technology to impact the power conversion market comes from its intrinsic ability to integrate multiple devices on the same substrate. GaN technology, as opposed to standard silicon IC technology, allows designers to implement monolithic power systems on a single chip in a more straightforward and cost-effective way.

Bodo’s Power Systems
May, 2020
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Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) introduces the first of a new integrated circuit (IC) product family offering higher performance and smaller solution size for high power density applications including DC-DC conversion, motor drive, and Class-D audio.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— March 2020 — EPC announces the introduction of an 80 V, 12.5 A power stage integrated circuit designed for 48 V DC-DC conversion used in high-density computing applications and in motor drives for e-mobility.