Accelerate the Design Cycles of SiC-based Power Converters using Littelfuse Gate Drive Evaluation Platform

Jan 17, 2020

Littelfuse has announced the availibility of their Gate Drive Evaluation Platform (GDEV). The new evaluation platform helps designers evaluate SiC MOSFETs, SiC Schottky diodes, and other peripheral components like gate driver circuitry, so that they can better understand how silicon carbide technologies will behave in converter applications under continuous operating conditions.

The GDEV offers quick connect header pin terminals that allow for rapid and consistent comparison of different gate drive circuits, unlike most other SiC evaluation platforms. The GDEV supports an 800 V DC link input voltage and up to 200 kHz switching frequency.

Typical markets and applications for the GDEV include:

• Automotive EC/HEV Charging Stations
• Industrial Power Supplies
• Datacenter Servers
• Telecom Base Stations
• Solar / Wind Power Inverters

 “The Gate Drive Evaluation Platform (GDEV) is a critical addition to our SiC technology portfolio because SiC is still relatively new and there are some unknowns surrounding the operating characteristics under various conditions,” said Corey Deyalsingh, Director, Power Control at Littelfuse.  “The GDEV helps engineers understand the operating characteristics of SiC devices. By utilizing this evaluation platform, designers will be better informed about the incredibly energy efficient opportunities that SiC technologies present. Equipped with that knowledge, we anticipate that designers will be more likely to incorporate SiC into their future designs.”

The Gate Drive Evaluation Platform from Littelfuse enables users to:

• Evaluate continuous operation of SiC power MOSFETs and diodes under rated voltage and rated current, delivering real power to the load.
• Analyze system-level impacts associated with SiC-based designs including efficiency improvements, EMI emissions and passive components (size, weight, cost).
• Compare the performance of different gate driver solutions under well-defined and optimized test conditions.
• Test gate driving circuits under continuous working conditions to evaluate gate driver thermal performance and EMI immunity.

To learn more, read the Gate Drive Evaluation Platform application note.

Requests for the Gate Drive Evaluation Platform can be placed through authorized Littelfuse distributors worldwide. 

Visit Littelfuse.com for a listing of Littelfuse distributors.