EPC announced the introduction of the EPC9158, A dual output synchronous step-down converter reference design that operates at 500 kHz switching frequency. It converts input voltages from 48 V to 54 V to 12 V stabilized outputs, providing up to 25 A current per phase or 50 A total continuous current. ADI's new LTC7890 synchronous gallium nitride step-down controller, combined with EPC's ultra-efficient GaN FET, provides a small plate area and very efficient solution for high power density applications. The solution achieves 96.5% efficiency at 48 V/12 V and 50 A continuous current.
The high power density makes the solution ideal for computing, industrial, consumer and telecommunications power systems that require small size and high efficiency. eGaN® FET switches are fast, efficient, and small enough to meet the demanding high power density requirements of these leading-edge applications.
The EPC9158 reference design uses a 100 V enhanced gallium nitride field-effect transistor (EPC2218) and LTC7890 two-phase analog step-down controller with an integrated gallium nitride driver. EPC9158 has an efficiency of over 96.5% at 12 V output and 48 V input. In addition to light load operating mode and adjustable dead zone time, the board provides undervoltage locking, overcurrent protection, and power good output.
The LTC7890 is a 100-V, low-IQ, dual-path, two-phase synchronous step-down controller that is fully optimized to drive the EPC's GaN FeTs and integrates a half-bridge driver and intelligent boot-up diode. Optimized dead-time or programmable dead-time is close to zero, and programmable switching frequencies can be up to 3 MHz. 5 uA static current (VIN = 48 V, VOUT = 5 V, CH1 only) enables very low standby power consumption and excellent light load efficiency.
The EPC2218 is a 100 V GaN Feet with 3.2 mOhm maximum on-resistance, 10.5 nC QG, 1.5 nC QGD, 46 nC QOSS and no Reverse recovery (QRR), and an ultra-small space occupying area of only 3.5 mm x 1.95 mm. Can provide up to 60 A continuous current and 231 A peak current. Superior dynamic parameters enable very small switching loss at 500 kHz switching frequency.
"GaN FeTs enable DC/DC converters with the highest power density available," said Alex Lidow, CEO of Epp Power Converters. We are pleased to partner with ADI to combine its advanced controllers with EPC's high-performance gallium nitride devices to provide customers with solutions that have the highest power density and employ a small number of components, resulting in increased efficiency, increased power density and reduced system costs."
"ADI's LTC7890 leverages the high performance benefits of EPC eGaN FeTs for high power density solutions," said Tae Han, ADI Senior Product Marketing Manager. The LTC7890 enables higher switching frequencies and optimized dead time for superior performance and lower power consumption compared to existing solutions on the market. "With these new controllers, customers can take advantage of the high-speed switching capabilities of gallium nitride devices to achieve the highest power density."
