Power Integrations has released two new devices, adding two AEC-Q100 compliant 1700V rated ics to the InnoSwitch™3-AQ product line. These new devices are the industry's first automotive class switching power IC to utilize silicon carbide (SiC) primary switching mosFeTs. The new IC can provide up to 70W of output power and is intended primarily for 600V and 800V pure battery and fuel cell passenger vehicles, as well as electric buses, trucks and a variety of industrial power applications

     The highly integrated InnoSwitch IC reduces the number of components in the power supply by up to 50%, saving significant board space, enhancing system reliability and alleviating component sourcing challenges. The award-winning InnoSwitch product family now has cost-effective silicon devices, high-efficiency gallium nitride (GaN) devices and high-voltage SiC transistors available to help designers optimize their power solutions in a wide range of consumer electronics, computer, communications, industrial and automotive applications.


     "800V batteries are becoming standard in electric vehicles," said Peter Vaughan, director of Automotive business development at Power Integrations. Multiple vehicle systems are connected to this powerful power source, but ingenious electronic control circuits need only a few volts to work and communicate. Circuits using InnoSwitch devices can safely draw a small amount of energy from the main and parent wires for the control circuit using a small amount of board area, without wasting energy. Most notably, the new device also significantly simplifies the design of the main traction inverter's emergency power supply. Emergency power needs to be ready to operate at any voltage between 30V and 1000V. Our SIC-based InnoSwitch3-AQ device easily handles such a wide range of operating voltages."


     The new IC takes the compact InSOP™-24D package and uses the FluxLink™ feedback link to provide enhanced insulation for secondary side control with up to 5000 volts RMS. FluxLink technology can directly detect the output voltage, and its advantage is that it can provide high precision control and extremely fast dynamic response characteristics. Without the need for an external circuit, the power supply can operate at 30V input voltage, which is essential to meet the requirements of functional safety. Other protection features include input undervoltage protection, output overvoltage protection, and overcurrent limitation.


     The new device is also integrated with a synchronous rectifying and quasi-resonant (QR)/CCM flyback controller that achieves over 90% efficiency, easily meeting the most stringent OEM requirements. The no-load power consumption of the power supply using this scheme can be less than 15mW, which can reduce the self-discharge of the battery in the battery management system.


     The InnoSwitch3-AQ 1700V device is also suitable for industrial applications, replacing discrete controller plus MOSFET design with an integrated solution that saves space, time and cost while improving reliability for applications such as renewable energy, industrial motor drives, battery storage and meters.