Automtive
Texas Instruments introduces silicon carbide gate drivers to maximize electric vehicle range.
On May 18, 2023, Texas Instruments (TI) launched a highly integrated functional safety compliance isolated gate driver. The new UCC5880-Q1 features enable electric vehicle powertrain engineers to improve power density, Reduce system design complexity and cost while achieving its safety and performance goals.
As electric vehicles become increasingly popular, semiconductor innovations in traction inverter systems can help overcome some of the key technical barriers preventing their widespread adoption. Automakers can use the UCC5880-Q1 to design and build safer, more efficient and more reliable silicon carbide (SiC) and insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) traction inverters with real-time variable gate drive capability, serial peripheral interface (SPI), power module monitoring and protection, and functional safety diagnostics.
"Designers of high-voltage applications such as traction inverters face a unique set of challenges in delivering higher system efficiency and reliability in tight spaces," said Wenjia Liu, product line manager for high-voltage drives at Texas Instruments. The isolated gate driver not only helps engineers maximize driving range, but also reduces external component count and design complexity by integrating safety features. It also easily integrates with other high-voltage power conversion products such as the UCC14141- Q1 Isolated Auxiliary Power Module) to increase system power density and help engineers get the most out of traction inverters."
Maximize EV range while reducing design complexity and cost
There is an increasing need for EVs to have higher reliability and better power consumption performance, as increased efficiency directly impacts the extended driving range per charge. But achieving efficiency gains is difficult for designers, as most traction inverters already operate at 90 percent efficiency or higher.
By varying the gate drive strength in real-time in steps from 20A to 5A, designers can use the UCC5880-Q1 gate driver to minimize SiC switching power losses and improve system efficiency by up to The subsequent driving range is extended by up to 11 kilometers. For EV users who charge their vehicles three times a week, the annual driving range can be extended by more than 1,600 kilometers.
In addition, the UCC5880-Q1 features an SPI communication interface and integrated monitoring and protection functions to reduce design complexity and external component cost. Engineers can use the SiC EV Traction Inverter Reference Design to further simplify design and rapidly prototype a more efficient traction inverter system. This tested and customizable design includes UCC5880-Q1, auxiliary power module, real-time control MCU and high-precision sensors.
Texas Instruments is committed to helping engineers fully unlock the power of high-voltage technologies through innovations in power conversion and wide bandgap technologies.
Packaging and Availability
The automotive-grade UCC5880-Q1, which complies with the ISO26262 functional safety standard, is available in pre-production now in a 10.5mm x 7.5mm 32-pin (SSOP) package.
