Power Integrations announced the launch of its automotive-qualified SID1181KQ SCALE-iDriver gate driver for 750 V-rated IGBTs. The new part expands the company’s range of auto-qualified driver ICs, following the introduction of the 1200 V SID1182KQ driver IC.

Compact, efficient and highly robust, the new driver IC uses Power Integrations’ high-speed FluxLink communications technology to ensure system safety even during fault conditions.

FluxLink technology dramatically improves the reliability and isolation capability of the new AEC-Q100-qualified gate drivers, replacing optocouplers and capacitive or silicon-based inductively coupled solutions.

SCALE-iDriver devices also include critical protection features such as desaturation monitoring, primary and secondary Undervoltage Lock-out(UVLO) and Advanced Soft Shut Down(ASSD) that protect the switch during short-circuit turn-off.

Comments Michael Hornkamp, senior director of marketing for automotive gate-driver products at Power Integrations Said, “The SCALE-iDriver family with FluxLink technology supports safe, cost-effective designs for a wide range of IGBT drivers for electric vehicle applications including powertrain, on-board chargers and charger stations, and other high reliability drivers and inverters.”

SCALE-iDriver ICs minimize the number of external components required, eliminating tantalum and electrolytic capacitors and simplifying the isolated power supply, requiring only one transformer secondary winding.

A simple two-layer PCB can be used, further increasing design simplicity and easing supply-chain management.