New 900 V GaN-based flyback switcher ICs increase power and efficiency
The new InnoSwitch™3 ICs from Power Integrations, which feature robust and efficient PowiGaN™ gallium nitride switches, are ideal for industrial applications, supporting loads of up to 100 W.
The latest members of the Power Integrations InnoSwitch3-EP family of offline flyback switcher ICs, which feature 900 V gallium nitride (GaN) power switches, offer higher efficiency and ease thermal design in industrial applications.
Thanks to the company’s proprietary PowiGaN switch technology, the InnoSwitch3-EP can convert from a mains input to a dc output consuming up to 100 W at more than 93% efficiency, eliminating the need for heat-sinks, and streamlining the design of space-constrained products. InnoSwitch3 designs also offer very high light-load efficiency.
In industrial applications, the PowiGaN switch can easily handle inductive noise spikes, yet can also operate from a voltage as low as 30 V dc, enabling systems to meet the active discharge requirements of safety specifications. The new 900 V switches are pin-for-pin compatible with existing 725 V and 750 V InnoSwitch3-EP switches, and offer increased safety margin, a useful benefit in countries in which the mains power grid produces unstable line voltages.
The InnoSwitch3-EP are offline, constant voltage/constant current flyback switcher ICs which perform synchronous rectification, while the flyback controller implements valley-switching discontinuous conduction mode and continuous conduction mode conversion. The Power Integrations FluxLink™ communication technology enables the IC package to bridge the isolation barrier, optimizing efficiency and eliminating the need for optocouplers.