9 October 2012

EPC upgrades development boards featuring eGaN FETs

Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA, which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) used in power management applications, has introduced two development boards, the EPC9003 and the EPC9006, both featuring EPC’s enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) field effect transistors (FETs).

EPC9003 is a half bridge configuration containing two 200V EPC2010 eGaN FETs with a 5A maximum output current using the low-side gate driver optimized for GaN devices, the LM5114 from Texas Instruments. EPC2010 is designed for use in applications such as solar microinverters, class D audio amplifiers, Power over Ethernet (PoE), and synchronous rectification.

EPC9006 contains two 100V EPC2007 eGaN FETs with 5A maximum output current. This board uses the LM5113 from Texas Instruments, a 100V half-bridge driver optimized for GaN transistors. The LM5113 used on this board is packaged in a 2x2 BGA package allowing for a compact power stage with the driver and two eGaN FETs.  Applications for the EPC2007 eGaN FET include high-speed DC-DC power supplies, point-of-load converters, class D audio amplifiers, hard-switched and high-frequency circuits.

Both the EPC9003 and the EPC9006 are intended to simplify the evaluation process of eGaN FETs by including all the critical components on single 2” x 1.5” boards that can be easily connected into any existing converter, says the firm. In addition, there are various probe points on the boards to facilitate simple waveform measurement and efficiency calculation. Quick Start Guides are included with both development boards for reference and ease of use.

EPC9003 and EPC9006 development boards are priced at $95.00 each, and are available for immediate delivery from Digi-Key.

Tags: EPC GaN GaN FETs

Visit: www.epc-co.com