High- and Low-Side Gate Driver # Technical Documentation: FAN7382M1X High-Voltage Half-Bridge Gate Driver IC
Manufacturer : FAIRCHILD (now part of ON Semiconductor)
Document Revision : 1.0
Date : October 2023
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## 1. Application Scenarios
### 1.1 Typical Use Cases
The FAN7382M1X is a monolithic high-voltage, high-speed gate driver IC designed to drive both high-side and low-side N-channel power MOSFETs or IGBTs in a half-bridge configuration. Its primary function is to provide the necessary current and voltage transitions to efficiently switch power devices in various power conversion topologies.
Key Operational Contexts:
- Motor Drive Systems : Provides precise gate driving for 3-phase inverter bridges in BLDC, PMSM, and AC induction motor controllers. The high-side bootstrap operation enables efficient driving of floating switches.
- Switch-Mode Power Supplies (SMPS) : Used in half-bridge, full-bridge, and resonant converter topologies for telecom, server, and industrial power supplies (typically 100W-2kW range).
- Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) : Implements inverter stage switching in online and line-interactive UPS systems.
- Solar Inverters : Drives power devices in DC-AC conversion stages for micro and string inverters.
- Welding Equipment : Controls IGBT/MOSFET bridges in inverter-based welding power sources.
### 1.2 Industry Applications
Industrial Automation:
- AC Drives : Variable frequency drives (VFDs) for pump, fan, and conveyor control.
- Servo Drives : Precision motion control systems requiring high-speed switching.
- Robotics : Joint motor drives and power distribution systems.
Consumer/Commercial Electronics:
- Air Conditioner Inverters : Compressor motor drives in high-efficiency HVAC systems.
- Refrigeration : Variable-speed compressor controls.
- Large Appliance Motors : Washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher motor controls.
Automotive (Industrial Grade):
- Electric Vehicle Chargers : AC-DC and DC-DC conversion stages in charging stations.
- Auxiliary Power Modules : High-voltage auxiliary systems in electric and hybrid vehicles.
Renewable Energy:
- Wind Turbine Converters : Small-scale turbine power conversion.
- Energy Storage Systems : Bidirectional converters in battery storage systems.
### 1.3 Practical Advantages and Limitations
Advantages:
- High Voltage Capability : 600V high-side floating design allows direct operation from high-voltage buses.
- Integrated Bootstrap Function : Eliminates need for isolated power supplies for high-side drive.
- Fast Switching : Typical propagation delay of 120ns enables high-frequency operation (up to several hundred kHz).
- Shoot-Through Protection : Built-in dead-time control prevents simultaneous conduction.
- Robustness : ±5V negative voltage spike immunity on VS pin enhances noise immunity.
- Compact Solution : Monolithic design reduces component count versus discrete solutions.
Limitations:
- Bootstrap Limitations : Cannot maintain continuous high-side operation (duty cycle limitations).
- Voltage Constraints : Maximum 600V bus voltage limits high-power applications.
- Current Drive : 350mA source/650mA sink current may be insufficient for very large power devices without external buffers.
- Temperature Range : Industrial -40°C to +125°C junction temperature may not suit extreme environments.
- Single Channel : Only drives one half-bridge; multiple ICs needed for 3-phase systems.
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## 2. Design Considerations
### 2.1 Common Design Pitfalls and Solutions
Pitfall 1: Bootstrap Capacitor Sizing
- Problem : Undersized bootstrap capacitors cause high-side undervoltage lockout (UVLO
