EPC Launches 12 V/48 V, 500 W Boost Converter Demonstration Board Based on GaN Devices

     EPC Power Conversion announced the launch of the 12 V input, 48 V output, 500 W DC/DC demo board (EPC9166). The demo board shows Renesas Electronics ISL81807 80V two-phase synchronous boost controller and EBP's latest generation EPC2218 eGaN FET with an efficiency of over 96.5% in switching from 12 V input to 48 V regulated output at a switching frequency of 500 kHz. The output voltage can be configured as 36 V, 48 V and 60 V. The board provides 480 W of power without a radiator.

     Stabilized DC/DC boost converters are widely used in data centers, computing, and automotive applications to convert, among other output voltages, a nominal 12 V to a 48 V distribution bus. The main trend is towards achieving higher power densities.

     eGaN FET has the advantages of fast switching, high efficiency, and small size to meet the stringent power density requirements of these cutting-edge applications. The EPC2218 is the smallest and most efficient 100 V FET on the market. The ISL81807 is the industry's first 80 V dual-output/two-phase (single-output) synchronous step-down controller with an integrated GaN driver, supporting frequencies up to 2 MHz. ISL81807 uses current mode control to produce two independent outputs or one with two interleaved phases. It SUPPORTS CURRENT SHARING, SYNCHRONOUS PARALLEL OF MORE CONTROLLERS/MORE PHASES, IMPROVED EFFICIENCY WITH LIGHT LOADS AND LOW TURN-OFF CURRENT. The ISL81807 directly drives the EPC Gallium nitride FET to achieve a solution with simple design, small number of components and low cost.

     "Renesas Electronics controller ics make it easier for engineers to use gallium nitride devices," said Alex Lidow, CEO of Hope. "We are pleased to partner with Renesas Electronics to combine its superior controllers with our high-performance Gallium nitride devices to create a win-win solution for customers that uses fewer components to improve efficiency, increase power density and reduce system costs."

     "Renesas's ISL81807 is designed to leverage the high performance of GaN FETs in high power density solutions," said Andrew Cowell, vice president of Renesas Electronics' Mobility, Industrial and Infrastructure Power division. ISL81807 reduces the BOM cost of GaN solutions because it does not require MCU, current-sensing operational amplifiers, external drivers, or bias power supplies. It also has full protection and an integrated GaN drive. With ISL81807, the design using GA-based Fets is as simple as using silicon-based Fets."