Microchip introduces the industry's only low-inductance SiC power module and programmable gate driver kit

     From trains, trams and trolleybuses to buses, cars and electric vehicle charging points, the global transition to electrification of transport continues to accelerate, with countries adopting more efficient and technologically innovative modes of transport. Microchip Technology announced the AgileSwitchO Digital programmable gate driver and SP6LI SiC power module toolkit. The new toolkit is a unified system solution designed to help designers quickly and efficiently adopt disruptive silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, reducing time to market and ensuring confidence in field deployment.

     Microchip's newly released AgileSwitch Digital programmable gate driver and SP6LI SiC power module kits speed development from evaluation to production, eliminating the need for customers to purchase power modules and gate drivers separately, including gate drivers for finished production. The newly introduced AgileSwitch gate driver and the reliable and powerful SiC power module can eliminate the need for developers to spend time developing their own gate drivers after verifying the power module, reducing the development cycle by months.

     Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip's discrete Devices business group, said, "We listened to developers when providing full-system solutions for microcontrollers and analog products. Now, as SiC power modules become more advanced and technologies are rapidly transforming transportation and other industries, this complete product toolkit allows developers to focus on innovation and significantly reduce time to market."

     Using the latest generation of SiC cores, Microchip offers 700V, 1200V, and 1700V Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) based SiC power modules for customers to choose from. In addition, Microchip's dsPIC® digital signal controllers offer high performance, low power consumption, and flexible peripherals. The AgileSwitch series of digital programmable gate drivers further speeds up the whole process from design to production.

     Microchip combines SiC power modules and software-configurable gate drivers with Augmented Switching™ technology that enables designers to better deal with dynamic issues such as voltage overshooting, switching losses, and electromagnetic interference. This "point-and-click configuration" approach uses a Windows-based computer interface (using a mouse instead of a soldering iron) and can be applied to the entire design process, from speeding up early evaluation to simplifying final optimization.

     Microchip's AgileSwitch Digital programmable gate driver and SP6LI SiC power module toolkit provide design engineers with powerful support tools to ensure that the core, power pack, and gate driver are designed for each other, eliminating potential development delays.