Able to drive SiC (silicon carbide) and GaN (gallium nitride) fast-switching devices, Hades is an isolated gate driver from Cissoid. Designed to drive seamlessly SiC power transistors, which have low switching losses, it switches them at high frequencies, which creates smaller and lighter passive and magnetic components. Able to sustain high temperatures, it can be placed next to the power transistors which reduces parasitic capacitances and inductances. It can drive two SiC MOSFET power switches on a DC bus voltage up to 1200V. With an on-board isolated power supply based on the CHT-Magma PWM controller, the reference design requires a single, 12V supply. Operation is over the -55 to +225°C range. On-board protection includes under-voltage lockout and desaturation detection that monitors the drain-to-source voltage of the power transistor to detect over-currents. The board also implements active miller clamping, which prevents parasitic turn-on due to the miller capacitor of the power switch. The reference design that is available is scalable up to ±20A gate current, while the evaluation board features ±4A. The company will introduce a board specifically for normally-on JEFTs; other switching devices (normally-on/off JFETs, BJTs and IGBTs) can be supported with minor changes.
