company blog about Recycle TI Gate Drivers:Half-Bridge Driver,Low-Side Driver,Isolated Gate Driver

Recycle TI Gate Drivers:Half-Bridge Driver,Low-Side Driver,Isolated Gate Driver

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I. Low-Side Driver

1. Core Operating Principles

Low-side gate drivers are the simplest in structure and most fundamental in application among non-isolated gate drivers. The power switching devices (MOSFETs/IGBTs) they drive are connected in series directly between the load and system earth, with the source of the power device grounded directly. The driver’s input signal and output drive signal share a common ground, eliminating the need for level conversion, bootstrap circuits or isolation circuits. The input logic level is fully matched to the output drive level, resulting in simple control logic and fast response times.

The device’s core functions are signal buffering and power amplification. It amplifies the weak mA-level control signals from microcontrollers or FPGAs to A-level peak sink and source currents, meeting the rapid charge and discharge requirements of the power device’s gate capacitance and significantly reducing switching rise and fall times.

2. Key Features and Advantages

- Extremely simple structure and low cost: A single-channel drive architecture eliminates the need for external bootstrap diodes, bootstrap capacitors or isolation components. The circuit is straightforward and requires minimal PCB space, making it the preferred choice for low-cost, small-to-medium power applications.

- Fast response and extremely low latency: TI low-side drivers typically have propagation delays of less than 20 ns, ensuring precise switching timing and minimal pulse width distortion, making them suitable for high-frequency switching applications.

- Stable drive capability: Peak sink and source currents are matched to common power devices; some high-end models support programmable drive current, making them suitable for MOSFETs with varying gate capacitances.

- Comprehensive protection features: Integrated functions such as under-voltage lock-out (UVLO), input noise suppression and negative voltage tolerance prevent erroneous device conduction caused by low-voltage false triggering or noise interference.

3. Typical TI Models and Specifications

TI’s mainstream low-side drivers are centred on the UCC275xx series, suitable for low-to-medium power switching circuits in consumer electronics and industrial applications:

- UCC27517/UCC27518: Single-channel low-side drivers with 4 A peak sink/source current, 18 ns typical propagation delay, support for 5 V logic inputs, and integrated 8 V UVLO.

- UCC27524: Dual-channel low-side driver capable of independently driving two low-side switches; compatible with TTL/CMOS input levels; suitable for multi-switch control applications.

4. Suitable Applications

Suitable only for low-side switching topologies where the power devices are grounded. Typical applications include: DC-DC step-down circuits, relay/solenoid valve drivers, LED switching control, auxiliary power supply switches, and motor low-side freewheeling switches—all in low-voltage, non-floating ground, small-to-medium power scenarios.

Limitations: Cannot drive floating high-side power devices; cannot be used in high-voltage floating topologies such as half-bridge, full-bridge or inverters; poses safety risks in high-voltage applications.

II. Half-Bridge Driver

1. Core Operating Principle

A half-bridge driver is a non-isolated dual-channel driver specifically designed for half-bridge topologies. It integrates two independent drive channels—high-side (HS) and low-side (LS)—capable of simultaneously driving two N-channel power MOSFETs or IGBTs connected in series. The low-side channel shares a common ground with the system ground, and its drive logic is consistent with that of standard low-side drivers; the high-side channel employs a floating-ground drive, utilising the chip’s integrated bootstrap circuit (bootstrap capacitor + bootstrap diode) to achieve a floating power supply, thereby resolving the drive challenges associated with the high-side power device’s source being floating and its potential dynamically changing with the switching state.

TI’s half-bridge drivers feature built-in dead-time control and channel delay matching, effectively preventing short circuits caused by direct conduction between the upper and lower devices, thereby ensuring the safe and stable operation of the half-bridge topology.

2. Key Features and Advantages

- Dual-channel integration, suitable for half-bridge topologies: High-side and low-side drivers are integrated onto a single chip, eliminating the need for discrete drivers, simplifying circuit design, and reducing the number of components and PCB parasitic parameters.

- Precise timing control: Built-in fixed/programmable dead-time control with channel delay matching accuracy down to the 1 ns level, significantly reducing the risk of short-circuiting between upper and lower switches and enhancing system reliability.

- High voltage withstand capability: Some high-end models support bus voltages in the 100 V range, making them suitable for medium- and high-voltage power conversion applications in industrial and automotive sectors.

- Integrated multi-level protection: Features integrated UVLO, overcurrent protection, Miller clamping and negative voltage tolerance to suppress dv/dt and di/dt interference during switching and prevent erroneous device conduction.

3. Typical TI Models and Specifications

- UCC27284: General-purpose half-bridge driver with a typical propagation delay of 16 ns and channel delay matching of 1 ns. Supports a high-side floating voltage of 14 V and a 5 V UVLO threshold, suitable for small- to medium-power half-bridge conversion circuits.

- DRV8161: Industrial-grade half-bridge driver, supporting a 102 V high-side bus voltage, with programmable drive capabilities of 1 A sink current and 2 A source current; suitable for motor drives and high-voltage DC-DC half-bridge topologies.

- UCC27884: 230 V high-voltage half-bridge driver, with an 8 V UVLO threshold and integrated enable function; suitable for high-voltage, small-to-medium power conversion applications in photovoltaics and industrial control.

4. Applications

Tailored specifically for half-bridge topologies, these are widely used in medium-voltage, medium-power non-isolated power conversion applications: single-phase/three-phase inverters, motor drive half-bridge circuits, UPS power supplies, automotive power supplies, PV micro-inverters, high-voltage DC-DC converters, etc.

Limitations: As this is a non-isolated architecture, the control side and power side are electrically connected; it cannot isolate high-voltage interference and is therefore unsuitable for applications with high levels of high-voltage interference or stringent electrical isolation requirements.

III. Isolated Gate Driver

1. Core Operating Principle

The isolated gate driver is a high-end power driver device from TI. At its core lies an electrically isolated architecture which, through capacitive and magnetic isolation technologies, achieves complete electrical isolation between the low-voltage control side (MCU side) and the high-voltage power side (switching device side). There is no direct electrical connection between the input control signal and the output drive signal; signals are transmitted solely via the isolation medium, thereby realising the dual functions of isolated power supply and signal isolation.

Compared to non-isolated half-bridge and low-side drivers, isolated drivers completely sever the connection between high- and low-voltage circuits. They can withstand isolation withstand voltages of several thousand volts, whilst suppressing common-mode interference and surge voltage from the high-voltage side being conducted back to the low-voltage control circuit, thereby safeguarding the main control chip and the low-voltage system. TI’s isolated drivers are compatible with both single-channel and half-bridge dual-channel architectures, and can replace non-isolated devices to achieve more reliable drive control.

2. Key Features and Advantages

- High-voltage electrical isolation for exceptional safety: With an isolation withstand voltage of up to 5 kV or more, these drivers comply with IEC and UL industrial safety standards, completely isolating the high- and low-voltage circuits to eliminate the risk of high-voltage breakdown and leakage.

- Exceptional immunity to interference: High common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) enables resistance to extremely high dv/dt interference during high-voltage switching, preventing signal distortion and device malfunctions, and making it suitable for SiC/GaN high-frequency, high-voltage wide-bandgap devices.

- Suitable for wide-bandgap devices: Extremely low propagation delay and minimal pulse width distortion support MHz-level high-frequency switching, fully utilising the high-frequency and high-efficiency advantages of SiC and GaN devices.

- Integrated advanced protection: Features integrated active Miller clamping, desaturation protection, overcurrent protection and fault feedback functions, providing precise protection for high-value power devices such as IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs.

3. Typical TI Models and Specifications

TI’s isolated gate drivers are centred on the UCC53xx and UCC21xx series, covering single-channel and half-bridge dual-channel configurations, and are suitable for high-voltage applications in industrial and renewable energy sectors:

- UCC5390: Single-channel isolated gate driver with high CMTI for interference immunity; features integrated active Miller clamping and is suitable for driving IGBTs, SiC and GaN devices.

- UCC21520: Dual-channel isolated half-bridge driver with 4A/6A peak drive current and 2.5kV isolation withstand voltage; suitable for high-voltage half-bridge and full-bridge inverter circuits.

- UCC21710: Automotive-grade high-voltage isolated driver, suitable for demanding operating conditions such as on-board chargers (OBCs) and charging points, and compliant with AEC-Q100 automotive certification.

4. Applications

Designed for high-voltage, high-power, high-reliability applications with high levels of interference and where electrical isolation is required, these are core components for new energy and high-end industrial equipment: photovoltaic inverters, energy storage converters, new energy vehicle charging points/on-board inverters, industrial high-voltage variable-frequency drives, servo drives, high-voltage UPS systems, and rail transport power conversion systems, amongst others.