Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA says that its EPC9005 development board featuring the firm’s 40V EPC2014 enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) field-effect transistors (FETs) – as launched in August 2011 – is now available in upgraded form using a dedicated GaN FET gate driver from Texas Instruments (TI). The board demonstrates how IC gate drivers, optimized for eGaN FETs, make the task of transitioning from silicon to eGaN technology simple and cost effective, says the firm.
The EPC9005 development board is a half-bridge configuration containing two 40V EPC2014 eGaN FETs with a 7A maximum output current using TI’s LM5113 gate driver (optimized for GaN devices). The LM5113 used on the board is housed in a 2x2 BGA package, allowing for a very compact power stage with the driver and two eGaN FETs. The EPC2014 is designed for use in applications such as high-speed DC-DC power supplies, point-of-load converters, wireless charging, and high-frequency circuits.
EPC says that the EPC9005 simplifies the evaluation process of eGaN FETs by including all the critical components on single 2” x 1.5” boards that can be easily connected into any existing converter. There are also various probe points on the board to facilitate simple waveform measurement and efficiency calculation. A Quick Start Guide is included for reference and ease of use.
The EPC9005 development board is priced at $99.18 and, like all EPC products, is available from Digi-Key.
