International Rectifier Debuts New IR2170 IC
International Rectifier (IR, El Segundo, CA) has introduced the IR2170, a 600V over-current sensing IC for ac or brushless dc motor-drive applications up to 230Vac input. The IR2170 senses motor current directly through an external sense resistor and reports an error if the current exceeds a preset threshold in both the positive and negative polarities.
The IR2170 includes a 1.5 microsecond over-current shutdown that works with a wired-OR connection directly to the microcontroller or DSP. Motor current in both positive and negative directions are sensed by the IR2170 so that both IGBT and diode over-current conditions are reported. The IR2170 requires 1mA quiescent current and an input supply voltage range of 7V to 20V.
According to David Tam, vice president for power-integrated circuit products at IR, "Motor drives using the IR2170 have smaller, simpler circuits with up to a 75 percent smaller footprint, less than 1.5 microseconds response time, and significantly reduced costs for over-current protection circuits compared to opto- or Hall-effect-based solutions."
The new over-current protection IC comes in either SO-8 or eight-pin DIP. It is targeted for high-volume, light-industrial and appliance applications. Pricing begins at $0.99 each in 100,000-unit quantities.
