SiC Driver Eval Board for Existing or New PCB Designs

The NCP51705SMDGEVB SiC driver mini SMD evaluation board (EVB) from ON Semiconductor is designed on a four-layer PCB and includes the NCP51705 driver and all the necessary drive circuitry. The EVB also includes an on−board digital isolator and the ability to solder any MOSFET or SiC MOSFET in a TO-247 high voltage package.

The EVB does not include a power stage and is generic from the point of view that it is not dedicated to any particular topology. It can be used in any low-side or high-side power switching application.

For bridge configurations two or more of these EVBs can be configured in a totem pole type drive configuration. The EVB can be considered as an isolator+driver+TO-247 discrete module.

NCP51705SMDGEVB SiC driver mini SMD evaluation board schematic (click on schematic to enlarge)

NCP51705 Description

The NCP51705 driver is designed to primarily drive SiC MOSFET transistors. To achieve the lowest possible conduction losses, the driver is capable of delivering the maximum allowable gate voltage to the SiC MOSFET device. By providing high peak current during turn-on and turn-off, switching losses are also minimized.

For improved reliability, dv/dt immunity and even faster turn-off, the NCP51705 can utilize its on-board charge pump to generate a user selectable negative voltage rail. For full compatibility and to minimize the complexity of the bias solution in isolated gate drive applications the NCP51705 also provides an externally accessible 5V rail to power the secondary side of digital or high-speed optical isolators.

The NCP51705 offers important protection functions such as under-voltage lockout monitoring for the bias power and thermal shutdown based on the junction temperature of the driver circuit.