IC Drivers

IC drivers provide the required current and voltage needed to turn power switching elements on or off, based on the logic output signals of a digital signal processor (DSP), microcontroller or other logic device. They protect against over and under voltage as well as thermal shutdown. Typically, IC drivers are used with power switching elements such as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET) and insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). There are four basic types of gate drivers: high-side, low-side, dual or half-bridge, and three-phase. A high-side gate driver is used for components connected to a positive supply. A low-side gate driver regulates components connected to a negative supply. Dual gate or half-bridge drivers have properties for both high-side and low-side gates. Three-phase IC gate drivers are used in applications that use three-phase power such as BLDC motors and step-down controllers.

IC drivers differ in terms of specifications, applications and features. Most gate drivers have 1, 2, or 4 output channels. The output voltage can be inverted or non-inverted. Gate driver performance specifications include output voltage and current, rise time and fall time, power dissipation, operating temperature and switching frequency. Rise time is defined as the time required for output voltage to reach 90% of maximum. Fall time is the time required for voltage to decline to 10% of maximum. In terms of applications, IC drivers can be used as transformers, discrete transistors, or dedicated ICs. An IGBT gate driver functions as an isolation amplifier and can provide short-circuit protection. The proper selection of a MOSFET driver depends on whether the device uses a positive or negative supply. In terms of features, gate drivers have may provide internal regulation and input thresholds. Input thresholds are characterized by transistor-transistor logic (TTL), complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and pulse width modulation (PWM).

IC drivers come in a wide range of IC packaging and can be shipped in rails, tape reels, tubes, bulk packs, or trays. Suppliers of IC drivers typically also often provide the devices for the drivers. When devices are no longer in production or supported, drivers may still be found from legacy vendors and made available at varying costs.

• iC-WK/WKL Laser Diode Driver Application Notes
  iC-WK/L - CW operation up to 90 mA from 2.4 to 6 V supply voltage - Fits all types of laser diode pin configurations - Simple power adjustment via the external resistor - Quick soft start typically...
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• Universal Power MOSFET Interface IC (TC4420/9)
  The TC4420/4429 are 6A high-speed MOSFET drivers available in an 8-pin SOIC package, 8-pin CerDIP and PDIP packages, and a 5-pin TO-220 package. These parts have additional improvements over the TC429...
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• The Evolution of Switched Capacitor Backlight Drivers in Mobile Phones
  Today the majority of mobile phones use white LEDs to provide backlighting for the color display. Nearly every phone designer strives to drive the backlight with the most efficient, smallest size, and...
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Part Numbers for IC Drivers