The SCALE drivers from CONCEPT are based on the award winning chip set that has beeen developed specifically for the reliable driving and safe operation of IGBTs and power MOSFETs.

This very efficient chipset of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) comprises the entire driver core functionality.

The name “SCALE” is an acronym for the most outstanding properties of the SCALE series of drivers:

• Scaleable
• Compact
• All purpose
• Low cost
• Easy to use

One of the most important properties of the SCALE driver chip set is its scaleability. In this context, the term scaleable means that the chip set — in contrast to all previous approaches to integrated drive circuits — can be used for a very large range of applications. The SCALE driver chip set can be used to implement solutions for diverse drive currents (gate currents) and various drive powers. SCALE drivers are well suited for almost any switching frequency, any modulation mode and not least for isolation voltages of practically any magnitude.

SCALE drivers can be used to construct power sections from the kilowatt to the megawatt range.

SCALE drivers accommodate all the necessary components on a minimum surface area. They cover the following functions: driving, monitoring, status acknowledgement, isolated voltage supply (DC/DC converters) and electrical isolation of all signals between the control electronics and the power section.

SCALE drivers are currently the most compact driver solutions on the market with this range of functions.

The SCALE driver chip set offers maximum flexibility of operation: by switching the mode accordingly, a choice can be made between half-bridge or direct-mode operation.

In half-bridge operation, the chip set can generate the required dead times directly. In direct mode, there are no links between the individual channels of a multiple driver.

SCALE drivers are high-quality driver circuits for IGBTs and power MOSFETs with an outstanding price/performance ratio. A SCALE driver contains all the components that can possibly be integrated. It encompasses the driver function itself, plus monitoring, acknowledgement, power supply (DC/DC converter) and electrical isolation of all signals.

SCALE drivers are the most inexpensive drivers on the market offering this performance.

The interface to the electronics is very simple: the SCALE driver chip set can handle all standard logic levels between 5V and 15V. The inputs have a Schmitt trigger characteristic and make no special demands on the input signals. The status acknowledgements are designed as open-collector outputs and are thus compatible with all the usual logic levels.

Application is extremely simple because a SCALE driver contains all the functions of an intelligent driver, and the drive signals, the status acknowledgement and the power supply are completely isolated from the power section.

Application of SCALE drivers with standard IGBT modules is in most cases simpler than an IPM, but without any loss in flexibility.

continue >>