Renesas' example design takes up less PCB area on the 46% than the previous all-silicon version, GaN Systems said, thanks in part to 500kHz switching that allowed for smaller 1.3µH inductors.
"Combining GaN with automatic phase-drop provides efficient power conversion even at low loads, exceeding the 94%'s efficiency in the 400W to 3kW load range,” according to GaN Systems.
Other components of the design are an ISL78226 six-phase PWM controller designed specifically for bidirectional 48-12V converters, and some half-bridge drive chips: either a 2A peak ISL78420 or a similar 3A 4A peak source. ISL78444 - Both have a single three-level PWM input that drives both internal gate drivers, and to this the '444 adds adaptive dead time control.
Source: electronicsweekly.com
