Blog de la compañía Supply TI Gate Drivers:Half-Bridge Driver,Isolated Gate Driver,Low-Side Driver

Supply TI Gate Drivers:Half-Bridge Driver,Isolated Gate Driver,Low-Side Driver

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Gate drivers are core supporting components in power electronic systems, primarily used to provide fast and stable gate charge and discharge currents for power devices such as MOSFETs, IGBTs and GaN. They resolve the issue of insufficient pin drive capability in master control MCUs and DSPs, whilst optimising switching speed, reducing switching losses and protecting power devices. TI’s low-side gate drivers, half-bridge gate drivers and isolated gate drivers are widely used in industrial power supplies, new energy applications and motor drives, amongst other fields.

I. Low-Side Gate Driver

The low-side gate driver is the simplest in structure and most fundamental in application among non-isolated driver chips. The power switching devices it drives are located at the low potential end of the circuit (ground side), and the drive signal shares a common ground with the system. As it requires no complex level conversion or isolation circuits, it is the preferred solution for low-voltage, low-power switching circuits.

1. Core Operating Principle

The input signal of a low-side driver is a ground-referenced signal; the output is directly connected to the gate of the power transistor, with the source fully grounded. The input, output and control circuits share a common ground. Upon receiving a logic-level signal from the master controller, the chip utilises an internal push-pull amplifier circuit to output a high-current drive signal, rapidly charging and discharging the power transistor’s gate to achieve high-speed conduction and turn-off of the switching device. As there is no floating potential and no isolation structure, the circuit timing is simple and propagation delay is extremely low.

2. Key Features

- Common-ground design: All signals are aligned with system ground; no bootstrap circuit or isolated power supply is required, resulting in minimal peripheral circuitry

- Stable drive capability: Features fixed sink/source current capability; TI’s mainstream products cover a current range of 1 A to 4 A, meeting the drive requirements of small- to medium-power switching devices

- Fast response: Low propagation delay and precise switching timing, suitable for high-frequency switching applications

- Low cost: Simple structure and high integration, offering significant value for money

- Basic protection functions: Integrates basic functions such as under-voltage lockout (UVLO) and over-temperature protection to ensure stable device operation

3. Typical TI Products and Specifications

TI offers an extensive range of low-side driver products suitable for consumer and general industrial applications; mainstream models include the UCC27517 and UCC27324. The UCC27517 is a single-channel low-side driver with a sink/source drive current of 4 A, a propagation delay of just 25 ns, and support for switching frequencies up to 10 MHz. It integrates UVLO and thermal shutdown protection, and its compact package makes it suitable for high-frequency, low-voltage switching circuits.

4. Applications and Advantages/Disadvantages

Core applications: non-high-voltage, non-floating-ground topologies such as low-voltage DC-DC converters, LED drivers, relay switching, fan drivers, auxiliary power switches and low-side rectifier switching circuits.

Advantages: Simple circuit design, easy debugging, excellent high-frequency performance, low cost and high stability.

Disadvantages: Can only drive low-side switching devices; not suitable for high-voltage floating-ground circuits; lacks electrical isolation; weak resistance to high-voltage interference and surge protection; unsuitable for high-voltage, high-power industrial applications with severe interference.

II. Half-Bridge Gate Driver

A half-bridge gate driver is a dual-channel, non-isolated driver IC specifically designed for half-bridge topologies. It integrates two drive channels—high-side (HO) and low-side (LO)—capable of simultaneously driving the upper and lower complementary N-channel power MOSFETs or IGBTs in a half-bridge circuit. This perfectly addresses the core requirements of synchronous high- and low-side drive and short-circuit protection in half-bridge topologies, making it the mainstream solution for small- to medium-power power supplies and motor drives.

1. Core Operating Principle

The half-bridge driver incorporates two independent drive channels. The low-side channel operates on the same principle as a standard low-side driver, with a ground reference and direct drive to the lower switch; the high-side channel features a floating drive design, powered by a bootstrap circuit (bootstrap diode + bootstrap capacitor) to match the high-voltage switching node potential of the upper switch. The chip incorporates dead-time control and interlock protection logic to prevent power supply short circuits caused by simultaneous conduction of the upper and lower switches. Through precise timing control, it enables complementary conduction of the two switching devices, supporting mainstream topologies such as half-bridge, full-bridge and LLC.

2. Key Features

- Dual-channel integration: Integrates high-side and low-side drivers into a single chip, replacing two separate low-side drivers, thereby simplifying PCB layout and reducing the number of external components

- Integrated anti-through-conduction protection: Hardware interlock combined with programmable dead-time eliminates short circuits caused by through-conduction between upper and lower switches, enhancing system safety

- High-voltage floating drive: The high-side channel supports floating voltages of several hundred volts; TI’s mainstream products have a voltage rating of 100 V to 230 V, making them suitable for medium- and high-voltage power topologies

- Precise timing alignment: Minimal delay deviation between the two channels ensures consistent switching timing, reducing harmonics and losses

- Comprehensive protection features: Integrated UVLO, over-temperature protection and enable control; some models also feature integrated DESAT overcurrent detection, suitable for IGBT driving

3. Typical TI Products and Specifications

TI’s half-bridge drivers cover industrial and automotive applications, with a wide range of representative products: the UCC27834 is a 230 V high-voltage half-bridge driver featuring a 3.5 A sink current and a 4 A source current, suitable for high-frequency MOSFET driving with high channel delay matching; The LM5108 is a 100V high-frequency half-bridge driver, optimised for synchronous buck, LLC and active-clamped forward topologies, with strong resistance to dV/dt interference; the automotive-grade UCC27884-Q1 meets automotive regulatory standards and is suitable for in-vehicle motors and vehicle power supply applications.

4. Applicable Scenarios and Advantages/Disadvantages

Core application scenarios: half-bridge/full-bridge DC-DC power supplies, LLC resonant converters, synchronous rectification circuits, small-to-medium power motor drivers, in-vehicle power supplies, UPS (uninterruptible power supplies), etc.

Advantages: High integration, precise timing, robust safety, excellent value for money; meets medium- and high-voltage topology requirements without the need for isolation; suitable for the vast majority of small- and medium-power power electronics applications.

Disadvantages: As a non-isolated driver, there is an electrical connection between the control side and the power side; susceptible to interference under high-voltage conditions; does not meet high-voltage safety isolation standards; not suitable for high-power, high-voltage applications, environments with strong electromagnetic interference, or applications involving personal safety.

III. Isolated Gate Driver

The isolated gate driver is a high-end driver solution introduced by TI for high-voltage, high-power and high-safety-level applications. Through capacitive or magnetic isolation technology, it achieves complete electrical isolation between the low-voltage control side and the high-voltage power side, thoroughly blocking the current path between high and low voltages. Combining driving capability, isolation protection and anti-interference capability, it serves as a core component in new energy and high-voltage industrial equipment.

1. Core Operating Principle

Isolated gate drivers are divided into separate control (low-voltage) and power (high-voltage) sides, with no electrical connection between them; digital drive signals are transmitted via an internal isolation barrier within the chip. The low-voltage control side receives logic signals from the MCU, which are then isolated and encoded before being transmitted to the high-voltage power side. After decoding, a push-pull circuit outputs a high-current drive signal to control the switching of power devices. Additionally, the chip can integrate functions such as isolated fault feedback, overcurrent protection and isolated power supply adaptation. Whilst providing drive functionality, it also meets requirements for high-voltage insulation and common-mode interference immunity. TI’s mainstream products primarily utilise capacitive isolation technology, offering advantages such as low propagation delay, long service life, resistance to ageing and high common-mode transient immunity (CMTI).

2. Key Features

- Complete electrical isolation: Insulation withstand voltage between the high- and low-voltage sides reaches several thousand volts, thoroughly isolating high-voltage crosstalk and leakage current, and meeting safety certification requirements

- Ultra-high immunity to interference: Extremely high CMTI values enable resistance to high-voltage dV/dt transient interference, making it suitable for high-frequency, high-voltage, high-power switching applications

- High-reliability protection: Integrates DESAT overcurrent detection, soft shutdown, fault isolation feedback, UVLO and overtemperature protection, enabling rapid response to power device faults

- Compatibility with a wide range of power devices: Capable of driving MOSFETs, IGBTs and SiC/GaN wide-bandgap devices, suitable for new high-voltage, high-frequency power topologies

- Safety compliance: Meets industrial, automotive and photovoltaic safety standards, suitable for manned, high-voltage, high-power equipment

3. Typical TI Products and Specifications

TI’s range of isolated gate drivers covers single-channel, half-bridge isolated, automotive-grade and industrial-grade variants: automotive-grade ±2.8A single-channel isolated drivers with DESAT fault detection are suitable for high-voltage automotive applications; high-voltage half-bridge isolated drivers enable dual-channel isolated driving, balancing topology adaptability with isolation safety, and are widely used in photovoltaic inverters and motor traction systems. Compared to non-isolated solutions, even in standard half-bridge topologies, isolated drivers can enhance system stability through low latency, high voltage withstand capability and strong immunity to interference.

4. Applicable Scenarios and Advantages/Disadvantages

Core application scenarios: Photovoltaic inverters, energy storage converters, industrial traction motors, high-voltage variable-frequency drives, electric drive systems for new energy vehicles, high-power three-phase PFC, high-voltage uninterruptible power supplies, and other high-voltage, high-power, and high-safety-level applications.

Advantages: High electrical isolation safety, extremely strong resistance to electromagnetic interference, high voltage rating, and excellent reliability; protects the safety of low-voltage main control circuits and operators; suitable for the high-frequency, high-voltage operating characteristics of wide bandgap devices.

Disadvantages: High chip cost; requires the use of isolated power supplies and isolated auxiliary circuits; high PCB design complexity; occupies a larger board area; extremely poor cost-effectiveness for low-power applications.

IV. Core Comparison and Selection Summary for the Three Types of TI Gate Drivers

To quickly meet design requirements, the key differences and selection principles for the three types of drivers are as follows:

- Low-side drivers: Non-isolated, single-channel, low-cost, and with the simplest circuitry. Suitable for: Low-voltage, low-power applications; common-ground topologies; scenarios without high-voltage safety requirements; where the utmost cost-effectiveness and a simple design are prioritised.

- Half-bridge drivers: Non-isolated, dual-channel integration, with anti-short-circuit protection, and suitable for medium-to-high voltage applications. Suitable applications: Small- to medium-power half-bridge/full-bridge topologies where electrical isolation is not required, and high integration and timing stability are prioritised.

- Isolated gate drivers: Electrical isolation, high voltage rating, strong immunity to interference, high safety rating. Suitable applications: High-voltage, high-power applications; environments with strong electromagnetic interference; industrial and renewable energy applications requiring safety certification and where personal safety is at stake.