Introduces a highly integrated functional safety-compliant isolated gate driver to enable engineers to design more efficient traction inverters and maximize electric vehicle (EV) driving range. The new UCC5880-Q1 reinforced isolated gate driver provides features that enable electric vehicle powertrain engineers to achieve their safety and performance goals while increasing power density and reducing system design complexity and cost.

As electric vehicles become increasingly popular, semiconductor innovations in traction inverter systems can help overcome some of the key technical barriers preventing their widespread adoption. Automakers can use the UCC5880-Q1 to design and build safer, more efficient and more reliable silicon carbide (SiC) and insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) traction inverters with real-time variable gate drive capability, serial peripheral interface (SPI), power module monitoring and protection, and functional safety diagnostics.

There is an increasing need for EVs to have higher reliability and better power consumption performance, as increased efficiency directly impacts the extended driving range per charge. But achieving efficiency gains is difficult for designers, as most traction inverters already operate at 90 percent efficiency or higher.

By varying the gate drive strength in real-time in steps from 20A to 5A, designers can use the UCC5880-Q1 gate driver to minimize SiC switching power losses and improve system efficiency by up to The subsequent driving range is extended by up to 11 kilometers. For EV users who charge their vehicles three times a week, the annual driving range can be extended by more than 1,600 kilometers.

In addition, the UCC5880-Q1 features an SPI communication interface and integrated monitoring and protection functions to reduce design complexity and external component cost. Engineers can use the SiC EV Traction Inverter Reference Design to further simplify design and rapidly prototype a more efficient traction inverter system. This tested and customizable design includes UCC5880-Q1, auxiliary power module, real-time control MCU and high-precision sensors.