Fairchild Semiconductor's Smart Gate Driver Optocoupler Enables Simpler Design and Increased Reliability for Reduced System Cost

Device Provides Critical Protection Features and Superior Common Mode Transient Immunity Performance

SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 13, 2013 – For today’s high-power industrial applications, designers have traditionally used discrete components for the IGBT drivers, resulting in higher overall design complexity and increased system costs. To help designers overcome this, Fairchild Semiconductor (NYSE: FCS) has launched the FOD8318 Smart Gate Driver Optocoupler with Active Miller Clamp. The device is an advanced 2.5A output current IGBT drive optocoupler capable of driving most 1200V / 150A IGBTs.

The FOD8318 consists of an integrated gate drive optocoupler featuring low RDS(ON) CMOS transistors to drive the IGBT from rail-to-rail, and isolated feedback circuitry for fault sensing. It provides an Active Miller Clamp function to shut off the IGBT during high dv/dt situations without the need of a negative supply voltage. This enables simpler design and increased reliability. Additionally, the FOD8318 offers the critical protection features necessary for preventing fault conditions that lead to destructive thermal runaway of the IGBTs.

The device is ideally suited for driving fast-switching power IGBTs and MOSFETs in applications such as motor drives, industrial inverters, solar power inverters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), induction heating and isolated IGBT drives.

Key Features:

• Active Miller Clamp function to eliminate negative supply voltage
• Built-in IGBT Protection
  • Desaturation detection
  • Soft IGBT turn-off
  • Under Voltage Lockout (UVLO) optimized for IGBT
• High noise immunity characterized by CMR: 35kV/µsec @Vcm-1500Vpeak
• 3.3V/5V, CMOS/TTL for logic input
• Output voltage swing rail-to-rail for low-power dissipation
• Safety and regulatory approvals
  • UL1577, 4,243VRMS for 1 min.
  • DIN-EN/IEC60747-5-5, 1,414Vpeak working voltage, 8,000Vpeak transient isolation
    voltage rating

Fairchild enables customers to drive innovation in their designs by developing solutions like the FOD8318 – which is part of Fairchild’s comprehensive portfolio of high-performance optocouplers, power management ICs, high-voltage gate driver ICs, and discrete power IGBTs/MOSFETs. The FOD8318 offers high noise immunity resulting from its proprietary Optoplanar® coplanar packaging technology. Optoplanar technology ensures safe insulation thickness of more than 0.4 millimeters, and 8 millimeters creepage and clearance distances, in attaining reliable high-voltage isolation, certified by UL1577 and DIN EN/IEC60747-5-5 standards.

Packaging and Pricing Information
Samples available upon request - Delivery 8-12 weeks ARO
Available in a 16-pin small outline plastic package, the devices in 1,000 piece quantities are:
FOD8318:       $3.80
FOD8318V:    $3.82

Contact Information:
To contact Fairchild Semiconductor about this product, please go to: http://www.fairchildsemi.com/cf/sales_contacts/.
For information on other products, design tools and sales contacts, please visit: http://www.fairchildsemi.com.

Note to Editor: For a datasheet in PDF format, please go to:
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/FO/FOD8318.pdf

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Editorial Contact:
Fairchild Semiconductor:
Paul R. Hughes
Public Relations Manager
1-(800) 341-0392 X 3110
E-mail: paul.hughes@fairchildsemi.com

About Fairchild Semiconductor:
Fairchild Semiconductor (NYSE: FCS) – global presence, local support, smart ideas. Fairchild delivers energy-efficient, easy-to-use and value-added semiconductor solutions for power and mobile designs. We help our customers differentiate their products and solve difficult technical challenges with our expertise in power and signal path products. Please contact us on the web at www.fairchildsemi.com.