STMicroelectronics VIPerGaN50 GaN converter

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The STMicroelectronics VIPerGaN50 is designed to simplify building single-switch flyback converters up to 50 W and integrates a 650 V gallium-nitride (GaN) power transistor for energy efficiency and miniaturisation.

With its single-switch topology and high integration, including current-sensing and protection circuitry also built in, the device comes in a compact 5 x 6 mm package. The speed of the integrated GaN transistor allows a high switching frequency with a small and lightweight flyback transformer. Minimal additional external components are needed to design a high-efficiency switched-mode power supply (SMPS).

The product helps designers leverage GaN wide-bandgap technology to meet increasingly stringent ecodesign codes that target global energy savings and net-zero carbon emissions. It is suited to consumer and industrial applications such as power adapters, USB-PD chargers and power supplies for home appliances, air conditioners, LED-lighting equipment and smart meters.

The converter operates in multiple modes to maximise efficiency at all line and load conditions. At heavy load, quasi-resonant (QR) operation with zero-voltage switching minimises turn-on losses and electromagnetic emissions (EMI). At reduced load, valley skipping limits switching losses and leverages ST’s valley lock to prevent audible noise. Frequency foldback with zero-voltage switching enables high efficiency at light load, with adaptive burst mode operation to minimise losses at low load. In addition, power management cuts standby power to below 30 mW.

Built-in safety features include output overvoltage protection, brown-in and brown-out protection, and input overvoltage protection. Input-voltage feedforward compensation is also provided, to minimise output peak-power variation, as well as embedded thermal shutdown and frequency jittering to minimise EMI.

For more information: www.st.com/vipergan.