Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today introduced a new Automotive Grade photovoltaic MOSFET driver that is the first such device to offer an integrated turn-off circuit in the space-saving SOP-4 package. Designed to deliver high performance for automotive applications — while increasing design flexibility and lowering costs — the Vishay Semiconductors VOMDA1271 features the industry’s fastest switching times and highest open circuit output voltage.
The integrated turn-off circuit of the optocoupler released today enables a turn-off time of 0.7 ms typical, which is the fastest for a MOSFET driver in the compact SOP-4 footprint. In addition, the VOMDA1271 provides a turn-on time of 0.05 ms — twice as fast as competing devices — and is the only driver in this package size to offer an isolation voltage of 3750 V and a typical open circuit output voltage of 8.5 V, which allows it to drive a variety of MOSFETs.
The AEC-Q102 qualified device is intended for use in pre-charge circuits, wall chargers, and battery management systems (BMS) for electric (EV) and hybrid electric (HEV) vehicles. To generate the higher voltages needed to drive IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs in these applications, two VOMDA1271 optocouplers can be used in series. In addition, the driver enables designers to create custom solid-state relays to replace legacy electromechanical relays in next-generation vehicles.
The optically isolated VOMDA1271 features an AIGaAs infrared LED (IRLED), which emits light that is absorbed by a photovoltaic gate array, generating the voltage used to turn on a MOSFET. This construction simplifies designs and lowers costs by eliminating the need for an external power supply. For even greater design flexibility, the device can be driven by a microcontroller’s GPIO pin. The optocoupler is RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.
Samples and production quantities of the VOMDA1271 are available now, with lead times of eight weeks.