Efficient Power Conversion Tag Archive

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has introduced the EPC91132, a compact three-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive inverter reference design built around the company’s EPC33110 gallium nitride (GaN) three-phase power module. The new platform is designed to support next-generation motion control applications, including humanoid robot joints, robotic hands and wrists, and drone propulsion systems.

The EPC91132 features an ultra-compact design with a diameter of just 23 mm, making it suitable for space-constrained motor drive applications. At the core of the reference design is the EPC33110 GaN module, which leverages EPC’s monolithic GaN integrated circuit technology. The module integrates three half-bridges, gate drivers, bootstrap circuitry, and level shifters within a compact 6 mm × 6.5 mm QFN package.

Powered from a single 5 V supply, the EPC33110 supports operating voltages up to 80 V and offers a typical on-resistance of 11.7 mΩ. The module is compatible with both 3.3 V and 5 V logic inputs, providing flexibility for a variety of control architectures.

As robotic and drone systems continue to demand smaller, lighter, and more efficient power electronics, GaN technology is increasingly being adopted for motor drive applications. The ability to operate at switching frequencies above 100 kHz while minimizing both conduction and switching losses enables improved efficiency, faster dynamic response, higher control bandwidth, and reduced passive component size.

The EPC91132 supports a wide input voltage range from 10 V to 60 V DC and integrates all key functions required for a complete inverter system. These include an onboard microcontroller, regulated power supplies, DC bus voltage sensing, current sensing with integrated overcurrent protection, and a magnetic encoder for rotor position and speed control.

The monolithic architecture of the EPC33110 eliminates the need for discrete gate drivers, significantly reducing component count while simplifying PCB design and accelerating development. The platform can be programmed through a dedicated connector and supports real-time monitoring via an RS-485 communication interface.

To accommodate different application requirements, EPC designed the board with a flexible breakout-ring structure. When the outer ring is removed, the board maintains its 23 mm diameter, allowing direct integration into compact motor systems such as the Vertiq 23-06 drone motor platform.

Performance testing demonstrated that the EPC33110 module can deliver continuous phase currents of up to 11 ARMS in humanoid robotic joint applications operating at 48 V and switching frequencies up to 100 kHz. In drone motor evaluations, the system exhibited strong thermal performance, with only minimal temperature rise observed under airflow generated by the propeller.

According to EPC, the EPC91132 demonstrates how monolithic GaN integration can simplify inverter design while providing the switching speed, power density, efficiency, and thermal performance required by next-generation robotic and aerial mobility systems.

The new reference design is intended to provide engineers with a compact and highly integrated development platform for evaluating GaN-based motor drive architectures in advanced motion-control applications.

Original – Efficient Power Conversion

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has introduced four new evaluation boards—EPC91128, EPC91129, EPC91130, and EPC91131—designed to accelerate the development of next-generation three-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive systems using gallium nitride (GaN) technology.

The compact, high-performance inverter platforms are built around EPC’s integrated EPC23108, EPC23109, EPC23110, and EPC23111 ePower™ Stage ICs. The boards support input voltages ranging from 10 V to 80 V and output currents up to 29 ARMS, providing developers with a flexible platform for rapid evaluation in applications such as robotics, industrial automation, e-mobility auxiliary systems, and battery-powered equipment.

The evaluation boards integrate key inverter functions including gate drivers, current sensing, voltage sensing, housekeeping power supplies, temperature monitoring, and protection features. This high level of integration enables engineers to quickly prototype high-efficiency motor drive systems while minimizing the need for additional external circuitry. The platforms are optimized to reduce torque ripple and acoustic noise while providing flexible dv/dt control for application-specific tuning.

All four evaluation boards support complementary PWM and single-PWM control schemes, depending on the selected variant. They are also compatible with controller platforms from Microchip, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, and Renesas, allowing developers to integrate them easily into existing motor-control development environments.

A key feature of the EPC91128–EPC91131 platforms is their demonstrated performance in practical motor-drive testing. During validation using a 48 V DC bus and switching frequencies of up to 100 kHz, the EPC91128 and EPC91129 boards successfully drove a 3 kW BLDC motor while delivering 15 ARMS continuous phase current without a heatsink. With a heatsink and natural-convection cooling, continuous current capability increased to 20 ARMS. Under pulsed operating conditions, the boards supported peak currents of up to 29 ARMS, demonstrating the ability of the integrated ePower™ Stage IC architecture to manage demanding dynamic motor loads.

The EPC91130 and EPC91131 variants achieved 10 ARMS continuous operation without a heatsink and 15 ARMS with heatsink assistance. Under pulsed conditions, these boards supported peak currents of up to 18 ARMS. According to EPC, the test results demonstrate that the compact GaN-based inverter platforms can sustain meaningful power levels suitable for industrial-grade motor control evaluation while maintaining thermal performance and switching efficiency at elevated switching frequencies.

Alex Lidow, CEO of EPC, stated that the new inverter platforms are intended to make GaN technology more accessible for high-performance motor-drive applications. He noted that as designers increasingly pursue higher efficiency, faster switching frequencies, and more compact power electronics systems, the new evaluation boards can help accelerate the transition from silicon-based solutions to GaN across robotics, industrial automation, and battery-powered motion systems.

Marco Palma, Vice President of Motor Drive Marketing and System Engineering at EPC, highlighted that the new platforms provide engineers with ready-to-use environments for evaluating the latest ePower™ Stage ICs under real motor-drive operating conditions. He added that the integrated sensing, protection, and control features allow developers to focus on system optimization rather than spending time designing the underlying power stage.

To support product development, EPC provides complete design resources for the new evaluation boards, including schematics, bill of materials (BOM), and Gerber files.

Original – Efficient Power Conversion

Efficient Power Conversion has introduced the EPC9186HC2 and EPC9186HC3 evaluation boards, expanding its portfolio of GaN-based motor drive platforms for high-power applications up to 5 kW.

The new boards are designed as three-phase BLDC inverter platforms and target a wide range of applications including robotics, industrial automation, light electric vehicles, agricultural machinery, and high-power drones. Both platforms are built on EPC’s 100 V EPC2361 eGaN FET technology, delivering improved conduction performance and enabling higher current operation compared to previous designs.

The EPC9186HC2 integrates two GaN devices in parallel per switch position, while the EPC9186HC3 uses three in parallel, further reducing effective on-resistance and improving efficiency at higher load conditions. The systems support phase currents up to 150 ARMS and switching frequencies up to 120 kHz, enabling high power density and fast dynamic response.

From a performance standpoint, the use of GaN enables lower gate charge and output capacitance compared to silicon MOSFETs, resulting in faster switching, reduced losses, and smaller passive components. The boards also maintain controlled switching behavior (dv/dt ~6 V/ns), helping reduce torque ripple and acoustic noise—key requirements in precision motor control.

The platforms integrate essential system functions including gate drivers, current sensing, voltage monitoring, and protection features, and support both sensorless and encoder-based control. Compatibility with controller ecosystems from major suppliers such as Microchip, Texas Instruments, and STMicroelectronics allows for rapid system integration.

From a market perspective, these evaluation platforms highlight the continued expansion of GaN into motion control and electrification applications beyond power supplies. As demand grows for compact, efficient motor drives in robotics and e-mobility, GaN is increasingly positioned as a key enabler of higher switching frequencies, improved efficiency, and reduced system size.

This launch reinforces EPC’s strategy of accelerating GaN adoption by providing system-level tools that reduce development time and enable engineers to validate next-generation inverter architectures in real-world applications.

Original – Efficient Power Conversion

Efficient Power Conversion has launched a new generation of 100 V integrated GaN power-stage ICs—EPC23108, EPC23109, EPC23110, and EPC23111—targeting high-performance, compact power systems such as humanoid robots, drones, and battery-powered platforms.

The new devices integrate high-side and low-side eGaN FETs יחד with gate drivers and level-shifting circuitry into a single thermally enhanced QFN package. This high level of integration reduces external component count, simplifies design, and improves system-level reliability while maintaining the efficiency and power density advantages of GaN technology.

The ICs support operation up to 100 V, with current capabilities of 35 A (EPC23108/23109) and 20 A (EPC23110/23111), enabling high-frequency switching for advanced motion control and power conversion applications. Design flexibility is further enhanced through configurable PWM interfaces—single-input options for simplified multi-axis systems and dual-input configurations for adaptive control schemes.

From a functionality standpoint, the devices incorporate features aimed at real-world robustness, including deterministic shutdown behavior, active gate pull-down for fault conditions, and compatibility with standard industrial logic without additional signal conditioning. Support for continuous 100% duty-cycle operation makes them well-suited for applications requiring uninterrupted conduction, such as motor drives and precision control systems.

These integrated GaN power stages are particularly relevant for emerging applications like humanoid robotics, where multiple motors per system demand compact, efficient, and scalable power solutions. By reducing design complexity and improving predictability, EPC enables faster development cycles and more reliable system performance.

From a market perspective, this launch highlights the rapid expansion of GaN into motion control and robotics—segments traditionally dominated by silicon MOSFETs. As electrification extends into automation, drones, and AI-driven robotics, integrated GaN solutions are increasingly positioned as key enablers of higher efficiency, reduced system size, and improved dynamic performance.

Original – Efficient Power Conversion