Power integrations Scale-2 1SC0450E2B0 Applications Manual

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0
Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Single-Channel Cost-Effective Driver Core for IGBTs up to 4500V and 6500V

Abstract

The 1SC0450E2B0 single-channel SCALE™-2 driver core combines unrivalled compactness with broad
applicability and cost-effectiveness. It is designed for industrial and traction applications requiring high
reliability. The 1SC0450E2B0 drives all usual high-voltage IGBT modules up to 4500V and 6500V. Up to four
parallel-connected IGBT modules can be driven to cover higher power ratings. Multi-level topologies
involving 3300V or 4500V IGBTs with higher isolation requirements can also be easily supported by the
1SC0450E2B0.

The 1SC0450E2B0 supports maximal design flexibility as no fiber-optic links are assembled on the driver
board. Gate drive input and output signals are provided over dedicated electrical interface connectors.

The 1SC0450E2B0 is the most compact driver core in its voltage and power range, featuring a footprint of
only 60mm x 90mm and a maximum insertion height of 27.5mm. It allows even the most restricted insertion
spaces to be efficiently used.

Fig. 1 1SC0450E2B0 driver core

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 1

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Contents

Driver Overview ............................................................................................................................. 4

Mechanical Dimensions .................................................................................................................. 5

Pin Designation .............................................................................................................................. 7

Recommended Interface Circuitry for the Primary-Side Connector .............................................. 8

Description of Primary-Side Interface ........................................................................................... 8

General ............................................................................................................................... 8

VCC terminal ....................................................................................................................... 8

VDC terminal ....................................................................................................................... 8

GND ................................................................................................................................... 9

SO (status output) ............................................................................................................... 9

Recommended Interface Circuitry for the Secondary Side Connectors ........................................ 9

Pins 6 to 16 ......................................................................................................................... 9

Pins 17 to 32 ..................................................................................................................... 10

Description of Secondary-Side Interfaces ................................................................................... 10

General ............................................................................................................................. 10

DC/DC output (VISO), emitter (VE) and COM terminals ......................................................... 11

Reference terminal (REF) ................................................................................................... 11

Collector sense (VCE) ......................................................................................................... 11

Input for adjusting the turn-off delay in fault condition (CSHD) ............................................. 14

Active Clamping (ACL) ........................................................................................................ 15

Gate turn-on (GH) and turn-off (GL) terminals ..................................................................... 15

Gate Boosting Power Supply (VGB) ..................................................................................... 16

Gate Boosting Signal (GBS) ................................................................................................ 16

Gate Drive Input (IN) ......................................................................................................... 16

Status Feedback /Fault input (OUT) .................................................................................... 16

How Do 1SC0450E2B0 SCALE-2 Drivers Work in Detail? ............................................................ 19

Power supply and electrical isolation ................................................................................... 19

Power-supply monitoring .................................................................................................... 19

Parallel connection of IGBT modules ................................................................................... 19

3-level or multilevel topologies ............................................................................................ 19

Gate Boosting .................................................................................................................... 20

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 22

The Information Source: SCALE-2 Driver Data Sheets ................................................................ 23

Quite Special: Customized SCALE-2 Drivers ................................................................................ 23

Technical Support ........................................................................................................................ 23

Quality .......................................................................................................................................... 23

Legal Disclaimer ........................................................................................................................... 23

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 2

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Ordering Information ................................................................................................................... 24

Information about Other Products .............................................................................................. 24

Power Integrations Sales Offices ................................................................................................. 25

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 3

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Driver Overview

The 1SC0450E2B0 is a driver core equipped with the latest SCALE-2 chipset from Power Integrations /1/.
The SCALE-2 chipset comprises a set of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that cover the main
functions needed to design intelligent gate drivers. The SCALE-2 driver chipset is a further development of
the proven SCALE™-1 technology /2/.

The 1SC0450E2B0 targets medium- and high-power IGBT applications up to 6500V. The driver supports
switching frequencies up to 10kHz with best-in-class efficiency. The 1SC0450E2B0 comprises a complete
single-channel IGBT driver core, fully equipped with an isolated DC/DC converter, electrical interface for the
external use of fiber-optic transceivers, short-circuit protection, Advanced Active Clamping and supply­voltage monitoring. Additional features such as gate boosting are also implemented and provide further
driving benefits.

Fig. 2 Block diagram of the 1SC0450E2B0 driver core

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 4

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Mechanical Dimensions

Fig. 3 Interactive 3D drawing of the 1SC0450E2B0

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 5

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Fig. 4 Mechanical drawing of the 1SC0450E2B0

The primary-side and secondary-side pin grid is 2.54mm (100mil) with a pin cross-section of

0.64mm x 0.64mm. Total outline dimensions of the board are 60mm x 90mm. The total height of the driver
is maximum 27.5mm measured from the bottom of the pin bodies to the top of the populated PCB.

Note that the mechanical fixing points are placed in the clearance and creepage paths. Insulated fixation
material (screws, distance bolts) must therefore be used in order not to reduce these. The fixing points
support M3 screw size.

Recommended diameter of solder pads: Ø 2mm (79mil)
Recommended diameter of drill holes: Ø 1mm (39mil)

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 6

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Pin No. and Name

Function
Primary Side

1 SO

Status output primary side; normally pulled up to VCC over a 10kΩ resistor, pulled
down to low in case of a fault

2 GND

Ground

3 VCC

Supply voltage; 15V supply for primary side

4 VDC

DC/DC converter supply

5 GND

Ground

Secondary Side

6 VGB

Gate-boosting power supply

7 VISO

DC/DC output

8 COM

Secondary-side ground

9 CSHD

Set turn-off delay after fault detection; capacitor to COM

10 GH

Gate high; pulls gate high through turn-on resistor

11 GBS

Gate-boosting signal

12 VE

IGBT emitter

13 GL

Gate low; pulls gate low through turn-off resistor

14 ACL

Active clamping feedback; leave open if not used

15 REF

Set VCE detection threshold through resistor to VE

16 VCE

VCE sense; connect to IGBT collector through impedance network
17 COM

Secondary-side ground

18 VISO

DC/DC output

19 COM

Secondary-side ground

20 COM

Secondary-side ground

21 COM

Secondary-side ground

22 IN

Gate driving input; Inverted non-isolated signal input

23 COM

Secondary-side ground

24 COM

Secondary-side ground
25 COM

Secondary-side ground

26 OUT

Status output and external fault input

27 COM

Secondary-side ground

28 COM

Secondary-side ground

29 COM

Secondary-side ground

30 OUT

Status output and external fault input

31 OUT

Status output and external fault input

32 COM

Secondary-side ground

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Pin Designation

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 7

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Recommended Interface Circuitry for the Primary-Side Connector

Fig. 5 Recommended user interface of the 1SC0450E2B0 (primary side)

Description of Primary-Side Interface

General

The primary-side interface of the 1SC0450E2B0 driver is very simple and easy to use.

The driver primary side is equipped with a 5-pin interface connector with the following terminals:

 2x power-supply terminals VCC and VDC
 2x ground terminals GND
 1x status output SO (indicating a fault during primary-side under-voltage)

All inputs and outputs are ESD-protected.

VCC terminal

The driver has one VCC terminal on the interface connector to supply the primary-side electronics with 15V.

VDC terminal

The driver has one VDC terminal on the interface connector to supply the DC/DC converter for the secondary
side.

VDC should be supplied with 15V. It is recommended to connect the VCC and VDC terminals to a common
15V power supply. In that case, the driver limits the inrush current at startup and no external current
limitation of the voltage source for VDC is needed.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 8

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

GND

Both ground pins must be connected together with low parasitic inductance. A common ground plane is
strongly recommended. Furthermore it is recommended to shield all primary-side circuitry with the ground
plane. The connecting distance between the ground pins must be kept to a minimum.

SO (status output)

When no primary-side under-voltage condition is detected, an internal pull-up resistor of 10kΩ keeps the
output level at the voltage level of VCC. When a primary-side supply under-voltage is detected, the status
output SO goes to low (connected to GND). The SO output is automatically reset (returning to the voltage
level of VCC) when the under-voltage on the primary side disappears.

The maximum SO current in a fault condition must not exceed the value specified in the driver data sheet
/3/.

Recommended Interface Circuitry for the Secondary Side Connectors

Pins 6 to 16

Fig. 6 Recommended user interface of the 1SC0450E2B0 (secondary-side pins 6 to 16) without gate

boosting (refer to chapter “Gate Boosting” and Fig. 11 for gate-boosting circuitry)

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 9

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Pins 17 to 32

Fig. 7 Recommended command interface circuitry with Avago fiber-optic links HFBR-x522ETZ

Description of Secondary-Side Interfaces

General

The driver’s secondary side is equipped with an 11-pin and two 8-pin interface connectors.

The 11-pin interface connector features the following terminals:

 1x DC/DC output terminal VISO
 1x emitter terminal VE
 1x secondary-side ground COM
 1x collector sense terminal VCE
 1x reference terminal REF for short-circuit protection
 1x input terminal CSHD to set the turn-off delay after fault
 1x active clamping terminal ACL
 1x turn-on gate terminal GH
 1x turn-off gate terminal GL
 1x gate-boosting power supply VGB
 1x gate-boosting signal GBS

The two 8-pin interface connectors combine the command interface and feature the following terminals:

 1x DC/DC output terminal VISO
 11x secondary-side ground COM
 1x PWM input (inverted)
 3x status feedback input/output (inverted)

All inputs and outputs are ESD-protected.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 10

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

C1[μF]≥(QG[μC]-4.7)∙4

C1 in Fig. 6; 4µF blocking capacitance
per 1µC gate charge between VISO
and VE

Eq. 1

C2=

C

1

2

C2 in in Fig. 6; blocking capacitance
between VE and COM, half of the C1
value

Eq. 2

R

th

󰇟kΩ󰇠

=

68∙Vth[V]

10.2-Vth[V]

with Vth<10.2V

Eq. 3

R

tot

=  R

vcei

=

n

i=1

R

vce1

+...+R

vcen

Eq. 4

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

DC/DC output (VISO), emitter (VE) and COM terminals

The driver is equipped with blocking capacitors on the secondary side of the DC/DC converter (for values
refer to the data sheet /3/). IGBTs with a gate charge of up to 4.7µC can be driven without additional
external capacitors (C1 and C2 in Fig. 6 are not assembled). Eq. 1 and Eq. 2 give the recommended
capacitance value of C1 and C2 for gate charges above this value:

Example: IGBT modules with a gate charge of up to 42µC can be driven with external capacitances of

149.2µF between the VISO and VE terminals and 74.6µF between the VE and COM terminals (C1
and C2 of Fig. 6).

If the capacitance C1 (or C2) exceeds 200µF (or 100µF), please contact the Power Integrations support
service.

The blocking capacitors must be connected as close as possible to the driver’s terminal pins with minimum
inductance. Ceramic capacitors with a dielectric strength ≥25V are recommended.

No static load must be applied between VISO and VE, or between VE and COM. A static load can be applied
between VISO and COM if necessary.

Reference terminal (REF)

The reference terminal REF allows the threshold to be set for short-circuit protection with a resistor placed
between REF and VE (Rth of Fig. 6). An internal resistor of 68kΩ sets the default threshold value to 10.2V. It
can be reduced with the use of an external resistor Rth according to the following Eq. 3:

It is recommended to keep the reference voltage at its maximum default value of 10.2V (without using an
external resistor Rth).

Collector sense (VCE)

The collector sense must be connected to the IGBT collector with the circuit shown in Fig. 6 in order to
detect a short circuit condition.

General information and recommendations:

 The overall value R

 It is recommended to dimension the overall value R

about 0.6…0.8mA to flow through them at the maximum DC-link voltage (Eq. 5). This current must
not exceed 0.8mA. It is recommended to use series-connected resistors; the minimum creepage and
clearance distances required for the application must be considered and the maximum voltage,

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 11

of the resistors R

tot

is calculated with equation Eq. 4:

vcei

of the resistors in order for a current I

tot

Vce

of

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

I

Vce



V

DC-link󰇛max

󰇜

R

tot

=0.6.0.8mA

Eq. 5

R

div

[kΩ]=R

tot

[kΩ]∙

V

th

󰇟V󰇠

+VGL[V]



V

CEth

󰇟V󰇠

-Vth[V]

(V

CEth

> Vth)

Eq. 6

C

tot

=

1



1

C

vcek

p
k=1

=1…4pF

Eq. 7

C

vce1

C

tot

=󰇛0.7…0.9󰇜∙

R

tot

R

vce1+Rvce2

Eq. 8

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

power and temperature rating of the resistors used must not be exceeded. Dimensioning
recommendations are given below.

 All resistors R
 R

allows the static threshold detection level V

div

divider with R
V

.

CEth

|VGL| is the absolute value of the gate-emitter turn-off voltage at the driver output. It depends on
the driver load and can be found in the driver data sheet /3/. Vth is the reference value set at the
reference terminal REF as described in the “Reference terminal (REF)” section.

(i ≥ 1) must have the same value.

vcei

). R

tot

can be calculated with Eq. 6 in order to determine the static detection level

div

to be increased if required (resistive voltage

CEth

 The recommended range for the overall capacitance value C

 All capacitances C
 The capacitance C

with k≥2 must have the same value.

vcek

must be chosen such that the Eq. 8 is satisfied:

vce1

is given in Eq. 7:

tot

 The maximum voltage rating of the resistors and capacitors used must not be exceeded. Peak

values and average values must be considered. Dimensioning recommendations are given below.

 The diodes D

and D10 must have a very low leakage current and a blocking voltage of >40V (e.g.

9

BAS416). Schottky diodes must be explicitly avoided.

 R

and Ca are used to set the response time.

a

Recommended values for 6500V IGBTs with DC-link voltages up to 4500V

 R

vce1=Rvce2

 R
 C
 C
 C
 R
 R

=620kΩ (0603, 1%)

div

vce1

vce2=Cvce3

=22pF (C0G, 50V, 5%)

a

=not assembled

th

=refer to Table 1 below (0603, 1%)

a

This setup uses 30 resistors R

=…=R

=200kΩ (500mW, 400V

vce30

=15pF (C0G, 1000V, 5%)

=…=C

=22pF (C0G, 630V, 5%)

vce15

and 15 capacitors C

vcei

peak

, 1%)

and leads to a static desaturation detection

vcek

threshold of about 201V.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 12

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

V

DC-Link

Ra=68kΩ

Ra=91kΩ

Ra=120kΩ

4500V

5.3µs

6.9µs

9.0µs

3000V

5.3µs

7.0µs

9.1µs

2250V

5.5µs

7.0µs

9.1µs

1500V

7.2µs

8.0µs

9.4µs

1125V

9.9µs

10.3µs

11.1µs

900V

14.1µs

14.1µs

14.2µs

V

DC-Link

Ra=68kΩ

Ra=91kΩ

Ra=120kΩ

3200V

5.1µs

6.8µs

8.8µs

2000V

5.2µs

6.8µs

8.9µs

1500V

6.1µs

7.0µs

8.9µs

1000V

8.8µs

9.3µs

10.3µs

800V

12.7µs

13.1µs

12.9µs

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Table 1 Typical response time as a function of the resistance Ra and the DC-link voltage V

DC-Link

Table 1 gives indicative values only. The response time depends on the specific layout and the IGBT module
used. It is therefore recommended to measure the short-circuit duration in the final design.

Note that slow IGBT modules may report a wrong VCE desaturation fault at turn-on. It is therefore
recommended to test the setup under worst case conditions (maximum DC-link voltage, maximum collector
current and highest IGBT junction temperature). Please also refer to AN-1101 /4/ for more information.

Recommended values for 4500V IGBTs with DC-link voltages up to 3200V

 R

vce1=Rvce2

 R
 C
 C
 C
 R
 R

=620kΩ (0603, 1%)

div

vce1

vce2=Cvce3

=22pF (C0G, 50V, 5%)

a

=not assembled

th

=refer to Table 2 below (0603, 1%)

a

This setup uses 20 resistors R

=…=R

=220kΩ (500mW, 400V

vce20

=15pF (C0G, 1000V, 5%)

=…=C

=22pF (C0G, 630V, 5%)

vce10

and 10 capacitors C

vcei

peak

, 1%)

and leads to a static desaturation detection

vcek

threshold of about 150V.

Table 2 Typical response time as a function of the resistance Ra and the DC-link voltage V

DC-Link

Table 2 gives indicative values only. The response time depends on the specific layout and the IGBT module
used. It is therefore recommended to measure the short-circuit duration in the final design.

Note that slow IGBT modules may report a wrong VCE desaturation fault at turn-on. It is therefore
recommended to test the setup under worst case conditions (maximum DC-link voltage, maximum collector
current and highest IGBT junction temperature). Please also refer to AN-1101 /4/ for more information.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 13

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

V

DC-Link

Ra=68kΩ

Ra=91kΩ

Ra=120kΩ

2200V

5.3µs

7.0µs

9.0µs

1500V

5.3µs

7.0µs

9.0µs

1100V

5.4µs

7.0µs

9.1µs

700V

7.6µs

8.1µs

9.3µs

600V

17.0µs

14.4µs

13.7µs

Circuit at pin CSHD

Typical turn-off delay T

cshd

Left open:

T

cshd

=0.2μs

Eq. 9

Capacitor between CSHD and COM:

T

cshd

[μs]=

C

cshd

[pF]

50

(C

cshd

≤10nF)

Eq. 10

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Recommended values for 3300V IGBTs with DC-link voltages up to 2200V

 R

vce1=Rvce2

 R
 C
 C
 C
 R
 R

=1.5MΩ (0603, 1%)

div

vce1

vce2=Cvce3

=22pF (C0G, 50V, 5%)

a

=not assembled

th

=refer to Table 3 below (0603, 1%)

a

This setup uses 14 resistors R

=…=R

=220kΩ (500mW, 400V

vce14

=15pF (C0G, 1000V, 5%)

=…=C

=22pF (C0G, 630V, 5%)

vce7

and 7 capacitors C

vcei

, 1%)

peak

per channel and leads to a static desaturation

vcek

detection threshold of about 50V.

Table 3 Typical response time as a function of the resistance Ra and the DC-link voltage V

DC-Link

Table 3 gives indicative values only. The response time depends on the specific layout and the IGBT module
used. It is therefore recommended to measure the short-circuit duration in the final design.

Note that slow IGBT modules may report a wrong VCE desaturation fault at turn-on. It is therefore
recommended to test the setup under worst case conditions (maximum DC-link voltage, maximum collector
current and highest IGBT junction temperature). Please also refer to AN-1101 /4/ for more information.

Input for adjusting the turn-off delay in fault condition (CSHD)

The terminal CSHD allows the delay in turning off the IGBT after a fault detection on the driver’s secondary
side (short-circuit, undervoltage, external fault input) to be determined with a capacitor C
a maximum value of 10nF connected to COM. Table 4 shows the resulting delay as a function of the circuit
used at pin CSHD.

Table 4 Turn-off delay as a function of CSHD wiring

As soon as the fault turn-off delay time T

has elapsed, the driver’s channel is automatically turned off.

cshd

The driver’s channel can also be turned off from the driver’s input IN within the turn-off delay time T
determined by the CSHD pin after a secondary-side fault detection.

(C0G/50V) with

cshd

cshd

Note that it will not be possible to turn the IGBT on during about 100ns per 100pF capacitance applied to
CSHD after a fault condition, starting from the turn-off event of the IGBT (minimum off-time required).

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 14

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Active Clamping (ACL)

Active clamping is a technique designed to partially turn on the power semiconductor as soon as the
collector-emitter voltage exceeds a predefined threshold. The power semiconductor is then kept in linear
operation.

Basic active clamping topologies implement a single feedback path from the IGBT’s collector through

transient voltage suppressor devices (TVS) to the IGBT gate. The 1SC0450E2B0 supports Advanced Active
Clamping from Power Integrations, where the feedback is also provided to the driver’s secondary side at pin
ACL (Fig. 6): as soon as the voltage at pin ACL exceeds about 1.3V, the turn-off MOSFET is progressively
switched off in order to improve the effectiveness of the active clamping and to reduce the losses in the
TVS. The turn-off MOSFET is turned completely off when the voltage at pin ACL approaches 20V (measured
to COM).

It is recommended to use the circuit shown in Fig. 6. The following parameters must be adapted to the
application:

 For TVS D

At least one bidirectional TVS (D1) (≥300V for 3300V IGBTs, ≥350V for 4500V IGBTs, ≥440V for
6500V IGBTs) must be used in order to avoid negative current flowing through the TVS chain during
turn-on of the anti-parallel diode of the IGBT module due to its forward recovery behavior. Such a
current could, depending on the application, lead to under-voltage of the driver secondary-side
voltage VISO to VE (15V).

Note that it is possible to modify the number of TVS in a chain. The active clamping efficiency can
be improved by increasing the number of TVS used in a chain if the total breakdown voltage remains
at the same value. Note also that the active clamping efficiency is highly dependent on the type of
TVS used (e.g. manufacturer).

 D

and D4: It is recommended to use Schottky diodes with blocking voltages >35V (>1A depending on

3

the application).

, D2 it is recommended to use:

1

- 3300V IGBTs with DC-link voltages up to 2200V: Seven unidirectional 300V TVS and one

bidirectional 350V TVS. Good clamping results can be obtained with seven unidirectional TVS
P6SMB300A and one bidirectional TVS P6SMB350CA from Diotec.

- 4500V IGBTs with DC-link voltages up to 3200V: Eight unidirectional 400V TVS and one

bidirectional 350V TVS. Good clamping results can be obtained with eight unidirectional TVS
P6SMB400A and one bidirectional TVS P6SMB350CA from Diotec.

- 6500V IGBTs with DC-link voltages up to 4350V: Ten unidirectional 440V TVS and one

bidirectional 440V TVS. Good clamping results can be obtained with ten unidirectional TVS
P6SMB440A and one bidirectional TVS P6SMB440CA from Diotec.

Please note that the diodes D3 and D4 must not be omitted if Advanced Active Clamping is used.

If active clamping is not used, the diode D4 can be omitted. The pin ACLx must then be left open.

Gate turn-on (GH) and turn-off (GL) terminals

These terminals allow the turn-on (GH) and turn-off (GL) gate resistors to be connected to the gate of the
power semiconductor. The GH and GL pins are available as separated terminals in order to set the turn-on
and turn-off resistors independently without the use of an additional diode. Please refer to the driver data
sheet /3/ for the limit values of the gate resistors used.

A resistor between GL and COM of 6.8kΩ (other values are also possible) may be used in order to provide a
low-impedance path from the IGBT gate to the emitter even if the driver is not supplied with power. No
static load (e.g. resistors) must be placed between GL and the emitter terminal VE.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 15

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Drive Signal

T/R

(1)

Light

Input IN

Gate Output

Low

Off

High

Off-state

High

On

Low

On-state

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Note, however, that it is not advisable to operate the power semiconductors within a half-bridge with a
driver in the event of a low supply voltage. Otherwise, a steep increase of VCE may cause partial turn-on of
these IGBTs.

Gate Boosting Power Supply (VGB)

The driver supports an increased IGBT turn-on voltage source VGB to perform gate boosting. The voltage is
generated by internal circuitry. No static load must be applied to VGB. Refer to the driver data sheet /3/ for
more information.

Gate Boosting Signal (GBS)

The gate-boosting signal GBS is an auxiliary signal that has the same time waveform – but different voltage
values – as the GH signal. Please refer to the driver data sheet for the exact voltage values /3/ and to the
”Gate Boosting” section for more information.

Note that no static load must be applied to GBS. Refer to the driver data sheet /3/ for more information.

Gate Drive Input (IN)

The gate drive input signal IN is inverted to the gate output. A transition to a low-level state at IN generates
a driver turn-on command while a transition to a high-level state generates a driver turn-off command. Also
refer to Table 5 and Fig. 8.

It is recommended to use the input circuitry of Fig. 7. The drive signal is then not inverted to the gate
output according to Table 5.

If other drive circuits are used, the following information must be considered:

 The absolute maximum ratings of the driver data sheet /3/ must be respected.
 The logic level thresholds of the input IN are given in the driver data sheet /3/.
 The input IN features an internal pull-up current source of about 500µA which sets its potential to a

high-level state and assures an IGBT off-state condition if the pin is floating. Refer to the driver data
sheet /3/ for values.

 Pin IN belongs to the secondary-side electrical circuit and follows the emitter potential of the driven

IGBT. It must be isolated against primary-side circuits, e. g. with fiber-optic links.

Table 5 Signal input truth table correlated with the schematics of Fig. 7

Status Feedback /Fault input (OUT)

The OUT terminal is mainly used as a status feedback output. However, it also works as an input. When
OUT is externally shorted to COM for a minimum period of time (timing and threshold values according to
the driver data sheet /3/), the driver detects an external fault. The IGBT is then turned off after a delay

(1)

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 16

T/R: Transmitter and receiver pair of a fiber-optic link

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

T

(refer to the chapter “Input for adjusting the turn-off delay in fault condition (CSHD)”). Note that

CSHD

failure to respect the minimum hold time may lead to incorrect driver behavior.

The recommended circuitry for using the OUT terminal as an external fault input is shown in Fig. 7
(transistor connected to “External fault input”). The external effective capacitance (components and board
parasitic capacitances referred to VISO, VE and COM) must not exceed the value given in the driver data
sheet /3/ to avoid unexpected driver fault triggering in normal operation.

In normal operation, each edge of the control signal IN is acknowledged by the driver with a short pulse
(OUT is switched to low for a short period of time; refer to driver data sheet /3/ for details). As this can be
observed by the host controller, this method allows simple and continuous monitoring of all drivers and
fiber-optic links of the system (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8 Driver behavior and status feedback in normal operation (Refer to Fig. 7 for the recommended

command interface)

The driver can detect three different secondary-side faults:

 V
 Secondary-side supply under-voltage; refer to chapter “Power-supply monitoring”
 External fault (as described above)

The signal truth table of Table 6 shows the behavior of the OUT signal in normal operation as well as in a
fault condition. Only the pulse length of OUT differs between normal operation (acknowledge) and the
different fault conditions.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 17

-desaturation detection in case of a short-circuit; refer to chapter “Collector sense (VCE)”

CE

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Status

OUT

T/R

(2)

Light

Status Feedback

Idle

High

On

Low

Acknowledge
or fault pulse

Low

Off

High

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Table 6 Signal truth table correlated with the schematics of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 shows the response of the driver in the event of an IGBT short-circuit condition. The fault status is

transferred to the status feedback terminal after the response time. The light is then driven “off” during the

delay to clear the fault state (8μs+T
T

. The IGBT can be turned on again by applying a negative edge to the input IN after the fault status has

cshd

disappeared.

). The driver turns the IGBT off after the response time + delay time

cshd

Fig. 9 Driver behavior and status feedback in the IGBT short-circuit condition

In case of a secondary-side supply under-voltage fault, the fault status remains active as long as this under­voltage remains. The driver response in the event of a supply under-voltage on VISO-VE is shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 Status feedback in the event of a secondary-side supply under-voltage

(2)

T/R: Transmitter and receiver pair of a fiber-optic link

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 18

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

During power-up, the status feedback will also show a fault condition until the supply under-voltage
protection disappears.

If the OUT terminal is not used, it is recommended to connect the OUT pin to VISO via a pull-up resistor in
the range of 1.5kΩ to 10kΩ.

How Do 1SC0450E2B0 SCALE-2 Drivers Work in Detail?

Power supply and electrical isolation

The driver is equipped with a DC/DC converter to provide an electrically insulated power supply to the gate
driver circuitry. The transformer features basic insulation according to IEC 61800-5-1 as well as IEC 60664-1
between the primary and secondary sides.

Note that the driver requires a stabilized supply voltage.

Power-supply monitoring

The driver’s primary and secondary sides are equipped with a local under-voltage monitoring circuit.

In the event of a primary-side supply under-voltage, the under-voltage is signalized by the electrical status
output SO. A primary-side under-voltage will not automatically cause a gate turn-off command. This
condition has to be detected by the control logic which has to switch off and block the gate drive signal.

In case of a secondary-side supply under-voltage, the corresponding power semiconductor is driven with a
negative gate voltage after the delay in IGBT turn-off (refer to “Input for adjusting the turn-off delay in fault
condition (CSHD)”) to keep it in the off-state (the channel is blocked) and a fault condition is monitored on
the status output OUT until the supply voltage exceeds the reference level for enabling.

Parallel connection of IGBT modules

It is recommended to drive parallel-connected IGBT modules using a single 1SC0450E2B0 driver core.
Appropriate gate circuitry has to be used. Please contact the Power Integrations support service for more
information.

3-level or multilevel topologies

In applications with multi-level topologies, the turn-off sequence of the individual power semiconductors
usually needs to be controlled by the host controller in case of a detected fault condition (e.g. short circuit,
over-current), especially if no Advanced Active Clamping or Dynamic Advanced Active Clamping is
implemented.

In that case, the turn-off delay in the fault condition of the different drivers can be adjusted to match the
corresponding timing specifications. It is in particular possible to determine a specific turn-off delay for the
inner IGBTs of a 3-level NPC topology as described in the section: “Input for adjusting the turn-off delay in
fault condition (CSHD)”. The driver’s response time can also be adapted accordingly if required.

Note however that Advanced Active Clamping offers simple and safe protection that allows excessive
collector-emitter overvoltages to be avoided in case of wrong commutation sequences in the short-circuit
condition of 3-level converter topologies (refer to /6/ and /7/ for more information).

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 19

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

C

gb

󰇟nF󰇠

=

Q

gb

󰇟nC󰇠

VGH[V]+VGL[V]



-22

Cgb≥0

Eq. 11

T

min

󰇟μs󰇠

=11∙ 󰇧1+

22+C

gb

󰇟nF󰇠

22

󰇨 +T

gb

[μs]

Eq. 12

P

gb

󰇟W󰇠

=10

-6

∙C

gb

󰇟nF󰇠

+22+6.5∙T

gb

󰇟μs󰇠

∙

󰇛

V

GH

󰇟V󰇠





V

GL

󰇟V󰇠

󰇜



∙f[kHz]

Eq. 13

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Gate Boosting

The 1SC0450E2B0 driver supports gate boosting. This feature allows the commutation speed of the
collector-emitter voltage to be accelerated at turn-on after the critical phase of the diode reverse recovery
behavior to reduce the IGBT turn-on losses.

A dedicated external circuit as shown in Fig. 11 is required. Detailed gate-boosting recommendations are not
currently available.

Gate-boosting circuit principle

The “Gate Boosting Logic” according to Fig. 11 has to trigger the boosting function at the appropriate time
during the IGBT turn on transition as illustrated in Fig. 12:

 The delay time between GBS and the required boosting time needs to be determined by the “Gate

Boosting Logic” circuit.

 The pulse length of the boosting pulse also needs to be determined by the “Gate Boosting Logic”

circuit. It must be limited to a few microseconds.

A turn-on pulse of the gate-boosting power switch Q1 will be generated. This will lead to an increased turn­on gate current that will be injected into the IGBT gate over Rgb.

The boosting charge capability can be increased by adding an external capacitor Cgb. The minimum value Cgb
of the external capacitor can be calculated according to Eq. 11.

where Qgb stands for the required boosting gate charge and has to be determined according to the IGBT
module gate charge requirements. VGH and VGL are the absolute values of the turn-on and turn-off voltage at
the driver output respectively. Their value can be found in the driver data sheet /3/. Note that Eq. 11
assumes a full discharge of Cgb during a gate-boosting event (worst case).

The gate-boosting capability is further limited by the minimum time span between two consecutive gate
turn-on commands as well as by the gate-boosting power. The minimum required time T

between two

min

consecutive gate turn-on commands is given by Eq. 12. The gate-boosting efficiency is reduced if Eq. 12 is
not respected.

Tgb stands for the gate-boosting pulse length (Fig. 12). It is recommended to limit it to 1…5μs.

The maximum gate-boosting power must be within the absolute maximum ratings of the driver data sheet
/3/. Eq. 13 gives a worst case approximation of the real gate-boosting power Pgb. It is sufficient to design
the gate boosting such that Pgb is lower than the corresponding absolute maximum rating of the driver data
sheet /3/.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 20

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Fig. 11 Gate-boosting circuit principle – highlighted in red color

Fig. 12 Gate-boosting signals

How to disable gate boosting?

Pins VGB and GBS must be left open. Note that the voltage values of the pins VGB and GBS are 50V and 35V
respectively referred to COM (creepage and clearance distances).

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 21

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Bibliography

/1/ Paper: Smart Power Chip Tuning, Bodo’s Power Systems, May 2007
/2/ “Description and Application Manual for SCALE™ Drivers”, Power Integrations
/3/ Data sheet SCALE™-2 driver core 1SC0450E2B0, Power Integrations
/4/ Application note AN-1101: Application with SCALE™-2 and SCALE™-2+ Gate Driver Cores, Power

Integrations

/5/ Application note AN-0904: Direct Paralleling of SCALE™-2 Gate Driver Cores, Power Integrations
/6/ Application note AN-0901: Methodology for Controlling Multi-Level Converter Topologies with

SCALE™-2 IGBT Drivers, Power Integrations

/7/ Paper: Safe Driving of Multi-Level Converters Using Sophisticated Gate Driver Technology, PCIM

Asia, June 2013

Note: The Application Notes are available on the Internet at www.power.com/igbt-driver/go/app-note and

the papers at www.power.com/igbt-driver/go/papers.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 22

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

The Information Source: SCALE-2 Driver Data Sheets

Power Integrations offers the widest selection of gate drivers for power MOSFETs and IGBTs for almost any
application requirements. The largest website on gate-drive circuitry anywhere contains all data sheets,
application notes and manuals, technical information and support sections: www.power.com.

Quite Special: Customized SCALE-2 Drivers

If you need an IGBT driver that is not included in the delivery range, please don’t hesitate to contact Power
Integrations or your Power Integrations sales partners.

Power Integrations has more than 25 years of experience in the development and manufacturing of
intelligent gate drivers for power MOSFETs and IGBTs and has already implemented a huge number of
customized solutions.

Technical Support

Power Integrations provides expert help for your questions and problems:

www.power.com/igbt-driver/go/support

Quality

The obligation to high quality is one of the central features laid down in the mission statement of Power
Integrations Switzerland GmbH. Our total quality management system assures state-of-the-art processes
throughout all functions of the company, certified by ISO9001:2008 standards.

Legal Disclaimer

The statements, technical information and recommendations contained herein are believed to be accurate as
of the date hereof. All parameters, numbers, values and other technical data included in the technical
information were calculated and determined to our best knowledge in accordance with the relevant technical
norms (if any). They may base on assumptions or operational conditions that do not necessarily apply in
general. We exclude any representation or warranty, express or implied, in relation to the accuracy or
completeness of the statements, technical information and recommendations contained herein. No
responsibility is accepted for the accuracy or sufficiency of any of the statements, technical information,
recommendations or opinions communicated and any liability for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or
damage suffered by any person arising therefrom is expressly disclaimed.

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 23

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Ordering Information

Our international terms and conditions of sale apply.

Type Designation Description

1SC0450E2B0-45 Single-channel SCALE-2 driver core for 4500V IGBTs
1SC0450E2B0-65 Single-channel SCALE-2 driver core for 6500V IGBTs

Product home page: www.power.com/igbt-driver/go/1SC0450

Refer to www.power.com/igbt-driver/go/nomenclature for information on driver nomenclature.

Information about Other Products

For other driver cores:

Direct link: www.power.com/igbt-driver/go/cores

For other drivers, product documentation and application support:

Please click: www.power.com

© 2014…2017 Power Integrations Switzerland GmbH. All rights reserved.
We reserve the right to make any technical modifications without prior notice. Version 1.0 from 2017-06-13

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 24

SCALE™-2 1SC0450E2B0

WORLD HEADQUARTERS

5245 Hellyer Avenue
San Jose, CA 95138 USA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

AMERICAS EAST

7360 McGinnis Ferry Road
Suite 225
Suwannee, GA 30024 USA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

AMERICAS CENTRAL

333 Sheridan Road
Winnetka, IL 60093 USA
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

AMERICAS WEST

5245 Hellyer Avenue
San Jose, CA 95138 USA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

CHINA (Shanghai)
Room 2410, Charity Plaza
No. 88 North Caoxi Road
Shanghai, 200030 China
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

CHINA (Shenzhen)
17/F, Hivac Building, No 2
Keji South 8th Road, Nanshan District
Shenzhen, 518057 China
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

GERMANY (AC-DC/LED Sales)
Lindwurmstrasse 114
80337 München, Germany
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

GERMANY (IGBT Driver Sales)
HellwegForum 1
59469 Ense, Germany
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

INDIA (Bangalore)
#1, 14th Main Road
Vasanthangar
Bangalore, 560052 India
Tel 1: [phone]
Tel 2: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

INDIA (Mumbai)
Unit: 106-107, Sagar Tech Plaza-B
Sakinaka, Andheri Kurla Road
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400072 India
Tel 1: [phone]
Tel 2: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

INDIA (New Dehli)
#45, Top Floor
Okhla Industrial Area, Phase - III
New Dehli, 110020 India
Tel 1: [phone]
Tel 2: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

ITALY
Via Milanese 20
20099 Sesto San Giovanni (MI), Italy
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

JAPAN
Kosei Dai-3 Bldg.
2-12-11, Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa
Japan 222-0033
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

KOREA
RM602, 6FL, 22
Teheran-ro 87-gil, Gangnam-gu
Seoul, 06164 Korea
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

SINGAPORE
51 Newton Road
#19-01/05 Goldhill Plaza
Singapore, 308900
Tel 1: [phone]
Tel 2: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

TAIWAN

5F, No. 318, Nei Hu Rd., Sec. 1
Nei Hu Dist.
Taipei, 114 Taiwan
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

UNITED KINGDOM
Bulding 5, Suite 21
The Westbrook Centre
Milton Road
Cambridge, CB4 1YG United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Preliminary Description & Application Manual

Power Integrations Sales Offices

www.power.com/igbt-driver Page 25