International Rectifier is offering a new family of highly integrated, ultra-compact, patent pending µIPM™ power modules for high efficiency appliance and light industrial applications including compressor drives for refrigeration, pumps for heating and water circulation, air-conditioning fans, dishwashers, and automation systems. By utilizing an innovative packaging solution, the µIPM family delivers a new benchmark in device size, offering up to a 60% smaller footprint than existing 3-phase motor control power ICs.

Ultra-compact at 12x12x0.9mm in a PQFN package, the µIPM family comprises a series of fully integrated 3-phase surface-mount motor control circuit solutions. IR's innovation is utilizing PCB copper traces to dissipate heat from the module, providing cost savings through a smaller package design and even eliminating the need for an external heat sink. By using standard packaging QFN technology, assembly is simplified by eliminating through-hole second pass assembly and improving thermal performance compared to traditional dual-in-line module solutions.

IR’s µIPM product family features a common pin-out and package size and is available in from 2A to 4A and voltages of 250V and 500V.

International Rectifier has unveiled the compact IRS2334SPbF and IRS2334MPbF three-phase 600V ICs for inverterized motor drives used in energy efficient appliance and industrial applications.

The IRS2334SPbF is offered in an SOIC20WB package while the IRS2334MPbF is available in a QFN5X5 package featuring a footprint of just 25mm2 and designed with the appropriate creepage and clearance requirements to enable rugged and reliable designs at voltages up to 600V.       

“Inverterized motor drives offer efficiency greater than 80 percent compared to standard on/off drives that deliver less than 50 percent efficiency,” said Alberto Guerra, Vice President, Strategic Market Development, IR’s Energy Saving Products Business Unit. “The IRS2334SPbF and IRS2334MPbF offer a compact solution and simpler implementation that enable designers of applications such as power tools, refrigerator compressors and electrically controlled fans to utilize energy efficient inverters with the smallest form factor,” he added.

The IRS2334x family provides comprehensive protection including proprietary negative voltage spike (Vs) immunity for safe operation under extreme switching conditions and short circuit events. The output drivers feature a high pulse current buffer stage designed for minimum driver cross-conduction. Propagation delays are matched to simplify use at high frequencies. The floating channel can be used to drive N-channel power MOSFET or IGBTs in the high-side configuration.

The new ICs utilize IR’s advanced high-voltage IC (HVIC) process which incorporates next-generation high-voltage level-shifting and termination technology to deliver superior electrical over-stress protection and higher field reliability. The IRS2334x feature under-voltage lock-out protection, integrated deadtime protection and shoot-through protection. Other features of the new devices include advanced input filter, lower di/dt gate driver for better noise immunity, output in phase with inputs and 3.3V input logic compatibility.

International Rectifier will showcase the company’s latest power management solutions at the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) which is being held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida, February 5-9, 2012.

IR engineers will demonstrate IR’s latest energy-savings and high power density enabling technologies and products at Booth 501. In addition, IR’s power management experts will participate in the following conference events:

• Wednesday, February 8, 2012
  • Technical Session: EMI ; Track: System Integration
  • Session Chair: Dave Divins
  • Location : Fiesta 7-8

• Technical Session: Power Electronics Applications I ; Track: Power Electronics Applications
  • Session Chair: Cahit Gezgin
  • Location: Fiesta 1-2

• Technical Session: DC-DC Converters: Bidirectional ; Track: DC-DC Converters
  • Session Chair: Peyman Asadi
  • Location:  Coronado A/B

• Thursday, February 9, 2012
  • Technical Session 32:  Power Electronics Applications II
  • Presenters: Hemal Shah, Heratch Namagerdi, Steve Oknaian
  • “Evaluating Dynamic Reliability of Power MOSFETs in Low Voltage Hard-switched Applications”
  • Location:  Fiesta 1-2, 2:00PM-5:30PM

• Industry Session:  IS1.5.7
  • Participant: Tim McDonald, Vice President, IR’s Emerging Technologies Group
  • “IR’s GaNpowIR and the inherent performance advantages of GaN-based HEMTS”
  • Location: Fiesta Ballroom 5, 2:00PM-5:30PM

• Technical Session:  Lighting II; Track:  Power Electronics Applications
  • Session Chairs:  Cahit Gezgin, Donald Boughton
  • Location:  Coronado C/D

• Technical Session:  DC-DC Converters:  Modeling; Track:  DC-DC Converters
  • Session Chair:  Peyman Asadi
  • Location:  Coronado A/B

• Technical Session:  Power Electronics Applications II; Track:  Power Electronics Applications
  • Session Chair:  Eric Persson
  • Location:  Fiesta 1-2

• Technical Session:  DC-DC Converters:  Control II; Track:  DC-DC Converters
  • Session Chair:  Amir Rahimi
  • Location:  Fiesta 9-10

“Variable speed motor control in home appliances holds the key to significant energy savings. However, the design of the electronic control unit is complex. At the same time, designers must achieve high performance at relatively low cost for the high-volume market, desiring components with small form factors and a high level of integration to simplify manufacturing,” said Alberto Guerra, Vice President of International Rectifier's (IR’s) Energy Saving Products Business Unit.

Guerra's comments come as the company announces that its IRMCK171 one-time programmable ROM-based monolithic mixed-signal IC for sensorless sinusoidal motor control of appliances meets the standards of IMQ (Italy) Annex R of IEC 60335-1 Edition 4.2 – Class B software requirements.

The new certification allows even further simplification and acceleration of the design process for home appliances using the IRMCK171 by reducing elements of the software testing process. The IMQ certification also enables customers to more easily obtain the safety standard of their appliance products which is a mandatory requirement for today’s home appliance goods.

Guerra continúes, “IR’s iMOTION platform consists of a development system, mixed-signal analog chipsets and power stages, that when co-designed together, simplify motor control designs and bring energy-efficient, cost-effective solutions to market faster. This platform provides a compelling argument for manufacturers to adopt permanent magnet variable-speed motor drives in home appliances, and with the IRMCK171, the design cycle and safety certification process can now be accelerated even further.”

The IRMCK171, part of the iMOTION™ integrated design platform for variable speed motor control, incorporates IR’s patented Motion Control Engine (MCETM), an algorithm editor that eliminates coding.  A co-integrated 60MIPS, 8-bit, 8051 microcontroller enables application layer software development, operating almost independently of the MCE and does not compete for system resources such as interrupts or internal registers. The embedded Analog Signal Engine (ASE) integrates all the signal conditioning and conversion circuits required for single current shunt, sensorless control of a permanent magnet motor.

International Rectifier has announced the extension of its packaging portfolio with the introduction of a PQFN 4mm x 4mm package featuring high-voltage gate drive ICs; an ultra-compact, high density and efficient solution for a wide variety of applications including home appliance, industrial automation, power tools and alternative energy.

With a footprint of 16mm2, the PQFN4x4 package can accommodate many of IR’s high performance high-voltage gate drive ICs that previously required packages as large as the wide-body SOIC-16, offering up to an 85% smaller footprint.  The new package is designed with the appropriate creepage and clearance requirements to enable rugged and reliable designs at voltages up to 600 V.

“As inverterized motor control becomes more widely adopted, there has been increased demand to reduce system size and increase functionality.  This new package combined with our advanced high-voltage IC platform accomplishes both of these goals,” said a company representative.

IR's HVIC technology integrates N-channel and P-channel LDMOS circuitry in an intelligent driver IC. The ICs receive a low-voltage input and provide gate drive and protection features for HV power-conditioning applications. Additionally, these monolithic HVICs provide integration of features and functionality to simplify circuit design and reduce overall cost, including the option to use a low-cost bootstrap power supply which eliminates the need for the large and expensive auxiliary power supply that discrete optocoupler or transformer-based designs typically require.

The PQFN4x4 package is compatible with existing Surface Mount Techniques, is MSL2 rated and RoHS compliant.