TOKYO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 20, 2014 — Toshiba Corporation’s (TOKYO:6502) Semiconductor & Storage Products Company today announced a new addition to its line-up of gate-drive photocouplers for use in driving medium-power IGBTs and power MOSFETs. The new 4A output smart gate driver photocoupler “TLP5214” is housed in a thin SO16L package and has protection features that prevent IGBTs from over-current conditions. Mass production shipments of the new product will start from the end of May.

Toshiba: Smart Gate Driver Photocoupler with Embedded Protection Features (Photo: Business Wire)

“TLP5214” integrates multiple protection features, IGBT desaturation detection, active miller clamp and FAULT detection among them. Integrating these protection features, previously in external circuits, contribute to a lower overall system cost for detecting and handling malfunctions.

With the thin SO16L package, in spite of its low height of 2.3mm (max), “TLP5214” guarantees a creepage distance of 8mm, suiting it for applications requiring higher isolation specs.

Combined with Toshiba’s original high-reliability infrared LED, TLP5214 is suitable for use in a wide range of applications, including those that require high thermo-stability, such as factory automation, home photovoltaic power systems and UPS. A maximum propagation delay time of 150ns and propagation delay skew of ±80ns are guaranteed within the defined operation temperature range (up to 110 degrees Centigrade), making it possible to reduce dead time in the inverter circuit, which can secure higher operating efficiency.