
4-1
HIP2500 High Voltage (500VDC)
Half-Bridge Driver IC
HIP2500 High Voltage (500V
DC
) Half-Bridge Driver IC
Author: George E. Danz
Introduction
The HIP2500 is an high voltage, high speed half-bridge
driver for driving n-channel MOS gated power devices. The
blocking voltage of the HIP2500 is 500VDC which provides
the capability for application on most rectified 230VAC line.
The HIP2500 uses the same proprietary technology which
resulted in the first products in the HVIC (high voltage IC)
family, the SP600/SP601 Half-Bridge Drivers.
The upper and lower drivers are junction-isolated from each
other and controlled by independent input lines referenced to
the system common. The HIP2500 offers a reliable, cost-
effective means for driving high-side referenced n-channel
power switches from ground referenced logic. Level-transla-
tion circuitry using optocouplers or, the more reliable, but
often too expensive, transformer is not required. Highly inte-
grated logic and drive circuitry minimizes propagation delays
and allows higher switching frequencies and lower switching
losses than would be attainable using more conventional
techniques.
Besides
cost
increases, the HIP2500 simplifies and reduces the effort
needed to design efficient MOS gated high and low side
switch drivers.
savings
and
performance
The HIP2500 boasts high output drive capability (2A peak),
while still employing the PMOS source and NMOS sink driv-
ers which are also employed in the SP600 family. By remov-
ing the Overcurrent trip, automatic refresh and shoot-through
protection features of the SP600 family, the simpler logic cir-
cuitry allows lower transport delays from input to output and
operation at PWM frequencies as high as 500kHz. Gate rise
and fall times are as low as 20ns into a 1000pF load.
While the burden of shoot-through protection now rests
squarely with the user, the simplicity of precise user gate
control allows the capability to drive double forward convert-
ers, a configuration popularly used in power supply, stepper
motor and switched reluctance motor controls. Capacitor
C
F
, referred to as the “bootstrap capacitor,” must always be
fully pre-charged before turning on the upper switch. On
power up, therefore, the lower switch should be turned on
first, providing a charging path for C
F
from V
CC
through the
bootstrap diode D
F
and back to ground. Figure 1 and Figure
2 both show the bootstrap components.
An inductive load will often supply the current required to
charge the bootstrap capacitor each time the upper switch is
turned off. It does this through a lower flyback diode as
shown in Figure 2, or the internal body diode of a lower
MOSFET as shown in Figure 4
.
In the case of the buck con-
verter, the load provides a path to pre-charge the bootstrap
capacitor prior to turning on the high side switch.
V
B
HO
0.1
μ
F
V
CC
V
S
LO
COM
V
SS
SD
LIN
HIN
V
DD
LOGIC GROUND
+15
1.0
μ
F
C
F
+15
2.2
μ
F
V
R
≤
500V
D
F
H
FIGURE 1. DOUBLE FORWARD CONVERTER SCHEMATIC
HO
COM
SD
LIN
HIN
LOGIC GROUND
+15
1.0
μ
F
L
POWER GROUND
DF
V
R
≤
500V
V
CC
V
DD
V
S
V
B
C
F
V
SS
0.1
μ
F
H
FIGURE 2. HIGH SIDE SWITCH OR “BUCK” CONVERTERS
Application Note
July 1997
AN9010.5
Author: George E. Danz
Copyright
Intersil Corporation 1999