Product Overview Description
The ACPL-516x is a highly integrated power control de-
vice that incorporates all the necessary components for
a complete, isolated IGBT gate drive circuit with fault
protection and feedback into one rugged, hermetically
sealed package. TTL input logic levels allow direct in-
terface with a microcontroller, and an optically isolated
power output stage drives IGBTs with power ratings of
up to 150 A and 1200 V. A high speed internal optical link
minimizes the propagation delays between the micro-
controller and the IGBT while allowing the two systems
to operate at very large common mode voltage differ-
ences that are common in industrial motor drives and
other power switching applications. An output IC pro-
vides local protection for the IGBT to prevent damage
during overcurrents, and a second optical link provides
a fully isolated fault status feedback signal for the mi-
crocontroller. A built in “watchdog” circuit monitors the
power stage supply voltage to prevent IGBT damage
caused by insufficient gate drive voltages. This integrat-
ed IGBT gate driver is designed to increase the perfor-
mance and reliability of a motor drive without the cost,
size, and complexity of a discrete design.
tured on a high voltage BiCMOS/Power DMOS process.
The forward optical signal path, as indicated by LED1,
transmits the gate control signal. The return optical sig-
nal path, as indicated by LED2, transmits the fault status
feedback signal. Both optical channels are completely
controlled by the input and output ICs respectively,
making the internal isolation boundary transparent to
the microcontroller.
Under normal operation, the input gate control signal di-
rectly controls the IGBT gate through the isolated output
detector IC. LED2 remains off and a fault latch in the in-
put buffer IC is disabled. When an IGBT fault is detected,
the output detector IC immediately begins a “soft” shut-
down sequence, reducing the IGBT current to zero in a
controlled manner to avoid potential IGBT damage from
inductive overvoltages. Simultaneously, this fault status
is transmitted back to the input buffer IC via LED2, where
the fault latch disables the gate control input and the ac-
tive low fault output alerts the microcontroller.
During power-up, the Under Voltage Lockout (UVLO)
feature prevents the application of insufficient gate volt-
age to the IGBT, by forcing the ACPL-516x’s output low.
Two light emitting diodes and two integrated circuits
housed in the same 16-pin ceramic package provide the
input control circuitry, the output power stage, and two
optical channels. The input Buffer IC is designed on a bi-
polar process, while the output Detector IC is manufac-
Once the output is in the high state, the DESAT (V
)
CE
detection feature of the ACPL-516x provides IGBT pro-
tection. Thus, UVLO and DESAT work in conjunction to
provide constant IGBT protection.
V
V
LED1-
LED1+
7
8
13
INPUT IC
V
V
CC2
C
12
1
2
V
IN+
V
LED1
D
R
I
IN-
V
E
R
UVLO
11
14
V
OUT
DESAT
3
V
CC1
DESAT
9,10
16
V
V
EE
E
SHIELD
LED2
5
6
RESET
FAULT
FAULT
SHIELD
OUTPUT IC
4
15
V
GND1
LED2+
3