Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1518066
and the nonidealistic properties of real-world designs. Simply put, circuits simulated in idealistic conditions will never produce the same results as those that are physically manufactured. To overcome this challenge, Microchip has developed SiC digital gate drivers that can be quickly configured to optimize the performance of SiC power systems and accommodate different gate drive voltages from multiple SiC transistor suppliers (no need to change the gate- drive power supply hardware). These gate drivers are entirely software configurable, enabling engineers to change gate driver characteristics to best suite their application, without making any hardware modifications. Additionally, the digital gate drivers soldered into a final design can be reconfigured in-circuit, meaning that power systems can be retuned or field serviced (i.e., no need to remove them). Therefore, Microchip's SiC digital gate drivers massively speed up time to market for both designs switching to SiC and entirely new products designed from scratch. The software used to program Microchip's SiC digital gate drivers—called Intelligent Configuration Tool, or ICT—is a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows for fine tuning through sliders, buttons, and edit boxes. The ICT provides precise control of the gate drive waveform (voltages and times), and such control is particularly useful for reducing ringing, eliminating electromagnetic interference, and decreasing switching losses. At the same time, the ICT supports modification of key characteristics of the gate driver so it can operate with different SiC devices (even across manufacturers) instead of tying designs to one specific SiC device. C h a p t e r 3 | S i C S p e e d t o M a r k e t Designing power electronic applications with SiC devices is easier than with Si devices as SiC devices support hard switching while exhibiting little losses. Unlike Si devices, SiC also exhibits smaller amounts of EMI noise when used in hard-switching applications meaning that fewer EMI controls are needed, thus accelerating development." Tanya Kirilova Gachovska Power Engineer, MDA 16 Silicon Carbide Power Solutions