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Bidirectional GaN ICs, Gate Drivers Foster High-Power Single-Stage Conversion Topologies

June 6, 2025

Applications for Navitas’ bidirectional power switch chipset include onboard and roadside EV chargers, solar inverters, energy storage, and motor drives.

Lee Goldberg

Related To:

Electronic Design

Navitas Semiconductor’s 650-V bidirectional GaNFast ICs and IsoFast, high-speed isolated gate drivers were created to help simplify the transition from two-stage to single-stage power topologies in EV chargers, solar inverters, energy storage, and motor drives. The GaN power ICs are monolithic, single-chip designs featuring a merged drain structure, two gate controls, and an integrated substrate clamp that function as two “back-to-back” GaN power switches.

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One bidirectional GaNFast IC can replace up to four older switches used to implement the two-stage architectures found in over 70% of today’s power-conversion circuits. Not only does the chip increase system performance, but it also reduces component count, PCB area, and system costs.

Designers can explore applications for the devices with the NVE107C evaluation board. It consists of a power stage using two bidirectional GaN switches (NV6427) in a half-bridge configuration driven by Navitas’ NV1702 IsoFast isolated dual-channel GaN driver.

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About the Author

Lee Goldberg | Contributing Editor

Lee Goldberg is a self-identified “Recovering Engineer,” Maker/Hacker, Green-Tech Maven, Aviator, Gadfly, and Geek Dad. He spent the first 18 years of his career helping design microprocessors, embedded systems, renewable energy applications, and the occasional interplanetary spacecraft. After trading his ‘scope and soldering iron for a keyboard and a second career as a tech journalist, he’s spent the next two decades at several print and online engineering publications.

Lee’s current focus is power electronics, especially the technologies involved with energy efficiency, energy management, and renewable energy. This dovetails with his coverage of sustainable technologies and various environmental and social issues within the engineering community that he began in 1996. Lee also covers 3D printers, open-source hardware, and other Maker/Hacker technologies.

Lee holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Thomas Edison College, and participated in a colloquium on technology, society, and the environment at Goddard College’s Institute for Social Ecology. His book, “Green Electronics/Green Bottom Line - A Commonsense Guide To Environmentally Responsible Engineering and Management,” was published by Newnes Press.

Lee, his wife Catherine, and his daughter Anwyn currently reside in the outskirts of Princeton N.J., where they masquerade as a typical suburban family.

Lee also writes the regular PowerBites series.