EPC announces LiDAR Development Board
Ultra-fast transition eGaN FETs can enhance LiDAR accuracy, precision, and processing speed
Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has announced the availability of the EPC9126HC a 100V, 150 A high current pulsed laser diode driver evaluation board.
In a LiDAR system, used to create 3D maps for autonomous vehicls, speed and accuracy of object detection is critical. Using this board, the rapid transition capability of eGaN FETs provide power pulses to drive the laser up to ten times faster than an equivalent MOSFET, thus enhancing the overall performance of a LiDAR system.
The EPC9126HC board is primarily intended to drive laser diodes and features an EPC2001C ground-referenced eGaN FET driven by a Texas Instruments UCC27611 gate driver. The EPC2001C is a 100 V maximum voltage device capable of current pulses up to 150 A. The EPC9126HC can drive 75 A pulses into a high power triple junction laser diode with a pulse width as low as 5 ns.
The board includes multiple ultra-low inductance connection options for mounting laser diodes and can drive these via a discharging a capacitor (as shipped) or directly from a power bus. The board does not include a laser diode, which must be supplied by the user to evaluate specific applications.
The board is designed to minimise the power loop inductance while maintaining mounting flexibility for the laser diode. It includes multiple on-board passive probes for voltages and discharge capacitor current measurement, and comes equipped with SMA connections for input and sensing designed for 50 Ω measurement systems. In addition, the user can enable an optional precision narrow pulse generator.
Finally, the board can also be used for other applications requiring a ground-referenced eGaN FET, for example in Class E or similar circuits.
