Development Board
EPC9013
Quick Start Guide
100 V Parallel Evaluation for High Current Applications
Using EPC2001C
Revision 2.0
QUICK START GUIDE
EPC – THE LEADER IN GaN TECHNOLOGY | WWW.EPC-CO.COM | COPYRIGHT 2019 | | 2
EPC9013
DESCRIPTION
The EPC9013 development board features the 100 V EPC2001C enhance-
ment mode (eGaN®) eld eect transistor (FET) operating up to a
35 A maximum output current with four half bridges in parallel and a
single onboard gate drive. The purpose of this development board is
to simplify the evaluation process of the EPC2001C eGaN FET for high
current operation by including all the critical components on a single
board that can be easily connected into any existing converter.
The EPC9013 development board is 2” x 2” and features eight EPC2001C
eGaN FETs using the uPI Semiconductor uP1966A gate driver.
The development board conguration is recommended for high
current applications. The board contains all critical components and
the printed circuit board (PCB) layout is designed for optimal switching
performance. There are also various probe points to facilitate simple
waveform measurement and evaluate eGaN FET eciency. A complete
block diagram of the circuit is given in Figure 1.
For more information on the EPC2001C please refer to the datasheet
available from EPC at www.epc-co.com. The datasheet should be read in
conjunction with this quick start guide.
Table 1: Performance Summary (TA = 25°C) EPC9013
Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Max Units
VDD Gate Drive Input Supply Range 7 12 V
VIN Bus Input Voltage Range(1) 70 V
VOUT Switch Node Output Voltage 100 V
IOUT Switch Node Output Current (2) 200 LFM 35 A
VPWM
PWM Logic Input Voltage
Threshold
Input ‘High’
Input ‘Low’
3.5
0
6
1.5
V
V
Minimum ‘High’ State Input
Pulse Width
VPWM rise and
fall time < 10ns 60 ns
Minimum ‘Low’ State Input Pulse
Width (3) VPWM rise and
fall time < 10ns 100 ns
(1) Assumes inductive load, maximum current depends on die temperature – actual maxi-
mum current will be subject to switching frequency, bus voltage and thermals.
(2) Maximum current depends on die temperature – actual maximum current with be
subject to switching frequency, bus voltage and thermal cooling.
(3) Limited by time needed to ‘refresh’ high side bootstrap supply voltage.
QUICK START PROCEDURE
Development board EPC9013 is easy to set up to evaluate the
performance of the EPC2001C eGaN FET. Refer to Figure 2 for proper
connect and measurement setup and follow the procedure below:
1. With power o, connect the input power supply bus to +VIN (J5, J6) and
ground / return to –VIN (J7, J8).
2. With power o, connect the switch node of the half bridge OUT (J3,
J4) to your circuit as required.
3. With power o, connect the gate drive input to +VDD (J1, Pin-1) and
ground return to –VDD (J1, Pin-2).
4. With power o, connect the input PWM control signal to PWM (J2,
Pin-1) and ground return to any of the remaining J2 pins.
5. Turn on the gate drive supply – make sure the supply is between 7 V
and 12 V range.
6. Turn on the bus voltage to the required value (do not exceed the
absolute maximum voltage of 100 V on VOUT).
7. Turn on the controller / PWM input source and probe switching
node to see switching operation.
8. Once operational, adjust the bus voltage and load PWM control
within the operating range and observe the output switching
behavior, eciency and other parameters.
9. For shutdown, please follow steps in reverse.
NOTE. When measuring the high frequency content switch node (OUT), care must
be taken to avoid long ground leads. Measure the switch node (OUT) by placing the
oscilloscope probe tip on the switch node (designed for this purpose) and grounding the
probe directly across the GND terminals provided. See Figure 3 for proper scope probe
technique.
For information about measurement techniques, please review the how to GaN series:
HTG09- Measurement
http://epc-co.com/epc/DesignSupport/TrainingVideos/HowtoGaN/
EPC9013 development board
Figure 1: Block diagram of EPC9013 development board
Level shift
VDD
VIN
Q1
Q2
CBypass
PWM
GND
Gate drive
regulator
Gate driver
Output
PGND
Logic and
dead-time
adjust
QUICK START GUIDE
EPC – THE LEADER IN GaN TECHNOLOGY | WWW.EPC-CO.COM | COPYRIGHT 2019 | | 3
EPC9013
Figure 2: Proper connection and measurement setup
Figure 3: Proper Measurement of Switch Node – VSW
EFFICIENT POWER CONVERSION Pbf
7 V – 12 V
VDD supply
PWM input
External circuit
VIN supply
<70 V
VIN
++
+
––
–
IIN
V
A
Gate drive supply
(Note polarity)
(For eciency
measurement)
Switch node
EFFICIENT POWER CONVERSION Pbf
Do not use probe ground lead
Place probe
tip on pad
at OUT
Spring clip
against
GND pad
Minimize loop
QUICK START GUIDE
EPC – THE LEADER IN GaN TECHNOLOGY | WWW.EPC-CO.COM | COPYRIGHT 2019 | | 4
EPC9013
QUICK START GUIDE EPC9013
THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS
The EPC9013 development board showcases the EPC2001C eGaN FET.
Although the electrical performance surpasses that for traditional
silicon devices, their relatively smaller size does magnify the thermal
management requirements. The EPC9013 is intended for bench
evaluation with low ambient temperature and convection cooling. The
addition of heat-sinking and forced air cooling can signicantly increase
the current rating of these devices, but care must be taken to not
exceed the absolute maximum die temperature of 150°C.
NOTE. The EPC9013 development board does not have any current or thermal
protection on board. For more information regarding the thermal performance of EPC
eGaN FETs, please consult:
D. Reusch and J. Glaser, DC-DC Converter Handbook, a supplement to GaN Transistors for
Ecient Power Conversion, First Edition, Power Conversion Publications, 2015.
Table 2: Bill of Materials
Item Qty Reference Part Description Manufacturer Part Number
1 3 C4, C10, C11 Capacitor, 1 μF, 10%, 25 V, X5R Murata GRM188R61E105KA12D
2 2 C16, C17 Capacitor, 100 pF, 5%, 50 V, NP0 Kemet C0402C101K5GACTU
3 2 C9, C19 Capacitor, 100 nF, 10%, 25 V, X5R TDK C1005X5R1E104K
4 12 C21, C22, C23, C24, C25, C26, C27, C28,
C29, C30, C31, C32 Capacitor, 1 μF, 10%, 100 V, X7R TDK CGA4J3X7S2A105K125AE
5 2 D1, D2 Schottky Diode, 30 V Diodes Inc. SDM03U40-7
6 3 J1, J2, J9 Connector FCI 68001-236HLF
7 6 J3, J4, J5, J6, J7, J8 Connector FCI 68602-224HLF
8 8 Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8 eGaN® FET EPC EPC2001C
9 1 R1 Resistor, 10.0 k, 5%, 1/8 W Stackpole RMCF0603FT10K0
10 2 R2, R7 Resistor, 0 Ω, 1/10 W Panasonic ERJ-3GEY0R00V
11 1 R4 Resistor, 100 Ω, 1%, 1/10 W Stackpole RMCF0603FT100R
12 8 R10, R11, R12, R13, R20, R21, R22, R23 Resistor, 4.7 Ω, 1%, 1/16 W Yageo RC0402FR-074R7L
13 8 R14, R15, R16, R17, R24, R25, R26, R27 Resistor, 2.0 Ω, 1%, 1/16 W Vishay Dale CRCW04022R00FKED
14 1 R5 Resistor, 220 Ω, 1%, 1/10 W Stackpole RMCF0603FT220R
15 2 TP1, TP2 Test Point Keystone 5015
16 1 U1 I.C., Logic Fairchild NC7SZ00L6X
17 1 U2 I.C., Gate driver upi Semiconductor uP1966A
18 1 U3 I.C., Regulator Microchip MCP1703T-5002E/MC
19 1 U4 I.C., Logic Fairchild NC7SZ08L6X
20 1 R6 Optional Resistor
21 4 D3, D4, D5, D6 Optional Diode
22 2 P1, P2 Optional Potentiometer
QUICK START GUIDE
EPC – THE LEADER IN GaN TECHNOLOGY | WWW.EPC-CO.COM | COPYRIGHT 2019 | | 5
EPC9013
Figure 4: EPC9013 - Schematic
VCC
7 - 12 Vdc
C4
1 μF, 25 V
C10
1 μF, 25 V
1
2
J1
CON2
10 k
R1
PW M1
GND
A
B
Y
VDD
U1
NC7SZ00L6X
70 V Max
SW OUT
GND
1
2
3
4
J8
CON4
1
2
3
4
J7
CON4
1
2
3
4
J3
CON4
1
2
3
4
J4
CON4
1
2
3
4
J6
CON4
1
2
3
4
J5
CON4
C11
1 μF, 25 V
1
TP2
Keystone 5015
1
TP1
Keystone 5015
OPTIONAL
R6
0
R7
220
R5
100
R4
PWM2
VCC
OUT 1
NC 2
NC 3
GND 4
NC
5
NC
6
NC
7
IN
8
GND
9
U3 MCP1703
1
2
J2
CON2
1
2
J9
CON2
2
P1
Optional
2
P2
Optional
GND
A
B
Y
VDD
U4
NC7SZ08L6X
C9
0.1 μF, 25 V
4.7R22
2R26
2R27
Q7
EPC2001
C28
1uF, 100V
C32
1uF, 100V
C27
1uF, 100V
C19
0.1 μF, 25 V
C17
100 pF
C16
100 pF
Q8
EPC2001
4.7R23
4.7R20
2R24
2R25
Q5
EPC2001
Q6
EPC2001
4.7R21
4.7R12
2R16
2R17
Q3
EPC2001
Q4
EPC2001
4.7R13
4.7R10
2R14
2R15
Q1
EPC2001
Q2
EPC2001
4.7R11
C31
1uF, 100V
C29
1uF, 100V
C30
1uF, 100V
C22
1uF, 100 V
C26
C21
C25
C23
C24
U2
uP1966A
HIGH VOLTAGE SIGN
FD1 FD2 FD3
Local Fiducials
D1
SDM03U40
D2
SDM03U40 D3 D4
D5 D6
0
R2
R3, R8, R9
VCC
Demonstration Board Notication
The EPC9013 board is intended for product evaluation purposes only and is not intended for commercial use. Replace components on the Evaluation Board only with those parts shown on
the parts list (or Bill of Materials) in the Quick Start Guide. Contact an authorized EPC representative with any questions.
This board is intended to be used by certied professionals, in a lab environment, following proper safety procedures. Use at your own risk.
As an evaluation tool, this board is not designed for compliance with the European Union directive on electromagnetic compatibility or any other such directives or regulations. As board
builds are at times subject to product availability, it is possible that boards may contain components or assembly materials that are not RoHS compliant. Ecient Power Conversion Corpora-
tion (EPC) makes no guarantee that the purchased board is 100% RoHS compliant.
The Evaluation board (or kit) is for demonstration purposes only and neither the Board nor this Quick Start Guide constitute a sales contract or create any kind of warranty, whether express
or implied, as to the applications or products involved.
Disclaimer: EPC reserves the right at any time, without notice, to make changes to any products described herein to improve reliability, function, or design. EPC does not assume any liability
arising out of the application or use of any product or circuit described herein; neither does it convey any license under its patent rights, or other intellectual property whatsoever, nor the
rights of others.
EPC Products are distributed through Digi-Key.
www.digikey.com
For More Information:
Please contact info@epc-co.com
or your local sales representative
Visit our website:
www.epc-co.com
Sign-up to receive
EPC updates at
bit.ly/EPCupdates
or text “EPC” to 22828
