Current Source Gate Drivers: Topologies, Applications, and Future Research Needs

The gate-driver circuits are required to control the switching dynamics of the power electronic (PE) devices. These gate-drivers can be categorized as the voltage-source drivers (VSDs) and current-source drivers (CSDs) based on their operating natures. The VSDs control the dynamics of power device by means of an external gate resistor, which accounts for loss and it increases with switching frequency. On the other hand, CSDs with controlled gate current accounts for negligible loss and allow faster switching transition of the power device. This paper provides a categorization of the prior-art CSDs based on their nature of operation and structural orientation. A comparative study is carried out between these CSDs based on the control switch count, switching frequency and the passive components utilized. Further, a case study of a representative CSD topology from each category is carried out and compared with the conventional VSD. An experimental setup for the double-pulse test is developed to prove the efficacy of CSD over VSD. It is observed that the power device when driven by CSD achieves lower turn-off and turn-on times compared to VSD by 75% and 50%, respectively. The effectiveness of CSDs for various applications is also highlighted in this paper.