Isolation is required in modern electrical systems for a variety of reasons to ensure proper functionality of the high voltage (HV) systems, or/and to provide safety against electric shock. When it comes to safety, isolated gate drivers must go through a rigorous set of testing to ensure the part’s capability to handle high-voltage stresses of different magnitude and transient profiles, outlined by popular safety standards such as the latest IEC-60747-17. Aside from these, there are additional tests voluntarily done by the vendor to add an extra layer of reliability and robustness, for example common mode transient immunity (CMTI) and ground noise transient immunity (GNTI). This presentation will give a high-level overview of the safety standard tests (according to the latest IEC-60747-17) and additional reliability and robustness tests, which will prime the audience to understand the datasheet insulation specifications and beyond.
