High & Low Side NMOS Driver & Cboot

Thread Starter

Herman.C

Joined Jul 29, 2010
4
Hi everyone,

I am currently trying to get the L6385 NMOS driver to work with my 3 phase inverter bridge. I thought that the use of the driver would simplify things down a bit and allow me to use 6 NMOSs (don't have to match with PMOS).

I am using the STP16NF06L NMos.

I am trying to calculate the size of the CBoot. I have used the application notes from the manufacturer tp calculate a value for Cboot, but I got a ridiculously low figure.
View attachment CBOOT.pdf
The formula for it is

Cboot = Q(tot) / Vboot


Vboot = Vcc - Vf - Vgs_min

where Vf is the bootstrap diode forward voltage and Vgs_min is the minimum gate source voltage for my high side NMos.
I have used 12 volts for Vcc, assumed Vf to be 1V and Vgs_min is 1V.
I am not sure with Vgs_min being 1V, the datasheet says 1 but Id doesn't really get optimal until around 6V.

Vboot = 12 - 1 - 1 = 10V

Q(tot) = Qgate + (Iikgs + Iik_cap + Iqbs + Iik + Iik_diode)*Ton + Qis

Qgate is High side gate charge = 10nC
Iikgs = High Side gate to source leakage current = 100nA
Iik_cap = Bootstrap capacitor leakage current = 0 as I don't intend to use an electrolytic capacitor
Iqbs = Bootstrapped Section Quiescent Current = 200 uA
Iik = Bootstrapped Section Leakage Current = 10uA
Iik_diode = External bootstrap diode leakage current = 0 I am not using an external bootstrap diode
Ton = High side switch on time = 100u - I am not sure where to find this but it was the value the datasheet example used, STP16 give like rise time of like 30 ns, so it didn't seem appropriate?
Qis = Charge required be internal level shifter = 3nC

So

Q(tot) = 10 nC + (100nA + 0 + 200uA + 10 uA + 0) * 100us + 3nC
= 34nC

Cboot = 34nC / 10 V = 3.4nF

This seems very small? As the manufacturer application notes says typical values are 100 nf to 500 nf!?!



What have I done wrong in my calculations? The final answer seems too small!



Another question that I would like to ask is that say that I have Cboot worked out, what is an effective way to test it? I need to 'initialise' i.e. charge up the Cboot by driving the low side on first before I can drive the high side 'on'. This seems like a process that can only be done via the use of the MCU?
 
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