OREANDA-NEWS. March 06, 2012. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today it has developed a new 600V high-voltage integrated circuit (HVIC), the M81729FP, for use in voltage converters of electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Global sales begin on April 2. 

EVs and HEVs use voltage converters incorporated with power devices to convert high-voltage current, which is used otherwise to power motors, into low-voltage current to power various equipment in the vehicle.

In industrial applications, it is common to drive power devices with HVICs, while automotive applications typically use designated circuits that incorporate comparators and photo couplers for insulation purposes, etc., because of stringent need for guaranteed wide temperature ranges and high reliability. Designated circuits, however, pose challenges in terms of size and reliability.

Mitsubishi Electric's new 600V HVIC achieves a wide guaranteed temperature range of minus 40 to plus 125 degrees C, and offers higher reliability for automotive applications. Such advantages will contribute to the downsizing and higher reliability of EV and HEV voltage converters.
Product Features1) High reliability and small size for automotive applications  - Operating temperature range of -40 to +125°C, suited to the demands of automotive applications.
- Shuts down power output if power supply voltage falls in order to prevent power devices from being destroyed.
- High-temperature and long-term burn-in tests assure high reliability.
- Eliminates designated circuits that need photo couplers or comparators, enabling smaller voltage converters.

2) High performance supports effective control of voltage converters - Mitsubishi Electric's 600V multiple floating field plate (MFFP) structure reduces the effect of high-potential wiring created by the level shift feature, lowering maximum current leakage to 1мA.
- Simplifies control of power devices by matching delay time between the high- and low-voltage sides.