News: Microelectronics
14 April 2026
EPC releases 5kW GaN 3-phase inverters for robotics and light EVs
Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA — which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) and integrated circuits for power management applications — has introduced the EPC9186HC2 and EPC9186HC3 evaluation boards, two high-performance 3-phase BLDC motor drive inverter platforms designed for applications including robotics, industrial automation, light electric vehicles (EVs), electric scooters, forklifts, agricultural machinery, battery-powered mobility systems, and high-power drones. Supporting motor drive systems up to 5kW, the boards enable engineers to evaluate compact, high-efficiency inverter architectures based on 100V EPC2361 eGaN FET technology.
The EPC9186HC2 and EPC9186HC3 are based on the existing EPC9186 platform and have the same hardware architecture. They have a new power stage made up of EPC2361 GaN devices that improves conduction performance and allows for higher-current and lower-cost operation in motion-control environments that are very demanding. Compared with conventional silicon MOSFETs, EPC2361 eGaN FETs offer lower gate charge and output capacitance, enabling faster switching with reduced losses and supporting higher efficiency, smaller passive components, and improved motor-control bandwidth. The EPC9186HC2 integrates two EPC2361 eGaN FETs in parallel per switch position, while the EPC9186HC3 uses three devices in parallel, further reducing equivalent on-resistance and improving efficiency at higher load currents.
The boards support phase currents up to 150ARMS, depending on the selected current-sensing configuration, and PWM switching frequencies up to 120kHz, enabling evaluation of high-density motor drive solutions with fast switching transitions and improved system responsiveness. The inverter platforms operate across a wide DC input range up to 76V and feature optimized switching behavior with dv/dt around 6V/ns, helping to reduce torque ripple and acoustic noise in precision motor drive applications. The boards integrate key functions required for three-phase inverter evaluation — including gate drivers, high-bandwidth phase-current sensing, voltage monitoring, housekeeping power supplies, and protection features such as over-current detection and input under-voltage lockout.
The evaluation boards support both sensorless and encoder-based motor-control configurations and are compatible with controller platforms from Microchip, Texas Instruments, and STMicroelectronics, allowing engineers to quickly integrate them into existing motor-control development environments.
Integrated phase-current sensing supports advanced control techniques such as field-oriented control (FOC), enabling accurate torque control and stable closed-loop operation across a wide range of switching frequencies.
GaN technology is enabling a new generation of motor drive systems with higher efficiency, faster switching speeds, and significantly improved power density compared with traditional silicon solutions,” says CEO Alex Lidow. The EPC9186HC2 and EPC9186HC3 evaluation boards demonstrate how these advantages can be applied across emerging electrified applications such as robotics, light electric mobility platforms, forklifts, agricultural equipment, and high-power drones.”
“Motor drive designers are increasingly looking for solutions that combine high-current capability with compact implementation and reduced acoustic noise,” says Marco Palma, director of Motor Drive Systems and Applications at EPC. “The EPC9186HC2 and EPC9186HC3 provide a flexible platform that allows engineers to quickly evaluate GaN-based inverter architectures and accelerate development of next-generation motion-control systems.”
Complete design support files, including schematics, bill of materials (BOM), and Gerber files, are available for download from the EPC9186HC2 and EPC9186HC3 product page.
The EPC9186HC2 and EPC9186HC3 reference design boards are priced at $1080. Reference design boards and devices are available for immediate delivery from distributors Digi-Key Corp and Mouser.
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