The Original TC4420EAO High-Speed MOSFET Driver is a single-channel, non-inverting 6A high-current buffer/driver IC housed in a standard SOIC-8 surface-mount package. Designed by Microchip Technology, the TC4420 features high peak output current capability, extremely fast switching speeds, and low propagation delay times. It is engineered to rapidly charge and discharge large gate capacitances of high-power MOSFETs and IGBTs, minimizing switching transition losses in high-frequency switch-mode power supplies (SMPS), motor controllers, pulse generators, and class-D audio amplifier stages.

Specifications

• Part Number / Model: TC4420EAO (Microchip Technology)
• IC Type: High-Speed Non-Inverting Single MOSFET / IGBT Gate Driver
• Package Type: SOIC-8 (150mil / 8-Pin Surface Mount)
• Supply Voltage Range (Vdd): 4.5V to 18V DC
• Peak Output Current (Iout): 6.0A Peak (Source / Sink)
• Continuous Output Current: ~1.0A to 1.5A
• Logic Input High Voltage (Vih): Min. 2.4V (CMOS / TTL Compatible)
• Logic Input Low Voltage (Vil): Max. 0.8V
• Rise Time (tr): Typ. 25ns (into 2500pF load at 18V)
• Fall Time (tf): Typ. 25ns (into 2500pF load at 18V)
• Propagation Delay Time (tD1, tD2): Typ. 55ns
• Low Output Impedance (Rout): Typ. 2.5Ω (High output voltage swing)
• Operating Temperature Range (E-Temp): -40°C to +85°C (Extended Industrial Grade)
• Pinout Configuration:
  • Pin 1: VDD (Power Supply)
  • Pin 2: IN (Logic Control Input, Non-Inverting)
  • Pin 3: NC (No Connection)
  • Pin 4: GND (Ground)
  • Pin 5: GND (Ground)
  • Pin 6: OUT (Gate Drive Output)
  • Pin 7: OUT (Gate Drive Output)
  • Pin 8: VDD (Power Supply)

Features

• High 6A Peak Drive Capability: Rapidly charges and discharges heavy MOSFET gate capacitances up to several thousand picofarads in under 30ns, drastically reducing dynamic switching losses.
• Matched Rise, Fall, and Delay Times: Ensures symmetrical gate charging and discharging cycles for high-efficiency, high-frequency operation.
• Latch-Up Immune Design: Withstands reverse currents up to 1.5A on output pins and immune to transient spikes up to 500mA without catastrophic latch-up.
• Direct Logic Compatibility: Fully compatible with standard 3.3V and 5V TTL/CMOS microcontroller outputs (Arduino, ESP32, STM32, PIC, DSPs).
• Paralleled Output & Power Pins: Dual VDD and OUT pinouts lower parasitic pin inductance and improve heat dissipation on PCB traces.

Common Applications

• High-Frequency SMPS & DC-DC Converters: Direct gate drive for primary switching MOSFETs in forward, flyback, and push-pull topologies.
• High-Power DC Motor Controllers & H-Bridges: Low-side switching and gate control in industrial BLDC, brushed DC, and stepper drives.
• Class-D Audio Amplifiers: Precision, low-jitter gate switching for high-efficiency digital amplifier output stages.
• Pulse Generators & Laser Diode Drivers: High-speed nanosecond pulse driving for capacitive transducers and high-speed laser modulators.
• Induction Heating & Wireless Charging: Driving resonant half-bridge/full-bridge power MOSFET networks.

Usage Tips

• Power Supply Decoupling: Place a 0.1µF to 1.0µF low-ESR ceramic capacitor in parallel with a 4.7µF–10µF electrolytic/tantalum capacitor as close as possible to the VDD and GND pins to supply instantaneous 6A transient charging currents.
• PCB Trace Layout: Keep the output traces connecting OUT to the power MOSFET gate short and wide to minimize parasitic trace inductance and avoid high-frequency ringing.
• Gate Damping Resistor: Use a small series gate resistor (typically 2.2Ω to 10Ω) between OUT and the MOSFET gate to damp parasitic LC oscillations and limit gate voltage overshoot.
• Ground Routing: Tie Pins 4 and 5 directly to a solid ground plane to prevent ground bounce during high-speed switching transitions.

Datasheet