EPC9126: 75A, 0 ~ 80V, Pulsed Laser Diode Driver

The EPC9126 development board is primarily intended to drive laser diodes with high current pulses with total pulse widths as low as 5 ns (10% of peak). The board is shipped with an EPC2016C enhancement mode (eGaN®) field effect transistor (FET), a 100 V maximum device voltage capable of current pulses up to 75 A. The board does not include a laser diode, which must be supplied by the user.

The EPC9126 is shipped with an EPC2016C ground-referenced eGaN FET driven by a Texas Instruments UCC27611 gate driver. It includes multiple options for mounting laser diodes and can drive these via a discharging capacitor (as shipped) or directly from a power bus.

The printed circuit board is designed to minimize the power loop inductance while maintaining mounting flexibility for the laser diode. It includes multiple on-board passive probes for voltages and discharge capacitor current, and equipped with SMA connections for input and sensing designed for 50 ohm measurement systems. In addition, an optional precision narrow pulse generator can be enabled by the user.

The main FET footprint can accommodate an EPC2001C 100 V eGaN FET with a pulse current rating of up to 150 A for users needing higher current capability. Finally, the board can also be used for other applications requiring a ground-referenced eGaN FET, e.g. Class E amplifiers or similar.

The internal pulse generator ships with a pulse width of ~8 ns. R22, R23, and R24 can be changed to change the pulse width.