Common Mode Chokes and GaN Highside-Drivers – Investigating Best Practice EMC Design Guidelines for GaN-based Switching Converters

Modern Gallium Nitride (GaN) based switching converters benefit from the device’s high switching speeds which also result in high du/dt transitions. This leads to fast-switching nodes which can often be a source of unwanted electromagnetic interference e.g. caused by common mode currents. Some best-practice design guidelines recommend using common mode chokes for example at the supply pins of isolated high-side supplies or even the gate driver’s input pins.

This poster will summarize possible sources of electromagnetic interference and investigate the effectiveness of recommended mitigation techniques based on practical design examples.