STMicroelectronics EVAL6491HB

Overview

EVAL6491HB from STMicroelectronics is a demonstration board for the L6491 high-voltage half-bridge gate driver IC, designed to evaluate 600 V N-channel MOSFET/IGBT switching with 4 A source/sink drive capability, adjustable deadtime, and smart shutdown functionality in industrial motor control and power conversion applications.

For engineers reviewing the EVAL6491HB datasheet, EVAL6491HB pinout, EVAL6491HB application, or EVAL6491HB equivalent, this board supports rapid validation of gate driver timing, fault protection response, bootstrap operation, and external component tuning under real 600 V rail conditions using TO-220/TO-247 power devices.

Technical Context

The EVAL6491HB implements the full functional interface of the L6491 SO-14 gate driver, including independent high-side (floating) and low-side (ground-referenced) output stages, TTL/CMOS-compatible 3.3 V/5 V inputs with hysteresis, and an integrated comparator for overcurrent detection.

It provides configurable deadtime via external resistor, interlocking logic to prevent shoot-through, and on-board test points (TP1–TP7) for measuring HO/LO waveforms, VBS voltage, fault flag assertion, and bootstrap diode conduction-enabling precise characterization of propagation delay, rise/fall times (15 ns @ 1 nF), and dV/dt immunity (50 V/ns).

Key Specifications

Availability

EVAL6491HB is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial motor drives, UPS systems, and solar inverters requiring stable component supply, fast prototyping turnaround, and verified gate driver evaluation under 600 V conditions.

Supply support for EVAL6491HB includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

STMicroelectronics is a global semiconductor leader headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, specializing in power management, analog, MEMS, and microcontroller technologies for industrial, automotive, and consumer markets.

The EVAL6491HB belongs to ST's power evaluation board portfolio, developed specifically to accelerate design-in of high-voltage gate drivers in ruggedized power conversion topologies where reliability, layout integrity, and fault response verification are critical.

FAQ

What power devices can be used with the EVAL6491HB?

The board supports customer-selected N-channel MOSFETs or IGBTs in TO-220 or TO-247 packages rated up to 600 V. Q1 and Q2 positions are unpopulated to allow user-defined device selection, and layout includes thermal pads and Kelvin-source routing for accurate gate drive measurement and thermal evaluation.

Does the EVAL6491HB include an integrated bootstrap diode?

Yes-the L6491 IC on the board integrates a bootstrap diode internally, eliminating the need for an external discrete diode in the high-side supply path. This reduces BOM count and improves reliability in high-frequency half-bridge configurations.

How is deadtime adjusted on the EVAL6491HB?

Deadtime is set externally using resistors R2 and R3 (unpopulated by default). The board provides solder pads and silkscreen labels for multiple resistor values, enabling precise tuning of non-overlap time between HO and LO outputs to prevent shoot-through in final designs.

Can the EVAL6491HB be used for overtemperature protection testing?

Yes-the L6491's comparator input (COMP pin) accepts external signals beyond overcurrent, including temperature-sensor outputs. Users can connect an NTC or analog temperature IC to the COMP node and configure the board to trigger smart shutdown based on thermal thresholds during evaluation.