STMicroelectronics EVAL6494L

Overview

EVAL6494L from STMicroelectronics is a demonstration board designed to evaluate the L6494L high-voltage half-bridge gate driver IC for N-channel MOSFETs and IGBTs in TO-220/TO-247 packages. It supports adjustable deadtime, 3.3 V/5 V TTL/CMOS inputs with hysteresis, dual UVLO, and dV/dt immunity up to 50 V/ns across full temperature range.

For engineers reviewing the EVAL6494L datasheet, EVAL6494L pinout, EVAL6494L application, or EVAL6494L equivalent, this board enables rapid validation of gate drive timing, bootstrap operation, shutdown behavior, and external component tuning under real switching conditions with user-selected power devices.

Technical Context

The EVAL6494L implements a complete test platform for the L6494L SO-14 gate driver, featuring configurable input logic (single IN + SD), on-board bootstrap diode integration, and independent high-side/low-side UVLO monitoring. Its layout separates power and control domains to preserve signal integrity during high dV/dt transitions.

External component selection points-such as R2/R4 (gate resistors), TR1 (deadtime adjustment), and C2 (bulk DC-link capacitor)-allow empirical characterization of propagation delay, shoot-through margin, and gate charge delivery under varying load and switching frequency conditions.

Key Specifications

Availability

EVAL6494L is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for motor control development, industrial inverter prototyping, and power supply reference design requiring stable component supply and validated gate driver evaluation infrastructure.

Supply support for EVAL6494L 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, designing and manufacturing analog, microcontroller, power, and sensor solutions for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications.

The EVAL6494L belongs to ST's power evaluation board portfolio, developed specifically to accelerate adoption of its BCD6-based high-voltage gate drivers in medium-power motor drives and SMPS designs.

FAQ

What power devices can be used with the EVAL6494L board?

The board supports user-selected N-channel MOSFETs or IGBTs in TO-220 or TO-247 packages. Q1 and Q2 positions are unpopulated footprints with thermal pads and mounting holes compatible with standard heatsinks. Maximum voltage rating depends on selected device and C2 (450 V rated).

Does the EVAL6494L include the L6494L IC?

Yes, U1 is populated with the L6494LD (SO-14 package) gate driver IC. The board uses the industrial-grade variant with extended temperature range and integrated bootstrap diode functionality enabled via external D1 footprint.

How is deadtime adjusted on this evaluation board?

Deadtime is adjusted using trimmer TR1 (200 kΩ, through-hole), connected between HO and LO outputs per the L6494L datasheet timing network. Rotation changes RC time constant feeding the internal deadtime generator, enabling fine-tuning before final BOM freeze.

Can the EVAL6494L operate with 3.3 V logic inputs?

Yes, the L6494L on this board accepts 3.3 V TTL/CMOS inputs with built-in hysteresis. JP1 and JP2 configure input thresholds; default settings support both 3.3 V and 5 V logic levels without level-shifting circuitry.