6. FAQs
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A: It is a dedicated MOSFET gate-driver for H-bridge circuits. It provides gate-drive currents to external N-channel MOSFETs for DC motor drives, power inverters, and UPS applications.
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A: No. It is only a gate-driver IC. You must install your own power MOSFETs in the bridge. The HIP4082IPZ supplies up to ~1.25A peak to drive the MOSFET gates, but it cannot switch load current itself.
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A: The chip needs a 8.5–15V VDD/logic supply (commonly 12V). It also requires a high-side floating supply achieved via a bootstrap capacitor. In practice, the output FETs see up to ~80V when fully on.
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A: By a bootstrap circuit. A capacitor between the BOOT pin and the output refreshes each cycle. The DIS (disable) pin can be pulled low to discharge and recharge the bootstrap cap. Without the bootstrap in place, the high-side drivers won’t work.
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A: The DIS pin, when driven low, overrides all inputs and forces the bootstrap capacitor to charge. It effectively shuts off all outputs and initializes the bootstrap voltage.
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A: The HIP4082IPZ supports switching up to about 200 kHz. Its outputs can slew ~15ns with a 1000pF load. You must set an appropriate dead-time (0.1–4.5μs) to prevent shoot-through at high speed.
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A: This “IPZ” version is in PDIP-16 (through-hole). There is also an SOIC-16 surface-mount version (HIP4082IBZ). The DIP is larger but easy to handle on hand-soldered or prototype boards.
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A: Yes, Renesas offers HIP4080A and HIP4081A which have higher gate-drive currents for heavier loads. Those parts are pin-compatible in SOIC but not DIP. There are also MOSFET driver chips from other vendors if needed.
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A: Renesas lists it as an active product with planned availability through 2033. However, it may only be available through distributors and surplus channels, often with long lead times.