Following these 12 steps when designing gate drive transformers will ensure a long component life and optimal performance.
The following parameters are essential for designing GDTs:
- Plage de tension d'entrée
- Power level
- Ratio de rotation
- Operating frequency
- Cycle d'utilisation
- Dielectric strength
- Exigences en matière de sécurité
- Température ambiante
- Exigences en matière de taille
Step 1: Core Choice & Shape
The first task is to choose core size. The designer can make their preliminary core choice based upon the power requirements of the application and the frequency. Selecting an appropriate core is important to achieving optimal performance from the transformer. Ferrite or tape wound cores (with high permeability and high Bsat) are the best choice for high-frequency applications that operate in KHz ranges. The most popular shapes are toroids, pot, and RM cores, however many other shapes also work. Ungapped cores are usually preferred since inserting air gaps corresponds to decreasing the equivalent permeability of material and increase the leakage inductance.
Core size
De nombreuses variables interviennent dans l'estimation de la taille appropriée de la carotte.
- Une façon de sélectionner le bon noyau est de se référer au guide de sélection des noyaux du fabricant.
- The core area product (WaAc), obtenue en multipliant la surface de la section transversale du noyau par la surface de la fenêtre disponible pour l'enroulement, est largement utilisée pour une première estimation de la taille du noyau pour une application donnée.

Kf = Form factor; for square wave Kf = 4
Ku = Facteur d'utilisation de la fenêtre
J = Densité de courant
Bmax = Densité de flux de fonctionnement
F = Fréquence de commutation
Po = Puissance de sortie
Step 2: Volt-Time Product (V-µSec) value
Determine the V-T value based upon the maximum allowable duty cycle and the frequency.


T = Période de commutation
F = Fréquence de fonctionnement
VPEAK = Tension d'entraînement de crête
D =Duty Cycle
Step 3: Set BPEAK & ΔB value
An appropriate margin between worst-case peak flux density and saturation flux density must be provided; usually a 1:3 margin is desirable.
Example: Saturation flux density of ferrite material
Bsat = 0.30T @ 100°C, BPEAK selected = 0.10T & = 0.20T
BPEAK = Peak flux density in steady state operation
ΔB = Peak-Peak flux density in steady state operation
Step 4: Primary Turns
Determine the minimum number of primary turns required to support the worst case (V-T) volt-time product.

V.T = volt-time product in V-sec
ΔB = Peak to Peak flux density in Tesla
Étape 5 : Tours secondaires
Choose the secondary turns based on Turns ratio.
Turns ratio usually 1:1/1:1.5/1:2 and < 30 turns per winding is better to improve coupling. In order to minimize leakage inductance and AC winding resistance, each winding should occupy a single layer only.
Étape 6 : Inductance primaire
Calculate the required magnetizing inductance.

Step 7: Magnetizing current & RMS current
Calculate the required magnetizing current


Step 8: Wire size
Once all the winding turns are determined, the wire size should be properly chosen to minimize the winding conduction loss and leakage inductance. The winding loss depends on the RMS current value, the length and the cross-section of the wire, and also the transformer structure. Assume current density is typically 3 ~ 6 A/mm2.
Step 9: Core loss
The operating flux density level needs to be determined to estimate the core loss. With the frequency and B level known, core loss can be estimated from the material core loss curves.

Pv = Watts / mm3
Ve = Effective volume of core mm3
Step 11: Copper loss
In a transformer, copper loss is a function of AC & DC Resistances.

Step 12: Temperature rise
Temperature rise is important for overall circuit reliability, Estimate temperature rise.
Total loss in watts & surface area in cm2

