Chip supplier Texas Instruments has won a bronze trophy for its solid-state relays in the 2022 Leap Awards power electronics category.

The LEAP Awards celebrates the most innovative and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space. The power electronics category covers power supplies, transistors and any other power electronic circuits, components or assemblies used in power electronics, including battery and battery management.

The winning entry was a portfolio of solid-state relays, including automotive-qualified isolated drivers and switches, that deliver industry-leading reliability to help make electric vehicles (EVs) safer.

Designing for higher reliability in isolated high-voltage environments, such as EV battery management systems, typically requires adding components that can increase the size, weight and cost of a vehicle. TI’s new solid-state relay portfolio integrates power and signal transfer in a single chip, helping engineers eliminate components from their designs and reduce solution size and cost.

Leveraging a unique approach, the new solid-state relays family transfers power and signal across a single isolation barrier – all in one chip. Integration capabilities of the portfolio eliminates at least three components from designs and reduces solution size by up to 90% and cost by as much as 50% compared to competing solutions.

The TPSI3050-Q1 has a 10-times higher operating lifetime than electromechanical relay solutions, which break down over time, and offers reinforced isolation up to 5 kVRMS. The TPSI2140-Q1 helps detect faults faster and improve safety in high-voltage battery management systems, with higher reliability than photo relays.
By integrating more functionality within TI’s isolation technology, these new solid-state relays enable engineers to reduce the size, cost and complexity of high-voltage power supplies while maintaining the safety of next-generation automotive and industrial systems.