This thread has been locked.

If you have a related question, please click the "Ask a related question" button in the top right corner. The newly created question will be automatically linked to this question.

DRV8816: Possibility to increase current of DRV8816?

Part Number: DRV8816
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: DRV8844, , DRV8872, DRV8842, DRV8873

Hey there!

I am developing a product that needs to support two different usecases:

1) driving one bidirectional solenoid in a full h bridge mode.
2) driving up to two unidirectional solenoids in half bridge mode that can be controlled independantly. There also should be the option to disable one of the half bridges by setting them to high Z if not needed.  

Ratings are:
Supply Voltage 24V, I_RMS >2A, I_Peak up to 3A, PWM control, R_DS <0,5, Protection features (UVLO, OCP, OTS), nFault monitoring, overcurrent limit

The DRV8816 seems to be a good fit, but the current ratings are to low. Same for the DRV8844.
The DRV8872 or DRV8842 meets the needs of a higher current but does not give the feature to disable a single half bridge by setting it to high Z if needed.

Any chance to increase the current of DRV8816 or DRV8844 by using them in a parallel mode? Is there any other chip that I should think about?

Best regards!
Matthias

  • Hi Matthias,

    Do you intend to drive the motor at peak current to activate the solenoid, then reduce the current to hold the solenoid?
    If so, how long is the peak current needed?

    The DRV8844 can be used in parallel mode. The datasheet describes the connections.

    Another option may be the DRV8873H. The device can be used in independent half bridge mode.
    Hi-Z is not available, but the output can be set to high or low to create 0V across the load.
  • Hey Rick,

    thank you for your fast response and for pointing out the parallel mode of the DRV8844.

    I don't have an activation current that I can reduce, so I need to assume a higher power dissipation over the whole time.
    I will check the DRV8844 and the DRV8873 for my usecase. But calculating the expected junction temperature I might prefer the DRV8873.

    Thank you and best regards

    Matthias