TLP 250H Gate Driver Coupler Dip-8

 

If your board needs a gate driver optocoupler that drives an IGBT or a power MOSFET gate, and the old part on the board is marked TLP250H, this is the part to order. It is a TLP250H gate driver in an 8-pin DIP through-hole package, with the control side and the power side kept apart by light. It fits IGBT and MOSFET gate drive in industrial inverters, air conditioner inverters, motor control, induction cooktops, and home appliances. It does not fit a surface-mount board, a job that needs more than ±2.5 A of peak gate current, or a circuit that runs hotter than 125 °C. Check the checks below before you order, so the part number, the package, the pins, and the supply all match your board.

This is an original, high-quality part.

What it does

A gate driver optocoupler sits between a low-voltage control circuit and a high-voltage power switch. Inside this part, a GaAlAs infrared LED shines across a gap onto a photodetector chip, so the control signal crosses as light and no electric current crosses. That light barrier gives 3750 Vrms of isolation between the two sides. The output is a totem-pole stage that can both push and pull current, so it can charge an IGBT or MOSFET gate fast to turn it on, and discharge it fast to turn it off. This gate driver optocoupler DIP-8 part drives the gate with up to ±2.5 A of peak current, which suits small to medium power switches.

Because the output follows the input (input high gives output high, input low gives output low), the part is simple to wire into a control circuit. Its internal Faraday shield holds the output steady even when the high-voltage side swings fast — up to ±40 kV/µs — so the switch does not turn on by mistake. It keeps working up to 125 °C, which gives extra margin in hot inverter boards.

Key features

• Peak output current: ±2.5 A for IGBT and MOSFET gate drive
• Totem-pole (buffer logic) output — non-inverting
• Isolation voltage: 3750 Vrms
• Propagation delay: 500 ns at most
• Common-mode transient immunity: ±40 kV/µs at least
• Supply voltage: 10 to 30 V
• Supply current: 3.0 mA at most
• DIP-8 through-hole package, 7.62 mm pitch
• Creepage and clearance: 8.0 mm at least
• Working temperature: −40 °C to +125 °C

Checks before you order

• Part number: the marking must read TLP250H exactly. If your old part shows a different number or a missing letter, stop and check your board list again. Do not judge by the package alone — other 8-pin DIP gate drivers do a different job.
• Package and pins: your board must take a DIP-8 through-hole part, with pin 1 not connected, pin 2 Anode, pin 3 Cathode, pin 4 not connected, pin 5 GND, pin 6 output, pin 7 not connected, pin 8 VCC. This is not a surface-mount part — a surface-mount gate driver optocoupler has a different footprint and different pins, and is not a swap for this board.
• Supply voltage: the detector supply must be 10 to 30 V. Below about 9.5 V the built-in under-voltage lockout can hold the output off, so check your supply before you order. Keep the rise of the supply voltage at 3.0 V/µs or less, or stable operation is not guaranteed.
• Bypass capacitor: a 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor must sit between pin 8 (VCC) and pin 5 (GND), within 1 cm of the pins. Without it, the part may not switch properly.
• Input drive: the LED needs enough input current to switch — the threshold is 5 mA at most, and the recommended on-state current is 6.5 to 10 mA. A weak control signal that cannot give that current will not drive this part.
• Output current: the ±2.5 A figure is a short peak for charging a gate, not a steady current. Check the gate charge of your IGBT or MOSFET and the switching frequency (250 kHz at most) before you order.
• Isolation: the 3750 Vrms figure is a 60-second test voltage, and the creepage is 8.0 mm. Check that your board keeps that spacing and that your working voltage suits the rating.

Specifications

All figures below are for the TLP250H part at +25 °C unless noted. No figure here was guessed.

Type	Photocoupler, GaAlAs infrared LED + photodetector IC, buffer logic, totem-pole output
Package	DIP-8, through-hole, 7.62 mm pitch
Pin assignment	1: N.C., 2: Anode, 3: Cathode, 4: N.C., 5: GND, 6: VO (output), 7: N.C., 8: VCC
Bypass capacitor	0.1 µF ceramic between pin 8 (VCC) and pin 5 (GND), within 1 cm
Output peak current	±2.5 A max (±2.0 A recommended)
Supply voltage	10 to 30 V
Supply current, max	3.0 mA
Threshold input current, max	5 mA
Input forward voltage	1.57 V typical (1.4 to 1.8 V) at 10 mA, 25 °C
Propagation delay time, max	500 ns (typical 100 ns)
Propagation delay skew, max	150 ns
Rise time / fall time, typical	50 ns / 50 ns
Common-mode transient immunity, min	±40 kV/µs
Isolation voltage, min	3750 Vrms (AC, 60 s)
Operating temperature	−40 °C to +125 °C
Creepage / clearance, min	8.0 mm / 8.0 mm
UVLO turn-on / turn-off	8.7 V typical / 8.4 V typical
Operating frequency, max	250 kHz

Other names for the same part (good to know)

Shoppers and repair techs call this same part by a few names. TLP250H is the full part number, and it is also the code printed on the body. TLP250H gate driver is the plain name from its job. Gate driver optocoupler DIP-8 is the plain name for what it is — a light-isolated driver for a power switch gate in a DIP-8 body. IGBT gate driver is the job name buyers use when they need to drive an IGBT. MOSFET gate driver is the job name buyers use when they need to drive a power MOSFET. If you see TLP250H on an 8-pin DIP body, and your board needs a 2.5 A gate driver with 3750 Vrms isolation, this page is the right match. Do not judge by the package alone — check the part number, the pins, and the supply too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a gate driver optocoupler do?

It drives the gate of an IGBT or a power MOSFET while keeping the low-voltage control circuit electrically apart from the high-voltage power circuit. The signal crosses inside the part as light, so a fault on the power side cannot reach the control side.

Why does the output stay off when the supply is low?

The part has a built-in under-voltage lockout. It turns the output on only when the supply rises past about 8.7 V, and turns it off again if the supply falls below about 8.4 V. The supply must be 10 to 30 V in normal use.

Why is a 0.1 µF capacitor needed between pins 8 and 5?

The capacitor steadies the detector supply right at the part. Without it, the high-gain detector may not switch properly. It must be a ceramic capacitor, placed within 1 cm of pins 8 and 5.

Can this part drive an IGBT directly?

Yes, for small to medium IGBTs and power MOSFETs. Its totem-pole output gives up to ±2.5 A of peak gate current. Check the gate charge of your switch and keep the switching frequency at or below 250 kHz.

What is the difference between this part and a general-purpose optocoupler?

A general-purpose optocoupler only passes a small signal and cannot drive a gate. This part has a high-gain photodetector and a totem-pole output stage built to push and pull amps of gate current, with a 500 ns delay at most and strong noise immunity.

What is the price of this part?

Check the live price on the website.

Use note kept from the old page: this part was listed before as a high-performance gate driver IC with reliable electrical isolation and efficient switching for solar inverter components and power electronics, in a DIP-8 package, ideal for driving IGBTs and MOSFETs in motor control, inverters, and industrial power applications, with high-speed response and strong noise immunity, and used in industrial inverters, air conditioner inverters, IGBT gate drivers, MOSFET gate drivers, induction cooktops, and home appliances — and that use still stands.

You can view and download the datasheet for this part from the Download button on this page.