Industrial piezo driver with integrated boost converter

Available now from Farnell element14, the Texas Instruments (TI) DRV2700 is a single-chip piezo driver featuring an integrated 105V boost switch, integrated power diode and integrated fully-differential amplifier. The device is capable of driving both high-voltage and low-voltage piezoelectric loads and the input signal can be either differential or single-ended and AC or DC coupled. The DRV2700 supports four GPIO-controlled gains: 28.8dB, 34.8dB, 38.4dB, and 40.7dB. Two external resistors are used to set the boost voltage while the boost current-limit is programmable through the R(REXT) resistor. The boost converter architecture does not allow the demand on the supply current to exceed the limit set by the R(REXT) resistor, giving the user the ability to optimise the DRV2700 circuit for a particular inductor for specific performance needs. This device also relies on a hysteretic architecture to minimise switching losses and therefore increase efficiency. The quick start-up time of around 1.5ms makes the DRV2700 device an ideal piezo driver for coming out of sleep quickly. Safety features include thermal overload protection prevents the device from damage when overdriven, says the company.