A Tale of Two Drivers
When it comes to controlling power to loads such as motors or light bulbs, High-Side and Low-Side Drivers are two common choices of engineers. But what are they, and how do they differ? In this blog post, we'll take an unbiased look at the pros and cons of each driver type.
High-Side Drivers
High-Side Drivers are designed to switch the positive side of a load on and off. They are ideal for applications where it is necessary to interrupt the power between the power source and the load. High-Side Drivers are also ideal for applications where the load needs to be connected to a voltage that is higher than the voltage of the controller.
There are several key advantages to High-Side Drivers. Firstly, they can operate at higher frequencies than Low-Side Drivers. High-Side Drivers are also more tolerant to voltage spikes and noise. Additionally, High-Side Drivers are easier to isolate from the ground, making them more immune to ground faults.
However, there are also disadvantages to using High-Side Drivers. They can be more complex to design due to the need for a level shifter. The level shifter is necessary because the driver is isolated from the ground. High-Side Drivers can also be more expensive than Low-Side Drivers.
Low-Side Drivers
Low-Side Drivers, on the other hand, switch the ground side of the load on and off. They are ideal for applications where it is not necessary to interrupt the power between the power source and the load. Low-Side Drivers are also ideal for applications where the load needs to be connected to a voltage that is lower than the voltage of the controller.
One of the main advantages of Low-Side Drivers is their simplicity. They require less circuitry than High-Side Drivers and are therefore less expensive. They are also easier to design due to the absence of a level shifter.
However, there are also disadvantages to using Low-Side Drivers. They cannot operate at as high frequencies as High-Side Drivers. Low-Side Drivers are also more susceptible to voltage spikes and noise. Finally, they can be more difficult to isolate from the ground, making them more susceptible to ground faults.
Conclusion
Ultimately, whether to use a High-Side or Low-Side Driver will depend on the specific requirements of your application. High-Side Drivers offer higher frequency operation and greater immunity to voltage spikes and noise, but are more complex and expensive to design. Low-Side Drivers offer simple operation, but limited frequency response and susceptibility to voltage spikes and noise.
We hope this blog post has helped you understand the differences between High-Side and Low-Side Drivers. In conclusion, it's important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each driver type and choose the one that best suits your particular needs.
References
- Texas Instruments. (2022). High-Side vs. Low-Side: What’s the difference? Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://training.ti.com/high-side-vs-low-side-whats-difference
- Electronics Tutorials. (2022). High Side Switching and Low Side Switching. Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/transistor/tran_7.html