Run a first-pass 24V board feasibility check, then use the report layer to decide whether the compact GaN PCBA path is ready for an OEM RFQ.
Published July 24, 2026 | Last updated July 24, 2026
Awaiting 24V actuator constraints
Set current, burst demand, envelope, and thermal path to view the RFQ feasibility state.
The report is scoped to the same 24V actuator-board intent as the tool. It explains when GaN helps, what still limits the design, and which evidence should be checked before requesting a production quote.
Fixed Bus Assumption
Use 24V when the battery, safety, and actuator envelope matter more than maximum power density. Above ~500W continuous, compare a higher bus before locking the layout.
Reference-Class PWM Target
GaN can support higher switching-frequency targets than conventional low-voltage silicon designs, but EMI, current sensing, and firmware must be validated together.
Output Is a Triage Path
The calculator estimates feasibility, not production release. It should trigger thermal modeling, layout review, and motor current-limit validation.
24V bus preference, low acoustic signature, and compact motor housings where serviceability matters.
Hollow-shaft or small rectangular PCBAs where every connector, sensor, and thermal via must be co-designed.
Short burst loads where airflow or metal housing contact can provide a credible thermal path.
High-torque knee or hip joints often need 48V or 60V to reduce current density, cable loss, and copper heating.
A compact GaN package still needs a heat path. No metal conduction path usually means a larger board or lower RMS current.
If space, weight, and acoustic output are not constraints, commodity silicon or AC drive platforms may be a better purchasing decision.
| Decision Factor | Traditional Si MOSFET Path | Compact GaN Path | What to Validate |
|---|---|---|---|
| PWM Frequency | 20kHz-class designs are common when acoustic noise and switching loss must be balanced. | 50-100kHz-class operation is plausible in vendor reference designs when layout and gate-drive discipline are strong. | Current ripple, torque ripple, switching temperature, EMI, and controller sampling margin. |
| Dead-Time Loss | Longer dead-time budgets are often used to protect discrete half-bridges. | Integrated GaN stages can support shorter or adaptive dead-time strategies, but the exact target is device-specific. | Shoot-through margin, bootstrap behavior, firmware timing, and transient ringing. |
| Reverse-Recovery Behavior | Body-diode recovery can add loss and switching-node stress. | Lateral GaN avoids the MOSFET body-diode reverse-recovery mechanism, reducing one major ringing contributor. | Power-loop inductance, snubber need, encoder coupling, and measured switch-node waveform. |
| Board Area | Larger passive, copper, and thermal mass budgets are often needed when switching frequency is lower. | Smaller power-stage packages and higher frequency can reduce passive volume, but connectors and sensors can dominate the outline. | Connector exit, current shunt or magnetic sensor, encoder keep-out, thermal vias, and assembly access. |
| Efficiency Claim | Use measured silicon reference losses for the same motor and duty cycle. | Expect an application-dependent gain, not a universal percentage. | Compare conduction, switching, dead-time, and control-loop losses on the same load profile. |
GaN can move the design toward a smaller power stage and smaller passive budget, but heat becomes concentrated. The decisive question is whether the actuator housing can carry that heat away without disturbing the encoder, strain relief, or user-facing surface temperature.
Illustration only; no temperature or board-area value in this diagram should be read as a measured result.
Source review date: July 24, 2026. Claims below are used as RFQ inputs, not final production specifications.
| Traceable Source | Supports | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| EPC low-voltage BLDC motor-drive application note | Low-voltage GaN inverter layout, compact motor-drive reference architecture, and thermal protection considerations. | Reference-design conditions only; it is not a measured GanServo actuator-board guarantee. |
| TI 24V-60V GaN inverter reference design guide | A documented GaN inverter reference design in the low-voltage robotics motor-drive range. | Reference design scale and power level differ from an ultra-compact actuator board. |
| TI GaN gate-driver basics | GaN driver selection, layout discipline, and reduced form-factor design guidance. | Training material is topology-level guidance, not a 24V actuator certification. |
| TI three-phase motor-drive current-sensing article | Current-sense placement and control-loop considerations for precision three-phase motor drives. | Current-sensing guidance does not replace board-specific EMI and thermal testing. |
A smaller GaN package can hide a hotter local junction. Ask for housing temperature rise, junction estimate, and thermal camera data on the same duty cycle.
Faster edges can reduce losses while increasing coupling risk. Keep encoder routing, ground strategy, and snubber options visible in the first layout review.
24V may be the wrong answer for sustained high torque. Compare 48V or 60V when current, cable gauge, or battery sag dominates the design.
Keep the 24V board request focused: send motor constants, RMS/peak current, target outline, thermal path, encoder interface, duty cycle, and battery tolerance. Use the adjacent pages below only when the architecture changes.
The calculator assumes a 24V nominal DC bus because the keyword intent is about custom motor control PCBAs, not general 12V, 48V, or 60V servo drives. At 24V, current density and thermal routing dominate the decision, so the tool keeps that architecture fixed.
When continuous electrical power rises above roughly 500W, cable and copper losses become the limiting factor for many compact joints. A 48V bus halves current for the same power and can reduce I2R wiring loss by about 4x, but it changes battery, isolation, and safety decisions.
No. GaN can shrink the power-stage and passive budget, but connector exits, current sensors, encoders, creepage, EMI filters, and thermal vias often decide the final board outline. Treat sub-30mm packaging as feasible only after layout and thermal review.
Send the motor winding resistance, Kv or torque constant, RMS and burst current, duty cycle, target board outline, enclosure material, allowable housing temperature rise, encoder interface, and planned battery bus tolerance.
No. It is a first-pass triage tool. Production release still requires schematic review, layout review, thermal simulation, instrumented prototype testing, EMI validation, firmware current-limit validation, and supplier-specific component derating.
A compact GaN stage can concentrate heat in a small package. Direct conduction into an actuator housing may be workable, while sealed plastic enclosures often need a larger board, lower RMS current, or a different bus voltage.
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