What is the function of a gate driver in power electronics?

Gate drivers interface low-power control signals to power switch gates, providing adequate voltage and current for fast, reliable switching. Functions include: level shifting (different ground references in half-bridges), isolation (optocoupler or transformer coupled), providing peak current for rapid gate charging (several amperes for large IGBTs), protection features (undervoltage lockout, desaturation detection, fault reporting), and proper timing (dead-time insertion). Integrated gate driver ICs simplify design and improve reliability.