The IX4426 is MOSFET driver rated for "low-side gate drivers", but upon inspecting its schematics it is a push-pull circuit:
I should be able to drive a highside PMOS on its output. If the problem is the input voltage is not enough to turn on the PMOS of the push pull, can it be solved by adding a voltage shifter on the inputs?
If the problem is the input voltage is not enough to turn on the PMOS of the push pull, can it be solved by adding a voltage shifter on the inputs?
There's no need: -
In other words, for a supply range of 4.5 volts to 18 volts, the input level for logic 1 is greater than 2.4 volts and the input level for logic 0 is less than 0.8 volts i.e. it is roughly TTL compatible and can be driven by TTL, 3.3 volt CMOS logic or 5 volt CMOS logic outputs.
so i should be able to drive a highside PMOS on its output
Yes.
If the VCC of your application is higher than the IX4426, it won't work (as you'll exceed the absolute max rating of the IX4426) do something like this:
simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab
Use an n-mos fet to switch the PMOS, the 2N7002 is a good logic level n-ch FET. If the n-ch FET isn't 'on' the pull up on the gate of the p-ch fet will pull the voltage to equal VCC and switch the p-ch FET off. When the n-ch FET is on, it pulls the gate of the p-ch FET to near zero volts and switches it on.
@Voltage Spike's answer is good, unless Vcc is above the maximum gate voltage of the MOSFET (usually around 20V.) Beyond this, other methods are required.
If you have Vcc = 48V lets say, then you're going to need 48V to turn off the PMOS, and about 15V below this (48-15=33V, regulated), to turn the PMOS gate fully on.
That 15V difference (48V and 33V) can be the Vdd and Vss of the IX4426 and it should work well. But now you have another problem: how to input a correct logic signal to the IX4426? You cannot send it 0V/3.3V/5V as from it's perspective, 0V will look like -33V.
Can I use this low side rated MOSFET driver to drive a high-side PMOS?
Yes, but why do you need to?
Are you planing to control direction with high side in a full bridge? (OK)
or deadtime in a half-bridge (NOT OK as skew is undefined)
driver rated for "low-side gate drivers", but upon inspecting its schematics it is a push-pull circuit:
Yes here "low-side" tells you the application purpose, not the internal characteristic. So again this begs the above question, why would you want it for a half or full bridge unless just using it for the low side ONLY . Using it for the High side implies you may have overlooking something else in your design.
Yet on their own merits with 3 variations of dual outputs, (A,B) (A!,B), (A,B!) these dual low side drivers have many uses and could be used for many things.
They accept any logic from 2V to Vdd for a "1" and <8 Ohms push-pull out.
Yet because of Schmitt Inputs, these are great for Noise immunity low side but terrible for hi+lo side drivers due to crossover-shootthru in a PWM Half bridge driver. You have no specs for rise-fall time matching or control over timing skew.necessary for complementary drivers.
So yes you can but WHY?
