ISSN: 1863-5598 ZKZ 64717

11-10

Electronics in Motion and Conversion November 2010

 ILLUMINATING
YOUR PROJECTS
Welcome to the House of Competence.
GvA is your expert in individual problem solutions for all sectors of
power electronics – state of the art know how and profound experience
as an engineering service provider, manufacturer and distributor.
Consulting – Design & Development – Production – Distribution

GvA Leistungselektronik GmbH | Boehringer Straße 10 - 12 | D-68307 Mannheim

Phone +49 (0) 621/7 89 92-0 | www.gva-leistungselektronik.de | info@gva-leistungselektronik.de
Viewpoint
It´s Show Time! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Blue Product of the Month
Looking to the Stars and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Guest Editorial
Re-Defining Power Management
By Mansour Izadinia, Chief Technology Officer, IDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Electronica Hall A4, Booth 169
Market
Electronics Industry Digest
By Aubrey Dunford, Europartners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Market
Microgrids Redefine power Delivery
By Linnea Brush, Senior Analyst, Darnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
Cover Story
Bringing GaN on Si Based Power Devices to Market
By Michael A. Briere, ACOO Enterprises LLC, under contract by International Rectifier . . . 20-24
Electronica Hall A5, Booth 320
IGBTs
650V IGBT4 the Optimized Device for Reduced EMI and Low ÄV
By Wilhelm Rusche, Dr. Andreas Härtl, Marco Bässler, Infineon Technologies AG . . . . . . . 26-29
Electronica Hall A5, Booth 506
High Power Switch
A 10kV HPT IGCT with Improved Switching Capability
By Tobias Wikström, ABB Switzerland Ltd, Semiconductors and Iulian Nistor,
ABB Switzerland Ltd, Corporate Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-32
Technology
Review of the ECPE Workshop on Advanced Multilevel Converter Systems
By Prof. Thierry Meynard (University of Toulouse, ENSEEIHT – LAPLACE),
Technical Chairman of the ECPE Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35
Power Management
Using Microprocessor Supervisory Devices
By Eric Schlaepfer, Senior Member of the Technical Staff,
Applications Maxim Integrated Products Inc., Sunnyvale, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-38
Electronica Hall A5, Booth 324
Automotive
Automotive Using Ethernet as Physical Layer Data Bus
By Mike Jones, Senior FAE, Micrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-44
Electronica Hall A4, Booth 125
Protection
Enhanced Over-Voltage Protection of Solar Installations
By David Connett, Director IC Reference Design, EPCOS AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46-48
Electronica Hall B5, Booth 506
Technology
Driving eGaNTM FETs
By Johan Strydom PhD, Director of Application Engineering,
Efficient Power Conversion Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-52
Power Modules
17 mm technology: Rectifiers, IGBTs and drivers for motor control
By Wolf-Dieter Roth, HY-LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54-55
Electronica Hall A6, Booth 606
Smart Power
Dual High Side Switches in Smart Power Technology
By Giuseppe Di Stefano and Michelangelo Marchese STmicroelectronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-58
Power Supply
Low Profile AC/DC Power Supplies
By Alexander Goncharov, P. h.D., Konstantin Stepnev and Oleg Negreba, AEPS Group . . 60-62
Electronica Hall B2, Booth 450
New Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-72

www.bodospower.com November 2010

 The Gallery

2 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

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© 2010 Microchip Technology Inc. All rights reserved. ME252B-Eng07.10
 VIEWPOINT
A Media
Katzbek 17a
D-24235 Laboe, Germany
Phone: +49 4343 42 17 90
Fax: +49 4343 42 17 89
editor@bodospower.com
www.bodospower.com
Publishing Editor
Bodo Arlt, Dipl.-Ing.
editor@bodospower.com
Creative Direction & Production
Repro Studio Peschke
Repro.Peschke@t-online.de
Free Subscription to qualified readers
Bodo´s Power Systems
is available for the following
subscription charges:
Annual charge (12 issues) is 150 €
world wide
Single issue is 18 €
subscription@bodospower.com
circulation
printrun
25000
Printing by:
Central-Druck Trost GmbH & Co
Heusenstamm, Germany
A Media and Bodos Power Systems
assume and hereby disclaim any
liability to any person for any loss or
damage by errors or omissions in the
material contained herein regardless of
whether such errors result from
negligence accident or any other cause
whatsoever.
Events
Electronica
Munich Ger. Nov 9-12
http://www.electronica.de/en
SPS/IPC/DRIVES
Nuremberg Ger. Nov 23-25
http://www.mesago.de/en/SPS/main.htm
Power electronics
Moscow Nov.30-Dec.2
http://www.powerelectronics.ru
Embedded World
Nuremberg, Ger. March 1st-3rd
http://www.embedded-world.eu/
APEC 2011 Ft. Worth,
TX, USA March 6th -10th
http://www.apec-conf.org/
EMC2011,
Stuttgart/Ger. March.15th – 17th
http://www.mesago.de/de/EMV/home.htm
New Energy
Husum Ger. March17th-20th
http://www.new-energy.de
4 Bodo´s Power Systems®
It´s Show Time!
For electronics companies November in Ger-
many is dominated by two major shows.
First we’ll have the party of all parties in
Munich in the second week of November at
the electronica - an electronica year with a
strong upturn in business. The world’s most
important electronics trade show will provide
us with a mid-term indicator of future devel-
opments in general, and a short-term fore-
cast of what the next year will look like busi-
ness-wise. Later in November the
SPS/IPC/DRIVES will showcase the industri-
al side of electronic power design in drives
and control applications. This show has
been growing consistently since popping up
on the radar in the 90s. A great many Euro-
pean and German companies who operate Friends told me that during that week Los
globally will again exhibit. Angeles registered the highest temperatures
ever measured. At the time I was visiting
Maxim up north in Sunnyvale and not only
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the
world has become a single marketplace. was the temperature moderate but I also
Industrial customers have their contacts learned a lot about efficient design in every
worldwide and thus, supporting companies direction of new electronics.
have to be positioned globally. We’re contin-
ually seeing more and more companies Silicon Valley is a very special place. The
restructure themselves to serve these fascinating fact is that you constantly see
demands. One example is Mersen, formerly new companies starting up and pushing new
Ferraz, who recently consolidated all of their and advanced design ideas. Here you feel
the pioneering freedom of progress in semi-
resources under the new name.
conductors. Beside that you find the best
The Russian market is now also focussing steaks on Earth at the Black Angus in Sun-
on power electronics with the Power Elec- nyvale!
tronics, Energy and Energy Savings show
taking place in Moscow at the end of Including this November issue - delivered, as
November. Both Russian and international always, on time – we will have produced a
companies will support the show strongly. It’s total of 674 pages this year: strong perform-
great to see the world getting together to talk ance thanks to strong support.
about technology that will help secure the
future for upcoming generations. My Green Power Tip for November:
Clean your solar panels. The more dirt on
Whereever it is that we may live and work, the surface, the less efficient the panels are.
Maintenance is the key to any technical
we must put the best solutions in place for
energy efficient design. Every country and solution running properly and efficiently.
every government must develop laws to
make use of most efficient designs and we
the people have to be careful with our con-
sumption to preserve resources for those See you in Munich or Nuremberg
who come after us – like the school children
in Los Angeles who were thrilled when Best regards
schools were closed due to the heat in the
last week of September and the fact that the
officials were worried that the power supply
might fail.
November 2010 www.bodospower.com
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www.lem.com At the heart of power electronics.

 NEWS
IDT to Showcase at Electronica 2010
Integrated Device Technology, Inc.,
the Analog and Digital Company
delivering essential mixed-signal
semiconductor solutions, announced
that it will have a major presence at
Electronica 2010, which will take
place between November 9-12 in
Munich, Germany. Visitors to the
IDT booth will see how the company
has rapidly evolved to become a
leading supplier of analog and digi-
tal solutions for a wide range of
leading-edge technologies and prod-
ucts in sectors that include industri-
al, consumer, entertainment and medical electronics, along with wired
and wireless telecommunications.
IDT will be demonstrating several products from its portfolio of mixed-
signal solutions, including high-performance signal conditioning
repeaters for multi-gigabit, serial-differential protocols, and industry-
Focus on Smart Grid Technology at electronica 2010
Fairchild Semiconductor will demo its latest
technological advancements for mobile
applications, as well as power solutions that
focus on the smart grid at electronica 2010.
Fairchild will feature technology demonstra-
tions that enable mobile connectivity and
optimize energy usage in power supplies
(AC/DC and DC/DC), mobile, LED lighting,
motor, solar, computing, consumer and auto-
Showcase Industry-Leading Power Management Solutions
International Rectifier announced it will
showcase the company’s industry-leading
power management solutions at electronica
2010.
IR’s innovative energy saving technologies
and products will be on display in Hall A5,
Booth 320 including demonstrations of the
Maxim to Highlight Products at electronica 2010
Maxim Integrated Products announced its
inaugural visit to electronica 2010. Focusing
on the medical, industrial, and automotive
markets, Maxim will present demos covering
blood glucose meters, automotive infotain-
ment, smart-grid solutions, HBLEDs, wire-
less HD video, and other related areas.
ENERTRAG Orders Seven Vestas V112-3.0 MW Turbine
The search for the most productive turbine
has once again led ENERTRAG, one of the
biggest independent renewable energy pro-
ducers in Europe, to Vestas.
ENERTRAG decided to order seven units of
the V112-3.0 MW – Vestas’ latest and most
technologically-advanced wind turbine – to
most effectively optimise an existing wind
6 Bodo´s Power Systems®
power consumption and a significant improvement in storage per-
formance when compared to SAS/SATA-based SSDs.
motive applications.
Fairchild solves difficult power management
and signal path problems for leading-edge,
top tier customers around the world. Our
commitment to energy savings and meeting
the most stringent regulations has lead to
the development of innovative power and
mobile solutions that maximize performance
while reducing board space, design com-
company’s GaN-based power device plat-
form, GaNpowIR™. IR’s SupIRBuck™ inte-
grated voltage regulators, and benchmark
MOSFETs and DirectFET® MOSFETs,
IGBTs and high-voltage ICs for a diverse
range of applications including appliances,
automotive, lighting, computing and Class D
"Maxim has many new and exciting tech-
nologies for the medical, industrial, and auto-
motive markets. We are extremely happy to
make our first visit to electronica and share
these developments with everyone," said
Walter Sangalli, Managing Director, Euro-
pean Sales and Applications. "As the largest
farm.
The seven turbines will be installed at the
Uckermark wind farm, next to ENERTRAG’s
head office in Dauerthal. For this inland site
ENERTRAG needed a productive turbine
with an ideal tower height to ensure maxi-
mum energy production from Uckermark’s
wind conditions and which presents a very
November 2010
leading solutions for Serial RapidIO®
and PCI Express® protocols.
In addition, IDT will feature products
from its video, enterprise computing,
capacitive touch and high perform-
ance timing product lines. One of the
key demonstrations will be the indus-
try’s first Enterprise Non-Volatile
Memory Host Controller Interface
(NVMHCI) Flash Controller. The goal
of the Enterprise NVMHCI standard
is to drive the adoption of PCI
Express-based Solid State Drives
(SSDs), which will offer reduced
Electronica Hall A4, Booth 169
www.idt.com
plexity and system costs.
Please join us at electronica 2010 to see the
extensive portfolio of power and mobile
products that enable the right technology for
your success.
Electronica Hall A4, Booth 506
www.fairchildsemi.com
audio will also be on display as well as IR’s
DC-DC converters and modules for high reli-
ability applications.
Electronica Hall A5, Booth 320
www.irf.com
electronics industry trade show in the world,
electronica 2010 is a perfect fit for us to
showcase our innovative products and solu-
tions," Sangalli added.
Electronica Hall A5, Booth 324
www.maxim-ic.com
attractive business case through high full
load hours. The V112-3.0 MW can generate
even more electricity than other turbines in
the 3 MW class and delivers industry-leading
reliability, serviceability and availability.
www.vestas.com
www.bodospower.com
Please read the article on page 54
 NEWS

Advanced Semiconductor Solutions for Automotive

At Electronica 2010 Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) will be show-
casing a selection of advanced semiconductor solutions for automo-
tive applications and presenting a paper on new microcontroller tech-
nologies for automotive safety systems.
Visitors to the Toshiba stand in the Hall 6 automotive sector will have
the opportunity to see the latest ‘Capricorn’ system-on-chip (SoC)
solutions for driving and managing high-quality automotive displays;
new ARM Cortex™-M3 microcontroller technologies that address
ISO26262 ASIL ( Automotive Safety Integrity Level) requirements for
safety-critical systems; and automotive-qualified ASSP (application
specific standard products) driver ICs that simplify the implementation
of brushless DC (BLDC) motor control. The company will also be
unveiling a new BiCDMOS semiconductor process platform for next-
generation automotive ICs and showcasing automotive LEDs and
power MOSFETs.
Electronica Hall A6, Booth A21
www.toshiba-components.com

Power Electronics, Energy and Energy Saving in Moscow

From November 30th to December 2nd 2010
the show will take place in Pavilion 2, Hall 6,
Crocus Expo, Moscow, Russia. Every year,
the event brings together key distributors,
suppliers and producers of new develop-
ments in power electronics, energy and
energy saving, and shows the potential of
the Russian power electronics market.
To date, the exhibition has grown by 23%
compared with last year’s results, and there
are still two and a half months left before the
exhibition, which means the overall growth
will be even greater.
The 2nd International Conference 'Power
Electronics – a Key Technology for Russian
Industry in the 21st Century' will be the main
event of the exhibition. The focus of the con-
ference is to provide a platform for discus-
sion of the most important aspects of power
electronics development at a professional
level, with the participation of key represen-
tatives from science, government agencies,
the business community and public organi-
sations.
http://power.primexpo.com/

Power Your Recognition Instantly

Based in Munich, Germany, ITPR Information-Travels Public Relations is a full-service consultancy
with over a decade of experience in the electronics sector.
As a small exclusive agency, we offer extremely high ROI,
no-nonsense flexibility and highest priority to only a handful of companies.

Strategical Support
Corporate/Product Positioning, Market/Competitive Analysis, PR Programs, Roadmaps,
Media Training, Business Development, Partnerships, Channel Marketing, Online Marketing

Tactical PR
Writing: Press Releases, Feature Articles, Commentaries, Case Studies, White Papers
Organizing: Media Briefings, Road Shows, Product Placements in Reviews and Market Overviews,
Exhibitions, Press Conferences
Monitoring and Research: Speaking Opportunities, Editorial Calendars, Feature Placement,
Media Coverage, Competitive Analysis
Translations: Releases, By-Lined Articles, Websites, etc.

Call or contact us today for a free consultation on how PR

can dramatically affect your company’s bottom line.
ITPR Information-Travels Public Relations
Stefanusstrasse 6a, 82166 Gräfelfing-Munich, Germany
Tel ++49 (89) 898687-20, Fax ++49 (89) 898687-21,
electronics@information-travels.com

www.information-travels.com

8 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

Entry for Power Line Com-
6XSHULRUVROXWLRQVIRU
munications with Develop-
ment Kit
Demonstrating its commitment to provide the most comprehensive
LQGXVWULDO HOHFWURQLFV
products and tools for power line communications (PLC) develop-
ment, Texas Instruments announced the PLC Development Kit (TMD-
SPLCKIT-V2) based on the industry’s only PLC modem solution
capable of supporting multiple modulation and protocol standards on
a single hardware platform. The kit provides everything developers
need to network systems and implement monitoring capabilities and
other new services that reduce device maintenance cost while
increasing system reliability to create greener, more efficient prod-
ucts. Developers will now be able to quickly evaluate the suitability
of using PLC-based communications and then jumpstart develop-
ment for Smart Grid applications ranging from smart electrical meters
to intelligently controlled industrial applications, including lighting,
solar, home automation, building control, plug-in electrical vehicle
and energy-managed appliances.
Electronica Hall A4, Stand 420

www.ti.com/plc-pr

Solar Market Keeps Shining

in 2011
Despite extreme shifts in pricing, demand and governmental subsi-
dies, the global photovoltaic market in 2011 will experience robust
growth, with installations rising by 42.3 percent for the year, accord-
ing to the market research firm iSuppli Corp.
iSuppli forecasts that worldwide solar installations will reach 20.2
Gigawatts (GW) next year, up from 14.2GW at the end of 2010. Ger-
many, the world’s leading Photovoltaic (PV) market, will continue to
play a key role and account for half of the total installations, at
9.5GW. s $OXPLQXPFDSVZLWKKLJKULSSOHFXUUHQWFDSDELOLW\
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down significantly from the 97.9 percent increase in 2009. DQGFRPSHQVDWLRQ
The attached figure shows iSuppli’s forecast of global PV installations s 37&WKHUPLVWRUVIRURYHUFXUUHQWSURWHFWLRQ
by region from 2009 to 2014.
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on the PV markets, even if passage might have sent the wrong signal s 6$:ILOWHUVIRUDGYDQFHGPHWHULQJLQIUDVWUXFWXUH
to PV global markets for the time being, iSuppli maintains. And with
German polls suggesting overwhelming support—80 percent by one s 9DULVWRUVIRURYHUYROWDJHSURWHFWLRQ
count—among voters in favor of renewable energy generation, the s 0LQLDWXUL]HGSUHVVXUHVHQVRUVXSWREDU
forecasts for a strong German PV market in 2011 continue to hold
and remain unchanged.
To learn more about this topic, see iSuppli’s new report, entitled:
Global PV Market to Double in 2010, Germany Leads the Way.

www.isuppli.com ZZZWGNHSFFRP

www.bodospower.com Nove
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 NEWS

Safe Connection to Authorized Suppliers

To counteract the growing problem of counterfeit and substandard are authorized by original semiconductor manufacturers to distribute
semiconductors entering the global marketplace, the Semiconductor their products. Only authorized distributors can guarantee traceability
Industry Association and authenticity of components; buying authorized eliminates the
(SIA) and Rochester potential risk of purchasing counterfeit or substandard parts. The
Electronics have Authorized Directory provides two quick and easy worldwide search
joined to develop a tool options to help buyers find authorized distributors: search by
comprehensive, semiconductor manufacturer, or search by part number.
worldwide directory
of companies that
http://www.authorizeddirectory.com

Test Lithium-Ion Storage Systems for Smart Grid

NEC Corporation announced it is working
with the Electric Power Research Institute,
Inc. (EPRI) to conduct joint field trials of an
electricity storage system using NEC’s lithi-
um-ion battery.
In the first phase of the testing, a 25 kW sys-
tem provided to EPRI by NEC will be tested
as an initial step toward future smart grid
applications. Follow-up electric utility demon-
strations of larger 1 MW systems could be
possible as part of an EPRI – U.S. electric
utility industry research collaborative.
Initial testing will be carried out at EPRI’s
Knoxville, Tenn., laboratory using NEC’s
integrated lithium-ion battery system to
examine operational performance and func-
tionality for U.S. grid compliance. NEC will
provide a fully integrated lithium-ion storage
system which EPRI will evaluate. It will
include power electronics and NEC’s IT net-
work technology, necessary for power con-
trol and energy management.
EPRI is engaged in the testing and evalua-
tion of a variety of electric utility scale energy
storage systems in support of the electric
industry’s transition towards smarter electric
grids. In the United States, energy storage
systems are expected to be key assets for a
wide range of applications, including integra-
tion support for wind and solar power gener-
ators, distribution grid asset and operational
management as well as energy manage-
ment for commercial buildings and resi-
dences.
www.nec.com

Highlighted Materials at Antenna Systems 2010

Rogers has showcased its high perform-
ance, cost-effective laminate materials for
antenna applications at the Antenna Sys-
tems 2010 conference and expo (October
19-20, 2010, Gaylord Texan Resort & Con-
vention Center, Dallas, TX).
Representatives from Rogers Advanced Cir-
cuit Materials (ACM) Division had been pres-
ent to explain the optimal use of Rogers ence and exhibition devoted to antenna
RO3730™, RO4730™, and RO4500™ lami- designers, manufacturers, and system inte-
nate materials for a wide range of printed- grators focusing on the latest advances in
circuit antennas, including in third-generation antenna systems and technology.
(3G) and 4G wireless base stations and in
broadband WiMAX systems.
Antenna Systems 2010 (www.antennason-
line.com) is a leading international confer-
www.rogerscorp.com

High-Temperature Solar Thermoelectric Power Generator

Nextreme Thermal Solutions announced that
it has been awarded a United States patent
for the design of an innovative solar thermo-
electric generator (solar TEG) for high-tem-
perature solar thermoelectric energy conver-
sion.
Patent #7,638,705 - Thermoelectric Genera-
tors for Solar Conversion and Related Sys-
tems and Methods describes a method of
using thermoelectric generators in combina-
tion with thermally conductive plates to gen-
erate power in response to solar radiation.
Thermoelectric devices generate electricity
via the Seebeck Effect, where voltage is pro-
duced from a temperature differential applied
across the device.
High-temperature solar thermal systems that
incorporate solar concentrators can operate
between 600° and 700°C. At those tempera-
tures, a multi-stage cascade thermoelectric
power generator, as depicted in the above
illustration, may provide a design efficiency
of well over 15%. Design efficiencies in this
range permit flexibility and adaptability to
new and cost-effective real-world solar ther-
mal systems.
The invention was developed in collabora-
tion with Dr. Rama Venkatasubramanian,
director of the Center for Solid State Ener-
getics at RTI International in Research Trian-
gle Park, North Carolina.
Nextreme is seeking commercial partners to
further develop the technology for large
scale solar thermal energy harvesting solu-
tions.
www.nextreme.com

10 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

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 BLUE PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Looking to the Stars and Beyond

TDK-Lambda configurable power supplies drive Back-end Electronics

in Giant Radio Astronomy telescope in Chile. Earlier this year
astronomers and engineers successfully positioned and linked three
antennas used in a pioneering telescope based at high altitude in the
Atacama region of northern Chile. When fully-commissioned with 66
antennas, the giant telescope will be used to observe the universe
with pin-point accuracy and help astronomers answer important
questions about our cosmic origins. Inside these antennas are two
electronic equipment racks, each powered by one of TDK-Lambda’s
Vega configurable AC-DC power supplies.

The ALMA (Atacama Large Millimetre/Sub-millimetre Array) antennas © ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO

use an advanced technology, called the interferometric technique,
and are the most sophisticated antennas in the world. The ALMA
operations site is based on the Chajnantor plateau in the Andes,
which is some 5100 metres above sea-level. Here the Atacama
Desert is considered as one of the driest places on Earth and the rar-
efied air is ideal for ALMA’s observations. In these conditions, howev-
er, remote control of the antenna array from a site based at lower alti-
tude some 20km away was necessary so system reliability was criti-
cal.
To power the racks, the BEND team selected Vega configurable
power supplies from TDK-Lambda, one of the world’s leading power
supply manufacturers, in preference to developing and testing their
own solution as it was more economical and specific outputs require-
ments could be met. In addition to the Vega’s well-renowned reliabili-
ty, the ‘smart’ communication capability helped facilitate remote con-
trol.
“We use the RS232 port on the Vegas to determine the health of the
system, as well as to control the voltage and current settings,”
explains Newton. “This remote control capability is another important
aspect for the team’s choice in power supply, as each antenna in the
array operates fully automatically.”

Having three antennas observing in unison, provides the missing link

to correct errors that arise when only two antennas are used, thus
paving the way for precise images of the Universe at unprecedented
resolution. Ultimately, ALMA will have at least 66 antennas – that’s
132 Vega power supplies from TDK-Lambda - which can be placed
on any of about 200 pads, spread over distances of up to 18.5km
and operating as a single, giant telescope. When fully-functional,
astronomers will study cold clouds of gas and dust, where new stars
are being born, and remote galaxies towards the edge of the observ-
able universe.

Hank Newton, Integration Electronics Engineer in the Back-end Elec-

tronics Group (BEND) of the ALMA project, describes his involve-
ment: “Surviving strong winds and temperatures fluctuating between -
www.emea.tdk-lambda.com
20°C and +20°C, is quite a challenge even for the two electronic
equipment racks inside each antenna. In these racks, we process the
signal from the output of the cryogenically cooled antenna front-end
and produce a digital output on fibre optic cable.”

12 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

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Türkiye +90 21 6-688 32 88 United Kingdom +44 19 92-58 46 77 USA +1 603-8 83 81 02 sales.skd@semikron.com www.semikron.com
 GUEST EDITORIAL
Re-Defining Power Management
By Mansour Izadinia, Chief Technology Officer, Integrated Device Technology
It is obvious that our
society is consum-
ing more power than
ever before. With
the plethora of
portable electronics
available today and
our seemingly inces-
sant need to power
these and other
devices that we “can’t live without,” our natu-
ral resources are becoming depleted. Fur-
thermore, consumer handheld devices need
to do more while, at the same time, operate
on longer battery life. And, companies are
required to implement power savings into
their latest device designs.
At Integrated Device Technology (IDT),
power management is a critical component
in the design of all of our devices. The IDT
approach to power management is unique
as it is focused around end applications.
Rather than viewing power management as
an end market in itself, we see it as an
enabler for application-optimized, system-
level solutions. Our power management
technology touches all of our key end mar-
kets, including Wireless Infrastructure, Per-
sonal and Enterprise Computing, Video and
Displays, and Portable Consumer Electron-
ics. Our power management and system
experts work closely with our customers to
discover new ways of reducing power and
prolonging battery life in their next-genera-
tion devices.
Classic Power Management Solution
Traditionally, companies have been focused
on reducing power dissipation by optimizing
the electrical parameters on individual power
management devices. With each new
design, companies attempted to shrink the
size of each individual chip on the board, as
well as make them faster and more power
efficient — all at a lower cost. However, this
approach has amounted to incremental sav-
ings. This chip-level approach also only
addresses part of the problem. Even though
the chips use less power, there is little atten-
tion paid to the power efficiency of the entire
system. In recent years, we have seen the
deployment of serial busses to create com-
munication between the individual chips or
subsystems on a board. These inter-chip
communication standards are important in
reducing system power, however, often
14 Bodo´s Power Systems®
require costly components.
One of the reasons that companies don’t
take a system-level approach to power man-
agement is that the company needs a diver-
sity of technologies to successfully and opti-
mally address all of the issues related to
integrating the entire system power manage-
ment onto a single chip. Most companies
specialize on only a few technologies and do
not have the breadth of knowledge and
expertise to do this.
But, IDT does. IDT used its 30-year heritage
and leadership in digital technologies, and
married it with our in-house analog talents
and capabilities to develop our integrated
power management approach.
The IDT Approach: Integrated Power Man-
agement Examples
IDT looked at power management from a
system level, and discovered that by control-
ling the power that flows through the entire
system, greater power savings and system
efficiency can be realized.
One example of the IDT integrated power
management approach is our newly intro-
duced IDT P95020. This device is an Intelli-
gent System Power Management Solution
targeted for portable consumer products,
such as Smartphones, portable navigation
devices, mobile Internet devices and
eBooks.
The IDT P95020 incorporates a best-in-class
high-fidelity audio subsystem, clock genera-
tion, resistive touch controller, backlight LED
driver, Li+/Polymer battery charger, multi-
channel DC-to-DC converters and a high
resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
onto a single chip along with an embedded
microcontroller.
Figure: PND Application Diagram
Using our digital and analog expertise, IDT
integrated an intelligent microcontroller onto
a chip along with all of the associated sub-
systems. This single-system solution actually
manages the flow of power around the entire
November 2010
system. For example, the microcontroller
can, in real time, monitor the functions of all
the subsystems, and power up or power
down each individual subsystem depending
on what is going on in real time. If a particu-
lar system is not being used, the microcon-
troller can power it down, saving power. In
essence, the microcontroller acts as a brain
within the device. Traditionally, implementing
this kind of functionality required implanta-
tion of serial busses, such as I2C, SMBus,
SPI or PMBus, with all their associated over-
head.
The innovative IDT power management
architecture allows the microcontroller to
manage all on-chip resources and also
offload general housekeeping and I/O pro-
cessing tasks from the application processor.
This unique feature, along with programma-
ble system power regulation blocks and an
on-chip power management scheme, results
in higher system performance and longer
battery life.
Another example of our integrated power
management approach is the IDT PowerS-
mart™ technology for the notebook and net-
book displays. IDT introduced the industry’s
first single-chip power management solution
that integrates a timing controller (TCON),
power management and LED driver onto a
single chip, reducing bill of materials and
footprint in netbooks, tablet PCs and note-
books. The solution from IDT integrates a
full-function, low-voltage differential signaling
(LVDS) input and mini-LVDS output timing
controller with fully integrated power man-
agement, and a four-channel LED driver for
LED backlighting. The IDT PowerSmart solu-
tion helps display engineers save money
and results in a much faster time to market.
Conclusion
Many companies are trying to get power
management onto their chips. But, IDT is uti-
lizing power management as only one tech-
nology to bring application-optimized, sys-
tem-level solutions to market.
By utilizing our digital and analog capabili-
ties, IDT is developing products that are not
classical power management products.
Instead, IDT is developing system power
management solutions that control the flow
of power throughout the entire system.
www.idt.com
www.bodospower.com
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 MARKET
ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY DIGEST
By Aubrey Dunford, Europartners
GENERAL
The MEMS market
reached $ 6.9 billion in
2009 and will be
around $ 8 billion in
2010, so Yole
Développement. A
restart of the growth is
expected after 2010,
with a CAGR of 13
percent in the next 5 years. Growth is back,
but the growth has changed: only a few
companies have 200 mm production infra-
structure in place and it provides them a
strong cost benefit, helping them to target
lower price consumer electronics applica-
tions.
SEMICONDUCTORS
The World Fab Forecast released by SEMI
at the end of August indicates a 133 percent
increase in equipment spending for front end
fabs this year and about 18 percent growth
in 2011. Worldwide installed fab capacity
(without discretes) is expected to grow by 7
percent to 14.4 million 200 mm equivalent
wafers per month in 2010, and by another 8
percent in 2011.
Maxim Integrated Products has acquired pri-
vately held Phyworks for approximately $
72.5 M in cash. Founded in 2001 and based
in Bristol, UK, Phyworks is a developer of
high-speed communications chips designed
to significantly cut the cost of 10 Gbps and
below copper and optical interconnects. Phy-
works' products for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH)
applications complement Maxim's datacom
and telecom portfolio.
Members of Sitelesc reported French semi-
conductor market revenues in Q2 2010 up
2.9 percent (on a euro basis) compared to
the previous quarter (+4.5 percent in inte-
grated circuits but –9.2 percent in discretes).
´ supplies and power converters, announced
Showa Denko (SDK) has increased its pro-
duction capacity of blue LED chips in Japan
to 340 million units per month, from 200 mil-
lion units per month. Demand for blue LEDs
is expected to grow around 10 percent a
year in coming years due to increased use in
such applications as backlight for LCD TVs
and general lighting.
16 Bodo´s Power Systems®
Microsemi, a manufacturer of high perform-
ance analog mixed signal integrated circuits,
high reliability semiconductors, and radio fre-
quency (RF) subsystems, has acquired all of
the assets of VT Silicon. Located in Atlanta,
VT Silicon designs and manufactures multi-
band radio frequency integrated circuit
(RFIC) solutions for the mobile wireless
broadband market.
OPTOELECTRONICS
Global shipments of small/medium TFT LCD
panels, which are advanced types of dis-
plays used in mobile devices like smart
phones and tablet PCs are set to rise by
28.1 percent in 2010 to reach 2.3 billion
units, so iSuppli.
Global smart phone shipments are set to
rise by 35.5 percent in 2010. Meanwhile,
tablet PC shipments will grow by a stunning
787.3 percent, driven almost entirely by
Apple’s iPad.
PASSIVE COMPONENTS
June revenues for Germany's PCB manufac-
turers increased by 9 percent sequentially
and 40 percent compared to June last year,
so the ZVEI. The first half ended with an
increase of 33 percent, bolstered by the
weakness of the euro against the U.S. dollar,
which promotes exports in the major seg-
ments of automotive industry and mechani-
cal engineering.
Tyco Electronics has entered into a definitive
agreement to sell its mechatronics business
located in Niefern, Germany to L. Possehl &
Co. The business designs and manufactures
customer-specific components, primarily for
the automotive industry, and is expected to
generate sales of approximately $ 100 M in
the current fiscal year.
OTHER COMPONENTS
Martek Power, a French supplier of power
the acquisition of Laser Drive, a US-based
company specializing in power supplies for
various laser and light sources. As a result of
this acquisition, Martek Power will have a
greater presence in the laser and lighting
power supply market.
November 2010
DISTRIBUTION
Silica, an Avnet company, pan-European
semiconductor distribution specialist, has
launched a designers’ community providing
open access to local in-house engineering
expertise. The Silica Designers’ Community
is integrated into the company’s new web
site, www.silica.com, and provides a portal to
forums, video content and technical
resources supported by the distributors own
front-line engineers. Silica is a $ 1 billion
company, serving over 15,000 customers
across Europe.
Farnell has also announced an exclusive
distribution agreement with Würth Elektronik:
EBV Elektronik, an Avnet company, and
SIMCom Wireless Solutions, announced a
distribution agreement to deliver SIMCom
M2M products to customers within the
EMEA region.
Avnet Memec has signed a new pan-Euro-
pean distribution agreement with Intersil to
deliver their entire line of analogue and
power management products in EMEA.
Avnet Embedded announced that its fran-
chise agreement with Sharp Microelectronics
Europe for display products has been
extended to cover the UK.
Link Microtek, a specialist supplier of
microwave and RF components and sys-
tems, has been appointed as UK representa-
tive for HBH Microwave, a German manufac-
turer of power amplifiers and custom speci-
fied components.
Maxim, a manufacturer of analog and mixed-
signal semiconductors, has added the Sym-
metron Group as a new franchised distribu-
tor in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Since 1993 Symmetron is one of the leading
distribution companies in Russian electronic
industry.
This is the comprehensive power related
extract from the « Electronics Industry Digest
», the successor of The Lennox Report. For
a full subscription of the report contact:
eid@europartners.eu.com
or by fax 44/1494 563503.
www.europartners.eu.com
www.bodospower.com
 MARKET
Microgrids Redefine
Power Delivery
By Linnea Brush, Senior Research Analyst, Darnell Group
The microgrid market could reach $1.8 billion by 2015, according to
projections by the NanoMarkets Smart Grid Analysis (SGA). Micro-
grids are distributed resources (DR) island systems, according to the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The IEEE
created the term “DR island systems” to generically call all intentional
island systems that could include local and/or area electric power
systems (EPSs). DR island systems, sometimes referred to as micro-
grids, are used for these intentional islands. DR island systems are
EPSs that: (1) have DR and load; (2) have the ability to disconnect
from and parallel with the area EPS; (3) include the local EPS and
may include portions of the area EPS; and (4) are intentionally
planned. DR island systems can be either local EPS islands or area
EPS islands.
Interestingly, over 40% of the market opportunity in the microgrid
space is represented by one application: institutional/campus installa-
tions. According to SGA’s projections, this application alone will gen-
erate almost $775 million in revenue by 2015. In addition, the SGA
predicts that the cost per megawatt for campus/institutional networks
will decline about 15% by 2015, making microgrids economically
viable for smaller institutions including colleges, hospitals and mili-
tary/police facilities.
Over half of the microgrid market is expected to come from North
America over the next decade. One reason for this is that some large
US universities have had primitive microgrids in place for some time,
so the concept is well-established. In fact, microgrid companies, still
finding their footing, have already turned to campuses – where
research and interested residents could help refine the concept.
Existing microgrids are serving about 322MW to institutional campus-
es, and this number is predicted to soar as high as 1.2GW by 2015 if
the right policies are implemented.
For example, EDSA Micro Corp. and Viridity Energy recently
announced a collaboration to technically support what is described as
a groundbreaking microgrid project, called RESCO, being deployed
at the University of California, San Diego. When operational, the
effort will result in what is said to be the world’s first use of real-time
software systems serving as the “Master Controller” in a live cus-
tomer installation – an achievement that the companies say industry
experts predicted would not be technologically feasible for at least
five more years.
RESCO stands for “Renewable Energy Secure Communities,” a proj-
ect funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The project
consists of UC San Diego demonstrating integration of on-site renew-
able energy production. UC San Diego’s campus-wide microgrid is
said to be recognized as one of the most technologically advanced in
the world. The microgrid serves a 1,200-acre, 450-building campus
with a daily population of 45,000, running two 13.5MW gas turbines,
one 3MW steam turbine and a 1.2MW solar-cell installation that
together supply 82% of the campus’s annual power.
18 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
If the technology can be proven in these locales, it might have a bet-
ter shot at residential deployment – with whole neighborhoods oper-
ating on the same microgrid. The growing demand for power quality
in North America will be more economically provided by microgrids
than by installing more generating capacity. In addition, the SGA
believes that the US will experience robust military microgrid growth
as part of the military’s Energy Surety and Net Zero Carbon Footprint
program.
But Europe is also active in microgrid development. Serious work on
microgrids in Europe actually started earlier than in the US, due to
political pressure to explore power solutions with a lower carbon foot-
print, along with EU legislation that removed the barriers to entry for
distributed resources.
Currently, 11 European countries are operating microgrid projects,
with Denmark in the lead. The best known of these microgrid demon-
strations in Denmark is the Bornholm Island microgrid. It provides
over 55MW of peak power and incorporates 30MW of wind power.
The microgrid is connected to a high-power node in Sweden and is
able to successfully island off from the overall grid when power quali-
ty is low.
At present, the technological immaturity of the microgrid concept has
resulted in a high value being placed on certain specialized micro-
grid-related products and services. Microgrids are novel concepts
with several distinct advantages: They are more suitable for the inte-
gration of renewable energy systems like rooftop solar panels, waste
heat generators and fuel cells. On a smaller scale, it is easier to track
not only how much energy is actually being produced from these
sources, but also how it is being used and distributed for more con-
sistent service. Right now, the majority of the approximately 455MW
being circulated in microgrids is still generated by traditional coal and
natural gas operations – but this will probably change rapidly.
Emerging standards will also help support the deployment of micro-
grids. IEEE P1547.4™/D10.0 Draft Guide for Design, Operation, and
Integration of Distributed Resource Island Systems, along with Elec-
tric Power Systems IEEE Std P1547.4, is part of the IEEE Std 1547
series of standards. This series was created to develop a national
consensus on using DRs in electric power systems. IEEE Std
P1547.4 was specifically developed to address the lack of informa-
tion included in IEEE Std 1547-2008 regarding intentional islands.
This document covers intentional islands in EPSs that contain distrib-
uted resources.
The SGA has identified a number of specialist microgrid firms as suc-
cessfully playing to this opportunity. These include: Balance Energy,
BPL Global, Encorp, NSEE, Pareto Energy, Valence Energy and
Viridity Energy. According to the SGA, specific offerings that the
microgrid market needs are: automation of power resources, energy
management, modeling and energy simulations, demand/response
www.bodospower.com

management and energy trading platforms. In other words, the
opportunities in the growing microgrid market are similar to those
found in the Smart Grid as a whole, including smart meters with
sophisticated communication capabilities to monitor energy usage
and allow residential and business consumers to make informed
choices about how much energy to use. Smart meters include a
microcontroller with onboard ADC and DAC, a sense component for
both voltage and current, an ac-dc power converter, battery back-up,
and wireless or wired communication capability.
Future building electric systems could be based on a dc-powered
microgrid system. The Center for Power Electronic Systems (CPES)
has coined the term, “dc nanogrid,” to describe this architecture,
which brings advantages such as fewer power converters, higher
overall system efficiency, and easier interface of renewable energy
sources to a dc system. The consumer electronics, electronic bal-
lasts, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, and variable speed motor
drives can be conveniently powered by dc.
Basically, the nanogrid of the building is seen by the utility grid as a
single electronic load/source, dynamically independent of the grid but
dispatchable by the utility operator. The energy management center
(ECC) is entrusted with the operation of the local renewable genera-
tion, load shedding, utilization of the static or mobile battery, energy
and other power management functions, as well as nanogrid stabi-
lization and advanced, active islanding in the event of outages or
other low-frequency disturbances on the utility side.
Cities that consume 30% less energy?
Electrical Engineers (m/f)
ABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies that enable
utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering
environmental impact. ABB operates in more than 100 countries and
employs about 117,000 people, whereof 6,400 in Switzerland.
ABB Corporate Research is developing the foundations for the next
generation of ABB products in close collaboration with ABB business
areas. In Switzerland, the ABB Corporate Research Center is located
in Baden-Dättwil in the proximity of Zurich and employs around
200 scientists from more than 25 countries.
In the area of Power Electronics we are looking for high-level electrical
engineers (m/f) with strong theoretical skills to join our R&D team.
We offer an inspiring R&D environment, self-determined scientific
working in motivated teams with a wide range of experience and
competence, the possibility to contribute in emerging R&D areas
relevant for future technologies, and excellent opportunities for further
career development.
Your tasks: perform applied research in the field of advanced power
electronics and integration technologies for industrial components
www.bodospower.com September
November 2010
2010
MARKET
This approach could then be extended hierarchically so that a num-
ber of such semi-autonomous nanogrids are combined to form a big-
ger microgrid system which, in turn, is interfaced to a minigrid
through a higher (substation) level ECC with high-power bidirectional
converter, and so on. In the proposed hierarchical grid architecture,
the nanogrids are fully dynamically decoupled from the microgrid
through the ECC, so that their internal architecture is completely
independent and can have different voltage, phase, and even fre-
quency, from dc to kilohertz.
The future home dc nanogrid is envisioned to have two dc voltage
levels: a high-voltage (380V) dc bus powering HVAC, kitchen loads,
and other major home appliances, and a multitude of eight low-volt-
age (48V) dc buses powering small tabletop appliances, computer
and entertainment systems, and LED lighting. Similar 380V/48Vdc
power distribution systems are currently being considered for data-
com centers in Japan, Europe, and the US, and are also being con-
templated for plug-in hybrid vehicles and aircraft power systems.
Several manufacturers already have on the market high power-densi-
ty bus control modules that supply 48V from 380V and are intended
for these applications.
http://dcbuildingpowerjapan.darnell.com/
http://greenbuildingpower.darnell.com/
Certainly.
and systems • contribute to and later acquire and lead R&D projects
• conduct research with focus on multi-domain and electromagnetic
modeling, simulation, and measurement methodologies • investigate
approaches for improving electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and
power density while reducing electromagnetic interferences (EMI)
The requirements: PhD in electrical engineering • deep knowledge
of power electronics, electromagnetics, and manufacturing technol-
ogies • willingness and ability to learn quickly new scientific areas
and broad technical interest • readiness to work in an industrial R&D
environment in collaboration with business units • motivation for
innovation and independent thinking • fluency in English • strong
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Bodo´s Power Systems® 19
 COVER STORY

Bringing GaN on Si Based

Power Devices to Market
The Status of the GaNpowIR™ platform at International Rectifier
The availability of new power electronics based on commercially viable wide band gap
semiconductors such as GaN on silicon power devices fabricated in silicon foundries,
provides the required performance to cost value proposition to enable lower economic
barrier to adoption for energy efficient power delivery architectures needed to
significantly reduce global energy consumption in the coming decades.
By Michael A. Briere, ACOO Enterprises LLC, under contract by International Rectifier
It is well established that due to increases in standard of living to the well known Moore’s law of the data processing industry. There
throughout the world, total energy consumption is expected to have been significant advancements in both FOMs over the past 40
increase by at least 35 % over the next 20 years [1]. years. It can be argued that the most significant advances in energy
conversion efficiency* density/cost have been achieved through req-
It is less well known that a significant reduction in worldwide energy uisite improvements in the power devices used. Generally, advances
consumption can be achieved through the wide spread adoption of through improved circuit architectures, from linear to switching regu-
improved load architectures [2,3]. In total, over 25 % of worldwide lation, hard to soft switching, passive to synchronous rectification,
annual energy consumption can be saved through widespread (i.e. etc., have all been accomplished by leveraging the inherent capabili-
>90 %) adoption of these efficient load technologies enabled by ties and avoiding the inherent limitation of the power switch compo-
advanced power electronics. This energy conservation represent nents used. It can therefore be expected that radically improved
over $ 2 Trillion/year in cost savings (at $ 45/barrel oil prices), far power switch performance might well drive a revolution in power
greater than the approximately $ 50 Billion/year market for power electronic architectures and systems.
electronics today.
The ability of power semiconductor devices to enhance the power
The energy savings are, for the most part, achieved through the electronics performance/cost figure of merit can be simplified by its
nature of the working load, though the performance of the loads own price/ performance figure of merit, namely switching power loss*
requires substantial, optimized and intelligent power electronics. ohmic power loss *cost, where the switching power loss reflects the
Even though both the required loads and the necessary power elec- thermal limitation of density, most often achieved through increasing
tronic architectures are, in principle, presently available to implement switching frequency and subsequent reduction in output filter compo-
these energy saving solutions, adoption is expected to remain rela- nents. For inverter circuits this can be referred to by Ets* Vceon*cost,
tively anemic for at least another decade. This is due to the price pre- for silicon based IGBT switch/ diode pairs. For dc-dc converter cir-
mium which is passed to the end consumer of the complete systems cuits such as common buck regulators, the FOM is
incorporating these energy efficient solutions. Only when this premi- R(ds)on*Qsw*cost.
um is substantially reduced or eliminated, will the adoption of energy
efficient systems approach dominance, a necessary requirement for Since the advent of commercially viable silicon power FETs, intro-
substantial worldwide energy savings. The reduction of total system duced some 30 years ago, enabled the widespread adoption of
costs can be substantially enabled by intelligent power electronics switch-mode power supplies, replacing the linear regulator as the
which optimize performance/cost. dominant power architecture, the silicon power FET has become the
dominant power device. The silicon based IGBT, combining the ease
Modern power electronics solutions provide an array of system level of charge control with the benefits of conductivity modulated drift
enhancements such as communication protocols, load condition resistivity, has been another mainstay, especially in the lower fre-
reporting, as well as optimal balancing and coordination and protec- quency conversion systems, e.g. motor drive inverters. Of course,
tion of power conversion sub-systems and loads. As important as the same minority carrier injection that provides for lower ohmic loss-
these advances have been, it is the continued progress in the per- es also increases switching losses through the effects of subsequent
formance of the power converter sub-systems themselves that have tail currents. Over the last 3 decades significant engineering efforts
enabled increasingly dense and efficient working loads. have driven the improvement in the performance figure of merit of
these silicon power devices by more than an order of magnitude.
Value in Power However, as this technology approaches maturity, it becomes
It can be argued that the intrinsic value proposition of the power con- increasingly expensive to achieve even modest improvements in the
version sub-systems is density*efficiency/cost. This device FOM. It is estimated that less than a factor of two improve-
performance/cost figure of merit (FOM) for power processing is the ment will be economically feasible to achieve for 30 V FETs [4], with
equivalent driving force behind innovation as the logic unit/ $ FOM is perhaps a factor of five possible for 600 – 1200 V silicon IGBTs [5].

20 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com


If further advances in power device performance are required by
future electronic loads, as is currently apparent, then these advances
must be achieved through the use of alternative materials.
One of the most promising alternatives to silicon is gallium nitride
based power devices.
Even though the basic GaN HEMT transistor was first invented over
15 years ago by M. Asif Khan [6], significant development efforts on
practical power devices using GaN-on-Si technology have been fairly
recent, predominantly in the past 5-7 years. GaN based power
devices are expected to improve rapidly over the next 10 to 20 years.
In fact, it is expected that an order of magnitude in improvement in
the key device performance FOMs will be achieved over the next five
years.
In addition to efficiency improvements, the use of wide band gap
semiconductors instead of state of the art silicon based devices for
power electronic systems allows the reduction of size/weight of the
conversion subsystems by between 2 and 10 fold, due to significant
reduction in cooling system requirements, further promoting adoption.
Commercialisation Barriers Overcome
There have been however, several significant barriers to the commer-
cialization of GaN based power devices. Chief amongst these is the
cost of production. The production of power devices includes the
costs of substrate, epitaxy, device fabrication, packaging, support
electronics and development.
The viable economic based limit of about $ 3 / cm2 for substrate and
epitaxy cost set by the power device marketplace is exceeded by all
substrate choices except silicon wafers.
Next to the cost of substrate and epitaxial layers, device fabrication
costs are the most critical. In fact, currently, substrate diameters of at
least 150 mm are required to achieve widespread commercial viabil-
ity for power device fabrication. To gain broad adoption of alternative
material based power devices, fabrication costs must approach that of
silicon based power devices. Such device fabrication costs are only
achievable if high volume (> 10,000 wafers/week), high yielding stan-
dard (silicon compatible) semiconductor fabrication lines are used.
Similarly, the volume necessary to support the broad power device
market (10 million 150 mm wafer equivalents per year) requires scala-
Figure 1: Reverse bias drain leakage behavior for LV GaNpowIR
device ( Lg=0.3 um) at room tem-perature.
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bility in device manufacture provided most readily by existing silicon
device fabrication facilities and silicon substrate supply.
One example of a technology program that has been developed to
address these issues is the GaNpowIR platform of International Rec-
tifier [3]. This technology platform uses GaN-on Si hetero-epitaxy and
device fabrication processing that can be performed in a standard
modern silicon CMOS manufacturing line with little modification to
equipment or process discipline. Therefore, this technology platform
is able to provide power devices with compellingly superior perform-
ance/cost FOMs compared to silicon which will promote widespread
adoption.
One of the most fundamental challenges to the commercialization of
GaN based power devices is the development of cost effective, high
yielding, high throughput III-Nitride epitaxial processes on large di-
ameter silicon wafers. The intrinsic mismatch in both lattice constant
and thermal coefficient of expansion with the requisite III-Nitride epi-
taxial films causes threading dislocations, as well as significant ma-
croscopic film stresses, which result in excessive wafer bow and
plastic deformation (cracks) in the films. These issues have been
addressed by engineering the proprietary epitaxial film growth on
standard thickness (625 um) 150 mm (111) silicon wafers to both
eliminate most of the threading dislocations, resulting in 109 cm-2,
predominately edge dislocations for 2 um thick films (comparable to
similar thickness films grown on SiC), as well as compensating for
the stresses due to thermal coefficient mis-matches. These result in
a high quality device layer. In addition, the resulting wafer bow of
< 20 um (3 sigma), is well within the required limit for device fabrica-
tion of < 60 um. It should be noted that truly crack free material to
within 0.5 mm of the wafer edge are consistently produced by this
process in manufacturing volμme.
Bodo´s Power Systems® 21
 COVER STORY

GaNpowIR devices
Much of the reported constructions for GaN devices to date utilize
Schottky gates and subsequently exhibit device leakage in operation
of mA/mm of gate width. For a power device, which often has an
effective gate width on the order of 1 meter, such gate leakage would
result in an unacceptable power loss/heating. Similarly, the maximμm
operating voltage has often been specified at reverse bias source-
drain current densities of mA/mm of gate width. Another challenge,
therefore, is the reduction of these leakage currents to less than 1
uA/mm. This has been achieved through the combined use of a
proprietary insulated gate construction and improved III-Nitride epi-
taxial film quality. This has resulted in gate and drain-source leak-
ages of 10 pA/mm, as shown in Figure 1. A punch through limited
S-D breakdown of > 40 V is seen for Vg= -20V, for these devices,
with Lg=0.3 μm and gate-drain and gate-source spacing of 1 μm.
The resulting transient reverse recovery current is determined essen-
tially by capacitive components. This leads to much more desirable
characteristics as shown in Figure 4, where the GaN based device
exhibits nearly an order of magnitude better performance than sili-
con based alternatives. In this way, the greatest advantages
achieved through the use of expensive SiC diodes in the removal of
harmonic filtering snubber circuits in applications such as power fac-
tor correction AC-DC converters can be likewise achieved through
the use of much less expensive GaNpowIR rectifier products.

The first product release to production in early 2010 on the IR GaN-

powIR technology platform is a 30 A capable 12V buck converter
power stage product, the iP2010. It incorporates the control and syn-
chronous rectifying switches together with the intelligent gate driver in
a low parasitic LGA package. Figure 2 shows the measured power
conversion efficiency for this first generation low voltage GaN product
compared to competitive silicon based solutions. As can be seen, the
GaN based power device solutions offer significant advantages over
silicon based alternatives. The devices from this first generation GaN-
powIR low voltage platform achieved the targeted performance figure
Figure 3: Forward biased SOA for low voltage GaN based power
of merit (Ron*Qg) of 30 mohm-nC (packaged). Next generation low
devices intended for 12Vin power conversion applications.
voltage devices are expected to exhibit less than 20 mohm-nC with
comparable state of the art silicon devices still above 40 mohm-nC.

Figure 4: Transient reverse current measurements for 600 V GaN-

Figure 2: Measured power conversion efficiency for initial GaNpowIR
product,iP2010 and planned product iP2011, 12 Vin to 1.2 Vout POL
converter power stages operating at 1200 kHz compared to estimat-
ed performance of two silicon based alternatives
These devices are very rugged in their intended application of 12V to
1 V buck regulators, as can been seen in Figure 3, where the forward
biased safe operating area (FBSOA) is shown for such low voltage
power devices, far exceeding the requirements of the application.
The resulting ratio, for these 850 mm gate width device, of Ion/Ioff of
> 10 10 is substantially better than reported elsewhere for GaN based
devices.
Similarly, early 600 V GaNpowIR devices exhibit off-state leakage
currents less than 50 nA/mm (with Vg=-10V), far better than the 100
to 1000 uA/mm reported elsewhere, providing an Ion/Ioff ratio of
> 10 7, where Ioff is measured at 600 V.
As is the case in SiC based unipolar devices, GaN based HEMT
exhibit negligible minority carrier induced reverse recovery charge.
powIR HEMT, Si Fast Recovery di-ode and Si superjunction FET
body diode.
This advantage of low switching losses can further be seen in the on-
off transition induced losses for 600 V GaNpowIR HEMTs (Eoff) at
24 uJ, as compared to that of state-of-the-art silicon based super-
junction FETs, 38 uJ, and best in class, low loss silicon IGBTs at
144 uJ (tested at 300V and 6A). In fact, even in this early stage of
development, GaNpowIR switches exhibit at least a factor of 4
improvement in the Vceon*Esw figure of merit vs state of the art sili-
con based alternatives.
One approach to provide GaN based products with drop in replace-
ment capability in existing power electronic systems is the cascade of
a low voltage silicon device and a high voltage GaN HEMT. This pro-
vides normally off behavior with a well established, robust drive inter-
face. The transfer characteristics of such a prototype is shown in
Figure 5, exhibiting a Vt of about + 3V, consistent with today’s HV
switch applications. Figure 6 shows the output characteristics for this
same pair, providing well behaved on-state behavior.

22 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

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 COVER STORY
Device yield is an important challenge for the commercialization of
large area power devices. It is economically imperative that yields
> 80 % are commonly achieved for large devices (e.g. > 10 mm2).
Such yields have been demonstrated achievable using this technolo-
gy platform, demonstrating the necessary level of process maturity
for commercialization.
Figure 5, Transfer characteristics for a proto-type cascade pairing of
a low voltage silicon FET and an early 600 V GaNpowIR HEMT.
Figure 6, On-state output characteristics for a proto-type cascade
pairing of a low voltage silicon FET and a 600 V GaNpowIR HEMT
Finally, the stability of device in-circuit performance is a prerequisite
to commercialisation. The critical FOM, Rdson shows excellent sta-
bility under accelerated conditions for > 6000 hrs. In fact, over
7,000,000 device hrs of reliability testing, with up to 9000 hours per
device, has shown performance in line with silicon based device
specifications. Figure 7, shows the excellent stability of the gate
dielectric, measured at Vg=-7.5V, rated at -8.5 V max for low voltage
devices, under extreme accelerated stress conditions of Vg=-50 V at
150 C for over 3000 hrs.
Drain leakage current has also proven very stable under 26 V
reverse bias stress with Vg=-7V at 175 C for over 3000 hrs. Impor-
tantly, Figure 8 shows that no physical degradation in the AlGaN bar-
rier layer is found at the gate edge under all applied stress condi-
tions. In addition to conditions already identified, this includes (a)
24 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
Vd=26 V, Vg=-14 V at 150 C for > 3000 Hours, (b) Vd= 34 V, Vg=-
22 V at 150 C > 600 hrs, (c) forward conduction of I=200 mA/mm
with Vd= 25 V. This is significantly better than results reported else-
where for GaN based HEMTs [7]. This is expected due to the signifi-
cantly reduced gate leakage currents found when using a gate
dielectric instead of a metal-semiconductor gate construction.
Figure 7: Stability of gate leakage current over 3000 hrs with -50 V
applied to the -8.5 V rated gates at 150 °C. Lg= 0.3 um, Wg= 2600
mm.
Conclusion
A great opportunity exists to significantly impact future global energy
consumption, with its many sociological, environmental and economic
consequences. A cost effective means of producing GaN based
power devices will help achieve the necessary adoption rates to meet
this challenge. International Rectifier’s GaNpowIR platform is such a
technology platform, demonstrating required performance from 20 to
600 V devices. Excellent device stability and long term reliability per-
formance has been shown for initial low voltage power devices.
Figure 8: TEM cross section of low voltage device gate region, show-
ing no degradation at gate edge of AlGaN barrier after 3000 hrs
under stress at 26 Vds and -7Vgs condition at 175 C.
References
www.eia.doe.gov/iea
Lidow, A., APEC 2005 Planery Talk and Briere, M.A., S2k Conference
2005
M.A. Briere, Proceedings of PCIM Europe 2009 and Briere, M.A.,
Power Electronics Europe (7), October / November 2008 pp. 29-31
Ikeda et.al. ISPSD 2008 p. 289
Nakagawa, A., ISPSD 2006 p.1
Khan, M.A. et.al, Appl. Phys. Lett (63) p.3470, 1993.
J. Joh and J del Alamo, IEDM 2006 p1-4
www.irf.com
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 IGBTS

Switching in silence
650V IGBT4 the optimized device for reduced EMI and low ΔV
The trend of the last years of all power semiconductor manufacturers to increase the
switching speed of the devices offers the benefit of reduced switching losses and the
possibility to improve the efficiency of the system. These power devices require optimized
parasitic inductances (Lσ) of the DC link circuit. With respect of the needs of high power
applications with its larger currents in various setups, now a new chip, the 650V IGBT4,
has been designed to provide an additional degree of freedom. The IGBT4 device features
an improved softness during switch-off and a lower overshoot voltage as the result of a
reduced turn-off current slope di/dt.
By Wilhelm Rusche, Dr. Andreas Härtl, Marco Bässler, Infineon Technologies AG
The device was designed especially for medium and high current Results of the 650V IGBT4 dynamic characterization
applications. In comparison with the 600V IGBT3 the new chip offers The stray inductance in combination with the current gradient has an
a better softness during switch-off and a higher blocking voltage influence on the voltage characteristic during turn on and turn off as
capability. As an add-on the short-circuit robustness is significantly ΔV=L*di/dt. Thus the over voltage increases when switching off with
improved. In contrast the 600V IGBT3 has been optimized for lower larger Lσ. The turn off behaviour is quite insensitive to the gate
power applications, or higher power in very low stray inductance resistance. This behaviour is well known for trench field-stop IGBT
applications. [6]. A consequence of this inherent IGBT behaviour would be in such
a case a special driver stage with integrated IGBT protection func-
Design and Technology of the 650V IGBT4 tionalities and/or additional components like snubber capacitors. All
The 650V IGBT4 [1] utilizes a trench MOS-top-cell, thin wafer tech- these functionalities and components create design effort and cost.
nology and a field-stop concept as seen in Figure 1. The combination High current levels need, due to the high di/dt level, a DC-link design
of trench cell and field-stop enables comparatively low on-state and with very small parasitic inductances. As an alternative specially
turn-off losses. Compared to the 600V IGBT3, the chip thickness was designed IGBTs with a soft switching characteristic like the new 650V
increased by about 15% and the width of the MOS channel was IGBT4, can be utilized.
decreased by about 20% as indicated in Figure 1. Thereby, the soft-
ness during switch-off is improved to reduce the EMI effort. However, The difference of the fast 600V IGBT3 and the soft 650V IGBT4 in
of course these measures also cause additional losses. So in order the switching behaviour becomes obvious in Figure 2, where the
to compensate for these side effects, the efficiency of the backside switch-off behaviour of high current 600A EconoDUAL™3 modules
emitter was increased by 50%. In addition to the optimization of the are compared.
dynamic behaviour the blocking voltage was grew by 50V to 650V.
For the investigations a standard DC-link design with Ls=60nH was
used. This setup is not ideally suited for a high current setup with the
600V IGBT3 [5]. Consequently, the switch-off of a current of 50%

Figure 2: Comparison of the softness during switch-off of a 600V

Figure 1: Schematic cross section of the new 650V IGBT4, and the
changes implemented compared to the 600V IGBT3: increased chip
thickness (y), decreased channel width (z), and increased backside
p-emitter.
IGBT3 left picture and the new 650V IGBT4 right picture, measured
in an EconoDUAL™3 module. Displayed are the voltage VCE as
(black traces), the collector current IC as (red curves), and the gate-
emitter voltage VGE as green traces during switching off a current of
300A at 25°C.

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Inom, IC=300A, and a DC link voltage of 300V at 25°C effects a quite
high overshoot voltage VCE,max and a snap-off with oscillations. In
contrast, the new 650V IGBT4, especially designed for such high cur-
rent applications, shows a smooth switch-off with a much lower
VCE,max, even at the typical DC link voltage of 300V in specific high
current setup.
In the given test setup the 600V IGBT3 device reaches the limit of
600V. While the 650V IGBT4 shows a smaller overvoltage of 530V. In
addition to the reduced overvoltage shoot the increased blocking
capability VCE_max, comes as a real surplus and offers the advantage
of an increased safety margin during turn-off.
Not only the turn off characteristics but also the softness of the IGBT
is quite insensitive to the gate resistance. The softness during switch-
off is improved to reduce the EMI effort. In Figure 3 the Fourier
Transformation spectra of a soft and a not soft turn-off waveform are
given. The oscillation leads to a 5 times higher level around the oscil-
lation frequency of roughly f=20…25 MHz, a frequency which is quite
typical for chip DC link oscillations at the given parasitic inductance.
Figure 3: Influence of a current snap off to the EMI; FFT of the volt-
age curves of a FF600R07ME4 (black trace) with its soft turn-off and
a snappy switching event of the FF600R06ME3 (red trace)
Even though such a procedure is not able to predict passing or failing
of an EMI qualification, it obviously demonstrates the sensitivity of
EMI to snap-off phenomena.
The most important aspect in all designs is the improvement of the
DC-link design in order to be able to prevent additionally any kind of
oscillations.
For the inductance the lower the better is a simple rule for high effi-
ciency designs.
On the other hand, the softer switching behaviour has to be paid for
with higher losses during switch-off, Eoff, and with a slightly increased
saturation voltage ΔVCEsat≈100mV@T=25°C. Taking into account
common switching frequencies, this increase does not play a major
role. This fact is visualized in Fig. 4 showing a simulation with
IPOSIM. This tool, the Infineon Power Simulation program, can be
found on the Infineon homepage (www.infineon.com). It performs a
calculation of switching and conduction losses for all components,
taking into account conduction and switching losses as well as ther-
mal ratings. As can be seen in Fig. 4, the reduction of the RMS mod-
ule current due to increased losses of the 650V IGBT4 is only moder-
28 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
ate, between 4 and 9% at switching frequencies of 2kHz up to
10kHz, a typical range for common applications.
Figure 4: Calculation of the RMS current as function of the switching
frequency of the 600V IGBT3 (black line for Tvjop=150°C, red line for
Tvjop=125°C) and the new 650V IGBT4 (blue line for Tvjop=150°C,
green line for Tvjop=125°C), calculated in 600A EconoDUAL™ 3 mod-
ules. Calculations were performed with IPOSIM tool can be found at
www.infineon.com; simulation conditions: Rthheatsink=0.09K/W, Tam-
bient=40°C, Tvj,op=150°C resp. Tvjop=125°C, cos(ϕ)=1.
Besides this standard operating the design must be robust and has
also to withstand a case of failure. The established value in power
semiconductor datasheets is the specification of a hard short circuit
current (ISC).
Short circuit robustness
Despite the considerably reduced silicon thickness of field-stop
devices as compared to non-punch-through (NPT) designs, field-stop
IGBTs are known to feature a good short-circuit robustness [3, 4].
With the new 650V IGBT4, the short-circuit robustness is significantly
enhanced compared to the 600V IGBT3. The increased thickness of
the chip offers a larger thermal budget due to the thermal capacity of
the silicon volume. In addition, the decreased channel width reduces
the level of the short-circuit current, this effect is shown vice versa in
[5]. In sum, the 650V IGBT4 can resist a higher short-circuit energy,
and therefore the device is able to withstand a longer short-circuit
pulse time without getting destroyed. In Fig. 5, a typically hard short-
circuit pulse measurement of the 650V IGBT4 is displayed. As the
graph shows, the pulse time short-circuit event was 10 μs, and the
short-circuit current typically is about 4 times the nominal current of
the FF600R07ME4 device.
Conclusion
Infineon’s new 650V IGBT4 permits the development of inverter
design especially for large current applications, to be employed in the
corresponding modules. The device features reduced EMI effort as
the result of an improved softness during turn-off, a lower overshoot
voltage as the result of a reduced turn-off current slope di/dt, a higher
blocking capability of VCE_max=650V, an operation range of increased
DC-link voltages and/or higher stray inductances, an enhanced short
circuit robustness with 10μs pulse time @Tvjop=150°C, and an ideal
flexibility between highest output power at elevated junction tempera-
ture of up to Tvjop=150°C or highest power cycling capabilities at
lower junction temperatures.
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Figure 5: Measurement of a short-circuit pulse event of the 650V
IGBT4. Shown are the collector-emitter voltage VCE (black trace)
and collector current IC (red trace), and the gate-emitter voltage
VGE (green trace). Test conditions were VCE =360V, VGE =±15V, Tvj
=150°C.
The device shows an excellent switching and short circuit robust-
ness with the specified short circuit time having been adjusted from
6μs from the 600V IGBT3 to 10μs for the 650V IGBT4.
In sum the 650V IGBT4 provides design engineers effective
degrees of freedom in their applications.

Literature
A.Härtl, M.Bässler, M.Knecht, P.Kanschat: “650V IGBT4: The opti-
mized device for large current modules with 10μs short-circuit with-
stand time”, Proc. PCIM Europe, (2010).
H. Rüthing et al.: "600V-IGBT3: Trench Field Stop Technology in
70μm Ultra Thin Wafer Technology", Proc. 15 th ISPSD, 66 (2003).
M. Otsuki et al.: “Investigation on the Short-Circuit Capability of
1200V Trench Gate Field-Stop IGBTs“, Proc. 14th ISPSD, 281
(2002).
T. Laska et. al.: “Short Circuit Properties of Trench-/Field-Stop- High thermal
IGBTs – Design Aspects for a Superior Robustness”, Proc. 15th conductivity
ISPSD, 152 (2003). Excellent for chip
P. Kanschat, H. Rüthing, F. Umbach, F. Hille: “600V-IGBT3: A on board
detailed Analysis of Outstanding Static and Dynamic Properties”, Optimized heat spreading
Proc. PCIM Europe, 436 (2004).
W.Rusche: Infineon Application Note “AN2003-03, Switching
DB C SUB ST RATE
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 HIGH POWER SWITCH

A 10kV HPT IGCT with

Improved Switching Capability
Developing a new platform for high voltage switching
A major issue for the 10 kV IGCT has been the limited turn-off capability. By introducing
the new HPT technology a 10 kV IGCT is in development that has a switching capability
comparable with the capability of former IGCTs with half the voltage rating.
By Tobias Wikström and Arnost Kopta, ABB Switzerland Ltd, Semiconductors
and Iulian Nistor ABB Switzerland Ltd, Corporate Research
Numerous modern power electronic applica- power system design. The 10kV HPT IGCT kW/cm2 is reached for large area HPT
tions, e.g. in MV Drives, Flexible AC Trans- is expected to be first commercially available IGCTs, significantly higher than the capability
mission Systems (FACTS) are operating at in 2011. of previous standard devices.
increasing line voltages, thus demanding
semiconductors with higher blocking volt-
ages. This allows a reduction of the current
and losses in the system, and avoids series
connection of semiconductor switches which
requires additional snubber components.
The 10kV IGCT devices, see figure 1, will
allow the operation of drives to voltages up
to 7.2kV rms and power of 12MW without
series or parallel connection of semiconduc- Figure 1: 10kV IGCT module using the HPT
tor switches (e.g. using a classical 3L-NPC IGCT technology
topology). Another possible application field
Figure 3: Forward blocking of the 10kV IGCT
are high voltage applications with multilevel HPT IGCT Technology
at 125°C
configurations where the low switching fre- The next generation HPT IGCT platform has
quencies can make the 10 kV IGCT a viable been designed to substantially increase the Static 10kV IGCT Characteristics:
solution compared to lower rated IGBTs. Safe Operating Area of the device. The The required static blocking capability of a
“High Power Technology” (HPT) IGCT struc- 10kV IGCT has been reached using a wafer
For the design of such high voltage IGCTs, ture is based on a corrugated p-base doping termination based on Variation of Lateral
minute attention had to be given to the profile as seen in Figure 2. Doping. This design of the termination is
resilience against cosmic ray events and its uniquely suitable for large area power semi-
impact on device design. In addition, losses conductor devices being very efficient with
and maintaining competitive turn-off current regards to the ratio active area/ termination
ratings comparable with today’s ratings of area. Figure 3 shows that the voltage block-
6.5 kV IGCTs were significant technology ing capability of these large area Si power
challenges that had to be addressed. ABB semiconductors exceeds 11kV with a leak-
has already presented a 10 kV – 2kA IGCT age current lower than 20mA at 125 °C. Vari-
that demonstrated the feasibility of the 10kV ations in the silicon design to optimise com-
technology on Silicon. However the current ponents for lower machine rating, as 6 kV
ratings were not high enough for the target- rms, are in consideration.
ed application. This article reports on
increased IGCT SOA capability using a
novel device design. The High Power Tech- Figure 2: The HPT GCT wafer structure
nology or HPT platform is the latest genera-
tion of ABB’s high power high current IGCTs The application of the HPT technology plat-
with enhanced Safe Operating Area (SOA). form has enabled ABB to establish a new
These features ensure an increased margin benchmark in the IGCT technology over the
for the IGCT ruggedness, further expanding whole voltage range. The concept has been
the power capability per device. The cooling shown to increase the SOA of the previous
of the semiconductor switch and not the generation of commercial 4.5kV IGCTs by as Figure 4: On-state characteristics of the
IGCT SOA is now the limiting factor in the much as 40%. A peak power density of 700 10kV HPT IGCT at Tj=125°C

30 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

SIMPLY SMARTER
 HIGH POWER SWITCH

The on-state characteristic of a 91-mm IGCT
at Tj=125°C and after carrier lifetime engi-
neering is shown in Figure 4. The on-state
voltage drop is 5.2V at a current density of
50 A/cm2
Dynamic 10kV IGCT Characteristics &
SOA Performance:
The switching of the IGCT prototypes was
measured in the test circuit showed in Figure
5 in single-pulse & multi-pulse operation.
The turn off waveform is shown in Fig. 6.
The IGCT can turn off safely a current of at
least 3.2kA at both Tj=25°C and 130°C, limit-
ed by the capability of the test setup. The
peak power in the 10kV HPT IGCT reaches
19.77 MW, see figure 7, corresponding to a
power density of 460 kW/cm2. This is signifi-
cantly higher then standard 10kV IGCT
designs which are limited to values of about
12MW at these voltage levels, correspon-
ding to a power density of 300 kW/cm2.
However, the power density has decreased
from the value of 700 kW/cm2 for the 4500
V device due to the increased voltage rat-
ings. Nonetheless, the power handling capa-
bility reached with the 10kV HPT IGCT
demonstrates the excellent potential of the
HPT platform for high voltage IGCTs.
Figure 7: Peak power and losses waveforms
during turn off of 10kV IGCT at 130°C
trade-off between diode recovery losses and
snappiness. In general, designing the diode
for minimal losses leads to snappy reverse
recovery. In a standard HV diode design, the
reverse recovery current decreases to zero
with a very high di/dt. Taking into account
the presence of stray inductances in the cir-
cuit, high frequency & high amplitude oscilla-
tions can be noticed in the current and volt-
age waveforms. This can impact significantly
the level of electromagnetic noise, negatively
affecting the EMI compatibility of the system.
In addition, the overvoltage can generate
additional electrical stress on the compo-
nents. As this behaviour is not acceptable in
an industrial application, while low losses are
of highest importance, the “Field Charge
Extraction” (FCE) concept has been applied
as a mean to provide the optimal trade-off
between the apparently contradictory HV
diode design requirements.
pensate for the reduced level of on-state
plasma yielding a soft recovery process.
In order to demonstrate the ruggedness of
the FCE concept at higher nominal currents
and temperatures, we have measured the
reverse recovery at values up to 2000A and
125°C (shown in Figure 11).
Figure 9: Soft reverse recovery waveforms
for 91-mm FCE 10kV diode in typical snap-
off conditions: VDC=6kV, di/dt=1kA/μs,
Tj=25°C
In addition, we show that the SOA of the
FCE 10kV diode is comparable with stan-
dard technology. The peak power during
reverse recovery of a standard 10kV diode
at Vdc-link=6kV, Inom=1.7kA is 6.8 MW and the
losses are 30 J at a temperature of 125°C.
For the FCE diode at Vdc-link=5.5kV,
Inom=2kA, the peak power during reverse
recovery is 5.8 MW, and losses are 20.35J
at a temperature of 125°C.

Figure 5: The circuit used for measuring the

dynamic performance of 10kV IGCTs
Parameters: Li=10.3μH, Ls=350nH,
CCL=3μF, RS=2Ω, CSn=3μF

Figure 10: Snappy reverse recovery wave-

Figure 6: Turn-off waveform for a 91-mm
10kV HPT IGCT at VDC=6kV, IT=2kA,
Tj=130°C
10kV Soft recovery Diode
The topology of a modern VSI converter
requires the use of freewheeling and clamp-
ing diodes with similar voltage rating as the
main semiconductor switch. Especially the
fast recovery freewheeling diodes must meet
certain technological criteria among which
soft reverse recovery is of main interest. The
technological challenges are related to the
forms for 91-mm standard 10kV diode in
Figure 8: Snappy reverse recovery wave-
nominal conditions: VDC=6kV, di/dt=500A/μs,
forms for 91-mm standard 10kV diode in typ- Tj=125°C
ical snap-off conditions: VDC=6kV,
di/dt=500A/μs, Tj=25°C
Figure 8 shows the reverse recovery of a
standard 10kV diode under strong snap-off
conditions (current 5% of nominal value).
The on-state voltage drop of the standard
diode is 5.5V at Ion-state=1.7kA. As expected,
high frequency current oscillations as well as
the over-voltages are observed. Next, FCE
10kV diode prototypes have been manufac-
tured and the reverse recovery is shown in
Figure 9. The on-state voltage drop of the Figure 11: Soft reverse recovery waveforms
FCE diode is 7.3V at Ion-state=1.7kA, there- for 91-mm FCE 10kV diode in nominal con-
fore the life time of the minority carriers is ditions: VDC=5.5kV, di/dt=500A/μs, Tj=125°C
further reduced compared to the standard
diode. However, the FCE concept can com-
www.abb.com/semiconductors

32 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

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 TECHNOLOGY
Review of the ECPE Workshop
on Advanced Multilevel
Converter Systems
By Dr. Thierry Meynard (University of Toulouse,
LAPLACE - CIRTEM), Technical Chairman of the ECPE Workshop
With more than 165 participants, the ECPE Workshop held in
Västerås (Sweden) has confirmed the growing attention paid to multi-
level conversion systems (Figure 1). Initiated by ABB Corporate
Research (Dr. Demetriades and Dr. Tenca) the seminar has
addressed the many faces of multilevel conversion from topology to
control and applications, from very high power to low power.
Figure 1: ECPE Workshop held in Västerås (Sweden)
Topologies
Thirty years after Baker’s patent on the Neutral Point Clamped Invert-
er (NPC), topologies allowing multilevel conversion form a large fami-
ly and most of these topologies have been presented and compared
during the seminar. The most striking topic of the seminar has cer-
tainly been the breakthrough of the Modular MultiLevel Converter
(M²C) and its variants (Figure 2).
Highly modular with a high number of levels, this topology introduced
by Prof. Marquardt (Univ. BW Munich) some ten years ago, seems
now clearly recognized as the best topology for HVDC applications.
As shown in the presentations by Prof. Clare (Univ. Nottingham), Dr.
Gambach (Siemens Energy), Prof. Nee (KTH Stockholm) and Dr.
Hasler (ABB Schweden), the major companies in the field (ABB,
Slides from Prof
Prof. S
S. Bernet
TU Dresden
Figure 2: Modular Multi-Level Converter (M2C)
34 Bodo´s Power Systems®
Alstom and Siemens) have developed slightly different products
using this concept and allowing impressive figures such as power up
to 200MW and voltages of +/-200kV on the DC bus. The application
of the concept in the field of drives is now investigated, but in this
field the competition between topologies is more open because the
M²C requires roughly twice the amount of semiconductors (sum of
Volts.amps of all semiconductors) and 2 to 3 times the amount of
energy stored in the capacitors of a 3-level NPC. The problem of
stored energy is even more striking when the modulation frequency
is low or very low, a situation that definitely needs to be handled in
drives. As explained by Dr. Hiller (Siemens Large Drives), some dedi-
cated modulation strategies can reduce the requirement on stored
energy, but the more realistic application of M²C in the field of drives
is probably on the line side.
A quite comprehensive review of topologies used in MV drives has
been presented by Prof. Bernet (TU Dresden) (Figure 3) showing in
particular how the NPC and Flying Capacitor (FC) families gave birth
to the newest 5L-ANPC topology. This topology has now been suc-
cessfully introduced by ABB with 10kVdc in its ACS2000 drive of
which details have been presented by Dr. Schlapbach (ABB Switzer-
land). Today, a clear majority of MV drives now use two back-to-back
voltage source inverters multilevel (VSI) converters with semiconduc-
tors in series, but we also heard that this is only one part of a bigger
picture.
Series multicell VSIs generate multilevel voltage waveforms on the
AC side thus improving the harmonic content on the line and on the
machine side and this is what makes them so attractive; THD
requirements are very high on the line side and on the machine side
when long cables are used, and series multicell is a good match for
these applications. However, there are cases when the THD and
EMC requirements are stronger on the DC side, and onboard net-
works with a DC bus distributed along the vehicle are such a growing
market (Figure 4). Series multicell converters generally do not help in
Slides from Prof. S. Bernet
TU Dresden
Figure 3: Classification of Converter Topologies on the MVD - Market
November 2010 www.bodospower.com
 NEW TECHNOLOGY
these applications because the current on the DC bus is still a 2-level Optimized and dedicated compo-
current waveform. It has been shown that switching to parallel multi- nents
cell gives multilevel current waveforms on the DC side and maintains An analysis of existing topologies has VACUUM BRAZED
voltage multilevel waveforms on the AC side, another advantage is been presented by Mr. Schweizer
that it helps handling the high currents imposed by the demand for (ETH Zurich) who showed how this
COLDPLATES
increasing powers and with a voltage that is limited for safety rea- analysis can guide the choice of the FROM DAU
sons. type of semiconductor, and even its ble
surface to optimize the overall trade- ns possi
In the field of very low voltages, this is already used in Voltage Regu- offs. Such an evolution towards opti- d i m ensio
An y
lator Modules supplying processors with 1V/100A using typically 5 mized components is also noticeable in
interleaved buck converters and InterCell Transformers to suppress terms of commercially available mod-
electrolytic capacitors. The concept has been further investigated by ules; Prof. Kaminski (Univ. Bremen)
Prof. Gateau (Univ. Toulouse) who presented three-phase parallel and Mr. Frisch (Vincotech) have out-
voltage source inverters and Prof. Laboure (SUPELEC), who derived lined the existence of several dedicat-
isolated interleaved converters with reduced filters and a resulting ed multilevel modules, some of them
high power density. The potentially high power density of parallel mixing different technologies inside the
multicell converters has also been confirmed by Prof. Mertens (Univ. same module to optimize performance.
Hannover) who showed how the choice of the topology impacts the They also tried to evaluate the poten- s up to 400 x 1200 mm possible
size of the filters. It has also been shown by Mr. Fritsch (Vincotech) tial of wide-bandgap semiconductors in nce
and Mr. Rizet (G2ELab / APC by Schneider Electric) that using paral- the field of multilevel conversion to p e r f orma
rmal
lel multicell conversion and soft switching is a way to reach very high push the limits of efficiency and specif-
p e r i or the
efficiency in low voltage applications (230Vac) which is the key figure ic mass even further. Su
of merit in photovoltaic applications and Uninterruptible Power Sup-
plies. Safety issues
St ti
Stationnary applications
li ti Reliability and continuity of operation
are critical issues and counting the
To be filtered To be filtered number of devices does not give all the
answer. Various aspects of fault-han-
dling have been discussed by Dr. Pou
(TU Catalonia) and Mr. Billmann
(Fraunhofer IISB Nuremberg), and it
s due to innovative internal
construction extremely low Rth
On-board applications
pp has been shown that if properly han- values are possible
dled, faults in multilevel converters can
ctio n
produ
To be filtered
have a limited impact and multilevel n d
n a
converters can be designed with fault Desig in house
tolerance in mind.

Conclusion
Figure 4: Filtering Requirements for Different Types of Applications Multilevel converters have grown into a
Modulation Strategies mature technology invading many
Multilevel converters also offer many degrees of freedom in term of fields of application such as 100MW
control, and various aspects of the modulation of multilevel convert- Flexible AC Transmission Systems, 1-
ers have been discussed. Dr. Tenca (ABB Sweden) has shown how 10MW Medium Voltage Drives, 100kW-
s no flux agent for brazing
the practical requirements can be expressed in terms of energy you 1MW low voltage Drives and Uninter- necessary
cannot cheat with, and how some theoretical concepts and methods ruptible Power Supplies, 5-50kW PV
s absolutely pure and
can help solving some questions related to multilevel converters systems, 1-10kW DC-DC converters homogenous leak free joints
(modulation strategies, but also safety of operation)! It has also been for onboard applications and 100-
shown by Mr. Thielemans (Ghent Univ.) how FC converters can be 200W Voltage Regulator Modules for
modulated to stabilize the balancing time constant over a wide modu- processors. The related know-how in Visit us in
lation range, and Mr. Videt (Schneider Toshiba Inverter) described 3- terms of modulation, control and Hall A2, Booth 349
level modulation strategies reducing the Common Mode voltage and design is immense, specific compo-
the peak voltage generated at the end of long cables. As the number nents such as dedicated power mod-
of voltages increases, the need for a generic approach to the control ules and specific passive components
of multilevel three phase VSIs is needed. Such a generic approach are available, so now is the time to
using topology independent carrier based strategies and topology take advantage of the benefits of multi-
specific state machine decoders has been developed in the literature level conversion.
and should be used as a basis for comparison each time a new - AUSTRIA
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allel multilevel converters are no exception to this rule; Dr. Schlap- Tel: +43 (0) 31 43 / 23 51- 0
bach applied the method to Direct Torque Control with a five level
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 POWER MANAGEMENT

Using Microprocessor
Supervisory Devices
Several important parameters need to be considered
When microprocessor systems have to restart, a dedicated reset IC can improve system
reliability by ensuring proper initialization of the processor regardless of the input
voltage conditions.
By Eric Schlaepfer, Senior Member of the Technical Staff, Applications
Maxim Integrated Products Inc., Sunnyvale, CA
A typical reset IC contains a comparator with an integrated voltage The figure of merit for a reset is typically the voltage listed in the
reference and a time-delay circuit. The reset circuit prevents a maximum value column of the electrical characteristics table, repre-
processor from operating during undervoltage conditions and pro- senting the highest threshold voltage possible over the full operating
vides a reset pulse after power-up to initialize the processor’s regis- range of the reset IC. When choosing a reset threshold maximum
ters and prepare it for operation. value, make sure it is just below the minimum possible voltage of the
power supply. If it were above the minimum possible power supply
Multiple vendors offer reset circuits, and the MAX809 is a typical voltage, in some cases the circuit would never come out of reset.
example of an industry-standard reset IC (Figure 1). The three-lead
circuit consumes just 12 μA and is housed in a tiny SOT23 package. Of course, the minimum reset threshold should also be above the
Some reset ICs also include a watchdog timer that can help initiate a minimum operating voltage of the processor and any other devices
reset when the system is stuck in a loop or frozen, thus further that depend on the reset signal for proper operation. For the example
improving system reliability. in Figure 2, the maximum reset threshold was chosen at 10% below
VCC the nominal power supply voltage, which is a commonly available
threshold. Reset ICs are also available with thresholds that are 5%
below the nominal power supply voltage. Today’s reset ICs are avail-
able with a wide variety of threshold voltages, such as the MAX6381-
VCC VCC
MAX6390 family, which offers thresholds from 1.58V to 4.63V in
100mV increments. For lower voltages (such as microprocessor core
RPU* MICRO-
MAX803/ voltages), the MAX6841-MAX6845 can monitor voltages down to
MAX809 PROCESSOR
0.9V.
RESET RESET IN

GND GND

*MAX803 ONLY

Figure 1: A reset chip such as the MAX809 requires just three pins –
one to sense the supply voltage, one for ground, and the third to
deliver the reset signal to the processor.

To choose a reset IC, several important parameters need to be con-

sidered. The most important are the reset threshold, reset timeout,
and output type. Other considerations include additional features that
may be integrated, such as a manual reset input, power-fail compara-
tor, or watchdog timer. Integrated features help reduce system cost
and give designers more options.
Selecting the reset threshold
To pick the correct reset threshold, the supply voltage tolerances
must be taken into account in addition to the tolerances of the reset
threshold itself. Figure 2 illustrates an example using a 3.3V ±5%
power supply. The maximum power supply voltage is 3.465V and the
minimum power supply voltage is 3.135V.
Figure 2: Reset threshold tolerances
The reset threshold chosen above is the falling threshold. The rising
threshold is higher than the falling threshold, typically by about 0.5%
of the actual threshold voltage, but reset ICs can be obtained with
more hysteresis, which is good for applications that require extra
noise rejection. If a particular reset IC has a measured reset thresh-
old of 2.9V (which is inbetween the minimum and maximum toler-
ance band in Figure 2), then the corresponding rising threshold volt-
age is 2.9 + 2.9 * 0.5% = 2.9 + 0.0145 = 2.9145V. This is enough
hysteresis for most applications. Even though typical supervisor

36 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com


datasheets do not provide minimum and
maximum limits on the hysteresis, an actual
IC will come very close (within about 5%) to
the expected hysteresis percentage.
It is important to ensure that the rising
threshold is below the minimum power sup-
ply voltage. In this case, 2.9145V is less
than 3.135V, so this requirement is satisfied.
If this was not the case, it would be possible
for the device to remain in reset if the actual
reset threshold was at the high end of its tol-
erance band and the power supply voltage
was at the low end of its tolerance band.
Figure 3: Transient duration vs. reset thresh-
old overdrive
Glitch rejection is an important consideration
with any reset IC. This is a major difference
between a reset IC and an ordinary com-
parator, such as an LM339. A reset IC has
relatively slow comparator (generally 1/100th
the speed of an LM339) with predictable
glitch performance. To characterize glitch
performance, most reset IC datasheets
include a “Transient Duration vs. Reset
Threshold Overdrive” graph (Figure 3).
The graph in Figure 3 is generated by put-
ting a negative pulse on VCC with a particu-
lar threshold overdrive and transient duration
then checking the reset output to see if the
pulse triggers a reset (see Figure 4). Pulses
with transient duration and overdrive combi-
nations that cause a reset occur in the area
above the curve in Figure 3, and pulses that
do not cause a reset occur in the area below
the curve. A typical reset IC has glitch per-
formance optimized to reduce nuisance
glitches while remaining sensitive to fault
conditions that require action.
Monitoring multiple voltages
Often it is necessary to monitor more than
one voltage in a system. Instead of using
multiple reset ICs that each monitor one volt-
age, you can select a single reset IC that
can monitor many voltages. Devices such as
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the MAX6710 and MAX16055, for example, 80mm VARISTOR discs WITH
can reduce system cost by integrating all the thermal DISCONNECTION and
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MAX6715-MAX6729, MAX6734-MAX6735,
remote SIGNALISATION and
and the MAX16000-MAX16007 also inte- LOW VOLTAGE 40kA varistors
grate a watchdog timer and additional fea-
tures (manual reset, power fail comparator,
and others) into a single space-saving pack-
age. These devices can monitor from four to
eight voltages and come in packages as
small as a 5-lead SOT23 to a 24-contact
QFN package.
Figure 4: Negative pulse used to measure
comparator response
Choosing the reset output 80 mm varistor disc (MOV) with thermal
The reset output of a reset IC is available in disconnection and remote signalisation –
either a push-pull or open-drain style, and your overvoltage solution for the
also with either active-high or active-low windmill applications.
polarity. The push-pull reset output can sink
and source current, with the logic-high volt- Low voltage (40V, 50V, 60V) square shaped
age relative to the input VCC. The open- high energy varistors S40 (33mm x 33mm),
drain output can only sink current and 40kA, withstanding high surge impulses for
requires an external pullup resistor. Use an Class I and Class II (IEC 61643-1) –
open-drain output if the microprocessor has your overvoltage solution for surge
a bidirectional reset pin or if multiple outputs protection devices (SPDs) in renewable
need to be connected to the master reset energy sources, especially in small size
signal (wired-OR configuration). The pullup photovoltaic systems (micro inverters).
resistor can be connected to a voltage high-
er than the VCC of the reset IC in case level
shifting is required.
VARSI – solution provider
The push-pull output does not need the with a personal touch
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bidirectional reset pins, level shifting, or
wired-ORing. The output structure generally
can sink much more current than it can VARSI – EU metal oxide varistor (MOV)
source: sink currents can approach several manufacturer, specialized in High Energy
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ity to create solutions for the overvoltage
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puts) is limited by the ability of the reset IC
in the variety of applications – wind and
to sink the current and the connected input’s
solar energy sources, transportation, surge
parasitic capacitance, which acts with the
protection devices (SPDs)…
resistor to create an RC response that may
be unacceptably slow. Another factor is the
leakage current of all the connected inputs
and open-drain outputs which can cause a
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voltage drop may prevent the voltage from
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 POWER MANAGEMENT
10kΩ. Applications that need to drive a large
number of inputs or need a fast edge benefit
from decreased resistance, and applications
that need to reduce the power dissipation
benefit from increased resistance.
Power-up behavior of a reset IC is quite
important. With an active-low reset, the IC
must be able to keep the output low during
power up, and with an active high reset, the
output must be pulled to VCC. Active-low
outputs typically sink current when VCC
exceeds the VTH of the low-side MOSFET.
This current is in the low microamp range
but increases as VCC exceeds approximate-
ly 0.7V. Figure 5 shows the waveform that
can be observed on power-up: the small
“hump” on reset occurs because the reset
output cannot sink much current at that time
and does not overpower the pullup resistor
until VCC increases beyond 0.7V. To remove
the “hump” on reset, use a reset IC with a
push-pull output and connect a pulldown
resistor.
Figure 5: Active-low open-drain reset power-
up waveform
Selecting the reset timeout
The reset timeout is generally not critical.
However, some microprocessors require a
minimum pulse width to generate a proper
reset. Check the minimum reset timeout
period on the reset IC datasheet electrical
characteristics to make sure that this
requirement is satisfied.
Some reset ICs integrate a manual reset
(MR) input. This logic input (often with a
built-in pullup resistor) allows an external
switch or logic to trigger a reset pulse. Typi-
cal of such circuits, the Maxim MAX6443-
MAX6452 have an extended setup delay on
the MR input. This requires that MR be
asserted for a minimum period of time (usu-
ally about 6 seconds) before generating a
reset pulse (see Figure 6).
38 Bodo´s Power Systems®
Such an approach allows designers to “hide”
a hard reset function in some other button,
such as a power button or other front panel
control (thus eliminating the need for a sepa-
rate button). Technical support can instruct a
customer to push and hold the control to
generate a hard reset. This approach avoids
unsightly and easily damaged “pinhole” style
Figure 6: Manual reset with extended setup
delay
hard reset buttons. Variations of this basic
part include the MAX6453-MAX6456 family,
have two separate outputs: one which trig-
gers immediately, and another which triggers
after the setup delay.
Power fail comparator
The power fail comparator is available in
some reset ICs and acts as an auxiliary volt-
age monitor. The output of the comparator
connects to a separate pin and does not trig-
ger a hard reset. This comparator usually
requires an external resistive divider to set
the comparator threshold. It is useful for
monitoring batteries or other supply voltages
but it can be used for any circuit that needs
a comparator. Hysteresis of the comparator
is usually quite small but this can be con-
trolled with an external feedback resistor.
Watchdog timer
Many reset ICs integrate a watchdog timer
function. The watchdog timer acts as a “last
resort” software recovery feature by generat-
ing a hard reset if an unrecoverable software
error occurs. A processor I/O line is typically
connected to the reset chip’s watchdog input
(WDI) and clears the internal watchdog timer
on every transition. If no pulses from the
processor are received by the IC, the inter-
nal watchdog timer eventually expires and
the reset output asserts, causing the proces-
sor to reset. Many modern processors and
microcontrollers have a built-in watchdog
timer, but it is possible for runaway software
November 2010
to disable built-in watchdog timers. An exter-
nal watchdog timer is more difficult to disable
accidentally, and thus can improve system
reliability.
Some watchdog timers provide an initial
timeout, like the MAX6730-MAX6735, that is
much longer than the normal watchdog time-
out. This is useful to allow long boot routines
or flash upgrade procedures to complete
before automatically turning on watchdog
functionality. Other watchdog timers provide
a windowed function, like the
MAX6752/MAX6753, which trips reset if the
pulses from the processor come in too
quickly.
Watchdog timers can often be disabled to
aid debugging or to prevent spurious resets
during routines that do not clear the watch-
dog timer. One common mechanism is to
allow WDI to go to a high-impedance state
(as in the MAX6316-MAX6322). Other ICs
employ a separate logic-level input or inputs
to perform this function (including the
MAX6369-MAX6374). However, this feature
must be used with caution—it must be diffi-
cult or impossible for runaway software to
disable the watchdog timer, otherwise sys-
tem reliability will suffer.
It can be useful to trigger a nonmaskable
interrupt (NMI) when the watchdog times out
instead of generating a hard reset. Some
watchdog timer ICs provide a watchdog out-
put (WDO) which can be directly connected
to the NMI input on the processor. This is dif-
ferent from a standard watchdog timer
because the reset output does not assert
when the watchdog timer expires. An IC with
this feature, such as the MAX706, can be
converted back to a regular watchdog timer
by connecting the WDO to the manual reset
input (MR).
Conclusion
Microprocessor supervisory devices improve
system reliability in a number of different
ways: by monitoring supply voltages for fault
conditions, by providing predictable and
repeatable system reset signals, and by
detecting out-of-control software.
www.maxim-ic.com
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get the whole picture
 AUTOMOTIVE
Ethernet In Fast Forward
Automotive Using Ethernet as Physical Layer Data Bus
Ethernet has been officially be added to the list of automotive networks, such as CAN, LIN,
FlexRay and MOST. But why did Ethernet make the list and for what specific automotive
applications? Most important of all, can it really meet the challenges of Automotive?
By Mike Jones, Senior FAE, Micrel Inc.
Ethernet currently dominates the world of office networking and is also
the choice for both factory and home. Simplicity and field-proven
open standardisation have significantly lowered the Cost of Ownership
which Automotive manufacturers are keen to exploit. Volumes of
scale in the office and consumer market, supported by a magnitude of
Ethernet vendors, have driven pricing levels far lower than any ‘cus-
tom’ designed protocol.
Initial applications for automotive Ethernet now routinely include On-
Board-Diagnostics (OBD); for Diagnostics and Software Download of
internal ECU static memory and hard disk(s). The adoption of Ether-
net will accelerate with the introduction of standardised IP Diagnos-
tics interface, as specified in ISO 13400.
The choice of a standard Ethernet CAT5 cable to interface to the
OBD port will allow service centres to seamlessly interface to either a
lap top or the Intranet when performing vehicle management diag-
nostics. Memory downloads for software updates also benefit from
the increased speed of 100Mbps (or 1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet), full
duplex bandwidth available by the network. As the demand for
increased processor intensive functionality in a car grows, so does
the required memory. If present methods continue to be employed,
software download times will significantly increase. Off road time
results in direct additional servicing costs, due to the need to supply
the owner with a temporary replacement vehicle and the additional
time associated with workers on the clock.
Implementing Ethernet at the OBD port now allows the car to inter-
face to the World Wide Web, creating endless possibilities. For
example, the port can easily be plugged into a wireless unit for
remote diagnostics or downloads for in-car navigation, video or
music, all from the comfort of the owner’s home!
Moving forward, new ‘real time’ Ethernet AVB (Audio-Video Bridging)
can also offer high performance infotainment network solutions, again
with nearly endless possibilities.
The challenges for Ethernet to also become the de-facto automotive
bus are not necessarily unique. By combining Ethernet’s proven abili-
ty to reliably transfer high bandwidths of data (home/office) with real-
time performance in extreme environments (industrial control), the
basis of many automotive needs is formed.
Thermal and EMC Performance
The Industrial Control market has helped to prove that Ethernet net-
works are able to deliver robust performance in extreme conditions.
Extended temperature ranges, heavy vibrations, high EMC radiation
and dusty or wet surroundings are typical in many of these applica-
tions. Raising the ambient temperatures ‘under the hood’ over the
40 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
common +85°C will not cause thermal issues for Ethernet devices,
due to low power consumption and package selection. For example,
Micrel’s KSZ8041NL AM, AECQ-100 Single-Port Fast Ethernet PHY
solution, consumes a mere 175mW inside a thermally enhanced
5mm x5mm MLF® package. The KSZ8041NL family also offers a
Military specification variant which supports ambient temperatures of
up to 125°C.
Due to the demands of the industrial and automotive markets, many
newer Ethernet devices offer significantly improved ESD (Electro-Sta-
tic Discharge) performance. This is a major shift in emphasis from
original office applications where ESD rating was not considered of
major concern. For example, Micrel’s KSZ8041 PHY and KSZ8851
Controller families have a HBM (Human Body Model) ESD rating of >
6KV. The product’s evaluation board has also been shown to provide
> 9kV contact and >16.5kV air ESD ratings, without the need for any
external over voltage protection devices. This surpasses general
automotive vendor Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) require-
ments such as those set forth by BMW Group Standard GS 95002.
Cables & Connectors
Currently no standard Automotive Ethernet connector or cable exists.
The standard Ethernet RJ45 connector and CAT5 cable has proved
very robust and remains extremely popular in other applications,
including industrial. However, existing vendor specific connectors
and wiring looms are likely to be adopted in automotive applications,
at least initially. The Ethernet PHY (transceiver) is flexible enough to
utilise such connectors and cabling without any significant degrada-
tion to performance. Standard CAN cable exhibits similar character-
istics to unshielded, twisted pair CAT5. Thorough testing has proven
long term error-free transmission of Ethernet over in excess of 100m
CAN cable. The major difference between the two is that CAN cable
is only partially specified and does not provide a controlled imped-
ance or twist ratio. As a consequence, EMC behaviour and signal
integrity cannot be guaranteed, thus making CAN cable generally
unsuitable for high speed data transfer. CAN cable is currently used
for Ethernet On Board Diagnostics (OBD) and flash updating. Here,
the lines can be disabled during normal driving and only active in the
repair shop or production plant.
A cable example for high speed data transfer such as LVDS, USB
and Ethernet in automotive applications is the Leoni cable, for exam-
ple the twisted pair Dacar 503. This cable is shielded with controlled
100ohm impedance and qualified up to 1Gbps, giving a performance
similar to CAT6 rather than CAT5. It is not actually twisted pair but a
four-wire twist known as ‘Stern-Vierer’ (translated as Star Four Wire).
To enhance reliability Cable diagnostics technology, such as Micrel
www.bodospower.com
LinkMD®, goes beyond Ethernet-defined standards to provide a solu-
tion to such problems. LinkMD® cable diagnostics utilize time
domain Reflectrometry (TDR) to analyze each twisted pair for com-
mon cable problems, such as open circuits, short circuits and imped-
ance mismatches.
You don’t believe
There is an alternative to copper cabling that comes in the form of in poltergeist...
Plastic Optical Fibre (POF). Car manufacturers are already very
familiar with this physical media as it is deployed in MOST networks.
The same 1mm LED POF technology from MOST (including new
MOST-150) can also be used for 100Mbps Fast Ethernet transmis-
sion with reach of 100metres. POF is extremely robust, lightweight
and like all fibre, totally immune to electro-magnetic noise as it emits
no radiation.

Power Consumption
Power consumption of automobile electronics is becoming increas-
ingly more critical and significant factor in fuel efficiencies. It is
important to understand both how and where the power is dissipated
in Ethernet circuits to ensure optimum design. In any Ethernet
device, the major power dissipation is from the PHY transceiver.
Typically, most PHY designs are current-mode drivers and power is
consumed both internally to the PHY and externally in the trans-
former, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Ethernet PHY Circuit Depicting Power Dissipation in Cur-

rent-Mode

Ethernet datasheets commonly publish the device only current con-

sumption, Iphy. In which case, to calculate the total circuit current
consumption the designer must add typically around 40mA per
100Base-TX or 70mA per 10Base-T PHY for dissipation in the trans-
formers, Itrans. This power consumed externally in the transformer is
significant and typically accounts for around 30 to 50 percent of the
total PHY circuit current consumption.
Micrel’s new generation KSZ8051 Fast Ethernet PHY families differs
by utilizing a voltage-mode driver, along with patented DSP-
enhanced mixed signal architecture, to offer the lowest power con-
sumption in the industry. Device only power consumption is similar to
other leading Ethernet PHYs at sub 50mA. However, no current is
consumed externally in the transformer, due to the voltage-mode
driver design. Hence, a saving of up to 50 percent total circuit power
consumption is achieved over competing solutions.

PCB layout design is also simplified and real estate minimised by the
unique integrated line termination offered by the KSZ8051 Ethernet
PHY as demonstrated in Figure 2.

www.bodospower.com Nove
 AUTOMOTIVE
AECQ-100 grade qualified KSZ8051 parts are expected to be avail-
able from Micrel in the first half of 2011.
To investigate further how to reduce power consumption, one needs
to understand how an Ethernet link operates.
Figure 2: Integrated Line Termination of the KSZ8031/51 PHY Family
When analyzing a network one realizes that there are long quiet peri-
ods followed by relatively short bursts of traffic. During these quiet
periods, one may expect the Ethernet power consumption to signifi-
cantly drop, however, this turns out to not necessarily be accurate.
Both 1000Base-TX and 100Base-TX are designed so that the link
partners are continually ‘synchronized’ to each other. To enable this,
when no traffic is being transmitted, the PHY will automatically send
out IDLE symbols (11111 5B code), as shown in Figure 3 below.
Figure 3: 100Base-TX Idle Pattern
As a consequence, during any quiet period, the PHY transmitter is
still operating in a manner similar to full traffic and will therefore con-
sume a similar amount of power. The IEEE recognises this ineffi-
ciency and formed a task force whose mission it is to reduce power
consumption during periods of low utilization. This task force IEEE
802.3az is commonly known as Energy Efficient Energy. The tech-
nique, known as Low Power Idle (LPI), will disable parts of the PHY
transceiver that are not necessary, whilst still maintaining the link
integrity.
If the Ethernet PHY is, ‘not in use’ then a software or hardware power
down mode is usually available. However, even in this low power
state the device will still consume ‘in the order of a mA’, which for
automotive applications is unacceptable. Hence, it is advised to fully
42 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
power down the circuit during such periods. For example the diag-
nostics and software download circuit only need be powered when
being serviced by the garage.
Another area where current consumption can be reduced for automo-
tive applications is found in the transmit current drive strength. The
IEEE802.3 specification is designed to always provide the capability
of operating up to a minimum 100m of CAT5 grade cable. As a con-
sequence, the PHY output drive strength is fixed at this criterion, con-
suming maximum power, independent of the actual length of cable
connected. Automotive networks will never require the capability of
100m cable reach and can guarantee a much shorter length. Con-
sider that one can reduce the PHY transmitter current drive from the
standard +/-1V amplitude of the 100Base-TX signal down by up to 50
percent and still operate error free over a 20m reach. The transmitter
current drive on Micrel Ethernet devices can be varied either via
internal software registers or by modifying the recommended resist-
ance to ground at pin ‘REXT’ (see datasheet for specific value). The
output drive strength will vary inversely proportional to the resistance.
This method yields significant reduction of both current consumption
and EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) Radiated Emissions.
Topology – Ring or Star?
Traditional Ethernet networks usually implement a ‘star’ configuration,
where a multi-port switch provides point-to-point links to other nodes.
However, industrial networks are usually based on a ‘ring’ configura-
tion, which eases the logistics of cable installation. Reductions in the
required cabling of an Ethernet ‘ring’ network provides benefits wel-
come to the automotive industry. Less cabling means weight reduc-
tions which has a direct impact on fuel efficiency and hence, overall
costs. The basic building block in a ‘ring’ network is the 3-Port
switch, for example the automotive AECQ-100 qualified
KSZ8873MLL AM from Micrel
The introduction of Ethernet into the car will most likely favour a ‘ring’
and ‘star’ hybrid topology approach. Figure 4 illustrates a possible
automotive Ethernet network.
Figure 4: Depiction of a Basic Automotive Ethernet Ring Network
Each physical media interface can independently be implemented
using copper cabling or POF. Here, a central Gateway will interface
to the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port and other available networks
within the car, such as MOST or FlexRay. The Gateway unit can
then act as bridge to the Head Unit, further connecting other systems
such as Navigation, Vehicle Computer and Rear Seat Entertainment
over a ‘ring’ or ‘star’ topology.
www.bodospower.com
 www
e-emc.com

Your chance to shine...

...at the EMV marketplace

EMV 2011
Stuttgart

Managing an Ethernet Ring

Unlike a MOST networks, it is in fact usually forbidden to configure
Ethernet as a true ‘ring’. Any loops within an Ethernet network will
result in the duplication of packets that are forwarded in endless
loops, quickly degrading the bandwidth and efficiency of a network. International Exhibition
with Workshops
To manage the ring, usually protocols such as Spanning Tree are
implemented to ‘break’ one of the links and enable again if a link fault
is detected elsewhere in the ring.
However Micrel’s Automotive switches; both the 3-Port KSZ8873MLL on Electromagnetic
AM and 5-Port KSZ8895MLU offer a unique feature to allow a true Compatibility (EMC)
15-17 March 2011
Ethernet ring to be implemented without the need for management;
MAC Address Source Filtering.

Messe Stuttgart

Figure 5: Illustration of a True Ethernet Ring Network

A hardware mechanism of ‘Learning’ and ‘Forwarding’ is utilized by

all common Ethernet switches today. A switch will ‘learn’ and then
store the ingress packet MAC Source Address and the associated
port in a ‘Forwarding’ Table. A port forwarding decision is then made
by looking up the packets MAC Destination Address in the ‘Forward-
ing’ Table. If a match is found, then the packet is forwarded to the
associated port in the table entry. Failure to find a match results in

www.bodospower.com
Further Information: +49-711-61946-0 or emv@mesago.com
 AUTOMOTIVE
the packet being broadcast to all egress ports except the port it
arrived at. With this mechanism, the MAC Source Address is only
ever learnt and never used in the decision making when forwarding
the packet. MAC Address Source filtering enables the filtering of
packets based on the MAC Source Address (instead of the MAC
Destination Address). Now the switch can detect and filter (drop) any
packet that arrives with a MAC Source Address matched to the local
processor MAC Address. As a consequence, packets are always
removed from the ring following one complete loop. Figure 5 depicts
how this can work.
Switch #1 receives broadcast packet at port 3 (processor) with
Source Address 1
Packet is forwarded along the ring until it arrives back at Switch #1
Switch #1 drops packet, using MAC Source Address filtering feature
MAC Source Address Filtering also offers the additional benefit of
single fault redundant switchover, by exploiting packet forwarding in
both a clockwise and anticlockwise direction around the ring. For
more details see: ‘Unmanaged Redundant Ring – A White Paper’.
The Future
Ethernet’s unquestionable success in the Industrial networking sector
has proven reliability and quality in an extreme environment. This
marriage of industrial strength and consumer technology drive pro-
vides the perfect physical layer solution for automotive. Ethernet can
successfully bridge the gap between lengthy vehicle design cycles
and today’s fast moving IP world.
Nuremberg
Products and Solutions,
Innovations and Trends
Experience at Europes # 1 platform for electric automation...
y Control Technology
y IPCs
y Drive Systems and Components
y Human-Machine-Interface Devices
y Electromechanical Components and Peripheral Equipment
y Industrial Communication
y Industrial Software
y Interface Technology
y Sensor Technology
You receive more information at Tel. +49 711 61946-828 or sps@mesago.com
There is nothing complex about Ethernet technology overall; it is sim-
ple, proven and open ? the ver reason for its success. Cost is a cru-
cial factor in any market and Ethernet has consistently demonstrated
the lowest cost of ownership of any network.
KSZ8041NL AM Single-Port Fast Ethernet Physical Layer Transceiver
KSZ8893MQL AM 3-Port Managed Fast Ethernet Switch with MII / RMII
KS8873MLL AM Enhanced 3-Port Managed Fast Ethernet Switch with MII
KSZ8842-PMBL AM 3-Port Managed Fast Ethernet Switch with PCI
KSZ8895MLU Enhanced 5-Port Managed Fast Ethernet Switch
Table 1: Micrel Automotive Qualified Ethernet devices
Today, Ethernet has already emerged inside the car to provide an IP-
based standard interface for diagnostics and software downloading.
The next step is for Ethernet to form the backbone of the next gener-
ation automotive multi-media networks, carrying ‘live’ traffic. New
standards such as IEEE 802.3AVB (Audi-Video Bridging) initially
defined for Digital AV Home networking are being adapted to support
the same real-time services in the car. Following this, the ultimate
goal would to converge other bus systems inside the car into a single
common bus; Ethernet.
The following Automotive Qualified Ethernet devices are currently
available from Micrel.
For further details on Micrel Ethernet Solutions go to:
http://www.micrel.com/page.do?page=product-info/ether_over.jsp
Note: MOST is a registered trademark of Standard Microsystems
Corporation. LinkMD is a registered trademark of Micrel Inc.
www.micrel.com
SPS/IPC/DRIVES/
Electric
Automation
Systems and Components
Exhibition & Conference
23 – 25 Nov. 2010
s
om/sp
w .m esago.c
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Power for Efficiency!

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This is the right place for you!
Mesago PCIM GmbH – 0711 61946-56 – pcim@mesago.com
 PROTECTION

Enhanced Over-Voltage
Protection of Solar Installations
Through-out its voltage / current characteristic, the Varistor
is actually conducting
Varistors offer a cost effective solution for the protection over Solar Invertors against
over-voltages. Thermally Protected Varistors from TDK-EPC can help to reduce down
times and to optimize returns on investment.
By David Connett, Director IC Reference Design, EPCOS AG.
A Group Company of TDK-EPC Corporation
With what seems to be sustainable growth rates in excess of 40%
per annum, the expansion of solar energy systems remains phenom-
enal.

However, insufficient long term data is available to show whether the

sensitive electronics in the solar inverter, are able to survive typical
exposure to atmospheric influences and voltage fluctuations on both
the DC input and the AC output stage.

This article will attempt to show the current protection concepts cur-
rently used, the typical aging effects of the individual devices and
how these can be optimized to exceed their working lifetime.

Basic Inverter Block Diagram

Figure 1: Solar panel

between fine and coarse protection should be considered in the

design / installation stage.

Figure 2: Basic Inverter Block Diagram
On the left the DC Input from the Solar Module (Panel) enters the
inverter. Overvoltage Protection (OVP) between the module terminals
protects the Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) and the Solar
Panel itself. The DC/AC inverter needed to convert the DC voltage
from the module into AC voltage for feeding into the mains supply
and filtering to reduce electro-magnetic interference (EMI) are them-
selves protected against disturbances originating from the mains by
the OVPs.
The simplified diagram does not show coarse protection devices that
could be installed externally to the inverter. However, the coordination
Component Selection
Typically Metal Oxide Varistors (Varistor) with a DC rating upto 1000V
are used for the DC input protection occasionally in combination for
Gas Discharge Tubes (GDTs). The AC output protection is also Varis-
tor based, however optimized for the network voltage (i.e. 300Vrms)
again with a possibility of a combination with GDTs.
Metal Oxide Varistors
A Metal Oxide Varistor is a voltage dependant resistor. The clamp
voltage of a varistor is defined by its voltage rating and its current
handling capability. Through-out its voltage / current characteristic,
the Varistor is actually conducting. In its normal, high resistance
mode, a leakage current that can be measured in the μA range is
always present. In the over-voltage, low resistance, mode in which
the Varistor is conductive, currents, measured in amps or for short
durations in kilo-amps, pass through the Varistor.

46 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com


Figure 3: Metal Oxide Varistors
Gas Discharge Tubes
As its name suggests, the gas tube is tube
filled with a gas. If a voltage exceeds the
breakdown characteristics of the gas, the
gas itself will ionize and will form a conduc-
tive path across which an arc is formed
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between the charged terminals. However, as
the gas has a finite ionisation time, as the
voltage rise time increases so does the
breakdown voltage of the gas. For example,
Figure 4: Gas Discharge Tubes
Figure 5: Common Protection Concepts
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November 2010
PROTECTION
a typical Gas Tube with a DC sparkover volt-
age of 230V at 100V/s, its maximum firing
voltage at 1.000V/μs could be closer to
600V. This firing voltage is commonly
referred to as the impulse sparkover voltage
or dynamic response.
Considerations
Varistors due to their high current handling
capabilities and cost-performance ratio make
ideal protection components. However, as
with most semi-conductor based technolo-
gies, Varistors are subject to degradation
(ageing) when exposed to repetitive pulse of
low amplitude. The degradation takes the
form of an increase in leakage current of the
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Bodo´s Power Systems® 47
 PROTECTION
Varistor which can result in a phenomena
called “thermal runaway”. In extreme cases,
the thermal overload can result in a short cir-
cuit and rupture of the Varistor. This point
has also been reviewed in a number of inter-
national standards (UL, IEC) and the net
result is that thermal surveillance of varistors
will need to be considered in the future.
Common Protection Concepts DC Input
For the DC Input Varistors, remain the most
favoured primary protection. How they are
deployed however is varied. A few examples
follow – taking as an example an input upto
1000Vdc.
In Figure 5/1 a single Varistor is placed
between the PV + and PV - terminals from
the module. Rated at 1000Vrms, this 20mm
varistor would have a maximum DC rated
voltage of 1414Vdc and a clamp voltage of
2970V at 100A.
Figure 5/2 utilizes two varistors placed in
series. Typically two 550Vrms (745Vdc)
rated Varistors are deployed hereby achiev-
ing the same rating as Figure 5/1, with the
advantage of a lower maximum clamp volt-
age of 2710V at 100A.
Figure 5/3 deploys the same concept as Fig-
ure 5/2 but with a separation to system earth
provided by a GDT. This solution can assist
with the compensation of ageing of the
Varistors mentioned above in the normal
operating conditions. However, the extin-
guish characteristics of the GDT must be
taken seriously in account to avoid that the
GDT remains in a conductive mode (arc or
glow mode) after firing.
AC Output
Although, in this application, we are supply-
ing AC power to the Grid, the connection
provides a source of over-voltage and over-
current, not to mentioned other disturbances
such as EMI Noise. In this as such the pro-
tection of the Inverter can be compared to
the input stage of a standard power supply.
The typical concepts are similar to those
shown above. The main difference being the
selection of Varistor ratings to suit the AC
network voltage. Here as a general rule
300Vrms or 320Vrms rated Varistors are
common for European line voltages of up to
240Vrms.
Specific Requirements
All of these solutions fulfil the intended
requirements of providing over-voltage pro-
tection to the inverter, Figures 1 and 2 do
not address the previously mentioned prob-
48 Bodo´s Power Systems®
lems of ageing. The newly published IEC
62109-1 “Safety of power converters for use
in photovoltaic power systems – Part 1: Gen-
eral requirements“, does not specifically
address this point. However, to draw some
analogies from other IEC standards, the lat-
est revision of IEC 60950-1 (Information
Technology Equipment) provides provision
that only Varistors, qualified against IEC
61051-2-2 and which meet the requirements
of Annex Q (IEC 60950-1), may be used as
the primary protector. In addition, for protec-
tion of Varistors, overcurrent protection or a
similar interrupting device / means is
required to be supplied in series with the
Varistors to ensure that in the case of ther-
mal runaway that the Varistor itself does not
become a safety issue.
Installation of External Overvoltage Pro-
tection
In general, the insurers of solar installations
demand that Overvoltage Category 2
(coarse protection) SPDs are installed when
the power of an insured installation exceeds
50kW. Below this rating, there are no clear
guidelines and hence it would seem that the
cost of protection versus the cost of replace-
ment means does not justify additional exter-
nal protection and that the fine protection
inside the inverter should be sufficient.
Enhanced Protection in Inverters
As a result of the statements from insurance
companies and the trend to extend warranty
periods, the demand for improved protection
which covers the previously mentioned prob-
lems of ageing coupled with a means of indi-
cating failure will increase.
Figure 6: Thermal protected Varistor Block Diagram
Thermally Protected Varistors
Awareness of the problems associated with
ageing and thermal runaway have been
addressed by the major producers of Varis-
tors through so-called thermally protected
varistors. These devices feature a thermal
surveillance of the Varistor which can result
in the disconnection of the Varistor to the
supply when a threshold temperature is
November 2010
exceeded. Through these devices, e.g. the
ETFV20K1000 from TDK-EPC, (ETFV –
EPCOS Thermal Fuse Varistor) some of the
harmful effects of aging of varistors have
been eliminated while still providing a cost
effective solution to Inverter designers. In
addition, since these devices feature an
external monitoring of the status of the pro-
tection through a LED. If the LED is no
longer illuminated, then the user should be
instructed to contact the service department
for a prompt replacement of the thermally
protected varistor otherwise the warranty is
invalidated and so that the returns on invest-
ment can be optimised. In the case of
replacement of the “opened” Varistor, the
thermally protected ETFV Varistor could be
hard-wired via screw terminals on the pcb
and not soldered onto the pcb using conven-
tional through-hole processes – this will
leads to simple and effective replacement of
the ETFV.
Figure 6: Thermal protected Varistor Device
Summary
Varistors offer a cost effec-
tive solution for the protec-
tion over Solar Invertors
against over-voltages but
they themselves are the
subject of ageing that can
reduce their effective life-
time and make them a
safety hazard. Thermally
Protected Varistors from
TDK-EPC can help to
address this point and can
be easily replaced follow-
ing operation helping to
reduce down times and to optimize returns
on investment.
design-solutions@epcos.com
www.epcos.com
www.bodospower.com
 TECHNOLOGY

Driving eGaNTM FETs

Both gate and Miller capacitances are significantly lower
As enhancement mode gallium-nitride-on-silicon transistors (eGaNTM) gain wider
acceptance as the successor to the venerable - but aged - power MOSFET, designers have
been able to improve power conversion efficiency, size, and cost. eGaN FETs, however,
are based on a relatively new and immature technology with limited design infrastructure
to quickly design and implement products.
By Johan Strydom PhD, Director of Application Engineering,
Efficient Power Conversion Corporation
In this article we discuss several key considerations for designers only require a layout with less parasitic capacitance, resistance, and
wanting to quickly get eGaN-based systems to market. inductance, but also cause some new considerations for the gate
driver. Let’s consider a half- bridge with a high dV/dt turn-on of a
Gate drive requirements complementary device as shown in Figure 1. The ‘Miller’ charge cur-
To determine the gate drive circuit requirements, and how they differ rent flows from the drain (switching node) through CGD and CGS to
from silicon MOSFET drivers, it is necessary to compare their device source as well as through CGD to RG (internal gate resistance) and
parameters (see table 1). The three most important parameters for RSink (gate driver sink resistance) to source. The requirement for
eGaN FETs are, (1) the maximum allowable voltage, (2) the threshold avoiding dV/dt (Miller) turn-on is given by:
voltage and, (3) the “body diode” voltage drop. The maximum allow-
able gate-source voltage of 6V is low in comparison with silicon. Sec- CGD x dV/dt x (RG + RSink) x (1 – e- dt/α) <VTH
ondly, the threshold is also low compared to most power MOSFETs,
but does not suffer from as strong a negative temperature coefficient. Where α is the passive network time constant (RG + RSink) x (CGD +
Thirdly, the “body diode” forward drop can be a volt higher than com- CGS) and dt is the dV/dt switching time. Thus to avoid Miller turn-on,
parable silicon MOSFETs. it is necessary to limit the total resistance path (internal gate resist-
FET type Typical 100 V Silicon 100 V eGaN™ ance RG and external gate drive sink resist-
Maximum gate-source voltage +/-20 V +6 V /-5 V ance RSink) between the device gate and its
Reverse ‘body diode’ voltage ~1 V ~1.5-2.5 V source. To be safe, a gate drive pull-down
Gate threshold 2V–4V 0.7 V - 2.5 V resistance of 0.5Ω or less is recommended
dV/dt capacitance (Miller) ratio QGD(50 V)/QGS(VTH) 0.5-0.8 1.1 for higher voltage eGaN devices.
Internal gate resistance >1 ȍ <0.6 ȍ
Change in RDS(ON) from 25°C to 125°C >+70% <+50% Gate pull-up resistance
Change in VTH from 25°C to 125°C -33% -3% Because the total Miller charge (QGD) is
Gate to source leakage few nA few mA much lower for an eGaN FET than for a sim-
Body diode reverse recovery charge high none ilar on-resistance power MOSFET, it is pos-
Avalanche capable Yes not rated sible to turn on much faster. As stated
Table 1: Comparison between 100V Si MOSFETs and eGaN™ FETs above, too high of a dV/dt can actually
reduce efficiency by creating shoot-through
Gate pull-down resistance during the ‘hard’ switching transition. It would therefore be advisable
A great advantage offered by eGaN FETS is their fast switching to have the ability to adjust the gate drive pull-up resistance to mini-
speed. However, the higher di/dts and dV/dts that accompany this not mize transition time without inducing other unwanted losses. This
also allows adjustment of the switch node voltage overshoot and
ringing for improved EMI. The simplest solution is to split the gate
pull-up and pull-down connections in driver and allow the insertion of
a discrete resistor.

Gate drive dead-time matching

Figure 1: Effect of dV/dt and requirements for avoiding Miller turn-on
eGaN FET reverse bias or “body diode” operation has the benefit of
no reverse-recovery losses. This advantage, however, can be offset
by the higher “body diode” forward voltage drop. The diode conduc-
tion losses can be significant, especially at low voltages and high fre-
quencies. Unlike diode reverse recovery losses; these conduction
losses can be minimized through proper dead-time management that
minimizes the “body diode” conduction interval.

50 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

 TECHNOLOGY

Silicon gate drivers / controllers tend to have effective minimum

dead-time around 20ns (+/-10ns) for low voltages, increasing with
bus voltage to around 400ns (+/- 100ns) for 600V drivers. With eGaN
FETs, both gate and Miller capacitances are significantly lower than
equivalent silicon devices, leading to shorter delay and switching
times. These allow for much tighter dead-time control which would be
beneficial in reducing “body diode” conduction loss. A reduction of
dead-time between half and one-fourth the above values, with a simi-
lar reduction in the variation, would be preferred.

Figure 2: Discrete gate-driver solution showing method for comple-

mentary high-side and low-side supply voltage matching.

Gate drive supply regulation

The current maximum gate voltage limitation of 6V on the eGaN FET
restricts the allowable gate drive supply range, and requires at least
some form of supply regulation – especially on the high side. A post
bootstrap diode regulator eliminates the effect of changes in the sup-

Improve drives
efficiency?

Certainly.

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e-mail: sensors.sales@fr.abb.com
 TECHNOLOGY
ply due to the dead time variation with a higher “body diode” voltage
drop. For complementary driven half-bridge with minimal dead-time, a
diode matching network shown in Figure 2 can be used.
Layout considerations
Figure 3: Equivalent circuit showing di/dt effect of ‘hard’ turn-on of
complementary device
Figure 4: Conceptual waveforms for circuit in Figure 2 during ‘hard’
turn-on of complementary device showing effect of CSI ringing
Gate drive loop inductance
The maximum allowable gate voltage of 6V is only one volt above the
recommended 5V drive voltage. This requires an accurate gate drive
supply, as well as a limited inductance between the eGaN device and
gate driver as the inductance can cause an overshoot on the gate.
Effect of common source inductance (CSI)
The addition of CSI effectively reduces efficiency by inducing a volt-
age across the CSI that opposes the gate drive voltage, increasing
switching times. It is therefore critical to minimize common source
inductance for optimum switching performance. Increase in CSI will
actually decrease the possibility of Miller turn-on if one accepts its
increased switching loss. This is because at the ‘hard’ turn-on of the
complementary device, the current commutation di/dt across the CSI
induces a negative voltage across the gate to help keep the device
off during part of the voltage transition. However, CSI, gate capaci-
tance, and gate drive pull-down loop now form an LCR resonance
that must be damped to avoid an equivalent positive voltage ringing
across the gate. This ringing could turn the device on again near the
52 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
end, or even after the voltage transition. Although increasing the gate
drive sink resistance can help damp this resonance, the addition of a
ferrite bead that is resistive at the resonant frequency can achieve
the same result with less increase in Miller turn-on sensitivity (Figure
3 shows the equivalent circuit and Figure 4 the conceptual wave-
forms). In short, CSI is much more important to eGaN FETs than sili-
con due to higher di/dt and dV/dt and should be minimized through
careful layout.
Suggested Layout
Given the considerations listed above, it is possible to develop a rec-
ommended layout. The layout presented depicts a half-bridge config-
uration, but following the above requirements can be applied to other
applications as well
Figure 5: Suggested half bridge layout using 4-layer PCB
A simple four layer PCB is presented in Figure 5. It should be noted
that the copper thickness must be maximized to limit resistive losses
and improve thermal spreading (2 oz copper on outer layers is rec-
ommended). In this example the source connection of each part is
brought underneath to act as shield (especially under the gate area)
and minimize additional parasitic CGD. The gate return connection is
made on the smaller source pad to separate gate return current and
power source current paths,– thus minimizing CSI.
Summary
EPC’s eGaN FETs give the engineer a new spectrum of performance
compared with silicon power MOSFETs. In order to extract full advan-
tage from this new, game-changing technology, designers must learn
some new techniques on how to design cost-effective eGaN drive cir-
cuitry that works on a cost-effective PCB.
www.ecp-co.com
www.bodospower.com
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 POWER MODULES

Drive Engineering and Circuitry

17 mm technology: Rectifiers, IGBTs and drivers for motor control
The IGBT is seen as the power semiconductor solving problems, combining the
advantages of bipolar and field effect technology, thus making it easy to control even
large power converters. Modern solutions are realized in 17 mm stack height, which
increases the clearance distance in electric control cabinets. But only the adequate driver
gets all advantages of an IGBT.
By Wolf-Dieter Roth, HY-LINE
An IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) in 17 mm height can be used, which are also Small errors in controlling could produce
can be controlled with a high impedance, provided by HY-LINE Power Components. big damages
like a tube, like the Thyratrons in the early Hence the rectifiers in 17 mm height and the Besides simple IGBT modules you will also
days of power electronics. But in contrast to IGBTs in 17 mm height can be connected in find modern IPMs (Intelligent Power Mod-
a Thyristor the IGBT can be switched off any one level with bus bars (Figure 1). ules) with their own integrated protection cir-
time like a MOSFET. At the same time the cuit. IPMs do not provide galvanic isolation
forward voltage of the IGBT is limited like the though and limit potential performance char-
forward voltage of a bipolar-transistor. On acteristics by the constant protection circuit.
the other hand it does not need a permanent Consequently, additional discrete, external
control current to stay in conductive mode. components are still necessary, having bad
So it combines the best of both technologies influence on reliability and costs. Further-
and is a robust component, which can be more self-contained shutdown of power
used in power electronics in many different semiconductors in equipment with multilevel
ways, e.g. for motor-control. handling makes no sense and accordingly
can destroy the semiconductor and the com-
Like rectifier diodes power IGBTs are put in plete construction – a controlled shutdown is
robust modular housings, which can be absolutely necessary in this case. Finally the
screwed on heat sinks and can be connect- driver should only become active with the
ed with bus bars. Up to now the standard correct supply voltage being available to
Figure 1: Powersem rectifier modules and
height of these modules was 30 mm. Thus avoid inaccurate switching operations.
Mitsubishi IGBT modules
the creeping distance in air between the bus
bars and the cover (or the door) of the con- The driver is essential
trol box was relatively small, if boxes had An IGBT can be controlled easier than other
been designed for flat modules. components, but the controlling is not trivial:
It is not enough to connect a simple signal
Standardised construction height of 17 line – to build up a soundly controllable con-
mm verter with IGBTs you need specific control
The newest generation of IGBTs in the logic.
Econo-Dual-Housing needs only a total
height of 17 mm – a reduction of 13 mm. Besides the driver has a big influence to the
Now this space is additionally available for efficiency of the power semiconductor: small
clearance distance. At the same time this is inaccuracy in switching already leads to
the 6th generation of the IGBT-manufacturer higher power dissipation and minor degrees
Mitsubishi [1], who is represented by HY- in efficiency as well as transient characteris- Figure 2: Concept IGBT driver 2SP0115T
LINE Power Components [2]: After Planar-, tics caused by too long or -worse- too short assembled ready to go on Mitsubishi CM
Trench- and lastly CSTBT-technology (Carri- dead times, by switching too quick or too 200 DX-24S 17 mm IGBT module
er Stored Trench Bipolar Transistor) now slow. Especially three phase bridge circuits Thus it makes more sense to integrate the
Advanced CSTBT is state of the art. are dependent on exact driving to avoid per- protection circuit in the control logic that is
formance-losses or even switching-failures, needed anyway and to place it in the driver.
The 17 mm IGBT modules of Mitsubishi are which put the costly module at risk and could At failures like short-circuit, overload, con-
available in single-version up to sevenfold lead to fatal consequences due to the high trolling error, over- or subvoltage ordinary
version for 600 V, 1200 V and 1700 V power ratings. circuits fail quickly. In the case of high priced
reverse bias and for a current range of 50 A power components that is unpleasant –
to 1000 A. aside from the uncontrollable effects of high
Thereto the rectifier bridges of Powersem [3] powers being out of control.

54 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

 POWER MODULES

Galvanic Isolation modules and are united with the IGBT module by soldering. So after-
Moreover galvanic isolation is necessary in most cases, which can wards only one module has to be mounted, which contains the IGBT
be realised inductively or optically. Optical fibres have not only the power module of Mitsubishi and the IGBT control circuit of Concept
advantage of being adequate for high potential differences, but also (Figure 3).
of providing the transmitting medium at the same time. So optical
fibres are the favoured solution for high voltages and cascaded IGBT
circles, which for example are used for high-voltage direct-current
transmission (HVDC-transmission). In addition they are resistant
against transient characteristics, which can couple into the circuit
though stray capacities in solutions with transformers or also opto-
electronic couplers.

Contrary to optoelectronic couplers, which are too slow and do not

offer enough isolation voltage for many applications, the transmission
time of transformer-solutions is in the range of ns. Besides the trans-
former-solution is long time stable and therefore interesting for high-
er-frequency circuitry. Both coupling types can be integrated in a driv-
er circuit quite well, whereas it would be quite complicated to realize
galvanic isolation at the last moment, at the gate of the IGBT.
Figure 3: Direct Master/Slave paralleling with optic coupling avoids
problems with multiple optic coupling and differing delay times result-
ing from this.
Integration in time
The common user could not and should not take care of these items,
but these things could bring incomprehensible problems in the circuit,
if they were not taken into account in the construction. At first view
cost-saving self-made developments, which supply only the basic
functions of driver circuits, could therefore not keep up with highly
integrated, intelligent drivers in the long time, which are adapted to
possible shortcomings of high-performance-IGBT-systems and avoid
potential breakdown of the costly components by well-timed integrat-
ed protection. This is featured by the IGBT-drivers of Concept Tech-
nologie [4] (Figure 2).
Figure 4: View on a highly integrated ASIC in a Concept IGBT driver
With Concept Scale-Drivers of the second generation paralleling of
IGBT modules can be done more accurately than with standard cir-
cuits, because drivers can be decentralised and asymmetries of the
IGBT-modules have no influence on controlling. Even in 6.5 kV sys-
tems with optical coupling paralleling of several modules via their
own drivers and a common bus is no problem.
The drivers are available for the normal commercial (0°C to 70°C)
and for the industrial temperature range (-40°C to 85°C). They also
take care of aspects like the necessary creeping distance in air and
on surfaces and take the required testing of partial discharge into
account. The delay time is around 100 ns. The units come with trans-
formers and DC-converters to switch the IGBT correctly and to con-
trol it – even on the High-Side.
In the co-operation of three different products a reliable and cost-effi-
cient solution for converters and motor control units comes to your
hand, which may be directly screwed into the equipment in the field
without high development work.
[1] Start Page HY-LINE Power Components: www.hy-line.de/power
[2] Mitsubishi IGBT Modules of 6th generation: www.hy-line.de/nx6
[3] Powersem Rectifiers: www.hy-line.de/powersem
[4] Concept IGBT Drivers: www.hy-line.de/concept ;
www.igbt-driver.com

In addition the Scale Plug-and-play IGBT-drivers of Concept are sim-

www.hy-line.de
ple to mount: In their PCB design the drivers are tailored to the IGBT

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WE THINK BIG – AND SMALL.
As a leading manufacturer of photocouplers, Toshiba’s product range continues to pioneer
innovation. Like lower power consumption and higher switching speed. Yet it’s all in new
smaller packages. Our latest SDIP package is 50% smaller than previous devices and
is ideal for circuits that require the reinforced isolation demanded for international safety
certification.
Whether your application is for industrial or domestic appliances, drives or factory
automation interfaces, when you want less, Toshiba gives you more.
Viisit us today at www.toshiba-components.com/photocouplers
 SMART POWER

Dual High Side Switches in

Smart Power Technology
Integrated solution for two output channels simplifies design
and enhances reliability
The device, the VNI2140J, integrates on-chip two 45V Power MOSFETs channels (80mOhm
typical Rds(on) at 25 degrees Celsius) together with logic, driver, protection, and diagnos-
tic. The VNI2140J is housed in the tiny Jedec standard PSSO-12 lead power package.
By Giuseppe Di Stefano and Michelangelo Marchese STMicroelectronics
This article presents a dual high side switch able to manage very large inductive loads, pler with a dark current of 10μA maximum.
able to drive any type of load (resistive, discharging the inductive energy quickly The channels are switched ON with a mini-
inductive and capacitive) with one side con- without the need for an external freewheel- mum level input voltage > 2.20V.
nected to the ground. The device uses ing diode. Under-voltage protection prevents Open drain status pins are able to drive
STMicroelectronics’ VIPower technology, a abnormal operations with very low supply directly a light emitting diode (LED); they
proprietary Smart Power technology that voltages, while loss of ground protection initi- give indications of both junction over-temper-
allows integration of the control part and the ates a switch-OFF of the power stages as ature shut-down and open load in OFF state
power stage on the same chip. soon as the ground references are lost for or short to Vcc.
any reason; thus preventing the destruction
The block diagram in Figure 1 shows that of the device. Open Load Detection in Off State
each channel is fully protected. Junction In order to detect the open load fault in OFF
over-temperature protection - thermally inde- The junction shut-down temperature for each state, a pull-up resistor must be connected
pendent for each channel, current limitation channel has a typical value of 175 °C; it pro- between the Vcc line and the output pin (see
(>1A, typically 1.6 A at 25 degrees Celsius), tects the channel against a generic over- Figure 2). In normal conditions, the current
and an inductive clamp (typically – 50V) are load. The case over-temperature protection flows through the network comprised of the
built-in on silicon. has a double thermal protection integrated pull-up resistor and the load. The voltage
on-chip, to avoid high temperature on the across the load is less than the minimum
Thanks to current limitation and thermal pro- PCB where the part is assembled. open load voltage; so the diagnostic pin is
tection, each channel is self-protected The input blocks of the device are kept at a high level.
against load short-circuit and over-current. TTL/CMOS compatible; they are designed in When an open load event occurs, the volt-
Due to the clamping chain at -50V, a demag- order to minimize input switching times, and age on the output pin rises to a value higher
netization circuitry is realized; the device is to allow the direct connection of an optocou- than the maximum open load voltage and
the diagnostic pin goes low level, thus sig-
naling the open load.

Application Tests
Figure 3 shows a typical application circuit of
the device VNI2140J; it represents the out-
put stage of a programmable logic controller
designed for industrial automation or
process control.

In order to protect the device in high-side

configuration from the harsh industrial condi-
tions of power supply lines, optocouplers
diodes are typically used to separate the
application control circuits from the power
supply, the inputs and in the diagnostic pins.

A transil diode protects the High Side Switch

(HSS) against both positive and negative
surge pulses to make the device compliant
Figure 1: VNI2140J Block diagram with IEC 61000-4-5.

56 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

 SMART POWER

An electrolytic capacitor must be placed on the bus line (Vcc) in order chip. As a result, only a current spike for a short time is allowed: just
to filter bus inductance effect making the supply voltage stable and the time needed to intervene the current limitation circuitry, thus trim-
avoiding under voltage shut-down. The size of the electrolytic capaci- ming the maximum output current to an internally set value (typically
tor is selected based on the slope of the output current, the imped- 1.6A).
ance of the complex power supply cables, as well as the maximum
allowed voltage drop across the device. A low ESR capacitor is sug-
gested, as close as possible to the HSS, in order to filter the power
supply line for electromagnetic compatibility concerns. In our exam-
ple, a 47uF capacitor has been selected. To comply with IEC 61000-
4-6 (Current injection test), a 10nF capacitor is added to the output
pins.

The toughest loads to be driven in a factory automation/process con-

trol are the inductive ones; it is common to drive a 1.15 Henry nomi-
nal load. The associated energy to manage such inductive loads is
appreciable, carrying out a sensible power dissipation and a very
high junction temperature.
Behavior with shorted load
Over-current and short circuit of the load to ground are the harshest
events we must face during the digital output operation. Under these
demanding circumstances, output stages must survive the dissipation
of all the associated energy. Additionally, the loads, connected to the
output stages, must be protected from the peak of current that could
reach unexpected values.
In order to safely manage very high peaks of currents during short
circuit of outputs to ground, a current limitation block is integrated on-
Figure 2: Open load detection in OFF state network
It is the same during a hard over-load. Internally limited output cur-
rent is not enough; however, in fact, if short circuit or over-load dura-
tion lasts throughout the time, the power dissipated into the device as
well as into the load becomes important, thus causing over-heating
enough to destroy the device and/or the load involved.
For that reason, thermal sensors have been built-in on-chip thus
switching OFF the over-loaded channels as soon as junction temper-
ature reaches an internally set value (>150°C).

www.bodospower.com November 2010 Bodo´s Power Systems® 57

 SMART POWER

Behavior with capacitive load

The VNI2140J can also drive a capacitive load without problems; it is
able to drive capacitors with very high capacitance. In figure 4, wave-
forms are reported driving a 4mF/50V capacitor. Due to the high
capacitance, the output current during capacitor charge is in current
limitation, so that we do not see the real charging current but the limi-
tation current internally set in the VNI2140J. When the capacitor is
almost completely charged, the current goes below the internally set
current limiting.

Figure 3: Typical Application Schematic Figure 4: Waveforms with capacitive load 4mF / 50V (yellow Vout,
Conclusion blu Vin, green Iout, red Vdiag)
A smart monolithic dual high side switch has been presented. The
new intelligent power switch (IPS) provides improved accuracy to
minimize energy losses and prevent system errors when faults occur.
These advantages are achieved using ST’s latest generation VIPow-
er™ technology, which allows a lower over-load current limit to main-
www.st.com
tain stable power conditions while the system is recovering.
REFERENCES
By providing an integrated solution for two output channels, the [1] “VNI2140J Dual high side smart power solid state relay,”
VNI2140J also simplifies design, enhances reliability, and saves PC- Datasheet, www.st.com.
Board space. This new two-channel IC is an important addition to [2] G.Di Stefano, M.Marchese, “A single switch quad high side
ST’s VIPower portfolio of industrial IPS, which already includes sin- switches with minimized power dissipation”, PCIM Nurnberg
gle-, quad-, and octal-channel devices. November 2008

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 P O W E R S U P P LY

Low Profile AC/DC

Power Supplies
Focused for industrial and special equipments
The modern market of AC / DC power supplies is widely represented by products with
operating temperature range of minus 10 to +70 ° C and of relatively larger size.
In addition, power supplies of power more than 150 watts often has in its composition
such potentially unreliable unit, such as built-in fan.
By Alexander Goncharov, P. h.D., Konstantin Stepnev and Oleg Negreba, AEPS Group
There are operating conditions for industrial and special purpose The disadvantage of the first structure is the remoteness of power
machinery with special requirements to power supplies for compact- supplies from supply loads due to the need to exclude a large num-
ness and resistance to intense influence of mechanical, climatic and ber of high voltage wires of input mains.
chemical factors (vibration, wide temperature range, dust, salt fog,
etc.).
AEPS Group has developed universal AC / DC power supplies that
are designed to power industrial and special equipments in all areas
of critical application with respect to combination of wide temperature
range, resistance to external influencing factors and low profile com-
pact design. Below, you will get a detailed overview of AEPS Group
power supplies and their functionality in three main area: Industrial,
Standard and Military.

Radio electronic equipments for «Military» and «Industrial» category

products typically require rated stabilized DC voltage of two to ten
from the range 3.3 V, 5 V, 9 V, 12 V, 15 V, 24 V, 27 V, 36 V, 48 V, 60
V for powering, which are generated from AC voltage of 220-230 V,
47 ... 440 Hz. Rated voltage of 14 V, 28 V and 56 V (taking into
account drop in ORing diode) are also used while operating with
buffer battery.
Currently, two structures, shown in Figures 1 and 2, are widely used
for distributed power systems.
Figure 2: Distributed power supply system with intermediate conver-
sation
However, maximum efficiency and minimum heat loss is achieved
under this construction of power supply, which is often the determin-
ing factor. The second structure has greater flexibility and unlimited
functional capabilities. For example, one can separately remote con-
trol each DC / DC module. Only in such structure, power supplies
can be brought maximum closer to the electronic devices being pow-
ered.

Power Supply Category

The range of AC / DC power supplies is categorized as «Standard»,
«Industrial» and «Military»

The low cost AC / DC power supplies of «Standard» category are

designed to power a variety of industrial equipment for general use.
They are produced on standard component base, supplied without
sealing/potting and operate in temperature range of minus 10 ... + 70
° C. The optimum configuration for most applications reduces the
cost while creating power supply system.

AC / DC power supplies of «Industrial» category with range of oper-

Figure 1: Distributed power supply system without intermediate con-
versation
Each of the given structure of power distribution has its own advan-
tages and disadvantages.
ating temperature minus 40 ... + 85 ° C is designed to power industri-
al equipment of different climatic versions. Power supplies are made
on component base, tested in wide range of temperatures and filled
with heat conducting compound that protects the components from
adverse external influencing factors.

60 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

www.bodospower.com November 2010 Bodo´s Power Systems® 61
 P O W E R S U P P LY
Table 1: Composition, basic characteristics and service functions of AC/DC AEPS Group modules
AC / DC power supplies of «Military» category have operating tem-
perature range of minus 50 ... + 85 ° C and produced on custom-
made component base. They have polymer thermal conducting seal-
ing and are designed for powering industrial and special equipments
in most severe climatic conditions. These modules undergo special
types of temperature and limit tests, including butn-in test with
extreme conditions modes of on and off.
Modules of «Industrial» and «Military» category are produced as per
design document coordinated with instances determining the require-
ments towards quality and parameters of article for defense applica-
tion.
AC/DC power supplies are designed for using in various configura-
tions of power supply systems. Hence, modules of power up to 200
W inclusive is optimum for use as power source in power supply sys-
tem without intermediate conversion (figure 1). They can have up to
three output channels and built on the basis of flyback convertor with
galvanic isolation between the input and output (figure 3).
Figure 3: Block diagram of modules of output power up to 200 W
inclusive
Modules of output power above 200 watts usually have one output
channel and can be used as a centralized stabilizer in the structure
shown in Figure 2. They are a half bridge asymmetrical forward con-
verter with galvanic isolation between input and output, shown
schematically in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Block diagram of modules of output power above 200 W
62 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
Power supplies modules not only have high specific power/energy
characteristics, but have a special design for common heat-removal
base thus reducing the volume required for power supply system.
Figure 5 shows schematically the design of modules in section.
There is an aluminum casing in the module base on which heat is
removed from all thermal loaded components of the circuit - power
transistors, diodes, transformers, chokes. As a result, the module
casing also acts as a radiator having good heat dissipation. Thus,
KS500A-230WS24-SCN series power supplies without additional
heat sink under normal climatic conditions are capable to supply load
of power around 200 watts, and with radiator and forced cooling –
power load of 500 W up to ambient temperature of + 85 °C.
Figure 5: Schematic design of module in cross section
The casing has mounting holes for installation of modules on the
heat sink; there is also version for mounting on DIN-rack. Module
PCB is protected against mechanical and climatic influences by a
thin-walled steel cover. Such a design of casing with four sides clos-
ing the power supply components further improves its electromagnet-
ic compatibility (EMC) with other equipments. Power supplies ver-
sions with polymer potting (heat conducting sealing) are produced for
better protection against external influencing factors in industrial and
special-purpose equipments, which eliminates damage to power sup-
plies due to vibration or dust, moisture and salt fog.
There are input and output screw terminal blocks on the module
PCB’s, modification with soldering pin leads or flexible mounting lead
is also possible.
The described implementation of technical solution allows to confi-
dently compete AC/DC power supplies of AEPS Group with similar
products from other manufacturers.
www.aeps-group.com
www.bodospower.com
 Central-Druck
printing with all the bits and pieces
Brochures
Central-Druck is a committed service-provider
Books for highly demanding customers.
Our customer
Catalogs appreciates the close working cooperation
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and perfect results.
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Industriestr. 2, 63150 Heusenstamm, Germany
Phone +49 6104 606-205, Fax +49 6104 606-400
Email kontakt@centraldruck.de

www.centraldruck.de
 NEW PRODUCTS
8-Pin High Efficiency Resonant Half-Bridge Control ICs
Introducing Innovative and Efficient Power Supply Solutions
TDK-Lambda EMEA will be showcasing its latest offering to industrial
equipment manufacturers visiting this year’s electronica. With a
range of 1.5W to 100kW AC-DC power supplies, DC-DC converters,
Buck-Boost DC/DC up to 98% Efficiency
Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTM4609MP, a buck-
boost DC/DC uModule® system-in-a-package that is guaranteed and
tested for the wide -55ºC to 125ºC temperature range. The
LTM4609MP is designed to deliver precision regulation in demanding
64 Bodo´s Power Systems® October 2010
International Rectifier has introduced the industry’s first 8-pin reso-
nant half-bridge control ICs for energy efficient Switch Mode Power
Supplies (SMPS) used in LCD televisions and monitors, home the-
ater systems, desktop computers, printers and game console appli-
cations. Available in an 8-pin SO-8 package, the IRS2795(1,2)S res-
onant half-bridge control ICs offer a high level of programmability and
protection. Features include programmable switching frequency up to
500 kHz with 50 percent fixed duty cycle, programmable soft start
frequency and soft start time, and programmable deadtime for opti-
mized Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) under all load conditions to
achieve high efficiency and low switching noise. The IRS2795(1,2)S
devices offer over-current protection using the on-state resistance
(RDS(on)) of the low-side MOSFET, eliminating the need for an addi-
tional current sense resistor.
Electronica Hall A5, Booth 320
www.irf.com
Programmable (Lab) DC power supplies and EMC/EMI noise filters,
callers to the TDK-Lambda booth will find a reliable and efficient
product that will fit their applications.
Among the many new product introductions to be presented during
the show is the TDK-Lambda HFE1600 series of 1U high, single out-
put AC-DC hot swap front end power supplies that have an industry
leading power density for a 1.6kW front-end of 25.2W/in3. Intended
for equipment requiring reliable 12V, 24V and 48V bulk power, typical
applications include communications, broadcast, military (COTS),
laser and process control. Up to 20% output voltage adjustment is
possible, enabling the HFE1600 to be customer set according to spe-
cific needs. Operating from a universal 85 to 265Vac input, the high
efficiency of up to 92% minimises heat dissipation and power con-
sumption thus meeting Climate Savers Computing efficiency stan-
dards.
Electronica Hall B2 Stand 205
www.emea.tdk-lambda.com
environments in applications such as military, avionics, heavy indus-
trial machinery, and harsh environment sensors.
The LTM4609MP is a high voltage and high efficiency DC/DC system
in a surface mount 15mm x 15mm x2.8mm LGA (land grid array)
package. The device regulates an output voltage from a variable
input voltage greater than, less than or equal to the output voltage.
The LTM4609MP operates from 4.5VIN to 36VIN, regulates an output
voltage from 0.8V to 34V and can deliver an output power up to
100W. Included in this uModule regulator is a synchronous buck-
boost DC/DC controller, four N-channel MOSFETs, input and output
bypass capacitors and compensation circuitry in a small plastic mold-
ed package. Only an inductor, feedback and sense resistors, and
bulk capacitors are required to implement a very low profile, compact
and high efficiency design. Application examples are point-of-load
and intermediate-bus regulation in networking, industrial and automo-
tive systems and high-power battery-operated devices.
Electronica Hall A4, Booth 538
www.linear.com
www.bodospower.com
 NEW PRODUCTS

Ultra-Thin Digital THINK POWER

Output Hall ICs
Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has launched a digital output mag-
netic sensor series that provides high sensitivity and low power oper-
ation in small surface mount packages. These new sensor ICs sup-
port demand for power saving in portable, battery operated equip-
ment as well as home appliance or industrial applications where
switching off individual functions contributes to higher overall system
efficiency.

The TCS20Dxx series offers dual pole detection and comes in push-
pull (TCS20DPx) or open drain (TCS20DLx) output configurations.
The smallest package option is the ultra compact CST6C package
(TCS20DxC). Measuring just 1.5mm x 1.15mm with a height of only
0.38mm, this version is ideal for non-contact switching applications
such as open/close sensing in portable, battery-powered devices. As FEATURES APPLICATIONS
home appliance and industrial applications are typically less sensitive  High current capability (up to  Synchronous recficaon
600A)  DC-DC converters
to board space requirements, Toshiba also offers the TCS20DxR  Low Rds(on)  Baery chargers
devices in SOT-23F package options measuring 2.9mm x 2.4mm x  HiPerFETTM versions available  Switch-mode and Resonant-
0.8mm. for fast power switching mode power supplies
performance  DC choppers
Electronica Hall A6 Stand A21  Avalanches capabilies  AC motor drives
 Uninterrupble power supplies
www.toshiba-components.com  High speed power switching
applicaons

Point-of-Load Power Designs Part

Number
Vdss
(V)
ID RDS(on) Qg Trr RthJC
(A) (mΩ) (nC) (ns) (οC/W)
PD
(W)
Package
Type
With New SuperSwitcher IITM IXTK600N04T2
IXTX600N04T2
40
40
600
600
1.5
1.5
590 100 0.12
590 100 0.12
1250
1250
TO-264
PLUS247
Micrel, Inc. rolled out its SuperSwitcher IITM family of integrated IXTK550N055T2 55 550 1.6 595 100 0.12 1250 TO-264
MOSFET buck regulators for high power density DC-DC applications. IXTN550N055T2 55 550 1.3 595 100 0.16 940 SOT227
The MIC26xxx SuperSwitcher IITM family is comprised of three DC- IXFK520N075T2 75 520 2.2 545 150 0.12 1250 TO-264
DC buck regulators featuring Micrel’s proprietary Hyper Speed Con- IXFX520N075T2 75 520 2.2 545 150 0.12 1250 PLUS247
IXFN240N15T2 150 240 5.2 460 140 0.18 830 SOT-227
trol TM architecture. The MIC26400, MIC26600 and MIC26950
IXFX240N15T2 150 240 5.2 460 140 0.12 1250 PLUS247
devices operate with an input supply voltage range from 4.5V to 26V
IXFN320N17T2 170 260 5.2 640 150 0.14 1070 SOT-227
and deliver an output current of 5A, 7A and 12A respectively. The IXFX320N17T2 170 320 5.2 640 150 0.09 1670 PLUS247
SuperSwitcher IITM family has been tailored to be Any CapacitorTM
stable and independent of output ESR, thus solving the perennial
problem of stability that power designers face with distributed output
capacitance.
Efficiency Through Technology
Electronica Hall A4 Stand 125
USA ASIA EUROPE
www.micrel.com IXYS Power IXYS Taiwan IXYS GmbH
sales@ixys.com sales@ixys.com.tw marcom@ixys.de
+1 408 457 9004 +886 2 2523 6368 +41 (0)32 37 44 020

www.bodospower.com September
November 2010
2010 Bodo´s Power Systems® 65
 NEW PRODUCTS

FPGA Reference Designs Targeting Motor Control

Actel Corporation announced the availability of SmartFusion intelli-
gent mixed signal FPGA reference designs targeting motor control
applications.. The reference designs, implemented in a single Smart-
Fusion device, illustrate Field Oriented Control (FOC) using various
feedback methods for permanent magnet synchronous motors
(PMSMs). SmartFusion devices, which integrate an FPGA, a hard
ARM® Cortex-M3microncontroller and programmable analog, are
uniquely suited for motor control applications and enable the design-
er to optimize the hardware/software partitioning for optimum motor
efficiency and performance.
The reference designs showcase a single A2F500 device controlling
up to four axes of PMSMs simultaneously using the complex FOC
algorithm with sufficient FPGA resources and bandwidth remaining
for additional custom logic.
Electronica Hall A5 Stand 476

www.actel.com

High-Efficiency Power Converter for Energy Harvesting

Texas Instruments introduced a high-efficien- reaching 75 percent efficiency at loads down
cy, ultra-low power step-down converter for to 100 uA. During light load operation, the
energy harvesting and low-power applica- device operates in a pulse frequency modu-
tions. The new TPS62120 achieves 96 per- lation (PFM) mode, consuming only 11 uA of
cent efficiency, and can generate a 75 mA quiescent current. The TPS62120 also main-
output current from an input voltage of 2 V to tains smooth, efficient operation at higher
15 V. The high-performance device supports currents by transitioning automatically from
energy harvesting and battery-powered its power save mode to a fixed-frequency
applications, as well as 9-V and 12-V line- pulse width modulation (PWM) mode.
powered systems. Electronica Hall A4, Stand 420
The TPS62120 synchronous converter fea-
tures a power save mode to provide high
efficiency over the entire load current range,
www.ti.com

2011 THE PREMIER

March 6–10, 2011 GLOBAL EVENT
Ft. Worth, Texas IN POWER
ELECTRONICS TM
TM

Visit the Apec 2011

web site for the latest
information!

www.apec-conf.org
SPONSORED BY
65V Dual-Channel, Dual-
Phase Synchronous Buck Mobile Medicine.
Controller
National Semiconductor Corp. introduced the LM5119, a high volt-
age, dual-channel, dual-phase, synchronous buck controller with
Powerful Diagnostics.
emulated current-mode (ECM) control. The LM5119 enables regu- High Image Quality with Low Power Consumption
lation of single or dual high-current voltages directly from inputs as
high as 65V, simplifying high voltage DC-DC conversion and reduc-
With increasing demand for accessible medical care, the need
ing PCB footprint by up to 50 percent versus alternative solutions for portable diagnostic imaging equipment is growing in clinics,
requiring two conversion stages. The LM5119 features a unique ambulances, and remote point-of-care facilities. Ultrasound is
combination of high performance, flexibility and ease-of-use for the least invasive, most mobile imaging solution and, with a much
demanding telecommunication, automotive and industrial control lower per scan cost, is positioned for the fastest growth. National
applications that require accurate voltage regulation. The device Semiconductor’s eight-channel transmit/receive chipset allows
expands National’s portfolio of high voltage synchronous buck con- designers to deliver high diagnostic image quality in portable
trollers to address higher load currents. systems with very low power consumption.

Pulser

T/R Switch Tx Beamformer

CT∑Δ
Today’s telecommunication, automotive and industrial control appli- LNA DVGA ADC
cations must regulate low output voltages at increasing load cur-
CW
rents from a high input voltage that can change widely while still Doppler
meeting stringent PCB space and efficiency requirements. Nation- Analog Front End DVGA Microwire
al’s LM5119 enables direct regulation of two output voltages from Power
an input.
Clock FPGA
© National Semiconductor Corporation, 2010. National Semiconductor, , Microwire, and PowerWise are registered trademarks. All rights reserved.

www.national.com/analog/power
PCI/USB

High Quality 150-mm Sili-

Micro-
con Carbide Substrates processor

Cree, Inc. announced that it has achieved a major breakthrough in

the development and wide scale commercialization of silicon car-
bide (SiC) technology with the demonstration of high quality, 150-
mm SiC substrates with micropipe densities of less than 10/cm2.
The current Cree standard for SiC substrates is 100-mm diameter
material. Shown: Portable Ultrasound System Diagram
SiC is a high-performance semiconductor material used in the pro-
duction of a broad range of lighting, power and communication
components, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), power switching
devices and RF power transistors for wireless communications.
The significant size advancement of single crystal SiC substrates to
150-mm can enable cost reduction and increased throughput, while
bolstering the continued growth of the SiC industry.

Electronica Hall A4 Stand 501

www.cree.com

www.bodospower.com national.com/ultrasound
 NEW PRODUCTS

Boosting Confidence
in de-rated DC Caps
for AC Circuits
UK capacitor manufacturer, Syfer Technolo-
gy has addressed the issue of understanding
precisely how a de-rated DC capacitor will
behave in normal AC operational conditions.
“This has the great advantage of enabling

designers to specify these components with

much greater confidence,” explained
Matthew Ellis, Senior Engineer at Syfer.
A key feature of Syfer’s stand at Electronica
2010, is the firm’s latest range of fully char-
acterised X7R and C0G dielectric multilayer
SuperSpeed USB
chip capacitors (MLCCs). “These devices Circuit Protection Solutions
are ideal for de-rating in a range of AC appli-
USB 3.0 delivers 10 times the data rate of USB 2.0 and can
cations,” Ellis added. They offer capaci-
use nearly twice the power. So protecting your circuit from
tances of up to 120nF, for continuous use at
overcurrent, overvoltage and ESD damage is all the more
up to 250Vac 60Hz. “And we’ll have a num-
critical to help assure reliable performance.
ber of technical experts on hand at Munich
You can rely on Tyco Electronics Circuit Protection for a
to advise engineers and specifiers.”
complete range of products and the applications expertise
This range is complementary to Syfer’s certi-
you need.
fied ranges of surge and safety capacitors.
Y2/X1, Y3/X2 and X2 rated components are • Innovative PolyZen overvoltage protection
available in case sizes 1808, 1812, 2211, • The latest in silicon-based and polymer ESD protection
2215 and 2220 with certifications from TÜV • Industry-leading PolySwitch resettable overcurrent protection
and UL for standard terminations, together
with the FlexiCap™ flexible polymer termina- For the latest information, go to www.circuitprotection.com/usb3
tion option.
www.circuitprotection.com
Electronica Hall B6 Stand 336 © 2009 Tyco Electronics Corporation. All rights reserved.
www.tycoelectronics.com
PolySwitch, PolyZen, TE (logo) and Tyco Electronics are trademarks of
www.syfer.com the Tyco Electronics group of companies and its licensors.

Efficient 1.5 A Switching Regulator

CUI Inc’s power line, V-Infinity, announced
the addition of a 1.5 A model to their V78XX
switching regulator series. With this latest
addition, CUI now offers 0.5 A, 1 A, 1.5 A,
and 2 A switching regulators to meet a wide
variety of power needs. The compact
V78XX-1500 series has been designed to be
a high performance alternative to linear reg-
ulators. Unlike linear regulators, this series
does not require a heat sink, making it ideal
for applications where board space is at a
premium and energy efficiency is a concern.
The V78XX-1500 series has efficiencies up
to 95% in a compact SIP package measur-
ing 11.50 x 9.00 x 17.50 mm. Units are pin
out compatible with industry standard
LM78XX linear regulators and come in both
straight and right angle pin configurations.
This series has a wide input range available
from 4.75 to 18 Vdc and regulated output
voltages of 2.5, 3.3, 5, and 6.5 Vdc. Operat-
ing temperature range of -40 to +85°C at
100% load. The non-isolated converters
offer short circuit protection, thermal shut-
down, very low ripple and noise, and an
MTBF of 2 million hours. The V78XX-1500
series switching regulators are available
now.
www.cui.com

68 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

 NEW PRODUCTS

Microcontrollers Support Multi-Function Smart-Metering

Microchip announces the 8-bit PIC18F87J72 microcontroller (MCU)
family optimised for single-phase, multi-function smart-metering and
energy-monitoring applications. Featuring a dual-channel, high-per-
formance 16-/24-bit Analogue Front End (AFE), the new MCUs pro-
vide an accurate, reliable, easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for
developing meters that exceed International Electrotechnical Com-
mission (IEC) class 0.5 performance.
The MCUs integrate 64 or 128 KB Flash programme memory and 4
KB RAM, enabling time-of-use and multi-tariff functions, as well as a
high level of peripheral integration, including a LCD driver, hardware
Real-Time Clock/Calendar (RTCC) and a Charge-Time Measurement
Unit (CTMU) for implementing a capacitive-touch user interface.
Energy-calculation firmware, a development board and a reference
design are available, providing a complete solution that lowers costs
and shortens time to market for a variety of smart-metering and ener-
gy-monitoring applications.
As an addition to Microchip’s existing energy-metering and power-
monitoring portfolio, the PIC18F87J72 MCU family addresses market
demands for an integrated smart energy-metering and power-moni-
toring MCU.
Electronica Hall A4 Stand 560

www.microchip.com

Low Profile Resonant Transformers with Improved Cooling

The demand for low profile, high efficiency
magnetics , is driving the need for high per-
formance planar transformers to be used in
extreme low profile power converters such
as in the flat screen industry.
The low profile restriction for components
needed in the flat screen industry has chal-
lenged Payton to develop a standard line of
under 8mm height transformers for natural
cooling. Our 200Watt (55mm x 40mm x
8mm) transformer is designed for a resonant
half bridge operation. Payton can design the
low profile transformers for many switch
mode topologies with operating frequencies
of over 200khz. The input voltage is 400V
with over 3000Vrms isolation and full 8mm
creepage and clearance. The total power
losses are under 3.8 watts with 40°C tem-
perature rise with no additional cooling. The
efficiency of this magnetic is in the 98%
range. The parts can be used without a
heatsink.
www.paytongroup.com
 NEW PRODUCTS
Current-Compensated Ring Core Power Chokes
GaN HEMTs for L to C Band Amplifiers
Mitsubishi Electric is introducing three models of gallium nitride
(GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with 10W, 20W and
40W output powers, for L to C band (0.5~ 6.0 GHz) amplifiers. The
Two Independently Dimmable LED Strings
National Semiconductor Corp. announced the LM3492 LED driver
with dynamic headroom control that accurately and efficiently drives
70 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010
TDK-EPC, a group company of the TDK Corporation, presents a new
sample kit of EPCOS current-compensated ring core power chokes.
These EMC components are designed for a voltage of 250 V AC and
offer current capabilities of between 0.4 and 6.0 A. Their inductances
are between 0.2 and 39 mH.
The power chokes of the series B82721* are designed for the sup-
pression of common-mode interference in compact switch-mode
power supplies and converters of all types.
Thanks to stray inductances of about 1 percent of the rated induc-
tance, symmetrical interference can also be suppressed. Depending
on the type, the DC resistance values range from 30 to 2000 mOhm.
The design of the chokes corresponds to EN 60938-2 (VDE 0565-2).
The entire series is approved to UL 1283 (up to 300 V) and/or ENEC/
VDE and is RoHS-compatible.
The sample kit contains a selection of available types in horizontal
and vertical versions.
Electronica Hall B5 Stand 506
www.epcos.com/power_chokes
three devices are designed for use in base stations for mobile
phones, very small aperture terminals and other transmission equip-
ment.
The new models feature high output power, high efficiency and high
voltage operation with output amplifiers of 10W, 20W and 40W. They
have a power added efficiency of about 50% (at 2.6 GHz) and a high
voltage operation of 47W. All three devices are integrated into a
4.4mm by 14.0mm small package which helps to reduce the required
mounting surface in amplifiers.
Gallium nitride is gathering attention due to its high breakdown volt-
age and high saturated electron speed. In March 2010, Mitsubishi
Electric became the first company in the world to manufacture fully
space qualified GaN HEMTs for C band space applications. HEMT
devices that use GaN have higher power density, which helps to
save energy and contributes to making transmitters more compact
and light weight. Furthermore, they offer an increased operating life-
time.
www.mitsubishichips.eu
current to two independently dimmable strings of LEDs. The LM3492,
a member of National’s PowerWise® energy-efficient product family,
maximizes system efficiency and reduces system complexity and
cost in automotive LCD backlight applications.
The LM3492’s dynamic headroom control feature dynamically adjusts
the LED supply voltage through the boost converter feedback to the
lowest level required to provide optimal system efficiency. Three
embedded MOSFETs reduce system complexity and cost.
National’s LM3492 integrates a boost converter and a two-channel
current regulator to efficiently and cost-effectively drive two independ-
ently dimmable LED strings with a maximum power of 15W and an
output voltage of up to 65V. Integrated fast slew rate current regula-
tors allow high frequency and narrow pulse width dimming signals to
achieve a very high contrast ratio of 1000:1. The LED current is pro-
grammable from 50 mA to 200 mA by a single resistor.
www.national.com
www.bodospower.com
 Embracing our founding philosophy of harmony, sincerty, and pioneering spirit, HITACHI introduces the new line
up of high efficiency E2 series IGBTs for high power, environmentally friendly, energy generation systems.
2 and 3 level MW inverter systems using E2 series modules may offer you 15% better efficiency, 20% higher operating
temperatures, 25% higher power density as well as customary HITACHI quality and service.
Whether you are designing for a wind turbine or solar array grid connection application, with HITACHI E2 IGBTs you are
one step closer to making your contribution to a world with lower emissions.

Hitachi Europe Ltd. Power Device Division Tel: +44 1628 585000 E-mail: pdd@hitachi-eu.com

Power Device Division

DIGITAL ISOLATORS
REPLACE OPTOCOUPLERS
Say hello to the Silicon Labs’ family of digital isolator and ISOdriver solutions, and say goodbye to the limitations
of optocouplers. Silicon Labs’ isolators feature ultra low power consumption even at incredibly fast data
rates, robust multi-channel and bi-directional communications and reliability unachievable with optocouplers.
ISOdrivers combine our digital isolator technology with gate drivers, delivering up to 4 A peak output current.

THE LOWEST POWER ROBUST AND RELIABLE MULTI-CHANNEL AND BI-

CONSUMPTION EVEN AT
VERY HIGH DATA RATES
Based on our patented RF isolation
architecture, Silicon Labs’ digital isolators
offer the lowest power consumption at data
rates up to 150 Mbps. Power consumption
stays low even as data rates increase.
OPERATION THAT YOUR
APPLICATIONS DEMAND
Silicon Labs’ isolators and ISOdrivers
lead the industr y in data rate, low
propagation delay, RF immunity, ESD
and jitter performance. And they excel
in even the harshest environments.
DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS—
IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY
Silicon Labs’ digital isolators are designed for
a wide range of demanding applications. With a
small footprint, up to 5 kV isolation and up to
6 channels, we’ve got a solution for all of your
isolation needs.

Tired of your existing opto+driver solution? Take the ISOdriver Challenge:

www.silabs.com/ISOdriverChallenge
©2010 Silicon Laboratories Inc. All rights reserved.
 NEW PRODUCTS

Measure Traction Energy with

Unprecedented Accuracy
Transducer specialist LEM has created a measurement technology
that enables unprecedented levels of accuracy in on-board monitor-
ing of train power consumption.

The matched and optimised devices comprise transducers for current

and voltage, and a new energy meter. All three units provide levels
of accuracy not previously seen in the sector, and come with the spe-
cific certification recognised in the electric rail traction industry. Used
together, they enable designers to meet or exceed existing and
planned specifications: they also offer the same levels of accuracy to mA (at 4000A primary current) from a supply voltage of +/-24V to its
system designers working in other areas of high-power electrical sup- measurement (secondary) circuit. Fluxgate technology is noted for its
ply. high levels of both accuracy and linearity; the ITC 4000’s linearity
Current, in the high-accuracy power transducer suite, is monitored by error is under 0.05%. The device’s offset current is less than +/-
introductions to LEM’s ITC 4000 or ITC 2000/1000 ranges. Certified 10?A and it also exhibits extremely very low temperature drift. The
to Class 0.5R, the ITC 4000 employs an advanced closed-loop (com- ITC 4000 operates over –40 to +85 deg oC, and meets or exceeds
pensated) current measurement design based on the Fluxgate princi- all relevant standards for safety and operating environment.
ple. Nominally rated at 4000A, the ITC 4000 will measure +/-6000A,
consuming less than 80 mA (at zero primary current) to under +/-340
www.lem.com

Efficient Dual Step-Down Regulator

Intersil Corporation introduced an efficient,
dual channel step-down regulator that
reduces component count and optimizes
design flexibility for high power-density
industrial, communications and consumer
electronics applications.
The new ISL85033 integrates two high-side
MOSFETs that can source 3A per channel or
current-share 6A on a single two-phase out-
put. A wide 4.5V to 28V input voltage range
makes it an ideal solution for intermediate
bus generation and point-of-load (POL) reg-
ulation.
The ISL85033 includes features that maxi-
mize performance and efficiency while
reducing external component count and
improving design flexibility. These include
low resistance power MOSFETs optimized
for thermal performance up to 3A of output
current per channel. In addition, a precision
internal reference supports output voltages
down to 0.8V. The PWM regulator switches
at a default frequency of 500kHz and can be
user-programmed or synchronized over a
300kHz to 2MHz range, allowing user opti-
mization of conversion efficiency versus
inductor size.
Electronica Hall A4 Stand 207
www.intersil.com

ADVERTISING INDEX
ABB France 51 GVA C2 National 67
ABB semi C3+19 Hitachi 71 Payton 61
AEPS 57 infineon 11 PCIM 45
APEC 66 InPower 43 PEM UK 72
Bicron 21 International Rectifier C4 Power E Moskow 49
Centraldruck 63 Intersil 31 Powersem 7
Cierre 59 ITPR 8+58 Silicon Labs 71
cirrus 15 IXYS 61+65 Semikron 13
CT Concept Technologie 25 KCC 1 sps ipc drives 44
Curamik 29 Lem 5 TDK-EPCOS 9
CUI 47+53 LS Industries 69 Toshiba 55
Danfoss Silicon Power 33 Magnetics 59 Tyco 68
Dau 35 Maxim 23 Varsi 37
electronica 39 Microchip 3 VMI 53
EMV 2011 41+43 Microsemi 51 Würth Electronic 53
Fuji 17 Mitsubishi 27

72 Bodo´s Power Systems® November 2010 www.bodospower.com

 Let there be light

Economically
with ABB
semiconductors

ABB Switzerland Ltd

Semiconductors
Tel: + 41 58 586 1419
Power and productivity
www.abb.com/semiconductors for a better world™
 Rugged, Reliable MOSFETs
for Industrial Applications
RDS(on) Max. Features
VDS ID QG • Low on resistance per silicon area
Part Number VGS=10V Package
(V) (A) (nC)
(mΩ) • Optimized for both fast switching and
IRFS3004 40 1.75 195 160 D PAK
2 low gate charge

IRFB3004 40 1.75 195 160 T0-220 • Excellent gate, avalanche and

dynamic dv/dt ruggedness
IRFH5004 40 2.6 100 73 PQFN 5x6 mm
IRF7739L2 40 1 270 220 DirectFET-L8
The IR Advantage
IRFS3006-7 60 2.1 240 200 D2PAK-7
• Best die to footprint ratio
IRFS3006 60 2.5 195 200 D2PAK
• Large range of packages
IRFH5006 60 4.1 100 67 PQFN 5x6 mm
• Available from 40 V to 250 V
IRF7749L2 60 1.3 108 220 DirectFET-L8
IRFB3077 75 3.3 210 160 TO-220 Applications
IRFH5007 75 5.9 100 65 PQFN 5x6 mm • DC Motor Drives
IRF7759L2 75 2.2 83 220 DirectFET-L8 • Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
IRFP4468 100 2.6 195 360 T0-247 • DC-DC Converters
IRFH5010 100 9 100 65 PQFN 5x6 mm • Power Tools
IRF7769L3 100 3.5 124 200 DirectFET-L8 • Electric Bikes
IRFP4568 150 5.9 171 151 D PAK
2

IRFH5015 150 31 56 33 PQFN 5x6 mm

IRF7799L3 150 11 67 97 DirectFET-L8
OICE
IRFP4668 200 9.7 130 161 T0-247
Your FIRST CH e
IRFH5020 200 59 41 36 PQFN 5x6 mm
for Performanc
IRFP4768 250 17.5 93 180 T0-247
IRFH5025 250 100 32 37 PQFN 5x6 mm
IRF7779L4 250 38 35 110 DirectFET-L8

For more information call +49 (0) 6102 884 311

or visit us at www.irf.com
Visit us in Hall A5, Booth 320
THE POWER MANAGEMENT LEADER