Monitoring and controlling tomorrow’s power electronic systems

ADI application engineers will be available on the exhibition stand to discuss these, and many other power-related topics from motion control and electric vehicles, to simulation of power-control algorithms.

Featured demonstrations at the Analog Devices stand will include:

• Simpler designs meet demanding EMI targets

A highlight of the ADI stand will be the first public presentation of the brand-new ADuM5020, a low emission, 500mW, isolated DC/DC converter/digital isolator. This demonstration will show how the new device can facilitate easy and economical design of isolated power converters, readily achieving radiated emissions that are well within the limits set in the CISPR 22 standard, when constructed on a simple 2-layer PCB. A test set-up of shielded enclosure, spectrum analyser and PC monitor will allow visitors to explore the performance of the example circuit under changing conditions.

• New SiC-based, bi-directional, 30kW converter

The Analog Devices stand will feature a high power converter and charger configuration for Energy Storage Systems (ESS). The 1,000-0V reference design employs silicon carbide power switches, is fully bi-directional - supporting power flows in both charging and power delivery - and features a number of ADI parts in control and power-device-driving functions. An implementation of the design by partner Stercom will show visitors a practical route to early deployment of high power SiC-based converters.

• Isolated gate-drivers for SiC power devices

Builders of high power systems such as Electric Vehicles (EVs), motor drives and welders are considering the potential benefits of employing silicon carbide power devices. Engineers can view a first-to-market evaluation board that will drive half-bridge SiC modules at 1,200V and 50A, at switching frequencies up to 200kHz. Visitors will be able to see how the board can serve as a key building block in more complex configurations, and how it can save design teams time and cost in creating power conversion and energy storage products.

• Battery management for EVs and energy stores

Analog Devices is an early pioneer of battery management solutions implementing active and passive cell-to-cell balancing and charge/discharge control, enabling the maximum performance to be extracted from a battery pack. Visitors to the ADI stand at PCIM 2018 will see the latest generation of battery management devices, with demonstrations illustrating maximising capacity at the same time as implementing safety features such as real time diagnostics and fault management. A practical demonstrator built by ADI partner Stercom will show the management technology applied to a kW-scale energy storage system.

• Accurate simulation saves power-stage prototyping

Virtual prototyping - exploring the characteristics of an early-stage design in simulation - can save development effort, time and expense. Employing a processor-in-the-loop simulation technique, and using a powerful Digital Signal Processor (DSP) chip, ADI has built a simulation environment with MATLAB/Simulink software. Designers visiting the ADI stand will see simulations of power stages using an evaluation card that hosts the DSP chip. Alternate power-stage configurations, topologies and control algorithms can be explored without the need to build a new prototype for each variant.

Analog Devices will also be featuring in the conference programme at PCIM 2018, with experts from the ADI team presenting papers on motion control, monitoring HV power lines, and on working with wide band-gap power devices.

Conference programme

• In the poster session starting at 3:15p.m. 5th June, ADI system Applications Engineer Jens Sorensen will present 'Synchronisation of Multi-Axis Motion Control Over Real Time Networks', describing a method to enhance motor drive synchronisation and improve control performance.

• At the same time and place, Bernhard Strzalkowski - who works with next-gen digital power at ADI - presents 'Solving Isolation and Power Supply Problems for Current Monitoring in High Voltage Power Line Application', addressing key issues in ensuring performance and stability in complex, multi-generator power grids.

Exhibitor forum

• Also on 5th June, 4:20-4:40p.m. in the exhibitor forum, Analog Devices’ Bill Slattery will deliver a presentation on 'Mixed-signal challenges that WBG switch technologies present in enabling the next ‘electric revolution'. The paper will explore a number of issues around effective deployment of Wide Band-Gap semiconductor - primarily, silicon carbide and gallium nitride - power switches.

PCIM 2018 takes place 5th-7th June at the Nuremberg, Germany exhibition grounds.