Platform enables inverter technology to lower solar energy cost

Solar panels and battery systems have become significantly less expensive in recent years, creating the need for inverter technologies to drive the next wave of efficiencies in solar energy. While disruptive new inverter designs have begun making improvements in size, weight and cost reductions, they require further advances in digital processing to unlock their full potential.

The ADSP-CM41x control processors represent a breakthrough in power conversion design, with an unmatched level of hardware integration specifically tailored to solar and other emerging energy applications. By alleviating the need for complex external circuitry, the ADSP-CM41x control processors deliver design time and cost reductions, safety improvements, and the precision gains needed to maximise the impact of today’s inverter designs.  

“The cost of sustainable energy is the primary challenge facing the industry,” says Mark Martin, Vice President, Industrial Automation, Energy and Sensors, Analog Devices. “With the ADSP-CM41x, Analog Devices has overcome fundamental hurdles in power converter design to help our customers solve this challenge. The controller’s unique architecture and performance levels are key enablers for innovative inverter solutions.”

Central to the ADSP-CM41x design is its breakthrough 'dual independent core' safety concept, which enables the integration of safety redundancy and functions into a single chip. This first-ever architecture saves considerable development time and system cost by eliminating the need for an external supervisory element, which is the current standard. Equally important is the on-board integration of optimised hardware accelerators, designed to offload work from the processor core and boost the processing power available for core functions. Additionally, the device’s on-board arc fault detection simplifies design and enhances safety by using intelligent decision making to improve reliability and accuracy.

The ADSP-CM41x establishes a new benchmark in ARM core processing and analogue precision, adding to the industry performance leadership established by the recently released ADSP-CM40x power conversion series. The ADSP-CM41x series seamlessly integrates with other critical signal chain components, including the AD740x sigma delta-based A/D converter, which replaces larger, more expensive sensor modules to reduce system cost and improve isolated current measurement. Also included in the platform is the ADuM413x series of isolated gate drivers featuring iCoupler isolation technology that enables faster switching to further increase system efficiency.

The ADSP-CM41x is available now in sample quantities, in a BGA-210 or LQFP-176 housing, for $10.99 per unit. The ADSP-CM40x is available in production quantities, in a BGA-212, LQFP-120 or LQFP-176 housing, priced at $8.14.