Digital Hybrid Controller Simplifies Power Supply Design · Digital Hybrid Controller Simplifies...

POWER SUPPLY DESIGNDigital Hybrid ControllerSimplifies Power Supply Design

ISSUE 6 – November 2016 www.power-mag.com

Also inside this issueOpinion | IEDM 2016 | Evolving TechnologiesMarket News | Electronica 2016Industry News | Website Locator

01_PEE_0616.qxp_p01 Cover 03/11/2016 09:13

Infineon completes its portfolio of power modules with pre-applied thermal interface material

IGBT Modules › EasyPIM™

› EasyPACKThyristor / Diode Modules › 60 mm PowerBLOCK

› 50 mm EcoBLOCK

Benefits › Reduced process time in manufacturing

› Optimized thermal management

› Increased system reliability and lifetime

› Improved handling in mounting and maintenance

Visit us at SPS Drives 2016 – Hall 1, Booth 550

www.infineon.com/new_TIM

Innovative power modules with TIM Simplified mounting – lowest thermal resistance

02_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:18

CONTENTS

www.power-mag.com Issue 6 2016 Power Electronics Europe

3

Editor Achim ScharfTel: +49 (0)892865 9794Fax: +49 (0)892800 132Email: [email protected]

Production Editor Chris DavisTel: +44 (0)1732 370340

Financial Manager Clare JacksonTel: +44 (0)1732 370340Fax: +44 (0)1732 360034

Reader/Circulation Enquiries Perception-MPS Ltd.Tel: +44 (0) 333 577 9202Email: [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL SALES OFFICESMainland Europe: Victoria Hufmann, Norbert HufmannTel: +49 911 9397 643 Fax: +49 911 9397 6459Email: [email protected]

Armin Wezelphone: +49 (0)30 52689192mobile: +49 (0)172 767 8499Email: [email protected]

Eastern US Karen C Smith-Kerncemail: [email protected] US and CanadaAlan A KerncTel: +1 717 397 7100Fax: +1 717 397 7800email: [email protected]

Italy Ferruccio SilveraTel: +39 022 846 716 Email: [email protected]

Japan:Yoshinori Ikeda, Pacific Business IncTel: 81-(0)3-3661-6138Fax: 81-(0)3-3661-6139Email: [email protected]

TaiwanPrisco Ind. Service Corp.Tel: 886 2 2322 5266 Fax: 886 2 2322 2205

Publisher & UK Sales Ian AtkinsonTel: +44 (0)1732 370340Fax: +44 (0)1732 360034Email: [email protected]

Circulation and subscription: Power ElectronicsEurope is available for the following subscriptioncharges. Power Electronics Europe: annual chargeUK/NI £80, overseas $150, EUR 140. Contact: DFA Media, 192 The High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1BE Great Britain. Tel: +44 (0)1732 370340. Fax: +44 (0)1732 360034. Refunds on cancelledsubscriptions will only be provided at the Publisher’sdiscretion, unless specifically guaranteed within theterms of subscription offer.

Editorial information should be sent to The Editor,Power Electronics Europe, PO Box 340131, 80098Munich, Germany.

The contents of Power Electronics Europe aresubject to reproduction in information storage andretrieval systems. All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced in any form or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical includingphotocopying, recording or any information storageor retrieval system without the express prior writtenconsent of the publisher.

Printed by: Garnett Dickinson.

ISSN 1748-3530

PAGE 6

IEDM 2016

PAGE 10

Evolving Technologies

PAGE 18

Market News

PEE looks at the latest Market News and company developments

PAGE 20

Electronica 2016

PAGE 25

Industry News

PAGE 33

Website Product Locator

Digital Hybrid Controller SimplifiesPower Supply DesignData processing system complexity is growing fast, andthe need for intelligent power system management isgrowing right along with it. Designers now requirebetter system management capabilities like thoseoffered by the new generation of digital PWMcontrollers. These controllers use on-chipAnalog/Digital Converters (ADCs) and Digital/AnalalogConverters (DACs) along with signal processingtechniques to optimize performance. Designers caneven modify the compensation of the control loop viathe digital interface, without requiring a change inresistors or capacitors. While these digital controllerscan use resistors to configure some basic parameters,the immense flexibility of the digital controller is itsability to provide full software control via the PMBus.This article describes how engineers can benefit from anew digital hybrid controller that combines an analogPWM controller with a PMBus interface. More detailson page 29.

Cover supplied by Intersil Corp., Milpitas, USA

COVER STORY

To receive your own copy

subscribe today at:

www.power-mag.com

p03 Contents.qxp_p03 Contents 03/11/2016 09:33

Qualifi ed Platforms

Customized Stacks

GlobalService

We are the global market leader in power electronic stacks with over 200,000 assemblies in the fi eld. Five global stack centers provide optimized, pre-qualifi ed and fi eld-tested stack assemblies. Our stacks feature short lead times while still easy to customize for your needs. Our global stack centers provide worldwide coordi-nation, engineering, manufacturing and test to localize manufac-turing of your stack assemblies.

Further information: www.semikron.com/power-stacks

You want to...- reduce time to market- limit your fi nancial investment- control your cost of development- save costs on manufacturing

of stack assemblies

Power Electronic Stacks

When Time to Market Counts

GlobalService

Customized Stacks

04_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:33

OPINION 5


Electronica 2016 in Munich is an example howelectronics, particularly in the automotive industry,will change the world. Moving toward a longer-termgoal, vehicles are on a path to become fully electric,reducing fossil fuel usage. Global demand forsemiconductors for automotive electronics was worthnearly 35 billion dollars in 2014, roughly ten percentof the global semiconductor market. The automotivesemiconductor market is forecast to grow nearlytwice as fast as the overall semiconductor industryover the next five years, due to increasing electroniccontent in vehicles. The power electronics market forEV/HEV will reach $13 billion by 2021.A typical mid-class car today contains a

semiconductor content of around $350, and inelectric vehicles this content will be doubled. Thougha lot of ECUs for motor management and thegearbox can be eliminated, this will be offset bymore power semiconductors and the efforts forelectrical power and battery management. But a firststep towards automotive electrification respectivehybridization is been seen in the move to a 48 Vboard net. By 2020, automotive 48 V systems willhelp reduce emissions by up to 15 percent, improvefuel consumption, capture energy typically lost whilebraking, and provide torque in the low RPM range forstart-stop mild hybrids. The 48 V power net isneeded to manage the next generation of energyefficient electrical systems that require more powerthan available with the existing 12 V subsystem. Toreduce weight, many traditionallymechanical/hydraulic systems such as powersteering, roll stabilization, heating, and airconditioning will be converted to 48 V electricaldrive. A new electric turbocharger will provide on-demand horsepower and torque, enabling the use ofsmaller more efficient combustion engines withoutsacrificing drive ability. A high-power starter/generatorwill replace the 12 V alternator, reducing noise andvibration during engine starting while allowingregenerative braking to recapture up to 4x more ofthe available kinetic energy. The 12 V bus and 12 Vlead-acid battery will handle the lighter loads,including ignition, interior lighting, navigation andaudio systems.Another very interesting market for the

semiconductor industry is the trend towards self-driving. The Diesel discussion increases the pressure

on the automotive industry to develop not onlyelectric, but also self-driving or autonomous vehicles.The way towards self-driving can be split into fourlevels with level 1 incorporating front radar, level 2incorporating ADAS, level 3 meaning semi-autonomous and level 4 meaning fully autonomous– ten years from now. Level 3 will double thesemiconductor content of a car up to $700. Radarand LiDAR are the most promising technologies inthe future, according to industry. Light Distancing andRanging (LiDAR) sensors have recently begun toemerge in automotive sensing applications.Initially LiDAR sensors were used to generate three-dimensional digital topographical maps used forlandscape mapping and navigation software.Because LiDAR chases the speed of light forimproving resolution, Gallium Nitride (GaN) powertransistors, with about a 10 times advantage inswitching speed, have been used almost exclusivelyin these mobile applications. The imaging speed anddepth resolution has become so good using eGaNFETs that manufacturers experimenting withautonomous vehicles are using similar LiDAR sensorsfor driverless navigation systems. In addition, severalautomakers are incorporating eGaN FET-based LiDARsensors in their vehicles for general collisionavoidance and blind spot detection. LiDAR has a veryexciting future, since it is the detection and guidancesystem being used for driverless cars. Also theevolution – from an internal combustion engine, tohybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and, finally, tofully electrically powered cars – is potentially a verylarge market for GaN technology. In the future, aselectric vehicles gain acceptance and become moreubiquitous, motor controls for the powertrain has thepotential to become an enormous market for GaNtransistors. The issue among the competingtechnologies – GaN, SiC and IGBT – will be the cost.The automotive industry is undergoing atechnological disruption and is taking advantage ofhigh performance gallium nitride technology, theCEO of one of the GaN vendors expects. GaN is the logical technological successor to

Silicon for power conversion and analog devices, andpossibly also for digital components as well. We areaway by the factor of 800 of the theoretical GaNlimits, this technology is able to be integrated up tothe level of NMOS. A leading Taiwanese foundry nowoffers both 100 V and 650 V GaN foundry service ina 6-inch fab. The idea of bringing GaN from thepower semiconductor market to the much biggeranalog IC market is of interest of several otherplayers, too. Using this 650 V GaN-on-Silicon processtechnology, a UK-based company has designed amonolithically integrated half-bridge serving as a corefor travel notebook adapters - the exceptionalperformance of GaN transistors allow for moreefficient and compact power adapter designs thatmeet today’s market demands, the company stated.The new technology allows a reduction in the size ofpower electronics by up to 50 percent, enabling atypical 45 W adapter design today to fit into a 25 Wor smaller form factor. This reduction in size willenable true universal chargers for mobile devices.And in research a V-shaped channel demonstratedrecord GaN threshold voltage of 1.7 kV plus aremarkably low on-state resistance. More informations on these subjects on thefollowing pages – enjoy reading!

Achim Scharf PEE Editor

Power Electronics Change the Automotive world

, and

ONICS

assemblies, tsomponenC

EPOWER

TRLECE

tg taloaor a c f

ydaot us ttaconC

.tsemenequirour rycan meet

echnology Dean Te

.om solutionscust, and assemblies

.eor a quottisit us aV

ooth A5.232in B

omo.cgyechnolot.deanwww

05_PEE_0616_NEW.qxp_p05 Opinion 02/11/2016 15:34

6 IEDM 2016 www.ieee-iedm.org

Issue 6 2016 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com

The 62nd annual IEEE International ElectronDevices Meeting (IEDM) will take place at the SanFrancisco Union Square Hilton hotel fromDecember 3-7, 2016. This year’s conference willfeature a program of 90-minute tutorials onSaturday, Dec. 3; two day-long Short Courses onSunday, Dec. 4; and a Plenary session on Monday,Dec. 5 that kicks off the technical program. Thisyear for the first time there also will be supplierexhibits.While there are forums that serve circuit experts

for the exchange of ideas and the reporting ofbreakthroughs, there hasn’t been a suitable forumfor bringing device and circuit experts together toconsider impacts at the system level, even thoughthat would be fruitful due to the interactions ofcircuits and devices. IEDM aims to serve as theforum for their dialogue, and so this Special Focus

Session “System-level impact of power devices”has been organized. Papers are expected toexplore the system-level impact of power devices,and also to describe various types of powerdevices targeting the full range of power/powerconversion applications such as hybrid vehicles,utility and grid control, computing/telecom powersupplies, motor drives, and wireless power transfer.Within the comprehensive program some of the

more or less scientific presentations will coverpower electronics such as wide bandgap or newMOSFET technologies.

Negative-watt cost reductionIn an invited paper in the System-Level Impact ofPower Devices Special Focus Session, HiromichiOhashi from Japan’s New-Generation PowerElectronics & System Research Consortium willdiscuss a concept called negative-watt, or “nega-watt,” power cost reduction.The idea is that power electronics devices and

systems have already become so efficient andpowerful, that further improvements in these areasalone will be insufficient to meet the world’senergy-efficiency and climate goals. He will arguethat to truly enable energy-efficient and climate-friendly societies, there must be a much greateruse of affordable power electronics systems versusother technologies, so as to offset the powerrequirements that otherwise would be required.He will describe how these avoided power costsand avoided energy production, combined withother factors including lower costs from increasedsystem reliability and higher productivity, can bequantified as nega-watts and then used to developtechnology roadmaps.Wide-bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor

devices have the capability to reach highervoltages, frequencies and temperatures thanSilicon-based power devices. These capabilitieshave the potential to revolutionize the way we willdeliver and manage power in the future. In aninvited paper in the Special Focus Session on theSystem-Level Impact of Power Devices, Alex Huangof North Carolina State University will reviewprogress in WBG devices and their potentialtransformative impacts on low-voltage, medium-voltage and high-voltage power delivery systems.Silicon carbide (SiC) is a WBG material widely

used for power devices and with great potential forfuture applications. SiC-based devices can enablehigher voltages and faster switching frequenciesthan Si-based alternatives, what already have beendescribed in numerous articles in PowerElectronics Europe.

V-shaped channel for GaN transistors V-Shaped Channel for Record GaN ThresholdVoltage: Power transistors made from GaN alloysinstead of Silicon are promising alternatives forhigh-power applications. Planar AlGaN/GaNtransistors on silicon substrates are commerciallyavailable with blocking voltages of ≤600 V, butPanasonic researchers will describe vertical GaNdevices on a bulk GaN substrate (p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN ) that demonstrated a record-setting 1.7 kV threshold voltage plus a remarkablylow on-state resistance of 1.0 mΩcm2. One day

More Power Density for PowerSemiconductors in Research

Technology flow ofnega-watt costreduction

SiC-based alternativescan enable highervoltages and fasterswitching frequenciesthan Si-based devices

Research.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 15:38

The Microchip name and logo and the Microchip logo are registered trademarks Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their registered owners.© 2016 Microchip Technology Inc. All rights reserved. DS20005389A. MEC2066Eng04/16

www.microchip.com/powermanagement

Microchip Technology has an expansive off ering of power management solutionsto fi t virtually every type of design criteria. From the smallest form factor needed for mobile devices to complex industrial power management designs to automotive standards, you are sure to fi nd a highly integrated solution to meet your needs. If you are looking for greater fl exibility in your design, Microchip’s digitally enhanced power analog devices integrate a microcontroller (MCU) or digital signal controller (DSC) for a fully programmable and fl exible solution.

Applications:

Advanced and Broad PowerManagement Portfolio

LDO and switching regulators

Charge pump DC/DC converters

Power MOSFET drivers

Digitally enhanced and

PWM controllers

System supervisors

Voltage detectors

Voltage references

Li-Ion/Li-Polymer battery chargers

Power MOSFETs

07_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:17

8 IEDM 2016 www.ieee-iedm.org


such efficient devices may eliminate the need forliquid cooling in high-power electronic systems,thereby reducing their size, weight, complexity andcost. To achieve this performance, the researcherscreated a “semipolar” gate structure that propelscharge carriers with great efficiency. They plasma-etched V-shaped grooves into an n-GaN drift layeratop the substrate. Because these grooves werecut at a slant, they exposed a second facet of thecrystalline GaN material and thereby created thepossibility of semipolar operation. The researchersthen expitaxially grew p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN layers inthese grooves and built a “slanted” channel withthe gate on top.

Schematic cross-sections of the lateral p-typegate transistor without and with the slantedchannel are shown in the corresponding image,along with their measured transfer characteristics.The lateral transistor with a slanted channelexhibits 1.5 V larger VTH than the one withoutslanted channel.

Tunneling FETsTunneling FETs (TFETs), which operate according

to the principles of quantum mechanics, offer aunique mechanism for low-voltage switching andmay lead to dense, powerful circuits that operateat extremely low power levels. However, tunnelingbehavior typically greatly compromises theamount of current that is available, limiting theirusefulness.

They are promising for ultra-low-powerapplications because they operate at low voltages,but it’s difficult to build them so that they carryuseful amounts of current. Researchers fromPurdue University and partners will present adesign methodology for heterostructure TFETs thathave a high on-current of 265 A/m at 0.18V, and1.95 A/m at 0.12V. These values, from calculationsbased on the essential physics of the device,derive from extensive modeling and simulation oftheoretical device structures.

The computer simulations show the ballisticlocal density of both the ON-state (a) and OFF-state (b) bias of a (110 )-confined triple-HJ TFET.While the two resonant states are clearly separatedin ballistic simulations, inelastic scattering willincrease off-current due to coupling between the

Schematic cross-sections of the lateral p-type gate GaN transistor without and with the slanted channel

Schematic of the InAs/GaAsSb/GaSb TFET (top), below isa SEM image of a nanowire with gate metal applied

Simulations showthe ballistic localdensity of boththe ON-state (a)

and OFF-state (b)bias of a (110)-

confined triple-HJTFET (resonant

states are circled)

two states.Tunneling FETs (TFETs), which operate

according to the principles of quantum mechanics,offer a unique mechanism for low-voltageswitching and may lead to dense, powerful circuitsthat operate at extremely low power levels.However, tunneling behavior typically greatlycompromises the amount of current that isavailable, limiting their usefulness.

Lund University researchers will discuss a verticalnanowire-based TFET with a novel heterostructuredesign (InAs/GaAsSb/GaSb) that makes possibleaggressive dimensional scaling along with improvedelectrostatic control. The result is a device with arecord high on-current (10.6�A/�m) andextremely steep on/off behavior, as low as 44mV/dec at 0.05V, which is less than the 60mV/decade theoretical limit for MOSFETs.

At left in the schematic illustration is theInAs/GaAsSb/GaSb TFET, while at right is a SEMimage of a nanowire with gate metal applied. Thephysical gate length is 260 nm, whereas theeffective gate length is 100 nm, corresponding tothe length of the undoped InAs segment.

Research.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 15:38

cde.com/MLSHSlimpack

Your Mission-critical applicationsrequire SlimPack performance

MLSH Slimpack is designed to meet the most demanding military and aerospace applications. It’s the world’s only hermetic aluminum electrolytic capacitor with a glass-to-metal seal. Slimpack delivers extremely high capacitance at ultra-low temperatures. Energize your next idea with MLSH Slimpack.

Replaces 3 or more wet tantalum capacitors in parallel or series

Less weight and requires less space

Glass-to-metal seal prevents dry-out for exceptionally long life

Superior capacitance retention at -55ºC

Rugged stainless steel case withstands up to 80g’s

09_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:16

10 EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES


PRECISION AND POWER RESISTORS

YOU CAN’T COPY EXPERIENCE

Isabellenhütte Heusler GmbH & Co. KGEibacher Weg 3 – 5 · 35683 Dillenburg ·Phone +49 (0) 2771 934-0 · Fax +49 (0) 2771 23030

[email protected] · www.isabellenhuette.de

Innovation by Tradition

Electronica 2016

Messe München // November 8 - 11 // Hall B5 // Booth 143

We invented the MANGANIN® resistance alloy 125 years ago. To this day, we produce the MANGANIN® used in our resistors by ourselves.

More than 20 years ago, we patented the use of electron-beam welding for the production of resistors, laying the foundation for the ISA-WELD® manufacturing technology (composite material of Cu-MANGANIN®-Cu). We were the first to use this method to manufacture resistors. And for a long time, we were the only ones, too.

Today, we have a wealth of expertise based on countless projects on behalf of our customers. The automotive industry’s high standards were the driving force behind the continuous advancement of our BVx resistors. For years, we have also been leveraging this experience to develop successful industrial applications.

The result: resistors that provide unbeatable excellent performance, outstanding thermal characteristics and impressive value for money.

According to market researcher Yole2015 - 2016 have been excitingyears for the GaN power business -600V GaN is today commerciallyavailable, after many ups and downs.And GaN power ICs have debuted,opening new market perspectives forGaN companies. GaN power

business is expected to reach $280million in 2021, with an 86 %compound annual growth rate(CAGR) between 2015 and 2021.The market is driving by emergingapplications including power supplyfor datacenter and telecom, AC fastcharger, automotive LiDAR, Envelope

Tracking, and wireless power.“In the digital arena Moore’s law -

doubling the transistor count on chipevery 18 month – has now beenbroken, but in power electronics weare just in the beginning with therole of GaN”, EPC’s CEO Alex Lidowpoints out. “GaN is the logical

technological successor to Silicon forpower conversion and analogdevices, and possibly also for digitalcomponents as well. We are away bythe factor of 800 of the theoreticalGaN limits, this technology is able tobe integrated up to the level ofNMOS. “Numerous powerful

developments and key collaborationshave been announced during the lastyears - a promising and fast-growingindustry”, comments Hong Lin,Technology & Market Analyst at Yole(www.yole.fr). To mention areIntegrated Device Technology(www.IDT.com), Efficient PowerConversion (www.EPC-co.com),Infineon Technologies(www.Infineon.com) andPanasonic(https://eu.industrial.panasonic.com/), Exagan (www.exagan.com)and German Xfab (www.xfab.com),TSMC (www.tsmc.com) and GaNSystems (www.gansystems.com).TSMC is the first company to offerboth 100 V and 650 V GaN foundryservice in a 6-inch fab. The idea ofbringing GaN from the powersemiconductor market to the muchbigger analog IC market is of interestof several other players too. Forexample, EPC and GaN Systems areboth working on a more integratedsolution. In parallel Texas Instruments(www.ti.com) announced a 80 Vpower stage in 2015 and a 600Vpower stage in 2016. Fast-forward to2016 end users can now buy notonly low-voltage GaN (<200 V)devices from EPC, but also high-voltage (600V/650V) componentsfrom several players, includingTransphorm(www.transphormusa.com), GaNSystems, and Infineon/Panasonic. And Visic (www.visic-tech.com)

announced in September 2016 a1200 V power module. Based inNes Ziona, Israel, VisICTechnologies, Ltd. was establishedin 2010 by experts in GaNtechnology. The GaN module havetypical on-resistance down to0.04Ω. Target applications arepower converters for motor drives,three-phase power supplies andother applications requiring currentswitching up to 50A. “Thistechnology supports reduced gatecharge and capacitances without

Gallium Nitride is Moving Forward

Technology.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 16:09

EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES 11


losing the benefits of low RDS(ON),offering an ultra-low maximumswitching energy down to 140 ?J.Switching losses are three to fivetimes lower compared to SICMOSFETs”, said CTO Gregory Bunin.Also in September the companylaunched a new 12 A GaN switch ina smaller bottom-side cooledpackage with an on-resistance of0.080Ω. A new start-up, Navitas

Semiconductor(www.navitassemi.com),announced their 650 V GaN powerIC based on Hughes Lab technology(www.hrl.com) at APEC in March2016 and later in Europe at PCIM2016. “GaN is ready for the marketand we are integrating things whichhave not been integrated before”,CTO Dan Kinzer stated. Thecompany has designed a fullyintegrated GaN IC with integratedgate drive in QFN 5 mm x 6 mmpackage. “This e-mode devicefeatures 20 times lower drive lossthan Silicon, the driver impedance ismatched to the power stage. Alsoalmost zero inductance leads to lowswitching losses – and our 650-V

process allows switching frequenciesof up to 27 and 40 MHz! The switchis not the limit, it is the magnetics”.According to Kinzer this device canalso be used as a 500-Vsynchronous rectifier. AllGaN™ is the first platform which

allows monolithic integration of 650V GaN IC circuits (drive, logic) withGaN FETs. This ‘GaN Power IC‘contains features such as hystereticinput, voltage regulation and ESDprotection – all integrated in thesame GaN layer as the main powerdevice. This monolithic integration ofdrive and switch is impractical usingd-mode GaN, vertical GaN or SiC.Lateral ‘GaN-on-Si‘ constructionmeans immediate high volumecapability using existing foundryprocesses. Within the AllGaNsolution, the GaN FET gate is drivensafely, precisely and efficiently by theupstream integrated GaN driver.Standard 3.3 V, 5 V or 15 V PWMsignals are fed directly into the GaNPower IC for an easy, lowcomponent count design. Integratingthe driver also reduces ringing andenables tight control of turn-on, turn-off for high-frequency half-bridge

ehf te otatSRTA & OAT

Ha

Hall 3A.200

SPC/

Des 3A

SPS/IPC/ S/IPDrives 3

er SOTAATerur Ceroc-tilSpfltC

seirsremrofnsar T Trtn

d

derowep-fle s,tcapmoCerutrepr aetemaim dm60 & 11

s 1 & 3saly ccaruccAz0 H0 / 6: 5ycneuqerg fnitarepO

seier STT SAR

laey stiruces ssao pe tlom hm2dlehi sciattsotrcelE

mco.yticeml.www

.seitit Cramf St oraee hht tAAt t

GaN device market split by voltage range Source: Yole 2015

Existing power GaN devices from various vendors Source: Yole 2016



applications. Dialog Semiconductor plc

(www.dialog-semiconductor.com) announcedend of August its first GaN power ICproduct offering, using TSMC’s 650 VGaN-on-Silicon process technology.“The exceptional performance ofGaN transistors allows customers todeliver more efficient and compactpower adapter designs that meettoday’s market demands,” said MarkTyndall, SVP Corporate Developmentand Strategy, Dialog Semiconductor.“GaN technology offers the world’s

fastest transistors, which are the coreof high-frequency and ultra-efficientpower conversion. Our DA8801 half-bridge integrates building blocks,

such as gate drives and level shiftingcircuits, with 650 V power switchesto deliver an optimized solution thatreduces power losses by up to 50

%, with up to 94 % powerefficiency. The product allows for aseamless implementation of GaN,avoiding complex circuitry, needed todrive discrete GaN power switches.The new technology allows areduction in the size of powerelectronics by up to 50 percent,enabling a typical 45 W adapterdesign today to fit into a 25 W orsmaller form factor. This reduction insize will enable true universalchargers for mobile devices.”

What the industry expects fromGaN expressed Thomas Heckel fromFraunhofer IISB(www.iisb.fraunhofer.de) inErlangen earlier this year at the CIPSconference: ”We expect a normally-off characteristic, better performance

GaN hype/marketcycleSource: Yole 2016

Navitas GaNPower ICschematic andgate switchingwaveforms


MARKET NEWS 13


than Si and even SiC, and morevendors”. At IISB a test system hasbeen set up for the evaluation ofvarious GaN transistors. A 200-Vtransistor switched at 100 Vexhibited dynamic on-resistance(120 mΩ to 80 mΩ) which was notspecified in the datasheet; a 650V/150 mΩ cascode was openedwhich needs external gate resistor,this type exhibited poorcontrollability; a 650 V/45 mΩ withfour GaN transistors showed bettercontrollability – but is commerciallynot more available; a 650 V/50 mΩnormally-off device had betterdynamic on-resistance but reachednot the datasheet specifications.Only Panasonic’s 600 V GIT deviceexhibited no dynamic on-resistance!International Rectifier was the the

first to introduce a cascoded GaNtransistor and was acquired byInfineon for $3 billion due to its GaNleadership in late 2014. Meanwhilethe cascode topology has beenskipped and by licensing thePanasonic GIT an e-modetechnology will be favored byInfineon. This turn obviously marksan industry change to support e-mode or normally-off devices in thefuture.

New application possibilities“GaN technology is disruptive, in thebest sense of the word, makingpossible what was once thought tobe impossible”, comments EPC CEOAlex Lidow. GaN technology is 10times faster, significantly smaller, andwith higher performance at costscomparable to Silicon-basedMOSFETs. The inevitability of GaNdisplacing the aging power MOSFETis becoming clearer with dominationof most existing applications andenabling new ones”.The explosion of digital content,

big data, e-commerce, and Internettraffic is also making data centersone of the fastest-growingconsumers of electricity in developedcountries, and one of the key driversin the construction of new powerplants. In 2014, data centers (in theUS) consumed about 100 billionkWh of energy and it is projected by

the Natural Resources DefenseCouncil (www.nrdc.org) that datacenter electricity consumption willincrease to roughly 140 billion kWhannually by 2020, the equivalentannual output of 50 power plants.The power needed to support thisrapidly growing demand comes fromthe electrical grid, and goes throughmultiple conversion stages before itactually feeds the remaining energyinto a digital semiconductor chip.The losses due to the transmissionand multiple conversion stages ofelectricity – from the power plant tothe computer chip, shows that thepower grid needs to supply 150 Wto meet the demands of a digitalchip that may need only 100 W ofpower. Thus the combined wasteacross the US due to powerconversion for servers is 33 billionkWh, equivalent to almost a dozenpower plants. But the overall wastedenergy within the server farm is evenmore, because every watt of powerloss through power conversion isactually energy that is converted intoheat, and removing this heatdemands even more power. Since the adoption of the 12 V

intermediate bus architecture (IBA),bus converters are currentlyapproaching about an order ofmagnitude increase in output power,from around 100 W to currentdesigns of around 1 kW in a quarterbrick footprint. This means that theamount of current on the 12 V busto the POL converters has alsoincreased by a factor of 10 and,without reductions in busingresistance, a two order of magnitudeincrease in busing conduction lossesfollows. GaN-based solutions havealready demonstrated significantefficiency improvements comparedto Silicon based solutions inconventional IBA systems.However, with the increasing

conversion losses in the 48 V inputbus converter, the mounting 12 Vbusing losses on the motherboards,and the higher performance of GaNtechnology, different architecturesmay now be considered, such asgoing directly from 48 V input toload using non-isolated POL

To receive your own copy of

subscribe today at:

www.power-mag.com

DialogSemiconductor’s650 V GaN half-bridge




www.rohm.com/eu

SMALLERSTRONGERFASTER

converters. For the 48 V input, an 80V eGaN monolithic half-bridge IC(EPC2105), embedded in anEPC9041 demonstration board, wasselected for the much higher step-down ratio. “The direct savings byeliminating just the last stage in theserver farm power architecture is notonly a cost reduction, but also areduction of power consumedbetween 7-15% depending on theGaN-based approach. This correlates

to direct savings of up to 21 billionkWh per year when compared withSilicon-based solutions. This savingsis increased further when airconditioning energy costs inside theserver farm are added, bringing thetotal to almost 25 % of the 140billion kWh consumed by servers inthe US alone”, Lidow calculated.

The 48 V power architecture isgetting more attention since Google(www.google.com) has joined the

Open Compute Project(www.opencompute.org) in early2016. OCP will help to drivestandardization in IT infrastructure.More specifically, Google willcontribute a new rack specificationthat includes 48 V power distributionand a new form factor to allow OCPracks to fit into data centers. “Energyefficiency in computing is a topic thathas been near and dear to ourhearts since the early days. We

began advocating for efficient powersupplies in 2003, and in 2006shared details of our 12 Varchitecture for racks inside our datacenters - the infrastructure thatsupports and powers rows uponrows of our servers. In 2009, westarted evaluating alternatives to our12 V power designs that could drivebetter system efficiency andperformance as our fleet demandedmore power to support new high-performance computing products,such as high-power CPUs and GPUs.We kicked-off the development of48 V rack power distribution in 2010,as we found it was at least 30 %more energy efficient and more costeffective in supporting these higher-performance systems. Our 48 Varchitecture has since evolved andincludes servers with 48V to POLdesigns, and rack- level 48 V Li-IonUPS systems. Google has beendesigning and using 48Vinfrastructure at scale for severalyears, and we feel comfortable withthe robustness of the design and itsreliability. As the industry’s working tosolve these same problems anddealing with higher-power workloads,such as GPUs for machine learning,it makes sense to standardize thisnew design by working with OCP. Webelieve this will help everyone adoptthis next generation powerarchitecture”, commented Google’sTechnical Program Manager JohnZipfel.

Another example - the automotiveindustry understands the trend tohave the interior of the car a “livingspace” and has begun to show itsvision of the future for the fullymobile lifestyle. The dashboard isbeing taken over by the smartphone,while sensors and computers arebeing added to increase its safety.Moving toward a longer-term goal,vehicles are on a path to becomefully electric, reducing fossil fuelusage.

A rapidly emerging technology toenable the batteries in our electronicdevices keep up with the demandsadded by the vehicle’s infotainmentsystem is wireless power transfer.The latest techniques enablewireless charging of multiple objectswithout contact with the powertransmission unit (PTU) withefficiencies similar to wired chargers.Wireless phone charging in a car isbecoming more critical as thesmartphone itself is becoming theinformation receiver and router for


EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES 15


the dashboard infotainment center.Several automotive manufacturersare adopting operating systemstandards that enable seamlessinterfaces to dashboards thatbecome “slaves” to the informationand entertainment available in thedrivers and other occupants’smartphones.The AirFuel Alliance

(www.airfuel.org) wireless powertransmission standard developed bya consortium of electronics industryleaders such as Samsung,Qualcomm, Intel, and EPC isundergoing rapid adoption in mobilephone and tablet chargingapplications. To implement thisstandard, several automotivemanufacturers aredeveloping embedded wirelesscharging stations in the centerconsole of the vehicleso smartphones, as well as othermobile devices, can remain chargedwhile the automobile is in operation,despite intense and continuous

usage. Given that the AirFuel Alliancestandard uses a 6.78 MHz standardfrequency for power transmission, astretch for Silicon power devices,GaN technology is the heavy favoritefor adoption in both mobile andautomotive applications.In addition to wireless charging

becoming commonplace within thecar’s cabin, it is becoming availableto charge fully electric cars or plug-inhybrids. With a “charging mat” as thepower transmitter, one will merelyhave to place the mat on the floor ofyour garage and park the car overthe mat without the need to“connect the car to an outlet.”To ensure safety and prevent

collisions, it is critical that a vehiclebe aware of its surroundings at alltimes. The higher the speed of thevehicle, the more rapidly the“situational awareness” systemneeds to sense, and the moreprecisely it needs to interpret thedistance to the potential hazard.Today automotive manufacturers

use a variety of sensors in thesesafety-related functions, includingultrasonic sensing, microwave radarshort-range radar, and video patternrecognition. Light Distancing andRanging (LiDAR) sensors haverecently begun to emergein automotive sensing applications.Although Lidow anticipates broadadoption in automotive,initially LiDAR sensors were used togenerate three-dimensional digitaltopographical maps used forlandscape mapping and navigationsoftware. Because LiDAR chases thespeed of light for improvingresolution, GaN power transistors,with about a 10 times advantage inswitching speed, GaNFETs havebeen used almost exclusively inthese mobile applications. “Theimaging speed and depth resolutionhas become so good using eGaNFETs that manufacturersexperimenting with autonomousvehicles are using similar LiDARsensors for driverless navigation

systems. In addition, severalautomakers are incorporating eGaNFET-based LiDAR sensors in theirvehicles for general collisionavoidance and blind spot detection.LiDAR has a very exciting future,since it is the detection and guidancesystem being used for driverlesscars”, Lidow stated.Also the evolution – from an

internal combustion engine, tohybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and,finally, to fully electrically poweredcars – is potentially a very largemarket for GaN technology. Thedemand for electrical power grows inproportion to the amount ofpropulsion handled by the electricmotor; according to Tesla(www.tesla.com) the model Sdelivers 310 kW of electrical powerto the rear wheels. Delivering morepower to propel a vehicle requireshigher voltages in order to keep thecurrent levels flowing through themotor windings with minimumconduction losses. Today thedominant transistor in electric orhybrid vehicle propulsion systems isthe IGBT in voltages from 500 to1200 V. “However, wide bandgaptransistors made using either SiC orGaN technology hold great promisefor this high power application, sincethey have higher efficiency at lowerswitching frequencies and possessthe ability to operate at much highertemperatures. The requirements forelectric motor drives sit at theinterface between GaN, SiC andIGBT technologies. Ultimately, thecost and reliability of the electricdrive system will determine thewinner for this application, but fornow, it is too soon to call”, Lidowexpects. “In the future, as electricvehicles gain acceptance andbecome more ubiquitous, motorcontrols for the powertrain has thepotential to become an enormousmarket for GaN transistors. The issueamong the competing technologies– GaN, SiC and IGBT – will be thecost. The automotive industry isundergoing a technologicaldisruption and is taking advantage ofhigh performance gallium nitridetechnology. GaN devices areappearing in an ever-increasingnumber of systems, with the futurelooking even more promising.Several areas are clearly emerging,as discussed above.As a practical example a design

methodology of a 50 W isolatedDC/DC converter based on EPC’s

Typical multi-stage power conversion architecture used in modern server farms, which takes 150 W from the electrical grid to supply100 W to a digital processor used in servers (above), whereas GaN devices enable the elimination of an entire stage (48/12 V) in thepower conversion chain by 48/1 V), reducing total server farm losses by up to 20 W by taking 130 W from the grid (below) Source: EPC

To ensure safety and prevent collisions, it is critical that a vehicle be aware of its surroundings at all times through GaN-based LiDARsensor Source: EPC




200 V GaN transistors serving as apower supply for aircraft equipmenthas been awarded as Best Paper ofPCIM Europe 2016. The particularityof this work is the design of a fullconverter regarding two antagonisticrequirements which are a wide inputvoltage and high efficiency. In highfrequency applications, it seemsclear that using GaN transistorcreates a real improvement of theefficiency due to its low outputcharge. In a soft-switching topologythe device output charge has animportant impact on the energyrequired to achieve ZVS conditionproviding a larger power storage andtransfer period means naturally ahigher efficiency. The other GaNtransistor benefits are its low totalgate charge and its low drain tosource on-state resistance, reducingthe drive power (losses) andconduction losses respectively. Allthese features are implemented in asmaller packaging with less parasiticinductances compared to a SiMOSFET with similar powercharacteristics. The efficiencyapproaches 92 % at the nominalinput voltage (28 V) and the peakefficiency is 95.5 % for an inputvoltage of 18 V. Certainly the most impressive

design in the higher voltage rangebased on GaN System’s devices

(GS66508P e-mode GaN powertransistor) was the winning design ofGoogle’s Little Box Challenge earlythis year. The Little Box Challenge wasa design contest presented by Googleand the IEEE Power ElectronicsSociety to spur innovation in powerinverter design with the highest powerdensity (at least 50 Watts per cubicinch) and an efficiency of >95 %with a $1,000,000 prize. According toGoogle inverters will becomeincreasingly important to economyand environment as solar PV,batteries, and similar power sourcescontinue their rapid growth. Theinnovations inspired by this prize willhave wide applicability across theseareas, increasing efficiency, drivingdown costs, and opening up newuses cases that we can’t imaginetoday. It also doesn’t hurt that manyof these improvements could makedata centers run more safely andefficiently. Google and the IEEE Power

Electronics Society awarded the $1million prize to Belgiums CE+T’s RedElectrical Devils for designing,building and demonstrating aninverter with the highest powerdensity and smallest volume. Thekey goal of the challenge was toreach an inverter power density inexcess of 50 W/cubic inch in avolume of under 40 cubic inches – a

feat which had never been donebefore. Their winning inverter designproduced a power density of 143W/cubic inch in 14 cubic inches,outperforming the Little BoxChallenge power density goal bynearly a factor of 3 thanks to GaNpower, which, according to Google,“is 10 times more compact thancommercially available inverters”.

Emerging marketDespite these developments, theGaN power market remains smallcompared to the gigantic $335billion Silicon semiconductor market.According to Yole’s investigation, theGaN power business was less than$10 million in 2015. “But before youthink twice about GaN, rememberthat a small market size is notunusual for products just appearingon the market”, comments Lin.Indeed first GaN devices were notcommercially available until 2010.According to Yole’s analysts, themost important point to be noticedis the potential of GaN power.Indeed they expect the GaN powerbusiness to grow, reaching a marketsize of around $300 million in 2021at a 2016 – 2021 CAGR of 86 %.“The current GaN power market ismainly dominated by low voltage(<200 V) devices, but the +600 Vdevices should take off”, comments

Zhen Zong, Technology & MarketAnalyst at Yole.More than 200 patent applicants

are involved in the power GaNindustry, stated KnowMade(www.knowmade.com) in itsGaN for Power Electronics: PatentInvestigation report in August 2015.Such figure is showing the stronginterest from power players in theGaN business. The take-off ofpatenting activity took place in the2000s with a first wave of patentpublications over the 2005-2009period mainly due to American andJapanese companies. A second wavestarted in 2010 while firstcommercial GaN products,collaborations and mergers andacquisitions emerged. “In the today’spower GaN market, it is crucial tounderstand the global patentlandscape thorough in-depthanalyses. This approach helps thecompanies to anticipate the changes,identify and evaluate businessopportunities, mitigate risks andmake strategic choices.”commentsNicolas Baron, CEO of KnowMade.“The time evolution of patent filingshas reached a peak, and we expect aslowing down of new patentapplications. Meanwhile, grantedpatents worldwide should increaseafter successful prosecution of thenumerous pending patentapplications. We believe the secondpeak of patent filings combined withthe significant ratio of patents inforce and the large number of patentapplications still in the pipelineworldwide is an indication of thetechnology maturity heralding afuture ramp-up of the GaN powermarket”, he added. AS

LiteraturePower GaN 2016 report, YoleDeveloppementBreakthrough for GaN Power ICs,Power Electronics Europe May 2016,page 12APEC 2016, Power ElectronicsEurope May 2016, page 20-23CIPS 2016, Power ElectronicsEurope May 2016, page 17GaN Matures…, Power ElectronicsEurope May 2016, page 26-28Optimizing GaN Performance…,Power Electronics Europe May 2016,page 29-31PCIM 2016, Power ElectronicsEurope June 2016, page 9-151 MHz Converter with 95 % PeakEfficiency…, Power ElectronicsEurope June 2016, page 16-18

Prototype of a 50W /1 MHz DC/DCconverter withGaN transistorEPC2010C andtransformerEQ20/PLT 3F45(right),experimentalwaveforms VS1 andVS2 (20 V/div and200 ns/div)

Winning inverterdesign of theGoogle Little BoxChallenge basedon 650 V GaNpower FETs

Photo: AS


17_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:15

18 MARKET NEWS


Set to grow 6.7 % by 2020, the globaltransformer market is currently being affectedby a number of headwinds that differ in kindand degree. As countries rush to ratify theParis Environmental Agreement and toimplement changes in several sectors andindustries, the transformer community isstruggling to find the consistency to planlong-term.

“The truth is the transformer industry andits place in energy policy across the worldchanges with every news headline,” saysBen Ehmcke, president of EhmckeConsulting. “During the past 12 months theindustry has battled a constant onslaught offactors totally outside its control, whichfeeds uncertainty for manufacturers andsuppliers.” Protectionism is another volatileconcern. In recent years, governments inevery continent have felt pressured to hitthe breaks on international trade, ascountries grow skeptical of the advantagesof open economic borders. “Protectionismis a growing trend impacting both rawmaterials and finished products. At the

same time, environmental concerns arecreating a push for different generationsources and more efficient deliverymethods,” states Ehmcke, who presided aseminar on the topic at CWIEME Chicago2016, the coil winding and electro-magneticevent whch took place in early October.Entitled “Geopolitical Impact on the GlobalTransformer Industry,” the discussion wentover some of the market shifts helping toshape the industry, such as efficiencystandards rules in the U.S., Japan and South

Korea, import policies in India and otherdeveloping nations, the impact ofrenewables, the industry’s latest mergersand the consequences of Brexit. “There arecertainly more questions than answers outthere at this time,” Ehmcke says. “It’s asubject nobody wants to talk about, but it’scrucial to keep an eye on the developmentsso we can adjust and prepare for whatevercomes our way.”

www.coilwindingexpo.com

ViZn Energy Systems Inc. announced an optional 95 percent power guaranteeon their large scale energy storage systems for up to 20 years for their non-toxic flow battery energy storage systems, independent of battery duty cycle orenergy throughput.This guarantee is made possible because, unlike lithium-ion batteries, flow

batteries avoid traditional wear out mechanisms that can degrade batterypower and capacity over time. Contrast this with other stationary storagesystems that are frequently oversized up to 40 % to account for anticipateddegradation or wear-out and have life-limiting dependencies due totemperature variations, discharge power amounts, and discharge cycles. Ineconomic terms, developers, installers, and integrators can count on astationary storage system that delivers high power services and high energycapacity for the life of their system. There is no longer a need to account foradded costs such as cell replacement, out-of-coverage O&M, and reduced

performance typically experienced with today’s lithium-ion battery systems.“Lithium-ion battery life and their limited warranties have been one of thelimiting factors for the widespread adoption of energy storage,” said Ron VanDell, CEO of ViZn Energy Systems. “Our flow batteries have been thoroughlyevaluated for longevity and performance over a long system life. The system’slong term warranty will give utilities, developers, and banks confidence thattheir energy storage is engineered to last as long as the infrastructure orgeneration system it is typically coupled with.” Flow batteries aremanufactured by Jabil’s ISO 9001-certified production team in Florida and thetechnology utilizes a non-toxic, low-cost zinc and iron chemistry. ViZn iscurrently building the largest flow battery in North America and is on track tobe the largest global producer of flow batteries by the end of 2016.

www.ViZnEnergy.com

20 Year Warranty and 95% PowerGuarantee for Stationary Energy Storage

GlobalTransformerIndustry FacesNew EfficiencyStandards

“Environmental concerns are creating a push for different generation sources and more efficient delivery methods inthe transformer industry,” stated Consultant Ben Ehmcke at CWIEME Chicago

Market news.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 15:25

19


At the start of season three, ROHMSemiconductor started sponsoring and officiallypartnering with the Venturi Formula E team.The collaboration highlights the key to successin the all-electric racing series – powermanagement. The challenge of Formula E is tofind the most efficient way of using the energyprovided by the battery and applying it on theroad. ROHM’s Silicon Carbide (SiC) powersemiconductors can withstand much higherelectric fields than conventional Silicon, whichresults in extremely low losses of power andhigher temperature resistance. Thus, ROHMand Venturi hope to gain an edge over thecompetition while also pushing forward thedevelopment of new technical solutions toincrease power conversion efficiency.

The inverter for season 3 featuresembedded SiC Schottky diodes, making it 2kg lighter than the inverter for season 2.Electric efficiency has been increased by 1.7%, while the volume of heat extractioncomponents has been reduced by 30 %. Butthis is just a start. In season 4, the SiC

MOSFET integrated inverter will demonstratedrastic changes once again. Bringing SiCtechnology to Formula E and to e-mobility ingeneral is an important step in changing drivetechnology. Furthermore, ROHM is taking anactive role in revolutionizing energy policy.When the presentation with Venturi illustrateshow effective the new technology works, SiCpower devices will make their way into serialproduction. “Formula E is all about powermanagement, and the partnership withROHM improves the overall electronics of ourcar so we can reach higher performance withour electric motors.”, commented FranckBaldet, CTO of the Venturi Formula E team. Inthe automotive sector, an increasing numberof EVs and inverters are adopting the use ofSiC. “In the coming years, we should see SiCdevices increasingly find their way into powerelectronics for hybrid and all-electric vehicles,creating simpler and more efficient powersystems. By making more economicaltechnologies available for a wide array ofindustries and larger parts of society, we

hope to take a prominent role inrevolutionizing energy policy”, statedKazuhide Ino, General Manager of the PowerDevice Division at ROHM.

www.rohm.com/eu, http://rohm.com/fe/

MARKET NEWS

ROHM Supports SiC Technology for Formula E

Market news.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 15:25

“Electronica 2016 attracted 2898 exhibitors, anincrease of eight percent to 2014 in 13 halls,meaning one additional hall. And we welcomedagain more than 70,000 visitors from around theworld”, said Frank Senger, General ManagerMunich Fair. “This year’s motto - connected worlds- can be experienced, particularly in theautomotive sector.”Automotive electronics is on the rise around the

world - according to the German Electrical andElectronic Manufacturers’ Association(www.ZVEI.org), global demand forsemiconductors for automotive electronics wasworth nearly 35 billion dollars in 2014. This canbe illustrated by the growing number of electroniccontrol units (ECUs) within a car. “Today there are200 ECUs in a BMW 3 model, in 1993 it was only3”, said Kent Robinett, VP Automotive Sales atMaxim Integrated(www.maximintegrated.com). “A typical mid-

class car today contains a semiconductor contentof around $350”, explained NXP’s(www.nxp.com) General Manager Automotive,Kurt Sievers. “And in electric vehicles this contentwill be doubled. Though a lot of ECUs for motormanagement and the gearbox can be eliminated,this will be offset by more power semiconductorsand the efforts for electrical power and batterymanagement”. Another very interesting market forthe semiconductor industry is the trend towardsself-driving. “The Diesel discussion increases thepressure on the automotive industry to developnot only electric, but also self-driving orautonomous vehicles particularly for urbantransport in megacities. The way towards self-driving can be split into four levels with level 1incorporating front radar, level 2 incorporatingADAS, level 3 meaning semi-autonomous andlevel 4 meaning fully autonomous – ten yearsfrom now. Level 3 will double the semiconductor

content of a car up to $700, and we would be verysatisfied to reach this level. Level 4 would not leadto a significant increase. Radar and LiDAR are themost promising technologies in the future”, Sieversexplained. According to market researcher Gartner(www.gartner.com) the automotivesemiconductor market is forecast to grow nearlytwice as fast as the overall semiconductor industryover the next five years, due to increasingelectronic content in vehicles. Thus Automotive willbe a focal point of electronica, more than 800exhibitors have registered for this section of thefair. But a first step towards automotive electrification

respective hybridization is been seen in the moveto a 48 V board net. By 2020, automotive 48 Vsystems will help reduce emissions by up to 15 %,improve fuel consumption, capture energy typicallylost while braking, and provide torque in the lowRPM range for start-stop mild hybrids. The 48 V

20 ELECTRONICA 2016 www.electronica.de


Focus Automotive ElectronicsElectronica 2014 has achieved an outstanding result: more than 73,000 visitors from over 80 countriesand 2,737 exhibitors from 50 countries. This number is outperformed at electronica 2016 on Munich’sfairgrounds from November 8–11.

Electronica 2016 attracted 2898 exhibitors, an increase of eight percent to 2014 in 13 halls, and morre than 70,000 visitors

Electronica.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 15:44

www.electronica.de ELECTRONICA 2016 21


power net is needed to manage the nextgeneration of energy efficient electrical systemsthat require more power than available with theexisting 12 V subsystem. To reduce weight, manytraditionally mechanical/hydraulic systems such aspower steering, roll stabilization, heating, and airconditioning will be converted to 48 V electricaldrive. A new electric turbocharger will provide on-demand horsepower and torque, enabling the useof smaller more efficient combustion engineswithout sacrificing drive ability. A high-powerstarter/generator will replace the 12 V alternator,reducing noise and vibration during engine startingwhile allowing regenerative braking to recapture upto 4x more of the available kinetic energy. The 12V bus and 12 V lead-acid battery will handle thelighter loads, including ignition, interior lighting,navigation and audio systems. “The 48 V powernet extends the available power from 5 to 15 kW,allowing for more electrification”, explained EdKohler, Power Product Manager at Intersil(www.intersil.com). The companydemonstrates a 6-phase bidirectional DC/DCcontroller for 12V-48V power supply systems attheir booth.

Dedicated conference and forumOn November 7, the day before the fair begins,leading managers and experts will meet at theelectronica Automotive Conference(www.electronica.de/conferences/automotive-conference/index.html) to discussthe industry’s key issues. The main topics of thisyear’s lectures are safety, automated driving andinterior electronics. Steve Nadig from DaimlerTrucks North America present a keynote addresson “Autonomous Trucks: A Global Perspective.” Inanother keynote address titled “Automotive meetsCE,” Dr. Ludger Laufenberg (Kostal) explains howautonomous driving is effecting interior electronics.And Dr. Reinhard Ploss (CEO InfineonTechnologies) examines the current role ofelectronics in the automotive industry in a keynotetitled “Semiconductors as a key enabler for thetransition of the automotive industry.” Anotherconference highlight is the concluding discussion

on “The Secure Connected (Self-driving) Car.” Theparticipants in that roundtable discussion are DirkWollschläger (IBM), Lars Reger (NXPSemiconductors Germany), Dr. Thomas Wollinger(ESCRYPT) and Manfred Bauer (Flexera Software). The conference’s topics are also reflected in the

program of the Automotive Forum(www.electronica.de/supporting-program.html). Whether it comes to partially orfully autonomous driving, new interior and exteriorlight functions or improved connectivity - newtechnologies are changing the development in theautomotive industry more than ever. That is whythe Forum not only presents the latest solutionsand products from the industry’s various sectors,but also gives visitors a look at the challenges ofincreasingly interdisciplinary collaboration in thefuture. In more than 130 events including paneldiscussions, technical lectures and roundtablediscussions, participants will find out what currentmarket and technology topics are moving theindustry. Exhibitors in this sector are expected to have a

number of innovations on display. For example,NXP semiconductor (www.nxp.com, A6#107/335) invites visitors to take a test drive into

the future. In cooperation with Siemens, Hondaand other partners, the company will presenttechnologies that prevent accidents, reduce trafficand emissions and make drivers’ lives easier. Theyare based on high-resolution radar systems thesize of a stamp and compact communicationdevices in the vehicle that communicate withintelligent traffic lights and signs in real time. Cybersecurity is also a focus topic, which has beenoverseen by the automotive industry so far. “Allinternal bus systems in the car such as CAN,Flexray or Ethernet are open for hacking, Thus acentral gateway controllers or hardware-firewallsare in development”, Sievers pointed out.According to Infineon(www.infineon.com/electronica, A5#1597506) this central gateway is crucial in theautomotive security architecture. It interconnects allECUs of in-vehicle domains, such as those used inthe powertrain, driver assistance, chassis, as well asbody and convenience control. The centralgateway routes and controls the complete datacommunication between the ECUs. In addition, itis the central access point for software updatesover the air (SOTA) and for diagnostics processesand maintenance updates via the On-BoardDiagnostics (OBD) port. ”With more connectivityembedded into a vehicle, the protection of criticalsystem functions from cyber threats is paramount,”underlined Thomas Boehm, Senior Director,Chassis & ADAS Microcontrollers at Infineon. “Theteam-up of AURIX with Argus IDPS provides amajor building block of that protection enablingautomotive system suppliers to benefit from anenhanced cyber security solution”, he commentedthe recent signed cooperation. AURIXmicrocontrollers provide protection against hackerswhen trying to infiltrate the on-board systems.They offer up to six cores and scalability inmemory (up to 16 MB Flash, more than 6 MB on-chip SRAM) in combination with a rich feature setsupporting latest connectivity, such as up to 12CAN-FD channels, eMMC interface, and Ethernetfunctionality. “Cyber security needs to beintegrated into the entire design andmanufacturing processes of vehicles. The ArgusIDPS constitutes one significant protection layer

New automotive features require more efficient power management (Automotive ICs in millions) Source: Strategy Analytics/Maxim Integrated

Autonomous or self-driving can double the semiconductor content in future automobiles Source: NXP




out of our multi-layered solution suites for theautomotive industry”, added Yoni Heilbronn, VP atArgus Cyber Security (www.argus-sec.com).Renesas (www.renesas.com, A6 #342) will

present the electric-drive Artega sports car, whichshowcases a range of applications driven by itsversatile and scalable R-Car, RH850 and RL78products. With Renesas’ infotainment demo,visitors will be able to view a panorama usingmultiple displays and see how the applicationseamlessly moves between and across themonitors. They will also see how augmentedreality boosts safety and convenience with anADAS demo, which shows the surround viewaround the car based on R-Car SoCs and featuresan overlay of mirror and driver monitoring.Around 63 % of Germans feel that artificial

intelligence in future electronic devices is a goodidea. However, consumers feel it is important forsmart assistants to know their limits: 84 % wantintelligent household robots, smart cars and medicalelectronics to help people—but they don’t want themto make our own thoughts superfluous. That is theresult of the Trend Index 2020 survey conducted byelectronica by 7,000 consumers in seven countries -including 1,000 representatives of the Germanpopulation. When asked about autonomous cars, thefact that consumers want smart electronics to helpthem, but not loose control completely, was veryclear. One out of every two German consumers (54%) said that they had reservations about letting afuture smart car take control and drive them to theirdestination autonomously. But if an intelligentautomobile monitors traffic like a driving instructorand only intervenes when the driver makes amistake behind the wheel, that is completelydifferent. Approximately 60 % of Germans werepositive about that type of assisted driving. Obviouslyautomakers should take these figures intoconsideration in planning next-generationautomobiles. On the first day of the fair the CEO Roundtable

under the theme “Connected Worlds—Safe andSecure”, will be held at the electronica Forum from11:00 to 12:00 to discuss the role of theelectronics industry when it comes to the securityof intelligently networked devices. The participantsare Carlo Bozotti from STMicroelectronics, RickClemmer from NXP, Prof. Frank H. P. Fitzek fromTU Dresden and Deutsche Telekom Professor for

Communication Networks and Dr. Reinhard Plossfrom Infineon Technologies. When it comes to developing high-performance

LED systems, various technologies are used. TheSolid State Lighting Forum at the Forum onNovember 10 will give an overview. Besides thecurrent state of the art, presentations will deal withinteraction between the various technologies thatare involved and how they related to one another.After the keynotes and presentations on topics suchas “Solid State Lighting and Green Product Design”or “Methods and Concepts for Optimized LEDDrivers”, tech-panel discussions will give experts achance to examine trends and future prospects.

Demos on fairgroundsAnalog Devices (www.analog.com/electronica,A4 #141) will be back with a broad range ofsimplified solutions and innovative technologiesacross 6 application areas, and a total of 18 livedemonstrations covering healthcare,instrumentation, process control, automotive,energy and Internet of Things. Separate from thelive Automotive demonstrations, ADI experts willalso be available to discuss ADAS (AdvancedDriver Assistance System) technology solutions indetail, and how this next generation safety systemwill underpin next-generation autonomous drivingautomobiles. Of particular interest is the demo“Increase Power Densities for Wide Band-GapPower Switching Using Isolated Gate Drivers”: ADIisolation, process control, sensing andcommunication technologies directly address thechallenges faced by the deployment of WBGpower switching and increasingly complicatedmulti-level control topologies. In industrial powermanagement – 36 V / 3 A step-down regulatorsfor greater efficiency and low noise powerconverter - a demonstration of the new ADP5003,a 3 A step-down switching regulator with a low-noise linear regulator for post filtering included onthe same chip. Architects of Modern Power

(www.AMPGroup.com) consortium consisting ofCUI (www.cui.com, A2 #613), Ericsson PowerModules (www.ericsson.com, A4 #260) andMurata (www.murata-ps.com, B5 #107)announced a new standard aimed to keepdesigners of high-performance datacom andtelecom equipment one step ahead as cloud

computing and IoT continue to drive powerdensity and power requirements higher. Initiallysupporting 1 kW of output power, the ‘HPABC-qbAMP™’ standard establishes commonmechanical and electrical specifications for highpower advanced bus DC/DC converters indistributed power systems. The new standardbuilds upon the previously released “ABC-ebAMP™’ and ‘ABC-qbAMP™’ that definedstandards for eighth brick and quarter brickadvanced bus modules ranging from 264 to 300W and 420 to 468 W, respectively. Measuring58.42 x 36.83 mm, the ‘HPABC-qbAMP’ standardoccupies the same board space as a standardquarter brick converter. The new specificationdefines the mechanical and electrical specificationsfor analog and digital versions, as well ascompatible software configuration files for thedigital version. The first products to meet with thisnew ‘HPABC-qbAMP’ standard will be announcedby AMP Group members early next year. Chomerics (www.chomerics.com, B1 #3709

showcase a range of new products and capabilitiesfor shielding and protecting electronics subsystemsin applications including automotive, military andaerospace. A custom made control unit thatemploys its latest technologies to handle EMI/RFIand protect against environmental and thermaleffects will be demontrated. The assembly, whichwas originally developed for an ADAS control unit,includes an electrically conductive plastic cover,microwave absorber material, EMI co-extruded andform-in-place gaskets, and thermal interfacematerials. Cho-Touch Displays, which integratetouchscreens, optical bonding and highperformance LCDs into a complete assembly, willbe showcased for the first time. There will also bea preview of a new urethane antenna gasket,which provides an electrically conductive fluid andpressure sealing solution for aerospaceapplications. Also a newly board level EMI/RFIshielding compound enables significant reductionsin shielding footprint.Knowles Capacitors(www.knowlescapacitors.com, B6 #336) hasdeveloped a range of capacitor products forautomotive manufacturers (AEC-Q200 rev D), thecompany is poised to offer solutions notconsidered catalogue items. Three such productsare 250 V AC Safety Certified Capacitors; hightemperature - up to 150°C - X8R Capacitors andSurface Mount EMI Feedthrough Filters. Allavailable with their FlexiCap™ flexible terminationto reduce the risk of mechanical cracking. TheSyfer branded X8R range incorporates a speciallyformulated termination to enhance the mechanicalperformance in harsh environments. X8Rdielectric also operates from -55°C to +150°C witha maximum capacitance change ±15% (withoutapplied voltage). Intersil (www.intersil.com, A5 #278)

designed the industry’s first 6-phase bidirectionalPWM controller designed to perform buck andboost power conversions between 12 V and 48 Vautomotive buses. A single automotive-gradeISL78226 delivers up to 3.75 kW at greater than95 % conversion efficiency, and is able to

Cyber-security becomes also a major requirements in future automobiles Source: NXP

1 4


23


interleave in a modular master/slave architectureto deliver higher power. This design supports therapid adoption of 48 V hybrid powertrains thatprovide improved emissions and better fueleconomy for internal combustion engine/electric

mild hybrids. One ISL78226 controller eliminatesthe complexity associated with previous 48Vdesigns. The controller responds to changing loadrequirements by automatically adding or droppingphases to maximize system efficiency. It can also

manage an abrupt change in power conversiondirection. For example, if the 48 Vstarter/generator fails while the vehicle is driving,the DC/DC controller seamlessly reverses powerconversion direction so the 12 V battery will

www.electronica.de ELECTRONICA 2016

The 48-V Power Net is the basefor next-generation mild hybridvehicles

High Voltage Powerfor Mission-Critical Technology

UltraVolt® and HiTek Power® standard modules and custom systems

advanced-energy.com/pe




temporarily supply the 48 V subsystems, such aspower steering, allowing the vehicle to safely pullover and stop. The ISL78226 controller alsointegrates a digital PMBus™ interface for systemcontrol, telemetry and diagnostics that support ISO26262 functional safety requirements. Ohmite (www.ohmite.com, B6 #101)

showcases with the LVM series of low value metalelement SMD chip resistors a response to thegrowing number of current sense applications,featuring an overload rating of 5 times rated powerfor 5 seconds. LVM has values ranging from 10 to100 mΩ and TCR values are down to 50 ppm.The industry standard sizes of 0603, 1206, and2512 will be offered in wattage rating of 1/8, 1/2and 1 W respectively. ON Semiconductor (www.onsemi.com, A5

#225) who recently acquired FairchildSemiconductor, will be demonstrating a broadenedportfolio of low, medium, and now high voltagedevices and solutions for a wide range of endmarkets including automotive, industrial highpower, ultra-low power wearable, Internet of Things,and imaging. Technical demonstrations includesolutions with power semiconductors for vehicleelectrification such as an on-board charger andmotor control, power semiconductors with Siliconand WBG devices (MOSFET, IGBT, SiC discrete andin modules), solutions for motor control and theirpower supplies, FET-bench online tool to simplifydesign of buck topologies; or the all new IIoT IDK

(development kit) with a variety of sensor, actuator,communication and power supply solutions.ROHM Semiconductor (www.rohm.com/eu,

A5 #5429 showcases power managementsolutions for applications in the automotive,industrial and residential/home area. Based onlatest SiC and Si technologies, proprietaryprocessing and packaging technologies, andmanufactured in the company’s fully owned,vertically integrated production sites. Amongothers, 3rd gen SiC MOSFETs, SBDs and Modules,LED-Drivers for exterior lighting, design kits forwireless power delivery and the technologypartnership with Formula E-car developer Venturiwill be shown. Utilizing a proprietary double trenchgate structure, the new generation of SiC MOSFETsreduces ON-resistance by 50 % and inputcapacitance by 35 % in the same chip sizecompared with planar-type SiC MOSFETs. Addingto the recently announced SBD TO220ACpackages at 650 V/ 6, 8 and 10 A, ROHM willintroduce D2pak (LPTL) packages and lowercurrents product like 2 A, 4 A. New full SiCmodules including a chopper type module forconverters leverage both trench SiC MOSFETs andSiC SBDs. Through the recently announcedtechnical Partnership with Venturi contesting theFIA “Formula E series” for all-electric powertrainsingle-seater racing cars, ROHM shows the car andSiC-based inverter as an application example tofurther advance in the area of e-mobility.

Rutronik Automotive (www.rutronik.com, A5#159/262) presents solutions for the 48 V PowerNet. Core component is the new decentralizedDC/DC converter from itk Engineering. A photovoltaic sunroof from Webasto allows energyharvesting during the drive. The 2 phase,bidirectional DC/DC converter is designedspecifically for the energy conversion of 48V- and12V-Power Nets. It is based on small planarinductors and the latest Power MOS technology.The decentralized point of load converter allowsreduced cable diameter and variableimplementation. No active cooling is required.Thanks to the extended temperature range (85-105°C), its power range of 400 W up to 700 W,an efficiency of > 98% and the flatness of only12.5 mm, the DC/DC converter is ideal for manyautomotive applications, e.g. electrical sunroofs.The photo voltaic sunroof allows energyharvesting during daylight. The energy generatedcharges the battery for all high power applications. Texas Instruments (www.ti.com/electronica,

A4 #219) will showcase innovation focused onthe future of industrial automation and automotivetechnologies, such as the following: GaNtechnology significantly increases the efficiency invariable speed motor drives; the Evolution Car2020 (EvoCar) showcases how TI’s automotiveportfolio, including DLP products, enables ADAS,infotainment, haptic feedback and adaptive LEDheadlights. AS

International Exhibition and Conferencefor Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion,Renewable Energy and Energy ManagementNuremberg, 16 – 18 May 2017

»Connecting Global Power You are the expert, we provide a platform for you. Join top-class industry leaders and present your expertise.

Become an exhibitor and meet a

competent, international expert audience.

pcim-europe.com

More information at: +49 711 [email protected]

Follow us

# pcimeurope


INDUSTRY NEWS 25


ROHM has recently announced the availability of isolated flyback-type DC/DCconverter control ICs for auxiliary supply in industrial equipment such as solarinverters and power storage systems. Following the BD7F100, the companynow expands the series with the new BD7F200, covering all applications witha power requirement from 1 to 10 W, and including two different packagingoptions.

In addition to the control ICs, an evaluation board (BD7F100HFN-EVK-001) is offered integrating the BD7F100HFN-LB, making it easy to evaluate

Isolated Control ICs for Auxiliary Power Supply

isolated power supply operation (24 V input, 5 V/800 mA output). CEcertified 6 variant evaluation boards (BD7F100HFN-EVK-30x) will also beavailable.

Highly reliable isolation Isolation is almost always built into electronic equipment to provide protectionagainst shock and damage. With this respect, a broad range of applicationssuch as power metering, industrial programmable logic controllers (PLCs),

Photocoupler-less design (left) provides reliable isolation using just one resistor (Source: ROHM)

ROHM’s newflayback controllerIC for industrialpower supplies

Industry News.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 15:29

26 INDUSTRY NEWS


Industrial Fieldbus, Industrial automation, IGBTs and SiC MOSFET gate driversrequire isolated DC/DC converters. These devices provide galvanic isolation,improve safety and enhance noise immunity. They can generate multipleoutput voltage rails and dual polarity (positive and negative) rails. High voltage,high power industrial applications (including power storage systems and solarinverters which are seeing increased adoption) are no exception, requiringeven more stringent reliability demands due to the harsher temperatureconditions and the need for continuous, long-term operation.Conventional solutions utilize an optocoupler and other components for

flyback-type isolated power supply control for the feedback loop. However,this generates challenges associated with current consumption and reliability(including circuit scale and product life). The BD7F series, thanks to itsoptocoupler-less architecture, allows designers to simplify the development of

the transformer and to reduce costs. It decreases the number of external parts by nearly half by eliminating the

need for a photocoupler and a phase compensation network, providinggreater energy savings, reliability, and miniaturization. In addition, a newlydeveloped adaptive ON time control method is used to improve loadresponse time (a drawback of conventional isolated power supply ICs), whilevoltage fluctuation during the load transient is limited to under 200 mV.

Improved load responseThe BD7F series are optimized for industrial equipment requiring continuous,long-term operation under extreme conditions. Utilizing state-of-the-art powerBiCDMOS processes and leveraging proprietary advanced analog technologyallow ROHM to detect the secondary side voltage and current from theprimary side. This eliminates the need for an optocoupler or tertiarytransformer winding required with conventional configurations, reducing thenumber of external parts by half which contributes to greater reliability, powersavings, and end-product miniaturization.ON time control, typically used in conventional isolated power supply

control ICs, is adopted to minimize output voltage fluctuations caused byinstantaneous changes in load current. ROHM’s new adaptive ON time control method limits output voltage

fluctuations to 200 mV, 65 % less than conventional solutions (at a loadcurrent of 1 A and rise time of 100 µs). As a result, load response againstinstantaneous load current fluctuations is improved, increasing reliabilityconsiderably. Thus a highly efficient isolated type power supply application (~ 77 %) can

easily be obtained by this control technology which eliminates the need forexternal phase compensation parts. The off time is determined by comparingthe reference voltage inside the IC with the information which was obtainedby the feedback of the secondary output voltage through primary flybackvoltage. Initially the witching frequency is fixed at 400 kHz for PWM operationwhen the load stabilizes. During load current fluctuation, the ON-Time Controlwill operate and the switching frequency will change, thus high-speed loadresponse is obtained. During light load, high efficiency is obtained because the

Principle of Adaptive On-Time-Control

Typical applicationschematic (dottedarea another PCDlayer)

Line-up ofROHM’s flybackICs


INDUSTRY NEWS 27


switching frequency decreases. To achieve a stable output voltage, the built-inN-MOSFET senses and feeds back information on the output voltage on thesecondary side (which was isolated by the transformer) by using the SWterminal voltage on the primary side (during OFF time). Meaning, the outputwill not be regulated in any case unless the MOSFET is in switching operation.During light load, the switching operation uses minimum ON time. The output

voltage may rise when there is a small load current since it will supply theleast amount of energy to the secondary side output. Therefore, it is necessaryto add a dummy resistor etc. to the output in order to secure minimum loadcurrent.

www.rohm.com/eu

PCB layoutconsiderations fora flyback powersupply

Over the past several years, DC optimizers havebecome an important technological ingredient inmany residential and commercial solar systemdesigns. By adding these devices to each module,system designers can reduce the power loss fromshade obstructions, thus safeguarding systemsagainst long-term module mismatch from unevensoiling or debris.

Many researchers, engineers and scientistshave developed over the past 20 years a varietyof electronic solutions to improve the efficiencyof solar module energy output. Many existingproducts, such as microinverters, DC optimizers,smart modules, and string-level performancemonitoring systems, are available for thoseinvestors or home users who are looking for abetter return on their investments. Up until now,however, there are no electronic solutions thateffectively improve solar modules. A module-level optimizer prevents under-performingmodules from harming overall systemperformance, but does little to minimize energyloss caused by shading, soiling, or hot spotswithin the module.

Increased Energy HarvestSince solar modules are connected in series toform strings, the same current must flow throughall the modules. But due to shading caused bymoving clouds, leaves from trees, soiling, ormodule power tolerance, each module needs towork at a different current to achieve its maximumpower point (MPP). Due to the series connection,the worst-performing modules wind updetermining the string current, which in turn

means that the other modules will deliver lesspower than they are capable of producing.

In a conventional solar module, three bypassdiodes combine to serve as a protectionmechanism, allowing the module to producepower even when one of its cell strings is shadedor damaged. When the bypass diode is active, theenergy production of the entire cell string is lost,even when only a small portion is shaded. Theactive diode now carries current, which createsheat and stress that can lead to premature failure.Such a failure results in a permanent loss of cell-string output, and potentially presents a safetyissue, as the under-performing cell-string is now

forced to operate in a dangerous, reverse biascondition.

A growing number of module manufacturershave begun to include first-generation DCoptimizers from various system integrationmanufacturers. PV module OEMs are nowincorporating the next generation of DCperformance optimization: a highly-integratedpower regulator included on each cell-string withinthe solar module. This new solution brings moreproduction upside while also addressing thelimitations of first-generation solutions.

Widespread adoption of this technology isexpected in geographies and solar market

Solar Panels Can Gain Thirty PercentAdditional Power with Cell-String Optimizer

Power IC to performMPPT and to beembedded within the PVmodule


28 INDUSTRY NEWS


To receive your own copy of

Power Electronics Europe subscribe today at:

www.power-mag.com

segments that have never before considered DCoptimizers. By designing it into a solar project,developers can� have additional performance gains by buildingMPPT into the cells, rather than outside themodule.

� address obstruction scenarios that module-levelproducts can’t improve, such as cross-bankshading or even soiling patterns.

� eliminate hot-spot conditions associated withdiode operation, improving long-term modulereliability.

� continue to deploy conventional installationprocesses, but without the increased laborneeded to install optimizer boxes, additionalwiring, communication devices, Internetconnections, or proprietary inverters.

Solar cell optimizerConventional solar systems are limited inperformance by the series connectivity ofmodules: forcing the string current to equal that ofthe least illuminated or weakest cells. Maxim solarcell optimizer works by boosting the current of theweak cells to match those of the stronger,eliminating the corresponding performance

penalty of the conventional system. The solar celloptimizer’s MPPT function works alongside theinverter MPPT, to ensure that the system output isoptimal under any environmental conditions. Themodule includes three Maxim solar cell optimizers,which replace the three diodes found in aconventional module junction box.When one cell is shaded, the smart IC chip will

increase the current output from the cell-string tomatch that of neighboring, unshaded cell-strings.The shaded cell-string will continue to contributeall available energy, without affecting theproduction of unshaded strings. During the long-term operation of a PV power

plant, the solar modules suffer aging, cellmicrocracks, potential induced degradation (PID)and so on, which will cause power loss. A module-level optimizer can prevent an under-performingmodule from harming overall system performance,but cannot reduce loss caused by degradationwithin one panel. Integrating solar cell optimizersinto a module, by contrast, permits a redesign thatbrings MPPT to every cell string within the module.As a result, output can be optimized at the cell-string level - a far more finely-tuned solution.Because the Maxim module does not utilize

diodes to manage power production, a cell-stringwill not be bypassed even if fully shaded (thediffuse light will still generate some energy). And,

because all available energy is being harvested, ashaded cell is not in reverse bias, thus eliminatingthe cause of hot spots and removing a commoncause of long-term cell stress. Shouldenvironmental conditions still result in a cracked orotherwise degraded cell, this cell will only affectthe performance of its local cell-string, withoutfurther affecting the module or array.

Flexibility in designBy incorporating modules with solar celloptimizers, system designers can accomodatediffering string lengths, multiple orientations, anddifferent module power levels. The technologyexpands the string’s peak power output over awider voltage range. This greater power outputallows two uneven strings to be connected inparallel, so the inverter can find an operatingvoltage at which both produce their peak power.This flexibility, which accommodates the sitelocation, is not possible in a conventional system,where an inverter finds a single operating point

that does not achieve peak power from eitherstring. “Unlike the diodes they replace, solar celloptimizers do not bypass weak cell strings. Instead,they allow each cell string to deliver maximumpower under any environmental conditions,enabling you to harvest more energy, achievedenser panel layouts, and improve systemreliability. The granularity of our cell-stringoptimizers offers best-in-class shade mitigation,enables flexible system design without addingcomplexity, and helps improve panel lifetimeperformance,” said Seth Kahn, Executive Director,Solar Products, Maxim Integrated. “Major PVmodule companies have recognized theadvantages of this unique technology, the firstintegrated power semiconductor for MPPT, and areramping it in volume production.” To mention areJinkoSolar, ET Solar, Fronius, Hanwha Q CELLS,Suntech, or Trina Solar.

http://bit.ly/SolarCellOptimizers,www.maximintegrated.com

Conventional or paneloptimizer panels

Cell-string optimizerpanels


www.intersil.com/products/isl68200 POWER SUPPLY DESIGN 29


Digital Hybrid ControllerSimplifies Power Supply DesignData processing system complexity is growing fast, and the need for intelligent power system managementis growing right along with it. Designers now require better system management capabilities like thoseoffered by the new generation of digital PWM controllers. These controllers use on-chip Analog/DigitalConverters (ADCs) and Digital/Analalog Converters (DACs) along with signal processing techniques tooptimize performance. Designers can even modify the compensation of the control loop via the digitalinterface, without requiring a change in resistors or capacitors. While these digital controllers can useresistors to configure some basic parameters, the immense flexibility of the digital controller is its ability toprovide full software control via the PMBus. Jerome Johnston, Intersil Corporation, Milpitas, USA

This article describes how engineerscan benefit from a new digital hybridcontroller that combines an analog PWMcontroller with a PMBus interface (seeFigure 1). The controller’s uniquehysteretic current mode topology andpatented Resistor Reader interface isexamined, and the controller’s R4modulator is compared to voltage modeand constant ON time (COT) modulators.In addition, a software GUI will show howto configure the controller’s operatingparameters via menu selection. Theparameter selections then reveal theappropriate resistor values to be used withthe Resistor Reader Interface.

Analog PWM controller with PMBusEngineers benefit because a digital hybridcontroller simplifies power supply design.It’s a “digital hybrid” because it combinesan analog PWM controller with PMBus. Forsimplicity of configuration, the digital

hybrid controller employs Resistor Readertechnology. The Resistor Reader interface allows the

majority of configuration parameters to beselected by choosing a proper resistorvalue that is connected to specialprogramming pins. The Resistor Readeruses this information to set the controller’soperating parameters. Before we furtherdiscuss the hysteretic current modetopology of the PWM and the specifics ofthe Resistor Reader technology, let’s firstlook at the ISL68200’s Figure 1 blockdiagram and present its basic operatingcapabilities. While the block diagram maylook similar to other controllers, this digitalhybrid controller offers unique featuresand performance capabilities.The ISL68200 supports the single-

phase synchronous buck circuitconfiguration. It operates from 4.5 to 24Vin and provides output volltage from 0.5to 5.5 V. The controller includes on-chip

drivers and is designed to drive n-channelpower FETs. It integrates an R4 modulator,Resistor Reader and PMBus interface. ThePWM modulator with R4 (Rapid RobustRipple Regulator) technology is designedto provide the ultra-fast power supplytransient response needed by today’sadvanced CPUs and GPUs. The modulatoris an analog control loop based upon ahysteretic current mode topology. Figure 2 illustrates the control loop,

which makes control loop decisions usingan internally generated synthetic currentsignal. Its synthetic ripple generatorcreates a current ripple waveform usingthe VIN voltage and the expected VOUTvoltage (set by VDAC). Two identical currentsources, I1 and I2 flow through resistorsR1 and R2 to set the thresholds for ahysteresis window. The feedback signalsets the central threshold of thehysteresis window. Any change in thefeedback signal due to variations of the

Figure 1: Digitalhybrid PWMcontroller ISL68200with PMBus output

Intersil_feature.qxp_Layout 1 02/11/2016 15:54

30 POWER SUPPLY DESIGN www.intersil.com/products/isl68200


regulator’s output voltage modifies thehysteresis window voltages. Thesevoltages are then compared to thesynthetic ripple current waveform usingtwo comparators. Both comparatoroutputs control the PWM flip-flop todetermine the PWM duty cycle. The modulator generates the PWM

signal by comparing the output voltage tothe synthesized ripple signal. A majoradvantage of this design is that it offersexceptionally high control loop bandwidthand it is inherently stable. The loop iscompensation free and can adjust boththe duty cycle and the switching

frequency to provide very fast response toload transients.

Transient response evaluationThe ISL68200’s transient response wascompared in the laboratory to voltagemode controllers and COT controllers. Allthree circuits were similarly configured: � Vin = 12.0 V� Vout = 1.0V� switching frequency = 500 kHz� Lout = 220 nH, DCR = 0.25 mΩ� Cout = 220 µF x 4, (ceramic MLCC caps).Figure 3 shows the response with a 12

A load step. The load step deviation was

lower than either the voltage-modecontroller or the COT controller. Otherparameters, such as load release deviationwere also compared. The performance ofthe ISL68200 was superior in all aspectsof transient load behavior. The load transient performance for

each controller circuit was compared andlisted in Table 1. The superior transientbehavior of the R4 modulator architectureis achieved due to its wide control-loopbandwidth. At the same time, R4’s lowerloop gain requires no frequencycompensation, which makes the loopinherently stable – and there is noovershoot or undershoot, just increasedefficiency.

Configuration with the ResistorReader Interface The digital hybrid PWM controller offersan extensive set of configuration options.Configurations are set by selecting anappropriate pin-strap resistor to connectto the patented Resistor Readerinterface. The pin-strap resistor isconnected between the programmingpin and the VCC supply or between theprogramming pin and ground. Aninternal ADC determines both theresistor value and whether it’s connectedto VCC or ground. The measurementresult is then used to select registervalues in the controller that determinethat particular resistor’s configurationparameters. There are four programmingpins (PROG1-PROG4) and the resistorson these pins allow the user to selectthe following parameters:

Figure 2: Blockdiagram of theISL68200 control loopwith synthetic ripplegenerator

ABOVE Figure 3: Transient response of ISL68200 with a 12 A load step

LEFT Table 1: R4modulatortechnology comparedto voltage mode andconstant ON time(COT) controllers


International Exhibition and Conferencefor Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion,Renewable Energy and Energy ManagementNuremberg, 16 – 18 May 2017

»Connecting Global PowerYou are the expert, we have the platform. Position yourself among top-class industry leaders und present your know-how.

More information at: +49 711 [email protected]

Follow us

# pcimeurope

Become exhibitor and meet a competent,

international expert audience.

pcim-europe.com

31_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:14

32 POWER SUPPLY DESIGN www.intersil.com/products/isl68200


PROG1� Boot up voltage; 256 values between0.5 and 5.5 V

PROG2� Selection of forced PWM mode or PFMmode

� Temperature compensation options:four thermal coefficient options formonitoring inductor temperature

� PMBus address; 1 of 32 differentaddresses

PROG3� Enable ultrasonic clamp on PFM mode(keeps operating frequency above 25kHz)

� OCP fault behavior; either latch off orcontinuous retry

� Switching frequency: 8 options from300 kHz to 1.5 MHz

� Set error amplifier gain; seven optionsfrom 1 to 42

PROG4� Set soft start and DVID (Dynamic VID)ramp rate

� Select RR impedance for DC feedbackinto the ripple synthesizer; 4 options

from 200 to 800 kΩ� Set Gain Multiplier in the control loop;1x or 2x.For each of the PROG pins, a particular

valued resistor connected to theappropriate reference point (VCC orground) will cause the chip to configurebits in registers to set the selectedparameter options upon power up. Asingle resistor value sets a combination ofthe variables listed for that particularPROG pin. The data sheet for the deviceincludes tables that show all the optioncombinations.

PMBus programming The ISL68200 digital hybrid controllerintegrates the PMBus (two-wire)interface for telemetry, Vout margining,fault reporting or configurationmodifications. Since the device has theResistor Reader programming interface,the PMBus is optional. Telemetry viathe PMBus supports reading Vin, Vout, Iout,and temperature. Faults can be readvia the STATUS_BYTE. Reported faults

include Vout over or under voltage, Ioutover-current, and over-temperature.

The PowerNavigator GUI provides a quickmeans for users to define all operatingparameters. Figure 4 shows the GUIwindow used to set parameters for settingthe pin-strap resistor values. The switchingfrequency options are expanded in the view.

ConclusionThe ISL68200 digital hybrid PWMcontroller brings the benefit of superiortransient performance to data systemswere processors are the dominant load onthe system, and the system requires themeans to monitor power supplyperformance and report faults at the fullsystem level. These devices and thesoftware GUI that supports them offerdesign engineers a fast means to achievesuperior power solutions for the mostdemanding applications.

LiteratureAPEC 2016, Intersil, Power Electronics

Europe 2/2016, page 23

Figure 4. PowerNavigator GUI which guides user to select configuration parameters


WEBSITE LOCATOR 33


Diodes

Diodes

Discrete Semiconductors

Drivers ICS

EMC/EMI

www.microsemi.comMicrosemiTel: 001 541 382 8028

Ferrites & Accessories

GTO/Triacs

Hall Current Sensors

DC/DC Connverters

www.power.ti.comTexas InstrumentsTel: +44 (0)1604 663399


www.neutronltd.co.ukNeutron LtdTel: +44 (0)1460 242200

Harmonic Filters

www.murata-europe.comMurata Electronics (UK) LtdTel: +44 (0)1252 811666

Direct Bonded Copper (DPC Substrates)

www.curamik.co.ukcuramik� electronics GmbHTel: +49 9645 9222 0

www.mark5.comMark 5 LtdTel: +44 (0)2392 618616

www.dgseals.comdgseals.comTel: 001 972 931 8463


www.digikey.com/europeDigi-KeyTel: +31 (0)53 484 9584

www.dextermag.comDexter Magnetic Technologies, Inc.Tel: 001 847 956 1140


www.protocol-power.comProtocol Power ProductsTel: +44 (0)1582 477737

Busbars

www.auxel.comAuxel FTGTel: + 33 3 20 62 95 20

Capacitors

Certification

www.psl-group.uk.comPSL Group UK Ltd.Tel +44 (0) 1582 676800

Connectors & Terminal Blocks

www.auxel.comAuxel FTGTel: +44 (0)7714 699967

www.productapprovals.co.ukProduct Approvals LtdTel: +44 (0)1588 620192

www.proton-electrotex.com/ Proton-Electrotex JSC/Tel: +7 4862 440642;

www.voltagemultipliers.com Voltage Multipliers, Inc.Tel: 001 559 651 1402

Arbitrary 4-Quadrant PowerSources

www.rohrer-muenchen.deRohrer GmbH Tel.: +49 (0)89 8970120

High Voltage and High PowerElectronics

Dean Technology, Inc.www.deantechnology.com+1 (972) 248-7691

Website Locator.qxp_Website Locator 03/11/2016 08:59

34 WEBSITE LOCATOR


Power Modules

Power Protection Products

Power Semiconductors

Power Substrates

Resistors & Potentiometers

RF & Microwave TestEquipment.

Simulation Software

Thyristors

Smartpower Devices

Power ICs

Power Amplifiers

Switched Mode PowerSupplies

Thermal Management &Heatsinks





www.neutronltd.co.ukNeutron LtdTel: +44 (0)1460 242200

www.rubadue.comRubadue Wire Co., Inc.Tel. 001 970-351-6100



www.irf.comInternational Rectifier Co. (GB) LtdTel: +44 (0)1737 227200


www.fujielectric-europe.comFuji Electric Europe GmbHTel: +49 (0)69-66902920

www.microsemi.comMicrosemi Tel: 001 541 382 8028


www.ar-europe.ieAR EuropeTel: 353-61-504300



www.universal-science.comUniversal Science LtdTel: +44 (0)1908 222211

www.power.ti.comTexas InstrummentsTel: +44 (0)1604 663399


www.dau-at.comDau GmbH & Co KGTel: +43 3143 23510

www.power.ti.comTexas InstrummentsTel: +44 (0)1604 663399


www.isabellenhuette.deIsabellenhütte Heusler GmbH KGTel: +49/(27 71) 9 34 2 82

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Mosfets

Magnetic Materials/Products

Line Simulation

Optoelectronic Devices

Packaging & Packaging Materials


www.citapower.comBias Power, LLCTel: 001 847.419.9118

www.digikey.com/europeDigi-Key Tel: +31 (0)53 484 9584


www.digikey.com/europeDigi-Key Tel: +31 (0)53 484 9584



www.abl-heatsinks.co.ukABL Components LtdTel: +44 (0) 121 789 8686www.hero-power.com

Rohrer GmbH Tel.: +49 (0)89 8970120

www.rohrer-muenchen.deRohrer GmbHTel: +49 (0)89 8970120


Advanced Energy Industries .....................................................................................23APEC................................................................................................................................IBCCornell Dubilier ................................................................................................................9Dean Technologies .........................................................................................................5Infineon ...........................................................................................................................IFCIsabellenhutte ................................................................................................................10Fuji Electric ......................................................................................................................17HKR ...................................................................................................................................19

LEM....................................................................................................................................11Microchip............................................................................................................................7PCIM .................................................................................................................................24PCIM .................................................................................................................................31Proton ...............................................................................................................................12ROHM...............................................................................................................................14Semikron .............................................................................................................4 & OBCVMI ....................................................................................................................................13




IGBTs

www.microsemi.comMicrosemi Tel: 001 541 382 8028


Website Locator.qxp_Website Locator 03/11/2016 08:59

35_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:12

1 2 3

MiniSKiiP®

One Concept – Scalable without CompromiseSolutions from 2kW to 90kW

Scalable without compromise, from input to outputMajor system cost savings with less material used compared to standard baseplate solutions

Compact inverter design replacing copper bus bars with high power PCBs

Full drive solution from rectifier to inverter output, including brake chopper

One PCB concept, scalable from 2kW to 90kW

www.semikron.com shop.semikron.com

1

2

3

210 x 297 mm

36_pee_0616.indd 1 02/11/2016 15:09

Digital Hybrid Controller Simplifies Power Supply Design · Digital Hybrid Controller Simplifies...

Documents

Transcript of Digital Hybrid Controller Simplifies Power Supply Design · Digital Hybrid Controller Simplifies...