News: Microelectronics
21 March 2023
onsemi launches simulation tools to bring complex power electronics applications to market faster
For its EliteSiC silicon carbide (SiC) product family and its applications, power semiconductor IC supplier onsemi of Phoenix, AZ, USA has launched the online Elite Power Simulator and Self-Service PLECS Model Generator, which provide insights for complex power electronic applications through system-level simulations at an early stage of the development cycle. The tools are said to save power electronic engineers time by providing accurate simulation data, enabling EliteSiC product selection tailored to customer applications, instead of costly and time-consuming hardware fabrication and testing.
Users have the power and flexibility to create high-fidelity system-level PLECS models when the Elite Power Simulator is deployed in conjunction with the Self-Service PLECS Model Generator. Whether uploaded to onsemi’s Elite Power Simulator or downloaded for direct use, the self-service PLECS models deliver the optimization and accuracy required for demanding power electronic simulations. The models are generated based on typical or worst-case conditions to let the customer design within the technology boundaries. The capability to define application-specific parasitics ensures that the generated PLECS models provide highly accurate results for the customer’s system-level simulations.
“Our PLECS simulator has proven very popular with power designers due to speed and ease of use,” comments Jost Allmelling, managing director & co-founder, Plexim. “It is particularly exciting to see the truly novel aspects here, including the ability to simulate soft switching accurately, the customized models via the onsemi Self-Service PLECS Model Generator and the ready-made models for corner cases.”
To date, system-level simulators and their associated PLECS models have only been valid for hard-switching topologies, with simulation results for soft-switching applications such as LLC (inductor-inductor-capacitor) or CLLC (capacitor-inductor-inductor-capacitor) being highly inaccurate. onsemi claims that its industry-first PLECS models break this trend and solve this problem.
“This is a significant step for the industry, increasing its ability to get both hard- and soft-switching designs to market quickly,” says Asif Jakwani, senior VP & general manager of the Advanced Power Division (part of onsemi’s Power Solutions Group). “Our tools enable our customers to understand how our devices perform in their application environment and fully optimize the performance within the boundaries of the technology.”
onsemi’s Elite Power Simulator and Self-Service PLECS Model Generator is being exhibited in booth 1032 at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC 2023) in Orlando, Florida (19-23 March).
onsemi showcasing intelligent power technologies at APEC
