Control device

Abstract

To provide a control device that can improve the efficiency of the development and production of control circuits.SOLUTION: A control device according to an embodiment controls the operation of a power device. The control device includes a signal allocation circuit having a number of inputs corresponding to the maximum number of signals that can be input and a number of signal allocations greater than the number of inputs. The signal allocation circuit allows the number of signal allocations to be set at least once.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention relate to a control device for power devices in high power applications, such as power conversion devices and circuit interruption devices. [Background technology]

[0002] The functions and configurations of power conversion devices and circuit breakers used in AC and DC power systems are determined for each application, and they are often manufactured in small quantities in a wide variety of models. If the control circuits that make up the control units and control devices were designed from scratch for each device, efficiency would decrease in various ways.

[0003] There is a strong demand for more efficient development and production of control devices for electric power devices that are produced in small quantities and with a wide variety of products. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-515199 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a control device that can improve the efficiency of development and production of control circuits. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A control device according to an embodiment of the present invention controls the operation of a power device. The control device includes a signal allocation circuit having a number of inputs corresponding to a maximum number of signals that can be input and a number of signal allocations that is greater than the number of inputs. The signal allocation circuit allows the number of signal allocations to be set at least once. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a control device that can improve the efficiency of development and production of control circuits. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a power conversion device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a part of a control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a part of a control device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each part, the size ratio between parts, etc. are not necessarily the same as those in reality. Furthermore, even when the same part is shown, the dimensions and ratios may be different depending on the drawing. In the present specification and the drawings, elements similar to those described above with reference to the previous drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] In this specification, power conversion devices that perform DC-DC power conversion, power conversion devices that perform AC-AC power conversion, power conversion devices that perform AC-DC power conversion, and circuit breaker devices that connect and break AC or DC are collectively referred to as power devices. In the specific explanation, a power conversion device is used as an example, but the invention can also be applied to a circuit breaker device.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a power conversion device according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, a power conversion device 10 according to the embodiment includes a converter 20 and a control device 30. In the example of Fig. 1, the power conversion device 10 performs AC-DC power conversion. The converter 20 is connected, for example, between a three-phase AC power source and a DC load, and converts AC voltage into DC voltage for the DC load and outputs the DC voltage. An appropriate circuit type is selected for the converter 20 based on the level of the AC voltage, the level of the DC voltage, the power to be converted, and other factors, and switching elements such as IGBTs and MOSFETs, inductors, transformers, and other elements are selected according to the circuit type.

[0012] Converter 20 is connected to AC terminals 11a to 11c. AC terminals 11a to 11c are connected to, for example, an AC power system. Converter 20 is connected to DC terminals 11d and 11e. DC terminals 11d and 11e are connected to, for example, a load operated on DC.

[0013] In this example, current detectors 1a to 1c are provided between converter 20 and AC terminals 11a to 11c. Current detectors 1a to 1c are connected to control device 30, and output data on the current values ​​of the respective phases detected by current detectors 1a to 1c to control device 30. Converter 20 is provided with DC terminals 11d and 11e, and current detector 3 is provided between converter 20 and DC terminal 11e. Current detector 3 is connected to control device 30, and outputs data on the current value of the current flowing through the DC load, detected by current detector 3, to control device 30.

[0014] The control device 30 is connected to the converter 20 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control device 30 generates drive signals for switching devices constituting the converter 20 based on data on current values ​​acquired from the current detectors 1a to 1c and 3 and data on output DC voltage values ​​and the like acquired from the converter 20, and outputs the drive signals to the converter 20. The data and information that the converter 20 outputs to the control device 30 vary depending on the specifications of the power conversion device 10, and the processing contents of the control device 30 also vary.

[0015] The control device 30 has a control unit 40, and the control unit 40 has control circuits 50a and 50b. The control unit 40 is configured, for example, on a single circuit board, and one or more control circuits can be configured.

[0016] 1 also shows a redundant configuration as a specification of the power conversion device 10. Current detectors 2a to 2c are redundantly provided between the converter 20 and AC terminals 11a to 11c, and the current detectors 2a to 2c output data of the detected current values ​​to the control device 30. Current detector 4 is redundantly provided between the converter 20 and DC terminal 11e, and the current detector 4 outputs data of the detected current value to the control device 30.

[0017] In the control device 30, the control unit 40 processes the two redundant control systems using two control circuits 50a, 50b, respectively, based on the current value data output by the two current detectors. As such, the power conversion device 10 requires various processing modes to be set depending on its specifications, and the design must be based on the set mode. While the example in FIG. 1 shows commonality based on the presence or absence of control redundancy, including the number of current detection systems, this is not limiting. For example, it is possible to diversify the input / output systems of the control block depending on the circuit type of the converter 20, or to share the control unit with a circuit breaker device that has a different basic configuration from that of a power conversion device.

[0018] A specific example of the control unit 40 will be described. 2 and 3 are schematic block diagrams illustrating a part of the control device according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a configuration related to input processing and arithmetic processing of analog signal data in the control unit 40 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a configuration related to arithmetic processing and output processing of analog signal data in the control unit 40 of Fig. 1.

[0019] 2, the control unit 40 has a plurality of AD converters 41, a signal allocation circuit 42, and a plurality of arithmetic elements 43, 43a. The control unit 40 is connected to a signal source for various voltage signals output from sensors such as current detectors 1a-1c, 2a-2c and converter 20, for example, via the plurality of AD converters 41 and analog input connectors (referred to as AI connectors in FIG. 2).

[0020] One AD converter 41 is provided as an integrated circuit with a multi-channel configuration, where each channel has a serial output. In the example of Fig. 2, one 4-channel AD converter and four 6-channel AD converters convert analog data from 28 channels into digital serial data and output it to the signal allocation circuit 42.

[0021] The signal allocation circuit 42 includes, for example, a serial-parallel interface circuit (denoted as I / F in FIG. 2, hereinafter referred to as an SPIF circuit) 421, a multiplexer 422, a buffer 423, and a parallel-serial interface circuit (denoted as I / F in FIG. 2, hereinafter referred to as a PSIF circuit) 424. In this example, up to 28 pieces of data are input and the 28 pieces of input data are distributed to 52 control lines.

[0022] 2, data input to the signal allocation circuit 42 can be distributed to a maximum of 52 control lines, but how the data is distributed is determined by a program executed by the arithmetic element 43a, as will be described later. Also, the number of control lines can be set arbitrarily to 52 or less by a program executed by the third arithmetic element (denoted as arithmetic element 3 in the figure) 43a. The maximum number of control lines is set in advance based on the expected specifications of the power device to which the control unit 40 is applied.

[0023] In the signal allocation circuit 42, the input of the SPIF circuit 421 is connected to the output of the AD converter 41. The output of the SPIF circuit 421 is connected to the input of the multiplexer 422. In this example, the multiplexer 422 has four multiplexer circuits 422a, which distribute the 28-channel input to 56-channel outputs according to the distribution number set by the calculation element 43a. The 56 outputs of the multiplexer 422 are output via a buffer 423 to a 56-channel PSIF circuit 424. The output of the 56-channel PSIF circuit 424 is connected to the five calculation elements 43, 43a.

[0024] In the example of FIG. 2, the signal allocation circuit 42 converts 12 of the 28 input serial data into parallel data and outputs them to the first arithmetic element (denoted as arithmetic element 1 in the figure) 43. The signal allocation circuit 42 converts 12 of the 28 input serial data into parallel data and outputs them to the second arithmetic element (denoted as arithmetic element 2 in the figure) 43. The signal allocation circuit 42 converts 16 of the 28 input serial data into parallel data and outputs them to the third arithmetic element (denoted as arithmetic element 3 in the figure) 43a. The signal allocation circuit 42 converts 12 of the 28 input serial data into parallel data and outputs them to the fourth arithmetic element (denoted as arithmetic element 4 in the figure) 43. The signal allocation circuit 42 converts all of the 28 input serial data into parallel data and outputs them to the fifth arithmetic element (denoted as arithmetic element 5 in the figure) 43.

[0025] Some of the 28 parallel data supplied to the first, second, third, fourth and fifth arithmetic elements are data common to some of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth arithmetic elements.

[0026] The common data is, for example, data on the current values ​​of currents flowing into or out of AC terminals 11a to 11c of power conversion device 10 in Fig. 1. When the current value data is made redundant for the detected current as shown in Fig. 1, two sets of current value data (for example, three data per set) can be independently supplied to, for example, a first calculation element and a second calculation element.

[0027] If the specifications do not include current redundancy and the other specifications are set to the same as those of the power conversion device 10 in Figure 1, for example, current value data is not supplied to the second calculation element, and the second calculation element can be used for other processing, or the second calculation element can be completely avoided.

[0028] Which of the 28 serial data items is to be supplied to which processing element is set in the program executed by the third processing element 43a. In the specific example described above, which output of which multiplexer circuit 422a of the multiplexer 422 is to be selected is set in the program.

[0029] As described above, the first to fifth arithmetic elements 43, 43a are, for example, CPUs (microcontrollers). The first to fifth arithmetic elements 43, 43a may be CPUs of the same type (specifications) or CPUs of different types.

[0030] 2 shows an example of input signal processing in the control unit 40, while FIG. 3 shows an example of output signal processing in the control unit 40. In FIG. 3, the control unit 40 further includes a signal allocation circuit 44 and a plurality of DA converters 45. The arithmetic elements 43 and 43a are shared with the signal allocation circuit 42. The control unit 40 is connected to an external circuit via the plurality of DA converters 45 and an analog output connector (referred to as an AO connector in the figure).

[0031] The signal allocation circuit 44 has PSIF circuits 441. In this example, four PSIF circuits 441 are provided, and each PSIF circuit 441 converts 16 parallel data into one serial data and outputs it to the multiplexer 443.

[0032] The multiplexer 443 receives one serial data item containing 16 parallel data items from the four PSIF circuits 441 via the buffers 442. The multiplexer 443 has a plurality of multiplexer circuits 443a, and four serial data items are input to all of the multiplexer circuits 443a. A selection signal is supplied to the multiplexer 443 from the third calculation element 43a. A digital serial signal is supplied to the DA converter 45 from the multiplexer circuit 443a selected by the selection signal.

[0033] In the above specific example, the signals to be allocated to the signal allocation circuits 42, 44 are selected by the multiplexers 422, 443, but since the signal allocation is determined when the specifications of the power device are decided, the signal allocation circuits may be formed by a printed wiring board with pre-set wiring or by hard wires such as jumper wires. Also, instead of the multiplexer and the arithmetic element 43a that executes the signal allocation program, an FPGA or the like may be used.

[0034] The effects of the control device according to the embodiment will be described. The control device according to the embodiment includes a signal allocation circuit that can select input and / or output signal lines after the fact. Therefore, after the specifications of the power device are determined, the number of input and / or output signals and their destinations can be set in the signal allocation circuit. By setting the number of input and / or output signals and their destinations after the fact in the signal allocation circuit, it is no longer necessary to design the control circuit constituting the control device from scratch depending on the number of signals and their destinations, which makes it possible to improve the efficiency of development and production of the control device.

[0035] Furthermore, even if the specifications of the power device change during development, it may be possible to respond quickly by changing the allocation of the signal allocation circuit, thereby shortening the development and production period of the control device.

[0036] Conventionally, when a control device does not use a signal allocation circuit, if an input signal is added, the signal can be input using, for example, an IO port of a microcontroller (computing element) with an available IO port. Typically, a desired process is performed by a single microcontroller, but if a signal input by another microcontroller is re-inputted to the single microcontroller, additional processing cycles are required, making high-speed signal processing difficult. In power devices, adding an analog signal input system is often done to enhance protection functions. Circuit configurations that hinder high-speed signal processing cannot be adopted, and it is often necessary to completely redesign the control unit's circuit configuration.

[0037] In the control device of the embodiment, the number of input and / or output signals can be set to the maximum possible number, so even if the number of input and / or output signals increases within the maximum number due to a change in specifications, this can be easily accommodated by changing the settings of the signal allocation circuit.

[0038] In this way, a power conversion device that controls charging and discharging with high precision can be realized without relying on additional protection functions or special equipment.

[0039] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1a to 1c, 2a to 2c, 3, 4...Current detector, 10...Power conversion device, 11a to 11c...AC terminal, 11d, 11e...DC terminal, 20...Converter, 30...Control device, 40...Control unit, 41...AD converter, 42, 44...Signal allocation circuit, 43, 43a...Calculation element, 45...DA converter, 50a, 50b...Control circuit, 422, 443...Multiplexer

Claims

1. A control device for controlling the operation of a power device, a signal allocation circuit having a number of inputs corresponding to the maximum number of signals that can be input and a number of allocated signals that is greater than the number of inputs; The signal allocation circuit is a control device that allows the signal allocation number to be set at least once.

2. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said signal allocation circuit has a multiplexer to which said number of input signals are input, and said number of signal allocations is set by signal selection by said multiplexer.

3. 3. The control device according to claim 2, further comprising a microcomputer for setting a selection signal for setting the number of signals to be allocated to said multiplexer in accordance with a preset program.

4. A control device for controlling the operation of a power device, a signal allocation circuit having a number of outputs corresponding to the maximum number of signals that can be output and a number of allocated signals that is greater than the number of outputs; The signal allocation circuit is a control device that allows the signal allocation number to be set at least once.

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