Power Converter Hardware Control for 1 MHz Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microcontroller-based power converters face limitations due to their serial operation, resulting in delays of 1 us to 10 us in updating control voltages, which restrict switching frequency and control bandwidth, leading to inefficiencies in power conversion.
Innovation Solution
The use of electronic hardware components, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), to simulate electrical parameters and determine switch settings in power converters, eliminating the need for microcontrollers and enabling faster, more reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If microcontroller-based control is used, then the system is easier to implement with standard components, but the switching frequency is limited due to serial CPU operation delays of 1 us to 10 us
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the microcontroller's serial CPU execution with a hardware-based finite state machine (FSM) implemented in FPGA or ASIC. This substitution eliminates the serial instruction execution bottleneck by using parallel hardware logic, achieving switching frequencies up to 1 MHz while maintaining ease of implementation through hardware description language design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dedicated hardware control unit with finite state machine logic as an intermediary between the power converter components and the digital signal processing. This intermediary handles switching control in parallel hardware, decoupling the speed-critical switching function from the serial microcontroller operation.
2Device complexity
If microcontroller-based control is used, then the system structure is simpler, but the control bandwidth is limited due to processing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system into two distinct parts: a microcontroller for high-level digital signal processing and control algorithm execution, and a separate hardware-based finite state machine for real-time switching control. This segmentation allows each component to operate at its optimal speed, with the FSM providing immediate response for bandwidth-critical switching operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware finite state machine acts as an intermediary that receives control signals from the microcontroller and translates them into immediate switching actions. This intermediary layer ensures that control bandwidth is not limited by the microcontroller's serial processing speed, as the FSM can respond instantaneously to control commands.
3Loss of energy
If faster switching is achieved through hardware control, then switching losses are reduced, but the control system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware finite state machine is designed to be multi-functional, handling multiple control tasks including switching state management, dead-time insertion, and protection functions within a single unified hardware block. This universality achieves fast switching for reduced losses while avoiding the need for multiple separate control circuits that would increase complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex microcontroller software routines with streamlined hardware logic that directly generates switching signals. This substitution eliminates the overhead of operating system scheduling, instruction decoding, and serial communication protocols, achieving fast switching with relatively simple hardware logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A power converter includes one or more switches; one or more electrical elements; and a control apparatus for controlling the operation of the one or more switches, the control apparatus configured to simulate one or more electrical parameters of the one or more elements and determine switch settings of the one or more switches based upon the one or more simulated electrical parameters. The control apparatus is exclusively implemented as electrical hardware.