28 PRODUCT UPDATE Issue 3 2023 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Circuit simulation software accelerates power design, says Qorvo The circuit simulation software can also advance analogue simulation technology and allows designers to simulate complex digital circuits and algorithms. It is distinguished, says Qorvo, by its combination of modern schematic capture and fast mixed-mode simulation for complex hardware and software challenges. According to Jeff Strang, General Manager for Qorvo’s Power Management business, the software “enables an entirely new generation of mixed-mode circuit simulation. In the past, power designers relied on analogue circuits and silicon power switches. Today, digital control and compound semiconductors are common elements of advanced power designs,” he said. The software can be used by an engineer developing AI algorithms for EV battery charging, optimising a Qorvo pulsed radar power supply or evaluating the newest SiC FETs, he said. QSPICE is available free of charge. Enhancements over legacy analogue modeling tools include support for advanced analogue and digital system simulations, such as those used in AI and machine learning applications. There is also an upgraded simulation engine that uses numerical methods and is optimised for modern computing hardware, including a GPU-rendered user interface and SSD-aware memory management, to increase speed and accuracy, says the company. It also features reduced overall runtimes and a 100% completion rate, based on Qorvo benchmark tests with a suite of test circuits. This compares to a failure rate of up to 15% with these same test circuits using other popular SPICE simulators, reports Qorvo. A regularly updated QSPICE model library featuring Qorvo’s SiC and advanced power management devices is also available. Three 600V super junction MOSFETs are optimised for driving small motors Other features are lower power loss and fewer external parts required for noise suppression in devices which have small motors. There are three new models in the R60xxRNx series which have been added the Rohm’s PrestoMOS portfolio of 600V super junction MOSFETs. They are optimised for driving small motors in refrigerators, ventilation fans, and other applications where noise suppression is a consideration. Greater energy efficiency in equipment is required due to energy concerns and motor drives account for up to 50% of the world’s total power demand. High efficiency MOSFETs are therefore increasingly being used in inverter circuits that convert power to drive motors. MOSFET operation can generate noise, however, which can be address by adding components and/or changing circuit patterns. The PrestoMOS Super Junction MOSFETs feature the industry’s fastest reverse recovery time(trr) characteristics, claims Rohm, to receive high marks for achieving lower power consumption. The three new models are claimed to provide best-in-class noise characteristics while maintaining the fast trr through an optimised structure. The R60xxRNx series maintains the high-speed trr characteristics of PrestoMOS while minimising noise. A reverse recovery time of 40ns is achieved by improving conventional lifetime control technology, reducing switching losses by approximately 30% over general products to lower application power loss. The super junction structure reduces noise characteristics (which are inversely related to faster trr) by about 15dB compared to standard products says Rohm (under measurement conditions at 40MHz). Typical applications are refrigerators, ventilation fans and fan motors and any devices equipped with small motors, says the company. STGAP2GS GaN driver integrates galvanic isolation STMicroelectronics’ first galvanically isolated gate driver for GaN transistors, the STGAP2GS, has been developed for applications that demand superior wide bandgap efficiency with robust safety and electrical protection. The single-channel driver can be connected to a high voltage rail up to 1200V. There is also a narrow body version, the STGAP2GSN, which operates up to 1700V. Both versions provide gate driving voltage up to 15V. It can sink and source up to 3A gate current to the connected GaN transistor to control switching transitions up to high operating frequencies. Characterised by minimal propagation delay across the isolation barrier of 45ns, the STGAP2GS delivers a fast dynamic response and also has dV/dt
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