Article: “GaN Systems Unveils an Online Circuit Simulation Tool for Evaluating Gallium Nitride Power Transistor Circuits”
GaN Systems Unveils an Online Circuit Simulation Tool for Evaluating Gallium Nitride Power Transistor Circuits By Kristofer Eberle, Plexim and Paul Wiener, GaN Systems
To read the original article in Bodo Power Systems, click here.
GaN Systems has unveiled a free simulation tool on its website that provides power conversion designers valuable insight into the performance of GaN transistors in a specific application. The Circuit Simulation Tool is the first online platform in the industry fully dedicated to GaN semiconductor products.
Within moments, engineers can evaluate the benefits of using GaN HEMTs and select the appropriate devices for their design. Users can customize a simulation to include the precise parameters of interest and view key device and system metrics, including power level, conduction and switching losses, efficiency, and junction temperatures.
In addition to selecting one or more transistors, you can choose various source and load parameters, device switching frequency, the number of devices to parallel, heat sink parameters, and more. Further, GaN-specific details, such as deadtime effects and gateresistance loss dependencies during device turn-on and turn-off, are supported.
The simulator initially includes unique topologies for a totem-pole PFC converter, 2- and 3-level single-phase inverters, and isolated LLC and phase-shift full bridge converter models. New circuit applications for DC-DC and single-and three-phase designs will soon be added.
GaN Systems will be showcasing the Circuit Simulation Tool at their exhibition booth (#9-511) at PCIM in Nuremburg, Germany, June 5-7.
GaN Systems’ Circuit Simulation Tool is available at www.gansystems.com and uses the PLECS® web-based simulation (WBS) tool developed by Plexim. Files containing the loss models and thermal impedance information for GaN Systems’ product portfolio are available for offline use in PLECS, so existing PLECS users can directly include models for GaN Systems’ parts in their custom designs. Free trial licenses for PLECS can be requested on Plexim’s website at www.plexim.com. Further, PLECS Standalone has a free demo mode allowing access to a collection of prebuilt designs. PLECS® is a registered trademark of Plexim GmbH.
