PD1550A Series

PD1550A Series

Data Sheets

Advanced Dynamic Power Device Analyzer /  Double-Pulse Tester (DPT) for power modules

 

  • Eliminates need to build, test, certify and maintain an in-house system 
  • VDS / VCE up to 1500 V, ID / IC up to 3000 A  
  • Characterize 650 V, 1.2 kV, 1.7 kV, and 2 kV-rated discrete devices and power modules 
  • Support testing of Short-Circuit (Type 1) with purchase of appropriate accessories 
  • Accurate VGS high-side characteristics using True Pulse Isolated Probe Technology 
  • Accurate high-current measurement with high-bandwidth RF compensation 
  • Fast slew rates, high-bandwidth measurement probes 
  • Interface board with solderless contact and exchangeable gate resistor technologies

 

Introduction

 

Power modules are used in various applications such as electric vehicles (EV) power converters, solar power inverters, trains, home appliances, and aircraft due to ease of design, high energy density and reliability. New, wide-bandgap (WBG) device-based power modules are now used by designers to take advantage of the device’s fast-switching operation, reducing the size of the power electronic module and ensuring efficiency. However, WBG power modules also introduce test challenges that require new solutions to properly characterize these devices, while eliminating failed prototypes and reducing design cycles. 

 

Evaluation of power modules is important for power electronics engineers, as well as power module manufacturers, to design efficient, small form factor, and reliable power converters. There are multiple challenges for these engineers to overcome when evaluating power modules, especially for power modules made with WBG devices.

 

Power Module Test Challenges

 

High Power Density: Power modules typically have higher power density than discrete power devices, incorporating multiple field-effect transistor (FET) chips to increase current. High current, such as 400 A, is necessary for some EV application where Silicon-Carbide (SiC) devices are being used to increase voltage and to reduce charging time. Therefore, high current with high bandwidth is required for WBG power module testing.

 

High-Side Device Measurement: Most power electronics applications require half-bridge structures as the basis for inverters and converters. Depending on the application, 2-in-1, 4-in-1, or 6-in-1 power module configurations are used. Two-in-1 configurations are half-bridge structures, 4-in-1 configurations are typically H-bridge structures, and 6-in-1 configurations are used for 3-phase power converters. In the case of discrete power devices, such as in TO-247 packages, it is possible to evaluate an individual device by placing it at the low-side in a DPT test setup. However, it is necessary to perform measurement on both the low-side and the high-side device to characterize a half bridge module. You cannot assume the high-side device behaves exactly as the low-side device. The voltage potential at the junction between the high-side device source and low-side device drain in a half-bridge configuration dynamically changes with large voltage swings as the half bridge is switched. This makes the measurement of the high-side FET very challenging, especially for small gate voltages. Measurement of a 10 V to 20 V gate voltage, while the reference for this measurement (i.e., the source) switches up and down hundreds of volts with fast slew rates is very difficult unless you have high Common Mode Rejection (CMR) probing technology.  

 

Probe Bandwidth and Noise: When measuring high-side Vgs, the industry tends to think high CMR is the only necessary parameter to make accurate measurements. However, the bandwidth and noise specifications of the probe are also critical factors for accurate measurement.  

 

No Standard Form Factor: Power modules come in a variety of form factors. Emerging WBG devices drive even more variations because of their high-power density and potential to make the module more compact. When evaluating power modules, the test board layout needs to be carefully designed. DPT boards typically integrate almost all components, such as the connection to the power module, gate drivers, decoupling capacitors, current measurement, etc. The power module is often soldered to the test