About the project

With input voltage greater than 1000 V and output current higher than 20 A this project seems to be a real delicacy for those who like challenges. We push our limits by targeting a 97% efficiency goal. For reaching such a high-efficiency requirement for a 300W converter we use the latest innovations such as high-voltage SiC fast-switching semiconductor devices.

Our experience

Bogdan

Having a high step-down converter at high efficiency, one might think that some new fancy solution was the answer to these project requirements. The real challenge was actually in pushing the limits of a well-known topology while keeping it as simple and as small as possible.

Emilija

Dealing with high voltage issues for a relatively small power was a great experience for me. Some requirements such as inrush current limit or EMI filter design for high voltages limited us from using some “old fashion” solutions and forced us to use our engineering creativity to figure out new solutions for those issues. It was a great experience getting that knowledge and “tips and tricks” from my team members.

About the project

Measuring low voltages with an accuracy of 100 uV is a challenge by itself. But when you have to do it in an unstable temperature environment with required isolation you have to think one step ahead of the next problem. To design a system like this one you must get inside that “black box” of IC components to get the best of them for you. Programming your system to communicate and measure with precision is a challenge for every firmware/software engineer.

Our experience:

Filip

Perhaps measuring doesn’t seem like an interesting topic but it gives insight into the very core of the process, especially when precision is crucial for efficiency and stability. On this project, I faced the challenges of overcoming the temperature dependence of measurements in order to achieve the best performance in this multichannel application. While this project is still in progress the main excitement of testing and validating is yet to come.

Bogdan

At the first glance, this seemed like an easy project, both for hardware and for firmware. But by delving deeper into the design, one requirement overruled the other. It seemed that with every new solution we improved one aspect of the design but another one got worse. Luckily, having a detail-oriented team with a lot of experience, solving all these issues was not a nuisance but an exciting challenge. Although the whole project is not yet finished, I am looking forward to seeing our design in action.