DE102011080270A1 - Circuit breaker arrangement e.g. system-in-package has power switches, control logic for controlling activation of switches and insulating elements for control of switches and for isolation between control logic and switches - Google Patents

Abstract

The breaker arrangement (S) has power switches (LS1-LSn), a configurable control logic (SL) for setting and controlling an activation of power switches and power switch associated insulating elements (IE21-IE2n) for control of respective power switches and for isolation between configurable control logic and respective power switches, which are combined to form system-in-package. A program memory (SP) is connected to configurable control logic.

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates generally to the field of power electronics as well as circuit engineering and electronic circuits. In particular, the present invention relates to a reconfigurable arrangement of circuit breakers.

State of the art

As power electronics usually that area of electrical engineering is referred to, which deals with a transformation of electrical energy - especially with the help of electronic components. The power electronics thus make it possible, in particular, to transform electrical energy with regard to the form of voltage (for example, DC voltage, AC voltage), the level of voltage and current, and the frequency.

There are power electronic components or arrangements which are used only for connecting and / or switching off electrical consumers. These usually also include protection and monitoring functions in addition to a switching function. Such components or arrangements may also be referred to as electronic power switches, wherein power switches are special switches, which are designed for high currents or so-called short-circuit stress. Power electronic components or arrangements with which voltage, current and / or frequency can be converted are referred to, for example, as a power actuator or, depending on the function, as a rectifier, inverter and converter. An electronic power actuator usually includes the required power electronics and associated signal processing.

Such power electronic circuits or modules such as e.g. Power actuators are often used e.g. used for controlled drives or variable speed drives.

• – Leistungsdioden, von welchen ein Strom prinzipiell nur in einer Richtung oder nur oberhalb eines bestimmten Spannungswerts durchgelassen wird, und welche häufig in Gleichrichter-Schaltungen eingesetzt werden,
• – Thyristoren, bei welchen ein Schaltpunkt durch eine steuerbare Spannung an einer Steuerelektrode beliebig und flexibel eingestellt werden kann, und welche sehr vielfältige Anwendungen zum Schalten, Steuern und Regeln in der Leistungselektronik finden,
• – Triacs, welche zwei Thyristorelemente in einem Bauteil aufweisen, die gegenläufig parallel geschaltet sind und gemeinsam gesteuert werden, und mit welchen vor allem Wechselströme gesteuert und geschaltet werden,
• – Leistungs-MOSFETs sowie IGBT-Bauteile, welche aufgrund ihrer atomaren Halbleiterstruktur Transistoren mit besonderen Schalt- und Leistungseigenschaften darstellen. Leistungs-MOSFETs werden z.B. bei hohe Schaltfrequenzen (bis zu 1 Mhz) und Spannungen (bis etwa 1000 V) und z.B. als stromlos steuerbare Schalter (z.B. bei Verstärkern) und/oder als schnelle Schalter (z.B in Wechselrichtern, Schaltnetzteilen, DC/DC-Wandlern oder Motorsteuerungen) verwendet. IGBT-Bauteile (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) werden bei hohen Spannungen (bis ca. 2 kV) und hohen Strömen verwendet.

As a component for power electronic devices, modules and / or circuits, especially in lower power and voltage ranges, so-called power semiconductors are often used, which are designed for controlling and switching high electrical currents and voltages. It mainly uses semiconductor components such as:

• - Power diodes, of which a current is transmitted in principle only in one direction or only above a certain voltage value, and which are often used in rectifier circuits,
• Thyristors, in which a switching point can be arbitrarily and flexibly adjusted by a controllable voltage on a control electrode, and which find very diverse applications for switching, controlling and regulating power electronics,
• Triacs, which have two thyristor elements in one component, which are connected in parallel in opposite directions and are controlled together, and with which, above all, alternating currents are controlled and switched,
• - Power MOSFETs and IGBT components, which represent transistors with special switching and power characteristics due to their atomic semiconductor structure. Power MOSFETs are eg at high switching frequencies (up to 1 Mhz) and voltages (up to about 1000 V) and eg as a current-controllable switch (eg amplifiers) and / or as a fast switch (eg in inverters, switching power supplies, DC / DC Converters or motor controls). IGBT components (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) are used at high voltages (up to approx. 2 kV) and high currents.

Power electronic circuits, arrangements and / or modules or power semiconductors are widely used today in the context of energy efficiency and used in various fields. Practice-related fields of application-in particular of power semiconductors-are, for example, control systems of electrical drives in traffic engineering and / or mechanical engineering as well as the transformation or adaptation of voltage, current and frequency of one system to another or to other magnitude values. There are, for example, standard circuits such as e.g. the so-called H-bridge circuit, which is e.g. used in rectifiers, frequency converters, switching power supplies, motor controls, etc. In many applications, however, the circuits or arrangements of the power electronic components are often tailored specifically to the particular application.

Another development in power semiconductors is so-called "smart MOS-FET" applications, in which signal processing is also integrated. In electrical engineering, this development is also referred to as so-called "digital power". This term refers in particular to digitally regulated, controlled and monitored power supplies or network devices, the regulation and monitoring of an output voltage e.g. is taken over by a microcontroller and the control process is loaded as software in the microcontroller.

The power electronic circuits and / or modules are usually made individual, discrete components and / or component groups (eg IC chips, single component, etc.) constructed. The assembly and connection technology of the circuits and modules must ensure a required electrical insulation as well as a compact design and good thermal properties. Conceivable is a circuit structure on a substrate and / or in a housing. However, this can lead to space problems, especially in complex circuits, if, for example, the finished circuit is still to be installed in a device, in a motor, etc. In addition, power semiconductors - especially at high power must be cooled - ie it must be planned in the circuit or in the respective housing so-called heat sink, which requires additional space. Therefore, especially in complex circuits, not only can there be space problems such as installation, etc., but also the assembly costs can significantly increase.

Therefore, in areas (e.g., automotive area, etc.) in which space optimization is important, or in which the circuit is intended to be as small as possible, power electronic circuits other than so-called ASICs - d. H. implemented as application-specific integrated circuits or application-specific integrated circuits. An ASIC is an electronic circuit that has been manufactured as an integrated circuit (IC). An integrated circuit is an electronic circuit accommodated on a single usually semiconductor substrate. The circuit or the ASIC is thus no longer manipulatable. The major drawbacks of ASICs, especially in small and medium quantities, are high investment costs and, in any case, a longer development time compared to a solution of the same problem with discrete components and standard ICs.

Presentation of the invention

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide an arrangement for circuit breaker, which has a relatively small footprint and by which in a simple and cost-effective manner reconfigurable or flexible different circuits for circuit breakers can be implemented.

According to the invention, the object is achieved by a circuit breaker arrangement of the type mentioned, in which at least one circuit breaker, at least one circuit breaker associated insulating element and a configurable control logic are combined as a structural unit. In this case, the at least one insulating element is provided for a voltage supply and control of the respectively associated circuit breaker and for a potential separation between the configurable control logic and the respective associated circuit breaker. The configurable control logic is used to specify and control a control of the at least one circuit breaker.

The main aspect of the proposed solution according to the invention is that a structure and in particular a use of a configurable control logic in a simple and cost-effective manner allow flexible or reconfigurable Verschaltungsmöglichkeiten the individual components, in particular the circuit breaker, said Verschaltungsmöglichkeiten due to the use of the insulating elements of an electric Potential of components - especially circuit breakers and configurable control logic - is independent.

In addition, the circuit breaker arrangement according to the invention offers a flexible implementation of switching logic and signal processing. With the arrangement according to the invention can be realized by appropriate programming of the configurable control logic various power electronic circuits or applications such. H-bridge circuits for motor control or for AC voltage, controls for DC / DC converter, voltage-frequency converter, gate control for a 3-phase rectifier, synchronous rectifier, etc. Thus, both product diversity and costs can be reduced because with a circuit arrangement various power electronic circuits can be created. Even a rapid startup of the power electronic circuit is made possible without, for example, additional components must be inserted or installed.

Due to the structure and the flexibility of the arrangement according to the invention, the space requirement for the respective application is reduced, since the necessary space is defined by an area or a volume of the arrangement according to the invention. In this case, the circuit breaker assembly according to the invention - especially by the use of configurable control logic - be designed to save space and thus reduce an area or volume requirement of power electronics components.

It is advantageous if in addition at least one measuring unit is provided for control and regulating functions per circuit breaker, the at least one measuring unit for control functions being separated in terms of potential from the configurable control logic by an associated insulating element. This measuring unit, which may be configured, for example, as an analog-to-digital converter, on the one hand suitable for self-protection of the circuit breaker assembly itself. On the other hand, the measuring unit can easily be used for specific control and regulating functions, which may be necessary for the respective realized with the circuit breaker assembly power electronic circuit can be used. In the simplest case, the measuring unit for open-loop and closed-loop control functions can be used to implement very isolated digital inputs and / or outputs or to integrate measuring channels in a space-saving manner.

Furthermore, it is favorable if in addition a program memory is provided, which is connected to the configurable control logic. In the program memory so that different programmings or configurations for the configurable control logic can be stored or stored in a simple manner. Thus, e.g. a desired circuit can be implemented and put into operation very quickly and without much effort (for example additional components, etc.) with the aid of the circuit breaker arrangement according to the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the circuit breaker arrangement according to the invention is as a configurable control logic a programmable and programmable logic circuit preferably with simple signal processing, in particular a so-called Field Programmable Gate Array or FPGA used. An FPGA is an integrated circuit or integrated circuit element of digital technology in which a logic circuit can be programmed. By a specific configuration of the internal structures of the FPGA different circuits can be implemented easily.

In addition, an FPGA enables fast signal processing as well as a flexible change in the arrangement or circuit in which an FPGA is used. In this way, with the circuit breaker assembly according to the invention, numerous power electronic circuits such as e.g. H-bridge circuits for motor control or for AC voltage, controls for DC / DC converter, voltage-frequency converter, gate control for a 3-phase rectifier, synchronous rectifier, etc. can be realized.

Alternatively, a so-called complex programmable logic device block or CPLD block can be used as a configurable control logic. This has a simple configurable switching matrix, from which different input signals can be connected to different output signals. These signals can be linked by logical operations (e.g., AND, OR, etc.), whereby CPLDs have a design-independent, constant signal transit time. However, they are of limited use for implementation of complex circuits requiring a larger number of memories (e.g., flip-flops, etc.).

Furthermore, it is recommended if so-called field-effect transistors, in particular so-called MOS-FETs, are provided as the at least one power switch or as a power switch. So-called MOS FETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) and in particular the specialized form of the power MOS FET usually have a higher switching speed than e.g. bipolar transistors on. Therefore, they can also be used to make fast switches for larger currents and / or voltages (e.g., up to several hundred amperes and up to about 1000V). In addition, the manufacturing process for MOS FETs or power MOS FETs is relatively simple and therefore inexpensive, and because of their lateral structure they are also particularly suitable for integrated circuits. MOS FETs and especially power MOS FETs are optimized in particular for the conduction and blocking of larger electrical currents and / or voltages and are therefore for example at high switching frequencies (up to 1 Mhz) and voltages (up to about 1000 V) as de-energized controllable and / or fast switches, for example, in amplifier circuits, inverters, switching power supplies, DC / DC converters, motor controls, etc. used.

Alternatively, it is also conceivable to use the so-called IGBT (= insulated gate bipolar transistor) or bipolar transistor with insulated gate electrode as the circuit breaker. IGBTs are advantageously used in circuits at higher voltages from a few 100 V and high powers (e.g., from 100 W to 1 kW) but at a relatively low operating frequency (e.g., 1 to 20 kHz and 200 kHz, respectively).

Ideally, the circuit breaker arrangement according to the invention is designed as a so-called system-in-package, which is technically between a monolithic integration on eg a semiconductor chip and the on-board integration of discrete components on a substrate or a printed circuit board. In a system-in-package implementation, for example, passive and active components as well as other components are manufactured by means of microsystem technologies on a plurality of semiconductor chips or possibly as discrete components and then combined in one housing. This can be implemented in a simple way space-saving and compact arrangements or circuits. In addition, an embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention as a so-called system-in-package has the advantages that, for example, higher insulation voltages achieved and that also heterogeneous technology (eg discrete component with housing, IC chips, etc.) can be combined. For example, power devices such as MOS-FETs based on silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) can be used.

In a system-in-package implementation of the arrangement according to the invention, a so-called microtransformer is preferably used as insulating element. These microtransformers are, for example, integratable on a semiconductor chip, inductive transformer structures, which offer the possibility for galvanic or potential separation of coupled circuits or components. In this case, a potential separation between transformer windings is taken over by a thin polyamide layer on the chip, from which primary and secondary circuits with potential differences of several kV can be galvanically isolated. In this case, a relatively small amount of electrical energy is consumed by a micro-transformer, for example compared to optocouplers, and a higher data transmission rate is achieved with little disturbance. An e.g. The most frequently used micro-transformer is the so-called iCoupler from Analog Devices, which, for example, has the advantage of transmitting power and signals separately.

Alternatively, however, it is also possible to provide a so-called monolithic implementation for the circuit breaker arrangement according to the invention. In this case, the components of the circuit breaker assembly according to the invention are produced on a single piece of monocrystalline semiconductor material (e.g., silicon, etc.) as a so-called chip. A production takes place e.g. usually by so-called doping on the surface of the semiconductor material or by layer application. This embodiment is above all easy to manufacture and inexpensive. However, in a monolithic implementation, not all component technology, in particular in combination, can be used - for example, power components based on SiC and / or GaN can not be combined in this type of implementation.

In a monolithic implementation, a so-called integrated high-voltage gate driver IC or HVIC is recommended for use as an insulating element. HVICs are monolithic high-voltage ICs for voltages of about 500 V and higher and can switch so-called driver currents of a few amperes. HVICs are designed to operate in higher voltage ranges (e.g., up to 600V and sometimes higher) power switches - especially power semiconductors such as power supplies. MOS FETs or IGBTs - can drive quickly. They are therefore used e.g. used in motor control, in switching power supplies, in protective circuits, in overvoltage technology, as well as in audio and ultrasonic technology in industrial applications and in medicine.

Brief description of the drawing

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings 1 explained. It shows 1 by way of example a schematic structure of the reconfigurable circuit breaker arrangement according to the invention.

Embodiment of the invention

1 shows, by way of example and in a schematic manner, the circuit breaker arrangement S according to the invention. The circuit breaker arrangement S can be designed as a so-called system-in-package or as a monolithic implementation. In the system-in-package embodiment, the individual components of the arrangement S are housed in a housing space-saving or compact as possible. In a monolithic implementation of the arrangement S, the entire circuit breaker assembly is realized as in a semiconductor chip or implemented on a semiconductor substrate.

The circuit breaker assembly S according to the invention in this case comprises at least one or more power switches LS1, LS2,..., LSn, which are preferably insulated from each other, and via which, for example, an in 1 Unrepresented consumer can be controlled. As power switches LS1, LS2, ..., LSn in particular power semiconductors such as power MOS-FETs or IGBTs are used - depending on the required switching frequency or depending on the height of the voltage range in which to work from the circuit breaker. Power MOS FETs as circuit breakers LS1, LS2, ..., LSn are particularly suitable for fast switching and high switching frequencies up to approx. 1 MHz in a medium voltage range (up to approx. 1000V). At low switching frequencies (up to max 200 kHz) and high voltages, so-called IGBTs can be used as circuit-breakers LS1, LS2, ..., LSn.

Each circuit breaker LS1, LS2, ..., LSn is assigned an insulating element IE21, IE22,..., IE2n. The respective insulating element IE21, IE22, ..., IE2n serves on the one hand as a so-called driver circuit for the respective circuit breaker LS1, LS2, ..., LSn. On the other hand, each respective power-isolation element IE21, IE22,..., IE2n disconnects the respective power switch LS1, LS2,..., LSn in terms of potential from a configurable control logic SL. This isolation by the insulating element IE21, IE22,..., IE2n is necessary because, for example, the configurable control logic SL operates in a much lower voltage range (eg at approximately 1 V) than the power switches LS1, LS2,..., LSn (FIG. eg up to about 1000 V). As isolation elements IE21, IE22,..., IE2n, for example, in system-in-package implementation, microtransformers, e.g. iCoupler from the company Analog Devices or monolithic implementation so-called high-voltage gate driver ICs or HVICs are used.

As a configurable control logic SL, through which appropriate programming various electronic circuits or applications such. H-bridge circuits for motor control or for AC voltage, controls for DC / DC converter, voltage-to-frequency converter, gate control for a 3-phase rectifier, synchronous rectifier, etc. can be implemented, e.g. a programmable logic with simple signal processing such as FPGA or CPLD can be used. In addition, the configurable control logic SL is connected to a program memory SP. In the program memory SP, for example, application-specific programming or configurations for the configurable control logic SL can be stored. Furthermore, the configurable control logic SL has a direct input / output N, via which e.g. Signals, etc. are directly transferable to the configurable control logic SL.

The configurable control logic SL may be preceded by measurement units AD1, AD2,..., ADn for control and regulation functions. These measuring units AD1, AD2,..., ADn are also potentially isolated from the configurable control logic SL by insulating elements IE11, IE12,..., IEn allocated to the respective measuring unit AD1, AD2,. Usually, the same number of measuring units AD1, AD2,..., ADn with insulating elements IE11, IE12,..., IE1n are provided, such as power switches LS1, LS2,..., LSn with associated insulating elements IE21, IE22,..., IE2n in the arrangement S are used. The respectively used measuring units AD1, AD2,..., ADn are used on the one hand for self-protection of the circuit breaker arrangement S according to the invention (eg too high voltages, currents, etc.) and on the other hand also application-specific ones of the measuring units AD1, AD2, Measuring and control functions (eg in a motor control, etc.) are taken over. The measuring units AD1, AD2,..., ADn can be designed, for example, as analog-to-digital converters. As to the measuring units AD1, AD2, ..., ADn associated insulation elements IE11, IE12, ..., IE1n again - depending on the implementation of the inventive arrangement S - micro-transformers, especially iCoupler the company Analog Devices in system-in-package or High-voltage gate driver ICs (HVICs) can be used in monolithic implementation.

• – Acht Kanäle mit einem Standard-Strom bis zu einem Kanal mit 8-fachem Strom (d. h. variable Stromtragfähigkeit durch Parallelschaltung)
• – Acht Kanäle mit einer Standard-Spannung bis zu einem Kanal mit 8-facher Spannung (d. h. variable Spannungsbereich durch Serienschaltung)
• – Vier bidirektionale Schalterwechsel
• – H-Brückenschaltungen z.B. für eine Motorsteuerung auch mit erhöhtem Strom oder erhöhter Spannung oder für Wechselspannung
• – Pulswechselmodulation-Steuerung auf Basis einer analogen Eingangsspannung (oder eines Eingangsstroms mit Shunt-Messung
• – Steuerung für einen DC/DC-Konverter
• – Anschnittsteuerungen für z.B. 3-Phasen-Gleichrichter
• – Synchrongleichrichter
• – Spannungs-Frequenzwandler, Spannungs-Pulsdichtwandler, etc.

The circuit breaker arrangement S according to the invention can, for example, when using eight circuit breakers LS1, LS2, ... LS8 a range of functions of eg four isolated analog inputs via the measuring units AD1, AD2, ..., AD8, two isolated digital inputs as two isolated Digital outputs and 16 generic, non-isolated I / O pins with the associated, configurable control logic SL (eg FPGA logic). With such an arrangement S, for example, the following (power) circuits can be realized very simply and quickly by corresponding programming of the configurable control logic SL:

• - Eight channels with a standard current up to a channel with 8-fold current (ie variable current carrying capacity through parallel connection)
• - Eight channels with a standard voltage up to a channel with 8-fold voltage (ie variable voltage range through series connection)
• - Four bidirectional switch changes
• - H-bridge circuits eg for a motor control with increased current or increased voltage or for AC voltage
• - Pulse-change modulation control based on an analog input voltage (or an input current with shunt measurement
• - Control for a DC / DC converter
• - Gate controllers for eg 3-phase rectifiers
• - Synchronous rectifier
• Voltage frequency converters, voltage pulse density transducers, etc.

Claims (9)

Circuit breaker arrangement, characterized in that - at least one power switch (LS1, LS2, ..., LSn), - a configurable control logic (SL) for predetermining and controlling a control of the at least one power switch (LS1, LS2, ..., LSn) , and - at least one of the at least one power switch (LS1, LS2, ..., LSn) associated insulating (IE21, IE22, ..., IE2n), which for a power supply and control of the respective circuit breaker (LS1, LS2, .. ., LSn) and for a potential separation between configurable control logic (SL) and the respective circuit breaker (LS1, LS2, ..., LSn) is provided, as a structural unit (S) are summarized. Circuit-breaker assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that additionally at least one measuring unit for control and regulating functions (AD1, AD2, ..., ADn) per circuit breaker (LS1, LS2, ..., LSn) is provided, which by an associated insulating (IE11, IE12, ..., IE1n) is potentially separated from the configurable control logic (SL). Circuit breaker arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that in addition a program memory (SP) is provided which is connected to the configurable control logic (SL). Circuit-breaker arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a configurable and programmable logic circuit, in particular a so-called Field Programmable Gate Array, is used as the configurable control logic (SL). Circuit-breaker arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that as a power switch (LS1, LS2, ..., LSn) so-called field effect transistor, in particular so-called MOS-FETs are provided. Circuit-breaker arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that an implementation as a so-called system-in-package (S) is provided. Circuit-breaker arrangement according to Claim 6, characterized in that a so-called microtransformer is used as the insulating element (IE11, IE12, ..., IE1n, IE21, IE22, ..., IE2n). Circuit-breaker arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a so-called monolithic implementation is provided Circuit-breaker arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that a so-called integrated high-voltage gate driver is used as the insulating element (IE11, IE12,..., IE1n, IE21, IE22,..., IE2n).

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