Archive for November, 2016

Will there be a Digital Control of Power Electronics Course in Europe?

Sunday, November 20th, 2016

Will the course be run in Europe?

At present there are no plans to run the course in Europe.  We suggest you attend the January 30 to February 2 Camarillo, California Course.

Why was model based design not mentioned in the Zynq webinar

Friday, November 18th, 2016

Hello Mr. Laird—

 

My team at MathWorks works with our FPGA and SoC partners to promote use of MATLAB and Simulink. I didn’t have a chance to attend Dr. King’s webinar, but I scanned through his slides and was surprised to see no mention of Model-Based Design in these applications.

 

MATLAB and Simulink are used worldwide in both industry and academia in power electronics and, more specifically, motor control applications. Also, we have developed workflows and examples that target the Zynq-7000 SoC platform as well as the Altera Cyclone SoC platform.

–        Webinar with Avnet Electronics: How to Build Custom Motor Controllers for Zynq SoCs with MATLAB and Simulink

o   You may view the example used in the demo here

–        Webinar with Altera: Prototyping SoC-based Motor Controllers with MATLAB and Simulink

 

This use of MathWorks products has been widely covered in publications as well:

–        MATLAB Digest: How Modeling Helps Embedded Engineers Develop Applications for SoCs

–        Xcell Journal: Motor Drives Migrate to Zynq SoC with Help from MATLAB

–        Xcell Software Journal: MATLAB and Simulink Aid HW-SW Co-design of Zynq SoCs (p.42)

–        Analog Dialog: FPGA-Based Systems Increase Motor-Control Performance

–        EE Journal: MathWorks Targets Hardware/Software: Prototyping MATLAB and Simulink Algorithms on Xilinx Zynq and Altera SoCs

 

Given that your firm is promoting seminars, could we interest you in including information about MathWorks products in your seminars and webinars?

 

Please let me and my colleague Tony Lennon know how to follow up with you.

 

Sincerely,

 

–Eric Cigan

 

Hi Eric and Tony,

 

Thanks for the e-mail and thanks for the question about model based design.

 

I am sure that the Matlab products you refer to and the workflows associated are great and fit their purpose.  It is a shame that you did not attend the webinar as I am not sure you have taken the emphasis that was in the webinar.

 

So a little context about ELMG Digital power. We have Matlab licenses along with Simulink licenses. We use PLECs inside Simulink for power electronics simulation and use the PLECs Simulink and the HDL tools in the vivado tool chain to provide functional verification of FPGA applications that we build. We operate in market spaces where we have very high traceability and audit requirements.  We work on controller technology for power electronics principally in the larger converter space but also in the smaller safety critical market spaces.  Recently we provided the safety critical fibre optic communications links specifically designed for the modular IGBT converters for 26 Megawatt 6.6kV grid interactive UPS for the refinery industry.  We also work on HVDC transmission control, SVCs, large motor drives and other large static power converters.  Our specialty is in making the control suitable for the application and converter we are controlling.  We have deep domain knowledge in power converter characteristics and digital control of these converters.  We also create controllers for safety critical converter control including medical and safety systems for human protection.

 

The intent of the webinar was not to show how to design or implement controllers.  Rather the intent was to show how we have decided and then implemented our control platform.  We have created FPGA code IP blocks that perform a control function.  These code IP blocks are encrypted, tested, verified and exercised and are then available to the customer to purchase.  Verification is done with testbenches at an HDL code level.  Functional testing is done in simulation and then in real time simulation and then in power converter testing.  This is the product we provide to our customers.

 

Our webinar target audience includes some people who are not experienced digital control design engineers.  A significant portion of the people who consider our technology do not understand FPGA fabric and yet have safety critical requirements that require them to convince their regulators that the technology is appropriate.

 

We are Xilinx Alliance Program members so see and have all the reference material that you point to.  We recently were part of the presenting team in the Xilinx webinar Speedway series. We work carefully and closely with Xilinx and Avnet in how we promote the Xilinx family of products alongside our IP products.

 

Xilinx provide a large number of benefits to us through the Xilinx Alliance Program.  We have worked with Xilinx since 1997.  Avnet provide FAE support and global reach through their network – we have worked closely with Avnet on Xilinx work for seven years.

 

We’d be happy to include your material in our webinars on a partner basis.  Please let me know how your partnership program works, what we need to do to get the process of becoming a partner started and what the benefits are of the partnership program.

 

As you can see form the PS in the signature below we are running a training course in this very material in Camarillo January 30 to Feb 2.  Please register and come along.  Look forward to seeing you there if you can make it.

Ti have put their white papers all in one place

Friday, November 18th, 2016

Thanks to Ti who has put Texas Instruments Power Electronics White Papers all in one place. These are really useful educational and instructional materials. If you are a Lloyd Dixon or Laszlo Balogh fan then this is for you.

Get their white papers here.

http://www.ti.com/ww/en/power-training/login.shtml?DCMP=psdslibrary&HQS=tlead-power-psdslibrary-apec2015-pwrhouse-20150312-lp-en

You need a Ti user name, password and login to access them. (I have Ti login.  Ti are not too overwhelming with their marketing e-mails.)

Worth a look.

Hamish

Tradeoffs in ADC feedback setpoint for digital control

Wednesday, November 16th, 2016

New post on our linkedin group

New post on our linkedin group

This new discussion in our the Digital Control LinkedIn group.

Tradeoffs in ADC feedback setpoint for digital control

Come join the discussion at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6677852 and get the best views from the industry.

Great question.

ELMG Digital Power INC In California

Monday, November 14th, 2016

ELMG Digital Power Inc has long held the ambition of being the best digital controlled power electronics design company in the world.

And, to that end, we are pleased to announce that we are extending our operations to include a development and support site in Camarillo, California.

ELMG Digital Power has established this base in Camarillo, California to allow us to be well-positioned to support the increasing growth of digital power electronics control in California and across the country.  The team of engineering staff will be available to meet the needs of nationwide clients, who will also have access to all the available expertise and resources of ELMG Digital Power’s global team.

ELMG Digital Pwoer Control Platform Technology enables real time logging and visualization of waveforms from around the world or across the lab via the ethernet.

ELMG Digital Power Control Platform Technology enables real time logging and visualization of waveforms from around the world or across the lab via the ethernet.

ELMG Digital Power is committed to the provision of support, technology, know-how and products that will enable our clients to be respected authorities and do great thing in the area of digital power control.

Our clients can certainly have confidence in ELMG Digital Power’s expertise and experience as for the past twenty five years we have been working on digitally controlled power converters in motor drives, industrial switch mode power supplies, reactive power compensation, medium voltage system, power quality systems, motor starters, appliances and telecom switch-mode power supplies. ELMG Digital Power places a high value on innovation, safety and sustainability. Quality is one of our cornerstones, and even as we seek to streamline, update and improve, maintaining quality and reliability remains paramount.

ELMG Digital Power’s Eco System Approach of design, development, know-how sharing through training and partnerships is our principal methodology.  We are proud of our successful Eco System of solutions, training, support and long term partnership.

Digital Controller logging implementation

Digital Controller logging implementation

Some of the companies involved in the control and measurement of electric power we have worked closely with include (Click for testimonial or details)

Dr. Hamish Laird at the ELMG Camarillo Office

Dr. Hamish Laird teaching a class at the ELMG Camarillo Office

As well as providing world-leading FPGA based digital power electronics controller technology, ELMG Digital Power have developed products used in a variety of applications all around the world. These include

  • power transmission,
  • off-shore wind turbine DC Connection systems,
  • grid scale energy storage,
  • internal combustion engine management systems,
  • traction systems for ships,
  • communication links for power electronics
  • solar inverters
  • high voltage motor starters and
  • high voltage UPS to name just a few.

More detail on ELMG product development and systems, our key know-how and technologies can be found on our website here 

zynq webinar presentation slides

ELMG Digital Power is a Xilinx Alliance Program member providing world leading FPGA based digital power control platforms

We are excited and pleased about this new venture and look forward to discussing and supporting your digital power electronics design and technology needs from our new location at:
601E Daily Drive, Suite 112,
Camarillo, CA 93010
Phone: +1 805 764 2027
For more information contact ELMG Digital Power INC in California:

Louise Jennings

enquiries@elmgdigitalpower.com

Earthquake New Zealand

Monday, November 14th, 2016

All ELMG Digital Power People are safe

There has been an earthquake 100 miles or 160 km north of our base in Christchurch.

All our ELMG Digital Power people and our families are safe and well.

There is no damage at ELMG Digital Power in Christchurch and we are working as usual.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are near the epecenter of the quake.

Thanks to all who have sent messages of concern and support.  We are unharmed, well and working.

Please get in contact to catch up.

Hamish.

P.S.

Jan 30 to Feb 2 Introduction to Advanced Digital Control of Power Electronics, Camarillo California Register here