What are the advantages of digital control of a fpga please?

FPGA digital control

This from D. via e-amil

“What are the advantages of digital control of a fpga please?”

“I can use several small op-amps to implement voltage or current controlled feedback. Replacing analog control using a small fpga is a big and expensive change, e.g. several op-amps vs. a 100 or 200 pin fpga. why even bother? thanks”

Whether digital control is a good solution for an application or not depends on what you are doing.

For smaller DC power supplies analogue control is great  and I am not saying that you should change.

In controlling

  • grid connected converters like solar or wind
  • high power converters > 10kW up to 1GW
  • induction motor drives and
  • high efficiency telecom power supplies

 

digital control is really useful.

For some of these converters it is absolutely required.

FPGA when?

The choice to use an FPGA is indicated when

  • The control needs to have very low processing latency
  • The control needs to have well managed numeric precision (this avoids limit cycle oscillations)
  • The application is safety critical
  • The control will be implemented in an ASIC
  • FPGAs are great for controller prototyping
  • The controller needs both microprocessor and programmable logic – a soft core on the FPGA gives the best of both.  A hard core as in the Zynq is also a great solution.

Hope that helps.
Download one of our reference documents at https://www.elmgdigitalpower.com/free-reports/

Hope to talk soon.

 

Hamish