IXYS announces 3-kW two-phase digital power factor corrector reference design based on Zilog’s Z8F6481 MCU and IXYS power semiconductors

IXYS Corporation, a global manufacturer of power semiconductors and integrated circuits for energy efficiency, power management, and motor control applications, announced the availability of a new design: 3kW Two-Phase Digital Power Factor Corrector (PFC). It is based on Zilog’s 8-bit Z8F6481 microcontroller, a member of the Z8 Encore! XP F6482 series of microcontrollers, and IXYS power transistors and rectifiers.

This PFC incorporates the digital inrush current concepts and design principles demonstrated in the recently released IXYS reference designs – the IXRD1002 High Power Digital Inrush Current Controller and the IXRD1004 High Power Two-Phase Digital Power Factor Correction. It consists of a 3kW AC-DC converter with an active PFC and employs a two-phase interleaved conversion architecture.

The input voltage of the PFC is at 240VAC while the output voltage is 650V. The maximum output power is 3kW, and the switching frequency ranges from 80kHz to 100kHz. The output voltage ripple is less than 5 percent at the full load. Other features include overload, overvoltage, and brownout protection, soft start, and power good status. The switches and the boost diodes are use the IXYS 850V Ultra-junction Power MOSFETs IXFH50N85X and IXFH30N85X, respectively. The total power dissipated in these MOSFETs is less than 54W at 3000W output power, making the PFC highly efficient.

“This reference design demonstrates the World of IXYS in action for digitizing power management circuits using standard MCU’s to achieve state of the art control and energy efficiency.” commented Steve Darrough, VP of marketing.  “The Zilog Z8 Encore! family is a proven robust MCU especially for power control applications and is incorporated in an innovative circuit using the efficient IXYS 850V power MOSFET to achieve cost effective  efficiency in a wide power range.”  

The design consists of a microcontroller module, main power board, and auxiliary board. Implemented as an add-on device, the MCU module contains a connector for programming, which should be done before the entire system is switched on. The four layer, surface mount main power board provides easy access to test points and can be powered from a 50Hz/60Hz 220/240V AC source.

Suitable for high power (3kW and above) AC-DC converters with active PFCs, this design can serve as a platform for developing a variety of power management solutions such as electric vehicle chargers, air conditioning systems, high-power LED lighting, and wielding equipment.