Evaluating Switching Losses of High Voltage Rating Devices Using Cockcroft-Walton Circuit

The importance of DC-DC converters in providing dependable power conversion across changing voltage levels in modern energy systems cannot be overstated. The growing need for efficient power conversion solutions highlights the importance of optimizing switching device performance, which has a substantial influence on operational frequency and power loss inside electronic circuits. While the double pulse test is an important method for testing device operational characteristics, its traditional circuitry suffers from high power drive demands, cost inefficiencies, and safety problems. This paper investigates switching losses of high voltage rating devices i.e. wide band gap (WBG) devices, using a modified double pulse test by using the Cockcroft Walton circuit to create high DC voltage for double pulse testing using a small AC voltage source. Further, the switching losses have been analyzed for different SiC, and GaN devices using the proposed circuit.