Real-Time FPGA Simulation of High-Voltage Silicon Carbide MOSFETs

This article presents a real-time field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based dynamic model of high-voltage and high-current silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (
mosfet
) half-bridge power modules. The dynamic switching model utilizes the Shichman and Hodges equations using voltage-dependent nonlinear device capacitances and module electrical parameters to obtain an accurate dynamic model of the device switching transients. The key device states gate-source voltage, drain current, and drain-source voltage are modeled and discretized using forward Euler discrete integration method. Analysis of synthesizing the discrete-time model into real-time FPGA-based system with real-time data output from the on-board digital-to-analog converter is presented in detail. The model is utilized in modeling a 320-kW, medium-voltage dc/dc dual-active bridge converter and verified using dynamic experimental results from a 3.3-kV SiC
mosfet
half-bridge power module. It has been shown that the presented discrete-time dynamic switching model accurately describes the turn-
on
and turn-
off
switching transients of the SiC power module at various voltage and current levels. Such models are useful for rapid and cost effective design and prototyping of SiC-based power electronic systems by defining key design and operating parameters, such as deadtime, switching frequency, and switching losses.