A Novel Approach for a Distributed TCM Modulator

Wide-band-gap semiconductor devices, higher switching frequencies enabled by zero-voltage switching techniques and higher integration, currently drive resource and cost savings in power electronics. The potential of integrated power stages, combining power transistor, gate driver, measurement and protection circuits, modulator and controller has been demonstrated for topologies with one switch. However, for topologies with more switches the integration of modulator and controller is problematic, as they are traditionally regarded as an atomic unit connected to all power transistors via potential barriers. This precludes the direct integration of modulator and controller. This paper presents a novel distributed triangular current mode modulator. It exploits the fact that all information, needed to generate the switching commands can be determined from state variables measured directly at the individual power transistors. Thus, modulator and controller can be integrated in universally applicable power stages, which allow high switching frequencies and soft switching.