Applications
Testing IGBTs with oscilloscopes from Pico Technology.
The insulated gate bipolar transistor, or IGBT for short, is a type of power semiconductor. It can simply be thought of as a fast switch that can be used to control the switching on and off of a high voltage signal by a low voltage pulse. Learn how you can use PicoScopes to verify the characteristics of your IGBTs to optimize performance and minimize downtime.
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IGBTs are used in a wide range of applications, e.g. in strong electric fields, the automotive industry, inverters, telecommunications, computers, consumer electronics, aerospace and renewable energy. As more and more new players are involved in the development and production of IGBTs today, reliability and qualification testing is becoming increasingly important. This leads to an increasing demand for testing IGBTs at different stages of development and manufacturing.
In addition, IGBT materials are transitioning from silicon to wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) as they offer better performance in automotive and industrial applications. This brings other challenges, such as minimizing switching losses and reducing the effects of reverse recovery current. These designs need to be measured to ensure compliance. DPT (Double Pulse Test) technology is the industry standard for measuring the dynamic characteristics of IGBTs.
As the schematic diagram shows, the double pulse signal is applied between the gate (G) and emitter (E) to control the switching on and off of the IGBT under test. The model shown in the simplified test diagram is the PicoScope 6824E (PQ198), a PC-based oscilloscope with 8 analog channels and built-in function generator/AWG as well as flexible resolution (FlexRes) with 8 to 12 bits. The AWG in the PicoScope generates a double pulse waveform by loading the processed data accordingly or by using an external signal source. A passive probe, a differential high voltage probe and a current clamp are required to capture the double pulse waveform, Vce (voltage signal), Ic (current signal).
Various oscilloscope models such as the PicoScope 5444D (PQ148 / PQ154),
PicoScope 6404E (PQ200) or PicoScope 6824E (PQ198) are often used for
IGBTs to meet the different requirements for discrete and modular IGBTs
in different technologies.
Delivery time upon request
Delivery time upon request
Delivery time upon request
Delivery time upon request
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What are the advantages of a PicoScope?
#1
Cost-efficiencyCost-efficiency
Read more at: https://www.bisinfotech.com/verify-dynamic-characteristics-of-igbts-with-picoscopes/
Cost-efficiency
Read more at: https://www.bisinfotech.com/verify-dynamic-characteristics-of-igbts-with-picoscopes/
Read more at: https://www.bisinfotech.com/verify-dynamic-characteristics-of-igbts-with-picoscopes/
Read more at: https://www.bisinfotech.com/verify-dynamic-characteristics-of-igbts-with-picoscopes/
Due to their simple structure, the models offer unique hardware advantages, including high bandwidth/sample rate, large memory, high/flexible ADC resolution, multiple analog and digital inputs and high speed. By utilizing the full power of an external PC, PicoScopes have more software features, including more than 30 serial decoders, advanced math functions (FFT, filter, measurement display, etc.). In addition, dozens of PicoScope models make it easy to choose an affordable model suitable for your applications.
#2 High/flexible ADC resolution
With a vertical resolution of 8 to 16 bits, PicoScopes offer a wide range of possibilities. The higher the resolution, the greater the vertical accuracy and dynamic range. This feature, called FlexRes, is based on Pico's groundbreaking ADC technology, which makes it possible to switch from 8 to 16 bits in a single device.
#3 Fast and powerful SDK
With the SDK (Software Development Kit), user-defined applications can be created for special projects. This makes PicoScopes more than just a normal oscilloscope. PicoScopes running under the SDK have a much better performance. For example, it can continuously acquire data at a speed of up to 312 MSa/s, transfer it to the laptop/PC and set advanced triggers and generate waveforms. All Pico Technology products are supplied with a free SDK. The SDK includes drivers for Windows, macOS, Linux and Raspberry Pi (ARM7). It allows users to write their own software to control the devices using common languages such as C, C#, C++, Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW and Microsoft Excel.
#4 Compact and portable
PicoScope models are lightweight and portable. Combined with a laptop/PC, a PicoScope allows you to carry a complete measurement solution in a bag. Due to their small size, PicoScopes are also easier to integrate into systems without increasing their weight or size.