FPGA with advanced algorithms accelerates the development of inverters

　　As inverters shift to a three-level topology, the difficulty of system control has increased significantly. Therefore, major European and American inverter manufacturers have begun to switch to system-on-chip field-programmable gate arrays (SoC FPGAs), thereby introducing more advanced digital algorithms to further improve the system's real-time control capabilities and power management efficiency.

　　Jiang Yungui, industrial market development manager of Altera Asia Pacific, said that in the past, inverter control solutions were mostly based on microcontrollers (MCUs) or digital signal processors (DSPs), integrating peripheral interfaces and power management components to form application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs); however, with the accelerated integration of solar energy systems and smart grids, coupled with the increasing complexity of inverter topologies and switching control of power semiconductors, major global inverter manufacturers have been planning to switch to SoC FPGAs to improve energy management efficiency and quickly meet the different needs of smart energy system development in various countries through software programming.

　　It is reported that major inverter manufacturers in Europe and the United States have begun to release foundry orders for three-level topology inverters using SoC FPGA designs. The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in mainland China that have taken over the orders are working closely with Altera, which is expected to accelerate the penetration of SoC FPGA in the inverter market.

　　Jiang Yungui analyzed that SoC FPGA has the advantages of high integration and programmability, which can help inverter manufacturers to quickly upgrade specifications based on the original system design; at the same time, the chip has a built-in high-performance central processing unit (CPU) and DSP core, so it can support complex algorithms and accurately grasp the dynamic power supply changes of the system to achieve more efficient power semiconductor switching efficiency.