C2000 real-time control MCUs – Solar & digital power
C2000™ MCUs address the growing need for high efficiency, smaller form factor and adaptability in digitally controlled power electronic converters.
Tools and Designs
Accelerate your power control development by starting with our EVMs or application specific reference designs.
Software
TI software solutions offer fundamental building blocks, example implementations, and a unique set of power design tools.
Training
Learn more about digital power control, specific applications, development tools, or review device specific instructions.
Why digital power?
Digital power management and control capabilities provide real-time intelligence allowing for the development of adaptable high frequency switching power supplies that automatically tune to their environment, improving efficiency and performance. This automatic adjustment allows for changes in input voltage, output load current and system temperature, delivering energy savings with dynamic voltage scaling and advanced control techniques for optimal system performance.
Higher system efficiency
Sense line and load changes and intelligently varies the power stage operation to optimize efficiency in real time.
System-level integration
Integrated control hardware allows for fewer, smaller devices that perform more complex functions
Low cost & less parts
Devices require fewer components, reducing system cost
Easy & reduced development time
Solutions are simple and speed up your development time
Industry's broadest portfolio
Programmable and fixed-function controllers for high-performance PFC, AC/DC, and isolated DC/DC power supplies
Power topology flexibility
Precise waveform control no matter the topology with high resolution phase control, period control, and duty cycle control
System-level reliability, monitoring, and safety
Robust protection for high power systems by monitoring and controlling power distribution
Greater power density/faster control loops
Achieve faster operating frequencies and smaller components with high speed processing, feedback, and high resolution PWM control
Digital vs Analog control of Power Systems
Management of a power control topology using integrated circuits vs discrete analog components (See graphic).
The term digital is used to denote that all external signals are converted from their native analog state to a digital state such they can be operated on by the main controller in the system.
Basic power topologies
AC-DC (rectifier)
In multiple applications such as telecom, EV chargers and industrial power the energy is sourced from grid. Typically an AC-DC rectifier with power factor correction (PFC) capability is used. This PFC converter can be either single phase or three phase depending on the required output power level. Some typical ways to implement AC-DC rectifier are tabulated below:
AC-DC topologies
| Topology | Reference design | End equipment | Key product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Phase Totem Pole CCM PFC | Interleaved CCM Totem Pole Bridgeless Power Factor Correction (PFC) Reference Design | Industrial Power | TMS320F280049 |
| On board charger (OBC) | |||
| Single-Phase Totem Pole CrM PFC | Highly Efficient, 1.6kW High Density GaN Based 1MHz CrM Totem-pole PFC Converter Reference Design | Telecom & Server Power | |
| Industrial Power | |||
| On board charger (OBC) | |||
| Single-Phase PFC | Telecom & Server Power | ||
| Industrial Power | |||
| On board charger (OBC) | |||
| Three-Phase PFC Vienna Rectifier | Vienna Rectifier-Based Three-Phase Power Factor Correction Reference Design Using C2000™ MCUs | Charging Pile | |
| Industrial Power | |||
| Totem-Pole PFC | 98.6% Efficiency, 6.6-kW Totem-Pole PFC reference design | On board charger (OBC) | TMS320F280049 |
DC-DC (converter)
Either from the AC/DC rectifier or an existing DC bus there is often need to level shift the DC voltage to match the components in the system and for isolation for safety reasons. Introducing topology options to maximize the efficiency such as Interleaved LLC, or techniques like phase shedding or valley switching can be important. Some typical DC-DC topologies are shown below:
DC-DC topologies
| Topology | Reference design | End equipment | Key product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interleaved LLC | Two Phase Interleaved LLC Resonant Converter Reference Design Using C2000™ MCUs | TMS320F28379D | |
| Phase Shifted Full Bridge | 600W PSFB with adaptive zero voltage switching (ZVS) | TMS320F28027 | |
| Bi-directional DC-DC | Bidirectional 400V-12V DC/DC Converter Reference Design | TMS320F28035 |
DC-AC (inverter)
The final basic topology involves transforming a DC bus into the AC domain, again either a single phase or three phase AC bus depending on the output power requirements. If the output is tied back to the main AC grid phase matching is crucial to integrate efficiently to the network.
DC-AC topologies
| Topology | Reference design | End equipment | Key product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Phase Grid Connected Inverter | Single-Phase Inverter Reference Design With Voltage Source and Grid Connected Modes | Solar | |
| Single Phase Voltage Source Inverter | Single-Phase Inverter Reference Design With Voltage Source and Grid Connected Modes | UPS | |
| Solar Micro Inverter | Grid-tied solar micro inverter with 280W/220VAC or 140W/110VAC output | Solar | TMS320F28035 |
| Grid Tie Inverter | 10kW 3-Phase 3-Level Grid Tie Inverter reference design | Solar | TMS320F28379D |
Featured C2000 digital power end equipments
Solar power
Solar power systems integrate multiple power conversion topologies to boost the photo-voltaic DC voltage and either store the energy or invert the voltage to AC for direct use or transmission into the electrical grid. The C2000 MCU platform offers a portfolio of devices and solutions from low cost micro-inverters to high performance grid-tied inverters.
Reference designs
Energy storage systems
Energy storage systems (ESS) help capture the electricity produced by either renewable or non-renewable resources so that it can be used at a later time when required. These systems comprise two main components - the battery and the power conversion sub-system. The power conversion sub-system is made up of a power inverter, a PFC rectifier and a bidirectional DC-DC converter that together help facilitate the exchange of power between the grid, the battery and the AC loads.
Reference designs
| Power conversion subsystem | Featured reference designs |
|---|---|
| DC-AC inverter | |
| AC-DC PFC rectifier | 3.3 kW Interleaved CCM Totem Pole PFC |
| Bidirectional DC/DC converter |
Electric vehicles
C2000 MCUs enable advanced technology for EV onboard battery chargers and EV DC/DC converters with precise waveform control regardless of topology.
Minimize energy loss by building platforms that monitor power conversion to and from the battery, as well as improve power conversion efficiencies by single-digit percentage points.
- DSP performance for 3 phase rectifiers for EV battery charger
- Integrated sigma deltas for Isolated Current Sensing
- Co-processors (CLA – control law accelerators) to drive multiple topologies in parallel
- Trigonometric Math Unit – SINE, COSINE, ARCTAN, DIV operations in 2-3 cycles
Wireless power transfer
Wireless power transfer
Inductive and resonant techniques for transferring power wirelessly are becoming increasingly common. Not only for the charging of personal electronics, but also for direct powering of remote items – such as audio speakers and other consumer electronics - or autonomous battery charging of non-static applications – such as drones and robots, small task oriented vehicles, and fully electric passenger vehicles.
Benefits of C2000 in wireless power transfer
- Topology examples for DC-DC and Half/Full Bridge Control
- powerSUITE software tools and digital power software library
- Most flexible PWM generation, premium integrated analog, and high-performance processing capability
Digital power software
powerSUITE helps power supply engineers drastically reduce development time as they design digitally-controlled power supplies based on C2000 real-time control MCUs.
Development packages
Libraries, drivers, system examples and powerSUITE tools for digital power techniques, EVMs, and designs. Newest C2000 series are supported through the DigitalPower SDK, older through controlSUITE.
Device features
Over-current and Over-voltage protection
Unexpected faults are a given in most power topologies; the question is how well does the MCU handle them? Most C2000 MCUs have integrated comparators with direct connections to the PWM modules to change the output to a safe/known state in the event of an over/under current or voltage event.
Using the built in analog comparators (with self-contained reference voltages) C2000 MCUs can trip any or all PWMs asynchronously and independently to the system task. Built in hardware lets the user define the amount of time the PWMs are “off” putting the system in a safe state until the over/under event has passed.
High efficiency switching
Fundamental to any digital power system is ability to control the power FETs in a precise and flexible manner. Built in features like software programmable High Resolution PWMs with down to 150ps step size give allow for a wide array of settings to conform to a variety of system needs. With up to 4 different compare modules a wide variety of PWM schemes can be generated.
Valley switching
Specific to Switch Mode Power Supplies is the desire to switch on the MOSFET when the voltage across its drain to source terminals has reached a valley point. This is known as “Valley Switching” and is important technique to maintain high efficiencies at low loads for some specific type of power converter applications. Typically this is challenging as it requires external circuits to detect the valley point and then implement variable frequency control. C2000 MCU with newer Type 4 PWMs have dedicated on-chip hardware to support Valley Switching PWM control.
Featured reference designs
3 Phase Vienna Rectifier with PFC (AC/DC)
Vienna rectifier power topology is used in high power three phase power factor (AC-DC) applications such as off-board electric vehicleEV chargers and telecom rectifiers.
2 Phase Interleaved LLC (Resonant) Converter
Resonant converters are popular DC-DC converters frequently used in server, telecom, automotive, industrial and other power supply applications.
High Voltage Inverter with Grid Tie Option (DC/AC)
This reference design implements single-phase inverter (DC-AC) control using the C2000™ F2837xD microcontroller.
Single Phase Totem Pole PFC (AC/DC)
Interleaved Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) Totem Pole (TTPL) Bridgeless Power Factor Correction (PFC) is an attractive power topology with use of high band-gap GaN devices.