The hybrid-electric and electric vehicle (HEV / EV) market is growing rapidly. Increasing vehicle electrification in the automotive market brings new challenges in design and manufacturing. Many HEV and EV manufacturers are migrating their power-conversion designs to wide bandgap (WBG) devices, such as silicon-carbide and gallium-nitride, to gain higher efficiency (extended range) and higher power in smaller, lighter, and cooler packages. However, there are significant concerns about making sure these new designs are reliable and safe.

Keysight is partnering with industry leaders in the HEV / EV power-conversion market to help them transition smoothly to using WBG devices in their designs. As a result of these relationships, Keysight has developed a state-of-the-art modeling suite of power circuit simulator tools that allow WBG device designers to easily create models never before possible. The test suite, which consists of curve-tracing, S-parameter, and double-pulse tester hardware, takes measurements from WBG devices and uses advanced software to build sophisticated models that are exclusive to Keysight. These models can be used in Keysight’s Advanced Design System software to simulate and analyze the effects that high-frequency components have on the reliability and electromagnetic interference of the design. Design changes can be made before the first prototype, saving time and cost by eliminating unnecessary design cycles.

• Easily create simulation models you can trust for any wide-bandgap semiconductor device with real measurements, right on your bench
• Control software provides simple access to advanced measurement features to gather modeling parameters from three systems: curve-tracer, s-parameter, and double-pulse tester
• Curve-tracer system measures I-V and C-V curves (static characteristics)
• S-parameter system measures on- and off-state S-parameters (parasitic characteristics)
• Double-pulse tester covers various waveform characterization and parameter extraction, such as switching, reverse recovery, gate charge, and switching locus (dynamic characteristics)
• W8598BP power electronics model generator software inputs gathered measurements to create advanced power device models
• Use models to create accurate simulations in Keysight ADS, EMPro, and Momentum