A Fast and Reliable Simulator for the Evaluation of Losses in Power Devices based on a Mixed Analytical and Empirical Model

Knowing power losses and the junction temperature for the design of a power converter is crucial and helps sizing its power stage correctly. There are several commercial simulators available, but most of them are targeted for power modules and not for discrete devices. We developed a simulator for power loss evaluation aiming at being able to target different power devices (either discrete or power module) and substrates (PCB or ceramic based). In order to provide accurate simulations, we estimate power losses using a mix of analytical formulae populated with empirical data. The junction temperature is calculated using the analytical solution of a multi-stage Foster network, based on data coming from substrate characterization. The resulting implementation provides fast execution time and a good degree of accuracy.