Field Programmable Gate Array Controller Research Articles

Solar powered high gain DC-DC converter with FPGA controller for portable devices

A solar-powered converter design is necessary for portable devices with increased gain and reduced ripple in overall operation. This research presents a photovoltaic-powered Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based on increased gain multiple output converter design and analysis. The dynamic panel input makes it difficult to operate the load. To control and make the input static to satisfy the demand, perturb and observe with a load balancing algorithm technique are used. The converter gained output is high, and batteries are used to balance the loads when solar irradiance is low. Simulation results were carried out with the presented converter circuit that can be operated with a 12 V supply as input from a renewable power source. The output gain ratio of 14 to a minimum of 40 % duty cycle operating at a switching frequency of 20 kHz has been achieved. The proposed methodology is transferred to hardware by connecting with the reconfigurable FPGA Spartan-6 development board to manage the dynamic load control system's complex logic and high processing ability. The overall performance is compared with various pre-existing systems, tabulations are made with the analysis, and experimental results are also illustrated at the end.

A many-channel FPGA control system.

We describe a many-channel experiment control system based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The system has 16 bit resolution on 10 analog 100 megasamples-per-second (MS/s) input channels, 14 analog 100 MS/s output channels, 16 slow analog input and output channels, dozens of digital inputs and outputs, and a touchscreen display for experiment control and monitoring. The system can support ten servo loops with 155ns latency and MHz bandwidths, in addition to as many as 30 lower bandwidth servos. We demonstrate infinite-impulse-response (IIR) proportional-integral-differential filters with 30ns latency by using only bit-shifts and additions. These IIR filters allow timing margin at 100 MS/s and use fewer FPGA resources than straightforward multiplier-based filters, facilitating many servos on a single FPGA. We present several specific applications: Hänsch-Couillaud laser locks with automatic lock acquisition and a slow dither correction of lock offsets, variable duty cycle temperature servos, and the generation of multiple synchronized arbitrary waveforms.

DER integrated BTB-VSI based DSTATCOM for PQ enhancement

ABSTRACT This article demonstrates the performance of back-to-back connected voltage source inverter (BTB-VSI)-based distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM). In the proposed system, a three-phase three wire electrical utility system (EUS) is integrated with distributed energy resources (DER) through BTB-VSI. It has drawn more attention due to enhanced active power filtering, simple design procedure and performs reliable operation. The objectives of the research work is to provide clean power for weak EUS with improved power quality (PQ) such as, better voltage regulation, improved power factor (P.F), reduced total harmonic distortion (THD), balanced voltage at point of common coupling (PCC) and better optimal active power flow control (OAPFC), and so on. An artificial neurocontrol technique Kernel Hebbian Least Mean Square (KHLMS) is chosen to determine the accurate reference source current for operation of voltage source inverter (VSI). The BTB-VSI performance is investigated on both shunt compensation and OAPFC. The proposed system is converted to a simulation model and hardware unit using MATLAB/Simulink software and SPARTAN−6 field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) controller. Finally, the Simulation and experimental results illustrate that the shunt compensating ability with OAPFC of BTB-VSI performs better over VSI as per IEEE Std 1159–2019 grid code.

FPGA-Based Hardware in the Loop of Optimized Synergetic Controller for Active Power Filter

This paper presents a discrete-time synergetic controller (DTSC) enhanced with ant colony optimization (ACO) technique for a shunt active power filter (SAPF). The developed controller is designed under MATLAB/Simulink environment; then, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in the loop (FIL) technique is used to implement the DTSC model. The proposed DTSC parameters are optimally tuned according to ACO methodology. The DTSC-ACO should enhance power quality and eliminate grid current harmonics using an indirect current-controlled three-phase SAPF. Note that, the designed FPGA controller integrates the items needed to drive the SAPF. This digital implementation satisfies the hardware and recommended performance. In fact, it reduces significant resources and execution time. The experimental validation is carried out on Virtex-6 ML605 FPGA Xilinx Evaluation Kit using VIVADO processing. A total harmonic distortion (THD = 2.72%) is obtained for the grid current. Thus, the results obtained confirm proper operation of the developed approach. In addition, the proposed DTSC shows good dynamic performance during load step change and output voltage variation.

An Enhancement of Power Quality With Efficient Active Power Transfer Capability in a PV–BSS-Fed UAPF for Microgrid Realization

This article investigates the enhancement of power quality with an efficient active power transfer capability in a universal active power filter (UAPF) integrated with a photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage system (BSS). The UAPF operates as a bidirectional interface between the PV–BSS and point of interconnection for microgrid realization. A new control strategy is proposed to extract fast and accurate voltage and current reference signals to operate the system in a desired manner. Here, the extraction of load voltages and calculation of load and reference powers are used to generate the reference signals, thereby comparing with actual signals with hysteresis controller to produce switching pulses of converters. As a result, the shunt and series converters form a robust system by acting as a current-controlled voltage source and voltage-controlled current source, respectively. It eliminates the need for adaptive filters and low-pass filters to extract the fundamental component of the load current. Furthermore, it increases the conversion efficiency of converters and improves the static and dynamic performance of the system. The proposed system is developed with a 1-kVA prototype laboratory setup using a field-programmable gate array controller and extensively tested with various test conditions such as grid voltage fluctuations, nonlinear and imbalanced load, and change in irradiance.

A Nine-Level Inverter with Adjustable Turn-Off Time for Helicopter Transient Electromagnetic Detection.

The current inverter is the core component of the helicopter transient electromagnetic (HTEM) detection system. It should meet the concerns of low loss, high power, and fast turn-OFF time. This article proposes a new circuit topology based on nine-level inverter technology to overcome the drawbacks of typical PWM (pulse width modulation) inverters, such as switching losses and harmonics. This circuit topology overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional single constant voltage clamp circuit in which the turn-OFF time is not adjustable. Using an inverter with the proposed topology is able to avoid the complex PWM control method and switching loss. In this way, the current rising edge and falling edge of this inverter are also improved effectively. The proposed inverter has adjustable turn-ON-time and turn-OFF time, which is significantly different from the conventional single-clamp inverter. Through subsequent experiments, the inverter proved to have the capability of generating trapezoidal current waveforms. Moreover, by modifying the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) control program, three different turn-OFF times are achieved. The nine-level inverter has a peak current of 1.5 A with an adjustable turn-OFF time from 129 μs to 162 μs. Moreover, the switching frequency of the inverter is reduced from 10 kHz to below 100 Hz. The experimental results further demonstrate that it achieves lower switching losses and more flexible transmission. Our work in this article provides an efficient way to improve the performance of HTEM detection systems.

A novel ANROA based control approach for grid-tied multi-functional solar energy conversion system

An adaptive control approach for a three-phase grid-interfaced solar photovoltaic system based on the new Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System with Rain Optimization Algorithm (ANROA) methodology is proposed and discussed in this manuscript. This method incorporates an Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) with a Rain Optimization Algorithm (ROA). The ANFIS controller has excellent maximum tracking capability because it includes features of both neural and fuzzy techniques. The ROA technique is in charge of controlling the voltage source converter switching. Avoiding power quality problems including voltage fluctuations, harmonics, and flickers as well as unbalanced loads and reactive power usage is the major goal. Besides, the proposed method performs at zero voltage regulation and unity power factor modes. The suggested control approach has been modeled and simulated, and its performance has been assessed using existing alternative methods. A statistical analysis of proposed and existing techniques has been also presented and discussed. The results of the simulations demonstrate that, when compared to alternative approaches, the suggested strategy may properly and effectively identify the best global solutions. Furthermore, the system’s robustness has been studied by using MATLAB/SIMULINK environment and experimentally by Field Programmable Gate Arrays Controller (FPGA)-based Hardware-in-Loop (HLL).

Design and Development of High Voltage High Pulse Power Supply using FPGA for Dynamic Impedance Matching

High Voltage High Pulse Power Supply (HVHPPS) is designed with the goal to match fixed load, so thatprecise pulse output can be achieved. Generally the loads involve magnetron, klystron, and particle accelerators etc. The HVHPPS output pulse shape changes with load impedance variation due to various reasons. Due to changes in impedance, the performance of Pulse Power Supply degrades and reflects the power at the source end which causes component failure and system shut down. To overcome such problems, a scale down High Voltage High Pulse Power is designed and developed to match the dynamic impedance variations upto 25 % of mismatch. In earlier days, all HVHPPS were designed using microcontrollers where the problem of pulse to pulse monitoring and computational speed was compromised. The availability of variable and self-defined, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) controller, which provided flexibility to design the pulse to pulse shaping and various vital parameter monitoring, made it possible. This paper presents the design and implementation of HVHPPS over an FPGA platform to meet the fast response requirement. This paper provides a solution for impedance mismatch problems associated with such types of power supply, and also presents specifications for major components in a high voltage pulse power system for various types of load ranges. An experimental test hardware was designed and developed for HVHPPS to implement dynamic impedance algorithm and validate the results.

Hardware Platform Construction of Hybrid Modular Multilevel Converter Purely Based on FPGA Controller

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) hardware platform is of great significance to the research of control and protection before engineering operation. In practical engineering, each bridge arm is composed of many submodules (SMs) cascaded, which brings significant challenges to the research. In this paper, a controller based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) is designed for hybrid MMC, and a hardware platform is built on this basis. The platform fully uses the parallel characteristics of FPGA to improve the calculation speed of the controller. It optimizes the SM capacitor voltage sorting method to shorten the sorting time significantly. The stability experiment verifies that the hardware platform can be applied to the research of hybrid MMC.

A five-primary Maxwellian-view display for independent control of melanopsin, rhodopsin, and three-cone opsins on a fine spatial scale.

Independent spatiotemporal control of the stimulation of the five photoreceptor classes requires a display with as many primary lights to probe their isolated spatial and temporal responses. No such system exists with suitable performance properties. We present a system to construct a five-primary display from commercially available three-primary digital light processing projectors. It optimizes the set of five primary lights required to maximize the achievable contrast of a single photoreceptor class in a silent substitution protocol, including where the background chromaticity is first specified. From these chosen five primaries, we describe a method to convert complex three-primary (RGB) images to five-primary representations with complete specification of the photoreceptor excitations at each pixel. Key to enabling this multiple display system with a single HDMI connection is a novel control protocol implemented in a deterministic field-programmable gate array controller that splits the data into five video streams to allow nearly synchronous presentation of primary image data through multiple displays. Each pixel is controlled over 9.5 bits for each primary over a single frame for measurement of threshold-level vision. In addition to a large contrast gamut, the Maxwellian view offers high retinal illumination to support the investigation of five opsin-based responses to complex spatiotemporal images with a truly silent substitution protocol, while avoiding the confounding effects of uncontrolled photoreceptor excitations as occurs in four-primary systems. The customizable primaries facilitate this display translation to species with different photoreceptor spectral responses, and the optics are designed for integration into microscopes for use as a stimulus generator in physiological experiments.

FPGA‐based control strategy of five‐phase induction motor drives

Here, a novel control technique for Five-Phase Induction Motor (FPIM) drives using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) controller is proposed. Open-loop control is analysed in terms of the performance and measurement of various power quality factors, such as voltage harmonics, current harmonics, total harmonic distortion, crest factor, unbalanced, short and long-term flickering, K-factor, real power, reactive power, apparent power, and power factor. This study experimentally demonstrated a closed-loop system with both PID and DTC controls for the FPIM. Diminished torque pulsation is obtained by efficiently utilizing the voltage vectors from the total states of 25 = 32. A novel EG voltage vector sequence was proposed for DTC techniques and compared with small, medium, and large voltage vector sequences. Proposed innovative control programming techniques in spartan-6 XC6SLX25 series FPGA for switching the five-phase two-level inverter to reduce the total harmonics distortion by less than 2%.

Single-stage PV-powered boost inverter-fed permanent-magnet synchronous motor-driven water-pumping system

Abstract In this paper, a photovoltaic (PV) fed boost inverter-based permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-driven water-pumping system for stand-alone applications is proposed. The proposed system comprises PV panel, six switches, three inductors (L), three capacitors (C) and a water pump. In this work, the boost inverter is designed with a gain of two and thereby the direct current input required to run the motor is considerably reduced. Hence, the size of the system is reduced. The voltage gain factor depends upon the placement of the L and C components and their values. The speed reference is generated using a perturb and observe maximum power point tracking algorithm. Vector control is employed to control a boost inverter-fed PMSM drive. The proposed system is simulated using a MATLAB®/Simulink® environment and experimental validation is performed on a PMSM laboratory prototype using a field programmable gate array controller. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system.

Modular Multi-Output Hybrid Converter for Residential Hybrid Loads

The future loads in residential applications have been envisaged to be hybrid in nature, i.e., mix of both ac and dc loads. Hybrid converters are gaining importance to supply both the dc and ac loads with less conversion stages, especially for residential loads in developing economies. This article proposes a modular multi-output hybrid converter (MOHC) for small residential applications. The proposed MOHC consists of a basic unit cell called boost derived hybrid converter (BDHC). A single BDHC generates a three-level ac output and a single dc output. The proposed MOHC is designed by cascading the multiple units of BDHC to generate higher valued, multilevel ac output voltage and multiple dc output voltages, from low valued dc input voltages. A coordinated modified phase disposition level shift control algorithm is presented to generate switching signals for MOHC, using ac and dc error signals. In this article, two basic unit cells of BDHC are used to demonstrate the performance of MOHC. The simulation results for the proposed MOHC have been obtained using PSCAD/EMTDC software. A laboratory model has been developed and the control algorithm is implemented on Spartan Piggy Pack (XCS-500E) field programmable gate array (FPGA) controller for verification of results.

Fast and Accurate Approximation Methods for Trigonometric and Arctangent Calculations for Low-Performance Computers

In modern computers, complicated signal processing is highly optimized with the use of compilers and high-speed processing using floating-point units (FPUs); therefore, programmers have little opportunity to care about each process. However, a highly accurate approximation can be processed in a small number of computation cycles, which may be useful when embedded in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or micro controller unit (MCU), or when performing many large-scale operations on a graphics processing unit (GPU). It is necessary to devise algorithms to obtain the desired calculated values without an accelerator or compiler assistance. The residual correction method (RCM) developed here can produce simple and accurate approximations of certain nonlinear functions with minimal multiply–add operations. In this study, we designed an algorithm for the approximate computation of trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions, which are nonlinear elementary functions, to achieve their fast and accurate computation. A fast first approximation and a more accurate second approximation of each function were created using RCM with a less than 0.001 error using multiply–add operations only. This achievement is particularly useful for MCUs, which have a low power consumption but limited computational power, and the proposed approximations are candidate algorithms that can be used to stabilize the attitude control of robots and drones, which require real-time processing.

Real-time programmable coding metasurface antenna for multibeam switching and scanning

Novel electromagnetic wave modulation by programmable dynamic metasurface promotes the device design freedom, while multibeam antennas have sparked tremendous interest in wireless communications. A programmable coding antenna based on active metasurface elements (AMSEs) is proposed in this study, allowing scanning and state switching of multiple beams in real time. To obtain the planar array phase distribution in quick response, the aperture field superposition and discretization procedures are investigated. Without the need for a massive algorithm or elaborate design, this electronically controlled antenna with integrated radiation and phase-shift functions can flexibly manipulate the scattering state of multiple beams under field-programmable gate array (FPGA) control. Simulation and experimental results show that the multiple directional beams dynamically generated in the metasurface upper half space have good radiation performance, with the main lobe directions closely matching the predesigned angles. This metasurface antenna has great potential for future applications in multitarget radar, satellite navigation, and reconfigurable intelligent metasurfaces.

A novel ultrasonic transducer with multiple vibrations in microelectronic packaging

Ultrasonic wire bonding is a typical packaging for semiconductor devices. Compared with single longitudinal transducer, we propose a novel ultrasonic transducer with multiple vibrations for the microelectronic packaging. The transducer is designed to excite the longitudinal and bending vibration individually or simultaneously. By simulation calculation, three longitudinal vibrations and a bending vibration is attained in the same node flange. The transducer structure is established by optimizing a balance and a Z-shaped flange, which can achieve the optimal modal shape. Under the 10 kg·cm torque for clamping the piezoelectrics stacked, the frequency of longitudinal vibration is 64.8 kHz 103.4 kHz 142.8 kHz and bending vibrations is 70.5 kHz. A dual channel driver with Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) controller is self-developed to excite the multiple vibrations. In experiment, each vibration is excited individually, switched or simultaneously. It is found that all vibration for each operating modes is higher than 1 µm, and the vibration profile can be controlled as a rectangle or parallelogram, which has potential to be a new bonding process.

A Digital Frequency Locked Loop With Minimum Computation Overhead for Heavily Distorted Single-Phase Grid Systems

Grid-connected converters require grid frequency and phase information for controlling the power injections into the grid. This information is achieved by a phase-locked loop (PLL) or frequency-locked loop (FLL) algorithms. The accuracy, reliability, and ease of implementation of the PLL/FLL algorithms in all grid conditions dictate the performance of the grid-connected converters. This article proposes a digital FLL for single-phase grid-connected systems. The proposed FLL tracks the frequency accurately, even in heavily distorted grid conditions. It uses a second-order generalized integrator (SOGI) as a pre-filter and a digital counter, based on the zero-crossing detection (ZCD) logic for estimating the grid frequency and phase angle. It does not require complex filters and tuning of multiple parameters. The implementation of the proposed FLL is simple and has less computational overhead. The ability of the proposed FLL to track the frequency and phase under various steady-state (dc-offset and harmonics) and transient (voltage sag, frequency drift, and phase jump) grid disturbances is tested in simulation using MATLAB/SIMULINK, and the results are reported. The experimental validation is done using a field programmable gate array (FPGA) controller in the laboratory. The proposed algorithm is able to track the estimates within 1.2 cycles of the grid voltage when tested under a heavy-distorted grid having 26.4% total harmonic distortion (THD). The measurement uncertainties and results of single-phase grid-connected inverter (GCI) using the proposed FLL are also presented.

An Isolated Dual-Input Half-Bridge DC–DC Boost Converter With Reduced Circulating Power Between Input Ports

This article addresses a dual-input half-bridge DC–DC converter for proper utilization of renewable energy sources (RESs). The proposed system includes two different variable sources to examine the power distribution in each module, two high-frequency transformers (HFTs), and a three-leg converter (TLC) at secondary. The TLC is connected in parallel structure to gain reduced circulating power between input modules. This results in obtaining a compact design with a minimum number of switches. Complete steady-state analysis and control strategy of the proposed system have been analyzed. Digital closed-loop control has been implemented using the field programmable gate array (FPGA) controller to minimize the complexity of the control strategy. A laboratory prototype has been developed to justify the feasible operation of the proposed converter. Extensive tests result demonstrates the enhanced performance of the proposed system in effective utilization of power from different sources to feed the telecom load.

Comparison of phase optimization algorithms for particle manipulation via acoustic tweezer

Acoustic-based manipulation is a safe and non-damaging way to handle objects without direct physical contact, and has many potential applications in the manipulation of biological cells and micro-robots. We present a calculation model to optimize the phases of such arrays to generate different shapes of acoustic tweezers. The optimized phase combinations of transducers were determined by both genetic and Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS), and it was found that the BFGS algorithm was suited to small arrays while the genetic algorithm was faster when the array number was large. Two tweezer shapes, twin trap and vortex trap, were realized by tuning the weight parameters in the optimization model. Using the platform of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) controller, a 1500-μm-diameter polyvinyl chloride (PVCS) bead was levitated and moved along a defined path, which verified the feasibility of the optimization model. Moreover, the control performance of the particle was quantified by image detection, showing that the moving accuracy was controlled within 583.62 µm.

Comparative analysis of two-level and three-level multilevel inverter for electric vehicle application using BLDC motor drive

PurposeThe conventional two-level inverter suffers from harmonics, higher direct current (DC) link voltage requirement, higher dv/dt and heating of the rotor. This study aims to overcome by using a multilevel inverter for brushless DC (BLDC) drive.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a comparative analysis of the conventional two-level and three-level multilevel inverter for electric vehicle (EV) application using BLDC drive.FindingsA three-level Active Neutral Point Clamped Multilevel inverter (ANPCMLI) is proposed in this paper which provides DC link voltage control. Simulation studies of the multilevel inverter and BLDC motor is carried out in MATLAB.Originality/valueThe ANPCMLI fed BLDC simulation results shows that there is the significant reduction in the BLDC motor torque ripple, switching stress and harmonic distortion in the BLDC motor fed ANPCMLI compared to the conventional two-level inverter. A prototype of ANPCMLI fed BLDC drive along with field programmable gate array (FPGA) control is built and MATLAB simulation results are verified experimentally.