Software design methodology for power electronics applications

The aim of this tutorial is to propose a new software design methodology for power electronics applications. The necessity of an integrated view of the process has found a first response in software engineering techniques. The application of formal methodologies, as Petri Nets, for software specification allows testing and validation of time constraints. The compliance with IEC 1131-3 standard plays a key role in software design and suggests the utilisation of the graphical language Functional Block Diagram (FBD). A new approach, funded by the European Community under the ESPRIT Project INFORMA, is presented. In particular INFORMA develops an integrated toolbox for designing, simulating, and analysing embedded (hybrid) systems, where the digital controller and the analog embedding are strictly connected. An example of electrical drives application based on a synchronous machine fed by a cycloconverter is then presented to exemplify the new methodology.