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Keysight PD1000A

Power Device Measurement System for Advanced Modeling

Introduction

The hybrid-electric and electric vehicle (HEV/EV) market is growing rapidly. Increasing vehicle

electrification in the automotive market brings with it 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 (SiC) and Gallium-Nitride (GaN), to achieve higher efficiency (extended

range) and higher power in smaller, lighter, and cooler (less heat) packages. However, there are

significant concerns about making sure these new designs are reliable and safe.

Only Keysight’s power device measurement system for advanced modeling allows you to eliminate

design cycles by creating real-world models resulting in simulations you can trust.

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For wide bandgap devices, traditional tools don’t work

Relying on traditional semiconductor time-domain analysis tools and simple lumped-sum models for

circuit simulation will not produce reliable, real-world results for WBG devices. While WBG switching

frequencies may only be in the hundreds of kHz, what designers might not realize is WBG device’s edge

(on/off) speeds are can be

can be ten to one hundred times faster than traditional silicon devices and

result in frequency components in the 100s of MHz. Traditional semiconductor models do not contain the

device’s parasitic characteristics, which react to these high frequencies, and therefore cannot accurately

predict conditions that are key to the safety and reliability of the circuit. A few examples of such conditions

are in-rush currents, overshoots, ringing, and switching times. Without these conditions properly modeled,

results may have inaccurate power estimates, undiscovered EMC issues, reliability issues if device

margins are not met, or even a non-functional prototype. All these result in increased development time,

costs, and potential loss of market opportunity.

Keysight’s Solution

Keysight is partnering with industry leaders in the HEV/EV power-conversion market to help them

transition smoothly towards the use of 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 actual WBG devices

and uses advanced modeling software to build sophisticated WBG device models that are exclusive to

Keysight. These models can then be used in Keysight’s Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software to

simulate and analyze the effects that high frequency components have on the reliability and EMI of the

design. Changes in design can be made before the first prototype, saving time and costs by eliminating

unnecessary design cycles.

Contact Keysight today to learn more: www.keysight.com/find/PD1000A

Key features of the PD1000A Power Device Measurement System

for Advanced Modeling

 Easily create models you can trust for any WBG device with real measurements, right on your bench

 Exclusive WBG device modeling that results in accurate simulations of EMI, in-rush, overshoots,

switching time, etc.

 Causes of EM noise can be identified easily in simulation, before design is finalized

 Complete, one-vendor solution of hardware, software, consulting and support services worldwide

Or send the part to Keysight and we’ll create the models for you. Inquire about Keysight’s PD1000A Measurement Service.