Computer-Aided Simulation and Modeling of Power Electronics Time-Variant Networks

Small signal linear models are widely applied for design and control optimization of power electronic circuits. A wise substitution of non-linear time-variant circuits with linear models simplifies the computational burden without affecting too much the accuracy. Furthermore, if the substitution is performed automatically the design speed can be significantly shortened. This paper deals with FREDOMSIM, a software tool able to support the automatic extraction of small signal models for power electronics applications.The theoretical bases, operating principles, and modeling trade-offs of this program are illustrated and its effectiveness is shown through an example of application to a DC/DC converter. Integration with commercial packages such as SPICE, MATLAB/SIMULINK provides a complete modeling environment easy to approach for a designer.