Designers of electrified vehicles need to ensure that power electronics modules deliver high levels of reliability. To do this they need instruments that can detect potential degradation of IGBTs caused by a range of standard drive cycles, and identify the causes of damage.

Mentor Graphics (NASDAQ: MENT) has announced a new tool for design engineers. The MicReD Power Tester 600A is designed to allow engineers to test power electronics (such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, transistors, and chargers) for thermal reliability and lifecycle performance.

Features include:

• Comprehensive diagnostics for thermal reliability. The MicReD Power Tester 600A is designed for easy set-up, and power cycles are fully automated. The T3Ster “structure function” feature yields non-destructive “failure-in-progress” data for each IGBT. All diagnostic information is recorded during testing, from current, voltage and die temperature sensing to “structure function” changes that point to reasons for failures in the package structure.
• Simulation accuracy. The product can power IGBT modules through tens of thousands of cycles, providing real-time failure-in-progress data for diagnostics. Associated 3D computational fluid dynamics simulation errors are minimized for accurate thermal characterization of IGBTs and components.
• Scalability. Up to eight MicReD 600A Power Testers can be chained together to allow users to power cycle up to 128 IGBTs simultaneously in a system test. The product delivers 48 V under load, and users can deal with components mounted externally on cooling systems for maximum flexibility.

“We apply the Power Tester 1500A to gain insight into the lifetime performance and assure the reliability of the IGBT module,” said Andy Liao, Section Manager at Mentor customer Delta Electronics. “The Power Tester 600A could provide a scalable solution that would allow us to measure many discrete power devices or modules concurrently. This increased testing throughput would give us statistical failure data that we need in order to accurately predict the field lifetime of the products.”

Mentor is now accepting orders for the MicReD Power Tester 600A, and shipping is scheduled for the summer of 2016.

Source: Mentor Graphics