XUD194 3BHE018137R0001 ABB AC 800PEC process controller

 Switzerland-based ABB has developed technologies that enable utilities in more than 100 countries to improve performance while reducing their environmental impact. ABB Power Electronics recently introduced the high-end power Electronics controller AC 800PEC for power converters. The AC 800PEC combines a powerful CPU with a large FPGA to control high-power rectifiers for microturbines, wind turbines, traction drives, battery energy storage systems and other power electronics applications.

ABB improved productivity by optimizing its control software development process using MathWorks tools to design control software and automatically generate code for AC800PEC controllers.

“MathWorks’ products significantly reduce the development time for new controller applications,” said Fritz Wittwer, head of power electronics system Development at ABB R&D. “These advantages reduce product costs and shorten time to market.”

Challenge
On previous projects, the ABB team used a traditional development process, with systems engineers defining the specification and then software engineers writing the software based on their understanding of the specification. This process is time-consuming and error-prone, and reduces the software’s consistency with requirements.

The ABB development team sought a development process that would avoid these issues while improving productivity.

solution
MathWorks’ model-based design tool provides ABB with a unified platform for the entire development process, which they call the Optimized Control development process.

ABB has used Simulink® as simulation software for other projects. As a user of software maintenance services, they added Simulink Coder™ to the development environment of their new power electronics controller. They used Simulink Coder to automatically generate controller code for Simulink models and download it to the AC 800PEC controller, no longer having to manually convert the model to C code.

They used MATLAB® and Simulink to design control algorithms for filtering, current control, grid synchronization, and grid power monitoring, and to calculate power, idle power, and other physical variables.

Engineers use Simscape Electrical™ for system simulation to verify algorithms, and Stateflow for sequence control and quick failure protection.

They used Simulink Coder to convert Simulink models and Stateflow diagrams into C code, avoiding the laborious and time-consuming process of manually coding control algorithms into source code. They can use the generated code directly in the controller.

Using Simulink external mode allows them to interactively debug software on the controller.

By using the Simulink model as an executable specification, ABB kept requirements and code consistent throughout the development process. Parameters can be changed and optimized on the PC, and code can be automatically generated from the model and then transmitted directly to the controller via an Ethernet connection.

AC800PEC controllers are delivered to the market for traction converters that are suitable for high temperature ranges and vibration-demanding environments.