This chapter discusses the possibilities and limitations of computer simulations for power electronics systems. Obviously, advances in raw processing power for personal computers as well as the rapid development of electronic design software have influenced the field of power electronics. In this context, electronic design software means any software used for schematic capture, circuit board layout, electrical or thermal simulation, documentation, and other applications. From the very beginning, schematic capture and circuit board design software was used for power electronics systems. Of course, by their very nature, schematic capture and layout programs had graphical. | 23 Computer Simulation of Power Electronics Michael Giesselmann Texas Tech University Introduction Code Qualification and Model Validation Basic Concepts Simulation of a Buck Converter Advanced Techniques Simulation of a Full-Bridge H-Bridge Converter Conclusions Introduction This chapter discusses the possibilities and limitations of computer simulations for power electronics systems. Obviously advances in raw processing power for personal computers as well as the rapid development of electronic design software have influenced the field of power electronics. In this context electronic design software means any software used for schematic capture circuit board layout electrical or thermal simulation documentation and other applications. From the very beginning schematic capture and circuit board design software was used for power electronics systems. Of course by their very nature schematic capture and layout programs had graphical user interfaces. However long before the advent of graphical user interfaces electronic circuits were simulated by means of computers mainly using variations of the circuit simulation code SPICE. SPICE an abbreviation for Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis 14 was developed in the 1970s at the University of California at Berkeley. The initial motivation for the creation of the SPICE code was the simulation of analog electronic circuits to create integrated circuits ICs . SPICE solves the fundamental differential equations governing electric circuits containing basic R L C elements and voltage V and current I sources which can be fixed or dependent. Electronic parts such as diodes transistors etc. are either implemented as native elements with equations appropriate to their nature or modeled via subcircuits containing basic and native electronic elements. Device equations are typically based on semiconductor theory and refined using semiempirical parameters. However the use of SPICE or similar
