Since Altair acquired Powersim in March 2022, many new users might ask themselves: "How do I get started with PSIM and what can it even do for me?"

Are you one of them?

Or are you already an experienced user and just want to refresh your skills and see if there are any new tips and tricks?

Either way, this webinar is right for you. Join us for a one-hour journey through the PSIM software and learn how to build a buck converter from open-loop to close-loop.

We will also give tips on how to work more efficiently with PSIM by using some shortcuts.

Main learning concepts that we will touch on:

- Library elements

- Hotkey setup

- Simulation setup

- Timestep

- Total time

- Waveform analysis

- Adding waveforms

- Saving setups

- Adding screens

- Measurements

- Changing y-axis

- Timing

- Dual/triple etc.

- Introduction to AC sweep

- Setup

- Two-loop control

- Open-loop

- Loop gain

- Parameter file use

- Variable definitions

- Sub-circuits

- Intro analysis tools

- Monte Carlo, Fault, Sensitivity

- Intro to Scripting

- Intro to other switch modes

- Thermal

This webinar shows how to leverage PSIM's motor control design tools to jump-start your electrification projects.

The motor control design suite allows non-experts and experts to quickly get a fully defined motor drive working. This can be easily modified and integrated into bigger system simulations to understand the impact of a real motor drive on system efficiency and performance. We also introduce how to use Altair Activate to link PSIM with other solvers from Altair (like MotionSolve) to provide more realistic mechanical models.

Scripting methods are being shown to solve for inverter efficiency operating points to understand the impact of design decisions on inverter losses, e.g.:

- Switching frequency

- Device selection

- PWM scheme

Co-simulations and links between PSIM and other Altair tools in this webinar include:

- Activate

- Embed

- MotionSolve

Designing the power stage of a motor drive poses several interesting design and optimization tradeoffs. And what makes it even more complex is that you typically require a working motor drive control algorithm to drive the motor at the shaft speed and at your developed torque set points of interest.

Some major design decisions involve:

- Comparing switching and conduction losses of specific devices

- Comparing losses and performance at different switching speeds

- Evaluate losses in different PWM schemes (DPWM, SVPWM, etc)

- Optimizing DC bus capacitor size and rating

- Determining the total system efficiency as a function of developed torque and shaft speed

- Evaluate flyback voltages under inverter faults at different operating speeds

- Conducted EMI considerations

- Linking to Simulink for co-simulation

One typical challenge is getting a working control algorithm from the control design group.

Another time-wasting activity is setting up and running the many simulations that are required to compare these dependent design variables.

And then, What if someone wants to evaluate performance at a lower switching speed?

The control loops likely need to be totally redesigned to accommodate this and then everything needs to be re-simulated.

Do you have time for this?

Using PSIM's design and automation tools we will show you how to enable even someone with little knowledge of motor control algorithms to quickly design and verify the performance of the power stage without requiring input from a separate controls group:

- Use the Motor Control Design Suite to get stable current, torque, and speed controllers for your motor and operating conditions.

- Utilize Scripting Automation to define different simulation attributes and compile interpreted results. This could save you days of back and forth with your colleagues and many hours of manual simulation setup.

- Generate motor drive efficiency maps by linking with JMAG-RT which will calculate the copper and iron losses of your motor. The iron losses are broken into eddy current and hysteresis losses.

- Convert ideal switch models into non-ideal switches and define parasitic bus inductance, common-mode capacitors, and other parasitic elements to start getting an understanding of your system's conducted EMI.

- After that, use automation again to understand the sensitivity to certain parasitic values and their impact on the differential mode and common mode noise.

- Finally, you just compare your results against your desired EMI standard to ensure compliance. If you're not compliant, use the automated filter design tool provided in the EMI Design Suite to fix it.

It almost couldn't be more convenient and easy to use.

We will demonstrate PSIM's link to Simulink as this is another typical approach to power stage design: PSIM simulates the power stage while the control is in Simulink.

PSIM functionality that we cover in this webinar:

- PSIM Motor Drive Package

- Motor Control Design Suite

- EMI Design Suite

- JMAG-RT link (MagCoupler RT module)

Do you need to use a C2000 MCU in your next project, but you don't want to spend months on the project? PSIM's embedded code generation for TI C2000 MCUS will put you in the development fast lane.