Microinverter solutions

Application-optimized, energy-efficient semiconductor products for single-panel and multi-panel microinverter designs

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Overview

Microinverters provide maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and DC-to-AC solar power conversion right behind a PV panel. MPPT is used to maximize power extraction under all environmental conditions, including changes in irradiation levels and temperature. Additionally, microinverters enable rapid shutdown (RSD) functionality and power monitoring, and are a very scalable solution for residential rooftop and balcony solar installations.

Benefits

  • One-stop-shop for semiconductors
  • Highly efficient power transistors
  • Tailored gate drivers (EiceDRIVER™)
  • Accurate current sensors (XENSIV™)
  • Powerful microcontrollers (XMC™)
  • Auxiliary supply (CoolSET™)
  • Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® connect (AIROC™)
  • High quality and reliability
  • Designed for long lifetimes
  • Meets most demanding requirements

Block diagram

About

Product offering for microinverters

Microinverters operate outdoors under harsh conditions, therefore a compact form factor, high levels of efficiency, and a long lifetime are crucial success factors for these units. For example, in the case of failure, a replacement on the roof could be very expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, the market demands that microinverters match the lifetime of the PV panel, which is typically 25 years. Infineon enables high quality and reliability standards through superior manufacturing processes, precise production screening, and automation. 

Infineon offers a wide range of products with different packages and technologies, including CoolGaN™ HEMTs, OptiMOS™ and CoolSiC™ MOSFETs, EiceDRIVER™ 2EDL gate driver ICs, and XMC™ or PSoC™ high-performance MCUs, enabling manufacturers to design efficient solutions for single- and multi-panel optimizers. Furthermore, the Infineon portfolio contains XENSIV™ high-precision Hall effect current sensors, and EXCELON™ F-RAM when additional memory is required. For transmitting data from a microinverter to the cloud, a wide range of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® products in our AIROC™ family can serve the application needs.

Switches for microinverter solutions

Infineon's OptiMOS™ and CoolMOS™ N-channel MOSFET products target a broad range of applications, meeting the most stringent requirements. Our silicon carbide CoolSiC™ MOSFET technology opens up a new era of flexibility that allows designers to harness unprecedented levels of efficiency and reliability. In addition, our high-voltage CoolSiC™ MOSFET technology also provides impressive improvements in reverse-recovery characteristics.            

Infineon CoolGaN™, on the other hand, is a highly efficient gallium nitride transistor technology for power conversion in the voltage range of up to 600 V. With extensive experience in the semiconductor market, Infineon’s GaN technology brings the e-mode concept to maturity with end-to-end production in high volumes. 

Learn more about our power MOSFETs
Explore our GaN technology
EiceDRIVER™  gate driver ICs for microinverters

Every switch needs a driver, and the right driver makes the difference. Infineon offers a comprehensive portfolio of EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs with a variety of configurations, voltage classes, isolation levels, protection features, and package options. EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs are complementary to Infineon IGBT discretes and modules, silicon MOSFETs (CoolMOS™, OptiMOS™, and StrongIRFET™), silicon carbide MOSFETs (CoolSiC™), gallium nitride HEMTs (CoolGaN™), or as part of our integrated power modules (CIPOS™ IPM and iMOTION™ smart IPM).

More specifically, the EiceDRIVER™ 2EDL81 family of dual-channel junction-isolated gate driver ICs are designed for medium-voltage power MOSFETs in half-bridge applications. Since MCUs in microinverter applications typically sit on the low-voltage side, the secondary (high-voltage) side requires gate drivers with reinforced isolation, where we would recommend our EiceDRIVER™ 2EDi family of gate drivers instead.

Read more
XENSIV™  current sensors for microinverters

Infineon’s XENSIV™ family of high-precision coreless open-loop current sensors are less bulky, and cost less compared to core-based current sensors. Based on Infineon’s precise and stable Hall effect current sensor technology, the current sensor analog output signal is highly linear over both temperature and lifetime. Due to the lack of an iron core or a flux concentrator, the sensor signal shows neither hysteresis nor does it suffer from saturation. The differential current sensor measurement with two Hall cells ensures high accuracy even in a noisy environment like crosstalk from adjacent current lines or magnetic stray fields, both typical in microinverter applications. System designers can program the sensitivity of the sensor, as well as the threshold levels of the two dedicated overcurrent signals, and therefore adapt them to individual requirements without any external components. The contactless current sensor ICs also provide a warning signal in case of an over- or undervoltage condition for the supply voltage.

Learn more
32-bit XMC™  and PSoC™  6 industrial microcontrollers for microinverters

A microcontroller unit (MCU) contains a CPU, memory, and input and output peripherals on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip. The MCU functions as a small, standalone computer. This allows for a reduction in power consumption, more compact designs, and cost savings. Additionally, microcontrollers can provide functional safety and security for embedded systems.

It is also critical that microcontrollers are equipped with advanced security features to avoid security compromises and prevent malware attacks. For this reason, the new generation of 32-bit MCUs provides robust protection for a range of embedded system applications. The Infineon microcontroller portfolio offers a comprehensive product range that includes state-of-the-art 32-bit microcontrollers that offer strong performance and future proven security solutions, along with traditional 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers. Our 32-bit MCU product portfolio includes XMC™, TRAVEO™ T2G, PSoC™, Auto PSoC™, FM™ and MOTIX™ Embedded Power (system on chip) which are based on Arm® Cortex®-M technology. In addition, Infineon also offers the AURIX™ family, which uses TriCore™ technology instead. 

Read more
Memory and wireless connectivity for microinverters

The EXCELON™ family of memory products offers high energy efficiency, high density, and reliable data logging. Infineon's next-generation ferroelectric RAM (F-RAM) memory delivers the industry’s lowest-power, mission-critical non-volatile memory, by combining ultra-low-power operation with high-speed interfaces, instant non-volatility and unlimited read/write cycle endurance.

Discover Infineon’s AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® combos portfolio which provides a broad family of secure, robust solutions that enable you to bring great products to the market faster. AIROC™ + Wi-Fi SoCs include on-chip MCUs, memory, and the networking protocols you need to easily create your own cloud-connected applications.

EXCELON™ family
AIROC™ Wi-Fi & combos

Product offering for microinverters

Microinverters operate outdoors under harsh conditions, therefore a compact form factor, high levels of efficiency, and a long lifetime are crucial success factors for these units. For example, in the case of failure, a replacement on the roof could be very expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, the market demands that microinverters match the lifetime of the PV panel, which is typically 25 years. Infineon enables high quality and reliability standards through superior manufacturing processes, precise production screening, and automation. 

Infineon offers a wide range of products with different packages and technologies, including CoolGaN™ HEMTs, OptiMOS™ and CoolSiC™ MOSFETs, EiceDRIVER™ 2EDL gate driver ICs, and XMC™ or PSoC™ high-performance MCUs, enabling manufacturers to design efficient solutions for single- and multi-panel optimizers. Furthermore, the Infineon portfolio contains XENSIV™ high-precision Hall effect current sensors, and EXCELON™ F-RAM when additional memory is required. For transmitting data from a microinverter to the cloud, a wide range of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® products in our AIROC™ family can serve the application needs.

Switches for microinverter solutions

Infineon's OptiMOS™ and CoolMOS™ N-channel MOSFET products target a broad range of applications, meeting the most stringent requirements. Our silicon carbide CoolSiC™ MOSFET technology opens up a new era of flexibility that allows designers to harness unprecedented levels of efficiency and reliability. In addition, our high-voltage CoolSiC™ MOSFET technology also provides impressive improvements in reverse-recovery characteristics.            

Infineon CoolGaN™, on the other hand, is a highly efficient gallium nitride transistor technology for power conversion in the voltage range of up to 600 V. With extensive experience in the semiconductor market, Infineon’s GaN technology brings the e-mode concept to maturity with end-to-end production in high volumes. 

Learn more about our power MOSFETs
Explore our GaN technology

EiceDRIVER™  gate driver ICs for microinverters

Every switch needs a driver, and the right driver makes the difference. Infineon offers a comprehensive portfolio of EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs with a variety of configurations, voltage classes, isolation levels, protection features, and package options. EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs are complementary to Infineon IGBT discretes and modules, silicon MOSFETs (CoolMOS™, OptiMOS™, and StrongIRFET™), silicon carbide MOSFETs (CoolSiC™), gallium nitride HEMTs (CoolGaN™), or as part of our integrated power modules (CIPOS™ IPM and iMOTION™ smart IPM).

More specifically, the EiceDRIVER™ 2EDL81 family of dual-channel junction-isolated gate driver ICs are designed for medium-voltage power MOSFETs in half-bridge applications. Since MCUs in microinverter applications typically sit on the low-voltage side, the secondary (high-voltage) side requires gate drivers with reinforced isolation, where we would recommend our EiceDRIVER™ 2EDi family of gate drivers instead.

Read more

XENSIV™  current sensors for microinverters

Infineon’s XENSIV™ family of high-precision coreless open-loop current sensors are less bulky, and cost less compared to core-based current sensors. Based on Infineon’s precise and stable Hall effect current sensor technology, the current sensor analog output signal is highly linear over both temperature and lifetime. Due to the lack of an iron core or a flux concentrator, the sensor signal shows neither hysteresis nor does it suffer from saturation. The differential current sensor measurement with two Hall cells ensures high accuracy even in a noisy environment like crosstalk from adjacent current lines or magnetic stray fields, both typical in microinverter applications. System designers can program the sensitivity of the sensor, as well as the threshold levels of the two dedicated overcurrent signals, and therefore adapt them to individual requirements without any external components. The contactless current sensor ICs also provide a warning signal in case of an over- or undervoltage condition for the supply voltage.

Learn more

32-bit XMC™  and PSoC™  6 industrial microcontrollers for microinverters

A microcontroller unit (MCU) contains a CPU, memory, and input and output peripherals on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip. The MCU functions as a small, standalone computer. This allows for a reduction in power consumption, more compact designs, and cost savings. Additionally, microcontrollers can provide functional safety and security for embedded systems.

It is also critical that microcontrollers are equipped with advanced security features to avoid security compromises and prevent malware attacks. For this reason, the new generation of 32-bit MCUs provides robust protection for a range of embedded system applications. The Infineon microcontroller portfolio offers a comprehensive product range that includes state-of-the-art 32-bit microcontrollers that offer strong performance and future proven security solutions, along with traditional 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers. Our 32-bit MCU product portfolio includes XMC™, TRAVEO™ T2G, PSoC™, Auto PSoC™, FM™ and MOTIX™ Embedded Power (system on chip) which are based on Arm® Cortex®-M technology. In addition, Infineon also offers the AURIX™ family, which uses TriCore™ technology instead. 

Read more

Memory and wireless connectivity for microinverters

The EXCELON™ family of memory products offers high energy efficiency, high density, and reliable data logging. Infineon's next-generation ferroelectric RAM (F-RAM) memory delivers the industry’s lowest-power, mission-critical non-volatile memory, by combining ultra-low-power operation with high-speed interfaces, instant non-volatility and unlimited read/write cycle endurance.

Discover Infineon’s AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® combos portfolio which provides a broad family of secure, robust solutions that enable you to bring great products to the market faster. AIROC™ + Wi-Fi SoCs include on-chip MCUs, memory, and the networking protocols you need to easily create your own cloud-connected applications.

EXCELON™ family
AIROC™ Wi-Fi & combos

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