Residential air conditioning

Residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems: Smart and efficient cooling

nobutton

Overview

Smart, quiet, smaller, more powerful, and energy-efficient: Today’s air conditioning systems must fulfill a growing list of demands. Functions such as smooth starting, a wide range of operating speeds, and vibration suppression are must-haves. And of course, innovative features such as people-tracking and CO2-sensing help to stand out from the competition.

Benefits

  • High power density and efficiency
  • Large in-house capacity
  • High reliability
  • Innovative aircon features
  • Attractive user interfaces
  • Best PFC cost-performance trade-off
  • Large power portfolio for all needs
  • People tracking for aircons
  • Air quality sensing

Block diagram

About

Efficient inverter designs with CIPOS™ IPMs

Inverters in compressors and fans significantly reduce power consumption and noise levels, which is why the majority of modern air conditioners already utilize inverter technology. Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs) are the ideal solution for minimizing system size and assembly costs, while also enhancing manufacturability and overall system reliability. Infineon offers a broad portfolio of current classes within a single package platform, specifically designed to meet the demands of air conditioners with up to 8 kW output power.

More about CIPOS™ IPMs
Achieve high power factors with innovative PFC designs

Active PFC is a must-have in aircons. It not only leads to higher efficiency but also to lower costs and smaller inductor sizes. Infineon offers a wide range of integration levels and current classes to cover all relevant PFC topologies – from a simple boost PFC to a totem pole PFC. Our TRENCHSTOP™ 5 WR6 IGBT technology, reverse conducting diodes, and EiceDRIVER™ low-side drivers provide you with the performance and flexibility you need.

Here is an example: 

Infineon's 1ED44175N01B comes in a 6-pin SOT-23 package. That means it is smaller and less expensive than the more commonly used DSO packages with 8 pins. It has built-in overcurrent protection, so no need to use an external comparator. The 1ED44175N01B is also featured in our aircon reference design REF-AIRCON-C302A-IM564 with its built-in PFC functionality. 

More about TRENCHSTOP™ 5 IGBTs
Explore our low-side drivers
Motor control for fans and compressors

Selecting the right motor controller depends on your specific requirements — whether it is processing speed, memory, pin count, form factor, or other key features. Infineon has you covered.

For low-cost, single motor control, the PSoC™ Control C1 is the ideal choice, offering a simple and affordable solution without compromising performance.

For more demanding applications, the PSoC™ Control C3 is designed for dual motor control — simultaneously managing both the fan and compressor motor — while also supporting high-frequency PFC topologies such as the Totem Pole PFC. With switching frequencies of up to 120 kHz, the PSoC™ Control C3 significantly reduces passive component size and cost compared to competing motor control MCUs. In a case study on a 3 kW air conditioner outdoor unit, the PSoC™ Control C3 achieved a relative inductor cost of just 35% compared to standard motor control MCUs operating at 40 kHz — a reduction of over 65%.

Whenever you need to integrate additional functions such as touch sensing or connectivity alongside motor control, the broader PSoC™ microcontroller family offers exactly that flexibility.

More about microcontrollers
Smart aircons: Sensing and attractive user interface

Air conditioners already make our lives more comfortable — and by adding the right sensors, they become truly intelligent, adapting to what users need. Radar is particularly powerful: it can track where people are in the room to direct airflow precisely to the right spot, while also performing simple presence detection to save energy when no one is around. Microphones enable convenient voice commands. Hall sensors detect if a window is open to automatically turn off the air conditioner. Pressure sensors can detect clogged filters or measure airflow. With the growing adoption of next-generation refrigerants such as A2L and propane, refrigerant leakage detection sensors are also becoming increasingly important for safety and compliance. Touch sensing is becoming more and more prevalent, and our PSoC™ microcontrollers are the number one solution in the market for exactly that. The PSoC™ Edge can efficiently process all incoming sensor data to enable smarter and faster system responses. Get in touch with us to learn how our sensor solutions can make your air conditioner more innovative.

Explore our sensor portfolio
Connectivity and security

Today's aircons are connected to the internet. Not just to turn them on while you are on your way home but also to provide firmware updates, predictive maintenance, and several other novel features. Infineon offers a large portfolio of Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6 as well as Bluetooth® options. Hardware security can be implemented with our OPTIGA™ Trust secure element.

More about connectivity
More about OPTIGA™ Trust
Efficient inverter designs with CIPOS™ IPMs

Inverters in compressors and fans significantly reduce power consumption and noise levels, which is why the majority of modern air conditioners already utilize inverter technology. Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs) are the ideal solution for minimizing system size and assembly costs, while also enhancing manufacturability and overall system reliability. Infineon offers a broad portfolio of current classes within a single package platform, specifically designed to meet the demands of air conditioners with up to 8 kW output power.

More about CIPOS™ IPMs
Achieve high power factors with innovative PFC designs

Active PFC is a must-have in aircons. It not only leads to higher efficiency but also to lower costs and smaller inductor sizes. Infineon offers a wide range of integration levels and current classes to cover all relevant PFC topologies – from a simple boost PFC to a totem pole PFC. Our TRENCHSTOP™ 5 WR6 IGBT technology, reverse conducting diodes, and EiceDRIVER™ low-side drivers provide you with the performance and flexibility you need.

Here is an example: 

Infineon's 1ED44175N01B comes in a 6-pin SOT-23 package. That means it is smaller and less expensive than the more commonly used DSO packages with 8 pins. It has built-in overcurrent protection, so no need to use an external comparator. The 1ED44175N01B is also featured in our aircon reference design REF-AIRCON-C302A-IM564 with its built-in PFC functionality. 

More about TRENCHSTOP™ 5 IGBTs
Explore our low-side drivers
Motor control for fans and compressors

Selecting the right motor controller depends on your specific requirements — whether it is processing speed, memory, pin count, form factor, or other key features. Infineon has you covered.

For low-cost, single motor control, the PSoC™ Control C1 is the ideal choice, offering a simple and affordable solution without compromising performance.

For more demanding applications, the PSoC™ Control C3 is designed for dual motor control — simultaneously managing both the fan and compressor motor — while also supporting high-frequency PFC topologies such as the Totem Pole PFC. With switching frequencies of up to 120 kHz, the PSoC™ Control C3 significantly reduces passive component size and cost compared to competing motor control MCUs. In a case study on a 3 kW air conditioner outdoor unit, the PSoC™ Control C3 achieved a relative inductor cost of just 35% compared to standard motor control MCUs operating at 40 kHz — a reduction of over 65%.

Whenever you need to integrate additional functions such as touch sensing or connectivity alongside motor control, the broader PSoC™ microcontroller family offers exactly that flexibility.

More about microcontrollers
Smart aircons: Sensing and attractive user interface

Air conditioners already make our lives more comfortable — and by adding the right sensors, they become truly intelligent, adapting to what users need. Radar is particularly powerful: it can track where people are in the room to direct airflow precisely to the right spot, while also performing simple presence detection to save energy when no one is around. Microphones enable convenient voice commands. Hall sensors detect if a window is open to automatically turn off the air conditioner. Pressure sensors can detect clogged filters or measure airflow. With the growing adoption of next-generation refrigerants such as A2L and propane, refrigerant leakage detection sensors are also becoming increasingly important for safety and compliance. Touch sensing is becoming more and more prevalent, and our PSoC™ microcontrollers are the number one solution in the market for exactly that. The PSoC™ Edge can efficiently process all incoming sensor data to enable smarter and faster system responses. Get in touch with us to learn how our sensor solutions can make your air conditioner more innovative.

Explore our sensor portfolio
Connectivity and security

Today's aircons are connected to the internet. Not just to turn them on while you are on your way home but also to provide firmware updates, predictive maintenance, and several other novel features. Infineon offers a large portfolio of Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6 as well as Bluetooth® options. Hardware security can be implemented with our OPTIGA™ Trust secure element.

More about connectivity
More about OPTIGA™ Trust
Documents

Design resources

Developer community

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