Power optimizer solutions for scalable PV systems

Explore Infineon’s robust semiconductor solutions for efficient solar optimizer designs with advanced maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology

Overview

Power optimizers are DC-DC converters that maximize PV energy yield through maximum power point tracking (MPPT) under changing temperature and irradiance. Power optimizers can operate at panel or string level, with solar panel optimizers delivering higher efficiency, monitoring, and rapid shutdown support. Infineon offers an extensive portfolio to enable solar optimizer designs that maximize energy output while ensuring 25+ years of durability.

Benefits

  • End-to-end portfolio
  • 25+ years operational lifetime
  • High temperature tolerance (85°C)
  • Withstands 10k thermal cycles
  • Global PV standard compliance
  • Low-loss power transistors
  • Reliable gate drivers
  • Industrial-grade MCUs

Block diagram

About

What are Infineon’s solar power optimizer offerings?

Power optimizer designs operate in harsh outdoor environments – where efficiency, compact size, and long lifetime are critical. Roof-level replacement is costly – and reliability must align with the typical 25-year PV module durability standards. To get the best out of each panel while meeting size and lifetime requirements, Infineon provides an extensive portfolio, offering cost-effective flexibility across multiple price points, supported by advanced manufacturing, automated testing, and stringent qualification standards. 

Infineon’s portfolio enables efficient single-panel and multi-panel solar optimizer designs and includes:

  • OptiMOS™ and StrongIRFET™ MOSFETs: Best-in-class performance and rugged industrial applications 
  • EiceDRIVER™ 2EDL gate driver ICs: Robust control and protection for SiC/GaN
  • XMC™ and PSOC™ MCUs: Real-time MPPT and grid synchronization
  • XENSIV™ Hall-effect current sensors: Accurate control and system protection
  • EXCELON™ F-RAM non-volatile memory: High-endurance non-volatile data logging

These components enable scalable architectures for residential and commercial PV systems while supporting monitoring, safety, and long-term performance.

Explore Infineon’s 600 W buck power optimizer

How do Infineon power transistors improve power optimizer efficiency?

Infineon’s OptiMOS™ power MOSFETs are designed for high switching frequency and efficiency requirements of PV optimizer designs. Covering voltage classes from 60 V to 200 V, they offer low RDS(on), flexible packaging, and optimized switching behavior, enabling compact and thermally efficient designs. 

For designs requiring higher switching frequencies and improved power density, OptiMOS™ 6 MOSFETs with exceptionally low RDS(on) (as low as 0.7 mΩ for 60 V devices) and reverse recovery charge enable next-generation solar optimizer architectures with superior efficiency. 

For cost-effective designs, OptiMOS™ N-channel power MOSFETs deliver an effective balance between efficiency, power density, and overall system cost. Optimized for high-performance operation, OptiMOS™ devices deliver industry-leading figures of merit.

What about harsh outdoor conditions?

StrongIRFET™ and StrongIRFET™ 2 MOSFET families provide robust and cost-effective options for demanding outdoor solar power optimizer conditions. 

Together, the high avalanche rating and operating temperature of these switches ensure long-term performance even under harsh, varying conditions in modern power optimizer topologies.

Explore OptiMOS™ 6 power MOSFET portfolio
Explore StrongIRFET™ N-channel MOSFET portfolio

Why are gate drivers critical in power optimizers?

In a power optimizer, accurate maximum power point tracking depends on precise, fast power stage switching. The gate driver sits between the MPPT controller and the switching devices, translating control signals into clean, well-timed gate pulses. Any delay, noise, or imbalance directly impacts efficiency, thermal performance, and MPPT stability.

How do EiceDRIVER™ gate drivers enable reliable PV optimizers?

Infineon offers a comprehensive portfolio of EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs with multiple configurations, voltage classes, isolation levels, protection features, and package options.

EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs are compatible with Infineon’s silicon MOSFETs, including OptiMOS™, StrongIRFET™, and CoolMOS™ as well as SiC and GaN wide bandgap (WBG) transistors They are also available within integrated power modules such as CIPOS™ and iMOTION™ smart IPMs. This compatibility allows designers to optimize efficiency, power density, and robustness while maintaining reliable MPPT operation across a wide range of solar power optimizer architectures.

Discover EiceDRIVER™ gate driver portfolio

What makes XENSIV™ current sensors effective in PV optimizer designs?

Accurate current sensing is fundamental to stable maximum power point tracking and reliable system monitoring in a power optimizer. Measurement errors directly affect control accuracy and overall energy yield.

Infineon’s XENSIV™ family of high-precision, coreless open-loop current sensors, with differential Hall effect technology, offers a compact, cost-effective alternative to core-based sensors for PV optimizer applications. By eliminating the iron core or the flux concentrator, XENSIV™ sensors are immune to hysteresis and magnetic saturation, resulting in a highly linear analog output signal.

Performance benefits of Infineon’s XENSIV™ current sensors: 

- High noise immunity: Uses differential measurement with two Hall cells to maintain accuracy despite crosstalk or magnetic stray fields

- Protection features: Provides a warning signal in case of an over- or undervoltage condition for the supply voltage

- Programmable flexibility: System designers can program the sensitivity and threshold levels of overcurrent signals without external components

These enable accurate current measurement, reliable protection, and stable operation in modern solar panel optimizer designs.

Learn more about XENSIV™ current sensors
Why are microcontrollers critical in a solar optimizer?

The microcontroller functions as the "brain" of the MPPT solar controller, processing data to ensure the solar optimizer extracts maximum energy. By integrating a CPU, memory, and peripherals on a single chip, modern MCUs reduce power consumption, complexity, and space. It is critical that the MPPT controller provides robust protection to prevent malware and protect PV infrastructure. 

How does Infineon support secure and reliable PV optimization? 

Infineon’s 32-bit MCUs, such as PSOC™ and XMC™, ensure precise MPPT control, maximizing the energy output out of each solar panel. They are also equipped with advanced security to prevent malware and protect the PV infrastructure, future-proofing your PV optimizer designs. 

This enables reliable control of maximum power point tracking, monitoring, and system communication in both residential and commercial PV applications.

Infineon microcontroller portfolio offers a scalable product range, including state-of-the-art 32-bit MCUs featuring high-performance architectures and proven security solutions, alongside robust, traditional 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs.

Explore Infineon's MCU portfolio
How do memory and wireless connectivity support power optimizers?

Non-volatile memory enables data logging, diagnostics, and lifecycle monitoring in solar power optimizer designs, offered by Infineon’s EXCELON™ family. This data is essential for performance analysis, predictive maintenance, and long-term system reliability.

What makes EXCELON™ F-RAM suitable for PV applications?

Infineon's next-generation EXCELON™ ferroelectric RAM (F-RAM) memory delivers the industry’s lowest power mission-critical non-volatile memory. It combines ultra-low-power operation with high-speed interfaces, instant nonvolatility, and unlimited read/write cycle endurance, making it ideal for continuous, high-reliability data tracking in PV power optimizer.

How does connectivity add value?

Wireless connectivity enables remote monitoring, system integration, and cloud-based energy management. Infineon’s AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® solutions delivers secure, industrial-grade connectivity for high-performance solar optimizer systems, ensuring faster time-to-market. Furthermore, AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® SoCs integrate essential networking protocols to accelerate development of secure, cloud-connected PV energy management applications.

Explore EXCELON™ F-RAM portfolio
Discover AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® combos

What are Infineon’s solar power optimizer offerings?

Power optimizer designs operate in harsh outdoor environments – where efficiency, compact size, and long lifetime are critical. Roof-level replacement is costly – and reliability must align with the typical 25-year PV module durability standards. To get the best out of each panel while meeting size and lifetime requirements, Infineon provides an extensive portfolio, offering cost-effective flexibility across multiple price points, supported by advanced manufacturing, automated testing, and stringent qualification standards. 

Infineon’s portfolio enables efficient single-panel and multi-panel solar optimizer designs and includes:

  • OptiMOS™ and StrongIRFET™ MOSFETs: Best-in-class performance and rugged industrial applications 
  • EiceDRIVER™ 2EDL gate driver ICs: Robust control and protection for SiC/GaN
  • XMC™ and PSOC™ MCUs: Real-time MPPT and grid synchronization
  • XENSIV™ Hall-effect current sensors: Accurate control and system protection
  • EXCELON™ F-RAM non-volatile memory: High-endurance non-volatile data logging

These components enable scalable architectures for residential and commercial PV systems while supporting monitoring, safety, and long-term performance.

Explore Infineon’s 600 W buck power optimizer

How do Infineon power transistors improve power optimizer efficiency?

Infineon’s OptiMOS™ power MOSFETs are designed for high switching frequency and efficiency requirements of PV optimizer designs. Covering voltage classes from 60 V to 200 V, they offer low RDS(on), flexible packaging, and optimized switching behavior, enabling compact and thermally efficient designs. 

For designs requiring higher switching frequencies and improved power density, OptiMOS™ 6 MOSFETs with exceptionally low RDS(on) (as low as 0.7 mΩ for 60 V devices) and reverse recovery charge enable next-generation solar optimizer architectures with superior efficiency. 

For cost-effective designs, OptiMOS™ N-channel power MOSFETs deliver an effective balance between efficiency, power density, and overall system cost. Optimized for high-performance operation, OptiMOS™ devices deliver industry-leading figures of merit.

What about harsh outdoor conditions?

StrongIRFET™ and StrongIRFET™ 2 MOSFET families provide robust and cost-effective options for demanding outdoor solar power optimizer conditions. 

Together, the high avalanche rating and operating temperature of these switches ensure long-term performance even under harsh, varying conditions in modern power optimizer topologies.

Explore OptiMOS™ 6 power MOSFET portfolio
Explore StrongIRFET™ N-channel MOSFET portfolio

Why are gate drivers critical in power optimizers?

In a power optimizer, accurate maximum power point tracking depends on precise, fast power stage switching. The gate driver sits between the MPPT controller and the switching devices, translating control signals into clean, well-timed gate pulses. Any delay, noise, or imbalance directly impacts efficiency, thermal performance, and MPPT stability.

How do EiceDRIVER™ gate drivers enable reliable PV optimizers?

Infineon offers a comprehensive portfolio of EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs with multiple configurations, voltage classes, isolation levels, protection features, and package options.

EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs are compatible with Infineon’s silicon MOSFETs, including OptiMOS™, StrongIRFET™, and CoolMOS™ as well as SiC and GaN wide bandgap (WBG) transistors They are also available within integrated power modules such as CIPOS™ and iMOTION™ smart IPMs. This compatibility allows designers to optimize efficiency, power density, and robustness while maintaining reliable MPPT operation across a wide range of solar power optimizer architectures.

Discover EiceDRIVER™ gate driver portfolio

What makes XENSIV™ current sensors effective in PV optimizer designs?

Accurate current sensing is fundamental to stable maximum power point tracking and reliable system monitoring in a power optimizer. Measurement errors directly affect control accuracy and overall energy yield.

Infineon’s XENSIV™ family of high-precision, coreless open-loop current sensors, with differential Hall effect technology, offers a compact, cost-effective alternative to core-based sensors for PV optimizer applications. By eliminating the iron core or the flux concentrator, XENSIV™ sensors are immune to hysteresis and magnetic saturation, resulting in a highly linear analog output signal.

Performance benefits of Infineon’s XENSIV™ current sensors: 

- High noise immunity: Uses differential measurement with two Hall cells to maintain accuracy despite crosstalk or magnetic stray fields

- Protection features: Provides a warning signal in case of an over- or undervoltage condition for the supply voltage

- Programmable flexibility: System designers can program the sensitivity and threshold levels of overcurrent signals without external components

These enable accurate current measurement, reliable protection, and stable operation in modern solar panel optimizer designs.

Learn more about XENSIV™ current sensors

Why are microcontrollers critical in a solar optimizer?

The microcontroller functions as the "brain" of the MPPT solar controller, processing data to ensure the solar optimizer extracts maximum energy. By integrating a CPU, memory, and peripherals on a single chip, modern MCUs reduce power consumption, complexity, and space. It is critical that the MPPT controller provides robust protection to prevent malware and protect PV infrastructure. 

How does Infineon support secure and reliable PV optimization? 

Infineon’s 32-bit MCUs, such as PSOC™ and XMC™, ensure precise MPPT control, maximizing the energy output out of each solar panel. They are also equipped with advanced security to prevent malware and protect the PV infrastructure, future-proofing your PV optimizer designs. 

This enables reliable control of maximum power point tracking, monitoring, and system communication in both residential and commercial PV applications.

Infineon microcontroller portfolio offers a scalable product range, including state-of-the-art 32-bit MCUs featuring high-performance architectures and proven security solutions, alongside robust, traditional 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs.

Explore Infineon's MCU portfolio

How do memory and wireless connectivity support power optimizers?

Non-volatile memory enables data logging, diagnostics, and lifecycle monitoring in solar power optimizer designs, offered by Infineon’s EXCELON™ family. This data is essential for performance analysis, predictive maintenance, and long-term system reliability.

What makes EXCELON™ F-RAM suitable for PV applications?

Infineon's next-generation EXCELON™ ferroelectric RAM (F-RAM) memory delivers the industry’s lowest power mission-critical non-volatile memory. It combines ultra-low-power operation with high-speed interfaces, instant nonvolatility, and unlimited read/write cycle endurance, making it ideal for continuous, high-reliability data tracking in PV power optimizer.

How does connectivity add value?

Wireless connectivity enables remote monitoring, system integration, and cloud-based energy management. Infineon’s AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® solutions delivers secure, industrial-grade connectivity for high-performance solar optimizer systems, ensuring faster time-to-market. Furthermore, AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® SoCs integrate essential networking protocols to accelerate development of secure, cloud-connected PV energy management applications.

Explore EXCELON™ F-RAM portfolio
Discover AIROC™ Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® combos

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