News Release

Spanish software optimizes design of new mobile device chargers

Business Announcement

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Spanish Software Optimizes Design of New Mobile Device Chargers

image: A software optimizes the design of new mobile device chargers. view more 

Credit: UC3M

An electronic power converter is a system that adapts electric energy from a source to a specific load need. "For example, it's the system that obtains energy from the electricity grid through a socket and adapts it to be able to charge the battery of a mobile telephone or other devices," said Andrés Barrado, one of the UC3M professors who created this company.

This type of system is used in different sectors such as the aerospace industry, healthcare, communications technologies and transportation. "Power electronics is going to enable the technological development of other disciplines such as electric transport, renewable energies, communications and even electromedicine," added Antonio Lázaro, another UC3M professor who created the program and company co-founder.

Software operation

Starting from a few specifications, such as electric power or input and output voltages, the program provides the engineer in charge of designing a new electronic power converter a map of solutions from which to choose. This simplifies and accelerates the designer's work, as it is not necessary to resort to mathematical calculations that can often be quite complicated. "The designer is provided with automatic code generation, which will give them a solution that is directly embeddable in their system," Lázaro noted.

Three versions of this software, called SmartCtrl, have been developed to date. It has been marketed in more than 35 countries through nearly a thousand licenses to research centers, companies and universities, with clients like Fuji, General Motors, Google, LG, Mitsubishi, NASA, Panasonic, Renault, Samsung and Toshiba, among others.

Video: https://youtu.be/4dGNCqR3_Fw

The software features is now based on the design of the control of power converters, which convert energy from a direct current to a direct current. However, this use is to be extended to the control of power inverters, rectifiers and the digital implementation of controls in SoC platforms. "These new lines of development open possibilities for generation of software-hardware control platforms, thereby creating an integrated, innovative and widely applicable product in the power electronics sector," said company sources.

Power Smart Control is a technology-based company linked in its origin to the activity of the Power Electronic Systems Research Group (abbreviated GSEP in Spanish) from the University's Department of Electronic Technology. This spin-off, owned by the UC3M, has the support of the UC3M Science Park Business Incubator.

###


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.