Circuit simulation models for MOS-gated power devices: Application to the simulations of an electronic lamp ballast circuit

A new simulation environment for the design of power electronics has been developed. The simulation tools include circuit simulation models suitable for modeling the static and dynamic switching characteristics of MOS-gated power insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). In these macromodels a new physical model for the transistor channel region is combined with conventional SPICE (simulation program with IC emphasis) models for the additional circuit elements needed to describe the special DC and AC properties of power transistors. The models are implemented into the open circuit simulator APLAC, and the simulated results are in excellent agreement with those measured from discrete power DMOS transistors and IGBTs. By using the new models, the simulated performances of electronic lamp ballast circuits realized with DMOS transistors and IGBTs are compared to the measured and simulated performance of the conventional bipolar version.