This reference design implements a four-channel analog front end for DC arc detection in photovoltaic systems, supports DC voltages up tp 1000 V and currents up to 10 A. Arcing is detected by analyzing the AC noise present on the DC current between the solar panels and inverter. The signal is acquired by a current transformer conditioned by an analog filter stage and sampled by the 16-bit ADC ADC8363 before the frequency analysis is done with a C2000 real-time microcontroller (MCU). This design is compatible with different C2000 controlCARDs which allows the adjustment of the MCU to the system. The internal ADC of the C2000™ MCU can be evaluated by using a bypass option of the ADS8363. C2000 software package is available in the latest C2000WARE-DIGITALPOWER-SDK.
Features
- Four independent channels for arc detection
- DC voltages of 1000 V and DC currents up to 10 A
- Evaluation of external and internal ADC
- Flexible C2000 MCU selection due to 120-pin high-speed edge connector (HSEC) standard connector for multiple C2000 controlCARDs, also compatible with 180-pin HSEC connector controlCARDs
- Adjustable arc detection software for optimization in different systems and environments