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Energy Harvesting: Solar

   TI’s Broad Portfolio Provides the Total Solution
   for Solar Energy Harvesting




TI’s comprehensive solar energy harvesting portfolio can      including power line communications (PLC), Ethernet,
deliver the entire solar system solution. A broad selection   CAN bus, and low-power RF solutions such as ZigBee®.
of analog, power management and microcontroller ICs are       A variety of power management ICs can provide auxiliary
targeted at grid-tied central inverters, micro-converters     bias supplies from either the DC or AC power rails.
and micro-inverters, as well as off-grid battery charging
solutions, to maximize the power point and provide the        TI’s portfolio of high-performance analog ICs also provide
highest possible system efficiency.                           ideal front ends for MPPT power sensing and power line
                                                              communications; isolation to sensitive communications
DSP- and ARM®-based MCUs also provide system                  electronics; and relay drivers or power switches for
control and support communication technologies                islanding in systems requiring UL1741 compliance.
➔ Central Inverter Solutions

Central, or “traditional”, inverters are centralized power control units that convert DC power from a string of 72-cell solar
panels to AC power for use on the electrical utility grid. These are usually large scale commercial or residential systems
producing in excess of 1 kW of power. Maximum power point tracking for the entire string is done only at the inverter box,
which may also include relays to “island” the solar system from the grid.


                                                                                                                                                                                               System
                                                                                                  Charging                                                                                 Communication
    Solar Panel                                                                                                                                                                              Interfaces

                                                                 Storage                                  Battery
                                                                Batteries                                 Control                                                                             Ethernet
                                                               (Optional)

                                                                                                                                                                                             Low-Power
                                                                                                                                                                                                RF
                                          DC/DC                                                       PWM

                                                          I/V                                                                                     Communications
                                   DC                    Sense                                                                                                                                  CAN
                                                                                                                                                      MCU
                                   Link                                                                      MCU

                                          DC/AC          MOSFET                                       PWM                                            Stellaris®
                  AUX                                    Drivers                                                                                                                               RS232/
                 Supply                                                                                     ™C2000™                                                                            RS485
                                    AC                    I/V                                                 or
                                   Link                  Sense                                            ™MSP430™
          3.3V 5V        12V                                                                              Controller
                                     Protection
                                                                                                                                                                                Legend

                                                                           Isolation                                                          Relay Driver                             Analog
                                      Loads             Power Grid                                                                                                                     Interface
                                                                                                                                                                                       Power
                                                                                                                                                                                       Processor and MCU
                                                                                                                                                                                       Low-Power RF




➔ Micro-Inverter Solutions
Micro-inverters operate similarly to central inverter systems, but are installed on each individual panel and handle much less
power, typically 300 W. Micro-inverters provide the benefit of scalability for those who want to start small, yet have full
DC/AC conversion with MPPT, and expand later.

                                                                                                          Optional
                                    PV Panel                                                              DC Boost
                                                                                                                                                                   Output AC
                                   V/I/T Sense
                                                                                                                          DC/AC                                    V/I Sense
                                                            Gate                                                         Conversion
                                        High Side           Driver           Gate
                                      Current Sense                          Driver
                                                                                                                        Gate Drivers                                         AC
         PV+                                                                                                                                                               Current
                                         Option                                                                                                                            Sense+


                                                                                                                               H-Gate
                                                                                                                               Driver
                                                                             Gate
                                           Ipv                               Driver                          H-Gate                                                         Iac+
                                                                                                             Driver
                           Temperature
                             Monitor                       Gate
                                                           Driver                                                                  H-Gate
                                                                                                                                   Driver
    Solar Panel                                   Vpv                                       Vboost
                                                                                                              H-Gate
                                                                                                                                                                Vac+
                                                                                                              Driver
                          PV–
                            Low Side
                          Current Sense
                                                                                                                                                                                                AC Side Option
                             Option
                                            Ipv                                                                                                                                                 Dual Output   +12
                  PV Side Option                                                                                      Power Line                                                                              +3.3
                                                                                                                                                                                                Bias Supply
                                                                                                                      Carrier AFE           PLC
           PV+     Dual Output     +12
                                                                 Iac+
           PV–     Bias Supply     +3.3                                     PWM       GPIO        µC or
                                                                 Vac+                              DSP
                                                                                                                                                            PLC Communication Option          Aux Bias Supply
                                                                Vboost
                                                                                                                             POL
                                                                 Vpv        ADC       Timer      Memory
               Aux Bias Supply                                    Ipv
                                                                                  Digital Contoller
                                                                    Temp
                                                                                                                                              Wireless
                                                                                                                                            Communication
                                                                                  MPPT MCU                             Wireless RF
                                                                                                                                               Option


                                                                                                                         RF Communication




Energy Harvesting: Solar	                                                                             2                                                                                      Texas Instruments
➔ Micro-Converter Solutions
Micro-converters maximize the DC power point of a single solar panel and convert (down or up) the DC voltage to be
transported downstream to a centralized AC (grid-tied) inverter. Being located on each panel, these systems are lower power
(typ. 300 W) than centralized converters. These are sometimes called “optimizers” because they optimize the power of each
panel, increasing the overall efficiency of the system.

                                       PV Panel                         DC/DC Conversion                                   Optional                                  Output
                                      V/I/T Sense                         Gate Drivers                                     DC Boost                                 V/I Sense

                                           High Side                                                                                                                  High Side
               PV+                       Current Sense                                                                                                              Current Sense
                                            Option                                                                                                                     Option
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Vbus+




                                               Ipv                         Gate                                                                                          Idc
                                                                           Driver                                                   Gate
                                Temperature
                                  Monitor                                                                                           Driver


                                                                                Gate                    Gate
        Solar Panel                                   Vpv                       Driver                  Driver                                         Vdc
                              PV–
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Vbus–
                                 Low Side                                                                                                               Low Side
                               Current Sense                                                                                                          Current Sense
                                  Option                                                                                                                 Option
                                                Ipv                                                                        PLC
                 PV+                  +12                                                                                                                                Idc
                        Dual Output
                 PV–    Bias Supply   +3.3                                                                              Power Line
                                                                                                                        Carrier AFE
                                                                    Ipv      PWM         GPIO       µC or
                     Aux Bias Supply                                Vpv                              DSP
                                                                                                                                                             PLC Communication Option
                                                                    Idc
                                                                    Vdc      ADC         Timer     Memory                     POL


                                                                   Temp
                                                                                    Digital Contoller                                                                   Legend
                                                                                                                                               Wireless                     Analog
                                                                                                                                             Communication
                                                                                    MPPT MCU                             Wireless RF
                                                                                                                                                Option                      Interface
                                                                                                                                                                            Power
                                                                                                                           RF Communication
                                                                                                                                                                            Processor and MCU
                                                                                                                                                                            Low-Power RF




 ➔ Battery Charging Solutions
Off-grid solar power systems often need to charge a battery, or array of battery cells, that provide continuous power to the
load when solar energy is no longer present. Often cost sensitive, in order to optimize the size, cost and usable power of the
storage elements, off-grid systems also require that the power point be maximized. However, this can be done by employing,
lower power and less complex MCUs than grid-tied systems or by employing a simple fixed power point – often set at 76%
of VOC. Loads such as LED lighting and motors may require additional power boosting and/or control.




                                                                                 LED                                                                                                   Linear
                                                                                Drivers                                                                                             Current Boost   OR
                              Battery
                                                             Storage                                                                                                                 and Motor
                             Charger/                                                                                                                          Storage
                                                            Batteries                                                                                                                   Drive
                              DC/DC                                                                                                                           Batteries
                             Converter                (Li-Ion or PbA)                                                                        Battery         (optional)
                                                                                                                                             Charger
                                                                                                                                                                                                     Submersible DC Pump




           Solar                                      Charge                                                                                                   Charge
           Panel                                      Status                                                                                                   Status

                                                                                                                                         Integrated
                            Integrated                                                                                                   MPPT and              Battery Status
                           MPPT and or                 Battery                                                                             Motor                 (optional)
                            Fuel Gauge                 Status                                                        Solar               Controller
                                                      (optional)                                                     Panel



Solar street light/lantern block diagram.                                                                        Solar pump or fan block diagram.




Energy Harvesting: Solar	                                                                                3                                                                                   Texas Instruments
➔ Energy Harvesting: Solar Solutions from TI


 Device                   Description
                                                                                                                   Visit www.ti.com/solar for more
                                                                                                                   information.
 Microcontrollers for MPPT, Communication and Control Panels
 TMS320F280xx/281xx       32-bit, 100-/150-MHz fixed-point digital signal controller with flash                    TI’s C2000™ high performance Piccolo™
 TMS320F2803x             Piccolo™ series 32-bit, 60-MHz fixed-point microcontroller                               fixed-point offer real time control with
                                                                                                                   integrated ADC and PWM control for
 TMS320F2833x             Delfino™ series 32-bit, 100-MHz floating-point microcontroller
                                                                                                                   greater energy efficiency to cost sensi-
 MSP430F14x               Ultra-low-power 16-bit microcontroller with 12-bit ADC; up to 60-KB flash and 2-KB RAM   tive solar converter/inverter applications.
 MSP430F21x1              Ultra-low-power 16-bit microcontroller; up to 8-KB flash and 256-B RAM                   www.ti.com/piccolo
                          ARM® Cortex™-M3 application processors with multiple serial connectivity, security
 LM3S8xx, LM3S6911,
 LM3S8xxx                 with encryption, ethernet MAC+PHY (LM3S6xxx and LM3S8xxx) and multiple CAN MACs          The Delfino™ floating-point MCUs
                          (LM3S8xxx)
                                                                                                                   offer the highest performance for MPPT
 Gate and Relay Drivers                                                                                            and PWM control providing the highest
 UCD7100                  Digital control compatible single low-side ±4-A MOSFET driver with current sense         possible solar panel efficiency.
                                                                                                                   www.ti.com/delfino
 UCC2732x, UCC3732x       Dual 4-A MOSFET drivers
 UCC27200                 120-V boot, 3-A peak, high-frequency, high-side/low-side MOSFET driver
                                                                                                                   TI’s MSP430™ ultra-low power micro-
 TPS281x                  Inverting high-speed MOSFET drivers with internal regulator                              controller is the perfect combination of
 DRV101 (DRV103)          60-V (32-V) low-side power switch with PWM output drive up 1.9 A (3 A)                   low-power and high-performance analog
                                                                                                                   integration.MSP430 offers devices for
 DRV102 (DRV104)          60-V (32-V) high-side power switch with PWM output drive up 2 A (1.2 A)
                                                                                                                   low-cost grid-tied or medium power
 TPL9201, TLP9202         8-channel relay drivers with brown-out detection                                         off-grid solar MPPT applications.
 PWM Controllers                                                                                                   www.ti.com/msp430
 UC28xx                   Current mode PWM controllers
                                                                                                                   Stellaris® real-time microcontrollers –
 UCC28xx                  Current mode push-pull PWM controllers
                                                                                                                   based on the revolutionary Cortex™ -
 Auxiliary Power                                                                                                   M3 technology from ARM® — combine
 TPS737xx                 1-A LDO with reverse current protection                                                  sophisticated, flexible mixed-signal
                                                                                                                   system on-chip integration with unparal-
 TPS734/5xx               250-mA/500-mA low quiescent current, low noise, high PSRR LDOs
                                                                                                                   leled real-time multi-tasking capabilities
 TL783                    3-pin 750-mA adjustable positive voltage regulator with 125 VIN                          ideal for solar control panels and
 TPS4005x                 Wide input-voltage synchronous buck controllers                                          communication via ethernet or CAN
 TPS54060                 3.5-V to 60-V input, 0.5-A, 2.5-MHz step-down SWIFT™ converter with Eco-Mode™            bus. www.ti.com/stellaris

 Analog for Current/Voltage/Temperature Sensing
                                                                                                                   TI’s power management solutions offer
 TMP1xx                   Digital temperature sensors                                                              a range of low dropout linear regulators
 TLV246x                  Low-power, rail-to-rail input/output operational amplifiers                              and DC/DC converters for auxiliary/bias
 OPA340, OPA350
                                                                                                                   power. A wide array of analog and digital
                          Single-supply, high CMRR, low offset, rail-to-rail operational amplifiers
 OPA364, OPA365                                                                                                    PWM controllers and gate drivers provide
 OPA2227, OPA2374         Rail-to-rail I/O CMOS precision amplifiers                                               flexibility in the efficient implementation of
                                                                                                                   DC/DC conversion and DC/AC inversion.
 INA159, INA198           High-speed, precision gain differential amplifiers
                                                                                                                   www.power.ti.com
 ADS1204, ADS1205         Four 1-bit, 10-MHz, 2nd-order delta-sigma modulators
 ADS1208, ADS1209
                                                                                                                   TI also offers a large selection of
 ADS1202, ADS1203         16-bit, 10-MHz current-shunt delta-sigma modulators
                                                                                                                   high-performance digital temperature
 DRV401                   Sensor signal conditioning IC for VAC or LEM magnetic current sensor                     sensors, operational amplifiers, preci-
 AMC1203                  1-bit, 10-MHz, 2nd-order, isolated delta-sigma modulator                                 sion amplifiers, delta-sigma modulators
                                                                                                                   and filters for current shunt and magnetic
 AMC1210                  4-channel digital filter for ADS120x family of delta-sigma modulators
                                                                                                                   current sensing applications. For isolated
                                                                                                                   solar energy harvesting applications, TI
                                                                                                                   also offers digital isolators and isolated
                                                                                                                   delta-sigma modulators.
                                                                                                                   www.ti.com/analog


Energy Harvesting: Solar	                                                                 4                                                    Texas Instruments
➔ Energy Harvesting: Solar Solutions from TI


 Device                    Description
                                                                                                                        Visit www.ti.com/solar for more
                                                                                                                        information.
 Solar Battery Chargers
 bq24210                   800mA, single-input, single-cell Li-Ion battery solar charger with power path                For off-grid solar applications, cost-
 bq24650                   High-efficiency synchronous switch-mode charger controller for solar power                   effective fully-integrated linear battery
                                                                                                                        chargers provide the combined function-
 TPS61200                  0.3-V input voltage boost converter with 1.3-A switches
                                                                                                                        ality of maximum power point control and
 Capacitive Isolators and Galvanic Isolated Transceivers                                                                battery charge management into single
 ISO72x, ISO722x,          1-channel, 2-channel,                                                                        integrated solutions. Solar-optimized
 ISO723x, ISO724x          3-channel and 4-channel, 560-Vpk continuous, stand-alone signal isolators                    switching battery charge management
 ISO55xx	                  2.5-A isolated IGBT/MOSFET gate drivers                                                      ICs with external FET drive provide the
 ISO1177, ISO37, ISO3088   Galvanic isolated RS-485 transceivers
                                                                                                                        ideal solution for higher-power, large-
                                                                                                                        scale battery array charging applications.
 ISO1050                   Galvanic isolated CAN transceiver
                                                                                                                        www.ti.com/battery
 Wired Communications
 TMS320F28235              Power line communications, PLC modem                                                         TI’s low-power RF ICs include cost-
                                                                                                                        effective low-power RF transmitters,
 PGA112                    PLC AFE receive path: zero-drift, programmable gain amplifier with MUX
                                                                                                                        transceivers, SoCs, RF front ends and
 OPA564                    PLC AFE transmit path: 1.5-A, 24-V, 17-MHz, power operational amplifier                      processors for short-range applications
 SN65LBC179, SN65HVD12,    Differential (RS-485) bus transceivers                                                       in the sub-1GHz and 2.4-GHz frequency
 SN65HVD308x
                                                                                                                        bands. TI’s industry-leading RF ICs meet
 Low Power RF                                                                                                           the stringent requirements for low system
 CC1101                    Low-power, sub-1-GHz RF transceiver                                                          costs, high integration, low power, and
                                                                                                                        flexibility — a total system-solution pro-
                           Single-chip FSK/OOK CMOS RF transceiver for narrowband applications in 402 to
 CC1020                                                                                                                 vider of hardware and software, as well as
                           470-MHz and 804 to 940-MHz range
 CC259x, CC1190            RF front end attenna (CC1190 = 850 to 950-MHz)
                                                                                                                        a leading provider of ZigBee/RF4CE/IEEE
                                                                                                                        802.15.4 technology. www.ti.com/lprf
 LED and Motor Drivers
 TPS61165                  High-brightness LED driver with integrated 1.2-A, 40-V power switch                          Communication links form the solar
 TPS61500                  High-brightness LED driver with integrated 3-A, 40-V power switch                            panels to the inverter/converter control
                                                                                                                        units or gateways are made possible
 DRV88xx                   Full-bridge motor drivers
                                                                                                                        with the use of TI’s family of RS-485
 Other Analog                                                                                                           transceivers.
 TL05                      Dual enhanced JFET precision operational amplifier
 LP211                     Single, low-power, strobed differential comparator with open collector and emitter outputs
                                                                                                                        Power line communications hardware
                                                                                                                        and software solutions can be utilized
 Development Tools                                                                                                      for communication links to both the solar
 TMDSENERGYKIT             Renewable energy development kit with TPM320F2308 controlCARD™                               panel and onto the grid. www.ti.com/plc
 TMDSPLCKIT-V2             Narrowband PLC kit (SFSK/PRIME/G3/FlexOFDM™)
 CC2531EMK                 ZigBee® USB dongle development kit




Energy Harvesting: Solar	                                                                5                                                        Texas Instruments
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The platform bar, E2E, C2000, controlCARD, Delfino, Eco-Mode, FlexOFDM,
MSP430, Piccolo and SWIFT are trademarks and Stellaris is a registered trademark
of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.




© 2011 Texas Instruments Incorporated                                                                                                                SLYY027
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