Power Integrations Releases New Version of PI Expert Power Supply Design Software

Version 7.1.5 Optimizes Transformer Design for Improved Efficiency, Accurately Calculates External Resistor Requirements, and Includes Traditional Chinese Language Support.

Power Integrations, the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today launched Version 7.1.5 of its popular PI Expert power supply design software. Available now for free download from the Power Integrations website, this revision of the design tool includes a number of enhancements:

— Provides improved support for Power Integrations’ HiperPLC(R) controller IC for offline resonant converters. The software permits the designer to choose from a variety of magnetic core materials and sizes for both for the LLC and PFC stages. The design spreadsheet allows for transformer design optimization for improved efficiency.

— Accurately calculates the external resistor (REXT) required to reduce no-load consumption in designs using PI’s LinkSwitch(R)-II and LinkSwitch-CV product families in flyback topologies.

— Expands the Help feature to include traditional Chinese language support.

Peter Vaughan, director of applications engineering at Power Integrations, comments: "Design engineers are increasingly challenged to optimize their power supply circuitry for efficiency, performance, and size. New efficiency standards are very demanding and do not allow any margin for less-than-optimal circuit design and component selection. We are constantly refining PI Expert to ensure that it addresses the latest industry demands, allowing design engineers to deliver efficient power supplies that are right first time."

PI Expert Suite v7.1.5 includes:

— PI Expert: This interactive program takes a designer’s power supply specifications, automatically generates the electrical design, and selects the critical components required. It also provides a detailed electrical and mechanical transformer design using PI’s proprietary E-Shield(TM) EMI reduction techniques. Optimization choices stressing cost and efficiency are included to help designers target specific needs. The program reduces design time from days to minutes.

— PI Xls Designer: A hands-on approach to power supply design for advanced users and those who prefer a spreadsheet interface. The tool generates detailed engineering and mechanical designs to assist users in prototyping the transformer.

— PI Viewer: A tool for viewing design files created with older versions of PI Expert.

PI Expert Suite v7.1.5 is available now on the Power Integrations website at www.powerint.com/pi-expert.