Pathological representation of the two‐output CCII and ICCII family and application

The pathological mirror and nullor representation of the two‐output current conveyor family is given. New pathological mirror and nullor representations of the two‐output current conveyor family are given and compared with the corresponding nullator norator resistors' realizations. Simplified representations of the two‐output current conveyors based on using two single‐output current conveyors are given. Two examples are given, the first example demonstrates the importance of the pathological representation in the generation of a family of 16 oscillators from a two‐output current conveyor‐based current mode oscillator. A second example of a current mode low‐pass filter using two single‐output inverting current conveyors is considered. Its simplified modeling using a single balanced output inverting current conveyor is compared with the original current mode filter and the simulation results are given. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Symbolic analysis of electric networks with higher order summative cofactors and parameter decision diagrams

The paper introduces the concept of higher order summative cofactors (HOSCs) to the circuit analysis. Although the concept is not new, it is not well known. In the paper, some mathematical background of HOSCs is presented. The further development of the concept of HOSC will yield computer implementation arithmetic of HOSC. A cancellation‐free symbolic analysis technique, which is based on HOSC arithmetic, is presented. This technique allows results to be created directly from a netlist in the form of a binary decision diagram, which is called a parameter decision diagram. Additionally, HOSC arithmetic allows the calculation to be started in many places (sometimes distant) simultaneously. The techniques of rolling up the already analyzed parts of a circuit, which is built into HOSC arithmetic, result in a novel multilevel hierarchical analysis method that is called hierarchical parameter decision diagram (HPDD). Unlike in most hierarchical methods, the results that are obtained based on the subcircuit representation in HPDD always maintain a cancellation‐free form. The HPDD always represents the sum of the product form, which is heavily compressed due to the self‐similarities of the actual circuit. The time that is required for any recalculation of the transfer functions is greatly reduced. Analysis of models that are based on pathological components is also a natural consequence of using HOSC arithmetic.     

Device‐partition method using equivalent circuit model in two‐dimensional device simulation

In order to accomplish two‐dimensional device simulation with a large number of nodes, in this paper we propose the device‐partition method (DPM) to resolve the problem that the memory size of the simulation environment is insufficient. The idea of DPM is that the device can be divided into several parts and a matrix solver only solves one part at a time. DPM uses the iteration method to simulate the device. By continuous iteration, an accurate solution can be obtained. Hence, we use DPM to demonstrate the simulations of the MOSFET and the CMOS inverter. The simulation results of DPM and the coupled method (CM) are nearly approximate and correspond with the theory. Hence, DPM is a suitable method to develop a powerful simulation environment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two‐degree‐of‐freedom model matching control of shift‐by‐wire system with emergency mechanical link

A new shift‐by‐wire system having a standby mechanical link with backlash is proposed. The link directly connects the select lever and the manual lever of the automatic transmission in case of emergency. Thus, it is necessary to keep the backlash free during normal operations without generating a force. The angles of the manual lever driven by an actuator should follow the angles of the select lever exactly and quickly. A two‐degree‐of‐freedom model matching control is developed to meet this requirement. It is shown that the backlash is kept free during the range select operation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 174(3): 45–52, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21049     

Newly proposed hybrid resonant commutation bridge‐leg link snubber‐assisted three‐phase ZVZCS‐PWM soft‐switching inverter

This paper presents the newly proposed hybrid resonant commutation bridge‐leg link (HRCB) snubber circuit which can achieve zero voltage and zero current soft‐switching commutation for single‐phase and three‐phase voltage source‐type inverter, along with its unique features and operation principle. The circuit parameter design approach for the HRCB snubber circuit and the determination estimating scheme of the gate pulse timing processing which is more suitable and acceptable for single‐phase and space voltage vector modulated three‐phase voltage source inverter using the HRCB snubber circuit are described in this paper. In particular, the three‐phase voltage source soft‐switching inverter associated with the proposed HRCB circuits are evaluated and discussed from simulation and experimental viewpoints. The practical effectiveness of the HRCB snubber‐assisted three‐phase voltage source soft‐switching inverter using IGBT power modules which is based on the instantaneous space voltage vector modulation is clarified on the output voltage waveform, actual efficiency of electromagnetic noise in comparison with three‐phase voltage source‐type conventional hard‐switching inverter. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 157(4): 75–84, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20111     

A portable class of 3‐transistor current references with low‐power sub‐0.5 V operation

This work proposes a new class of current references based on only 3 transistors that allows sub‐0.5 V operation. The circuit consists of a 2‐transistor block that generates a proportional‐to‐absolute‐temperature or a complementary‐to‐absolute‐temperature voltage and a load transistor. The idea of a 3T current reference is validated by circuit simulations for different complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor technologies and by experimental measurements on a large set of test chips fabricated with a commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor process. As compared to the state‐of‐art competitors, the 3T current reference exhibits competitive performance in terms of temperature coefficient (578 ppm/°C), line sensitivity (3.9%/V), and power consumption (213 nW) and presents a reduction by a factor of 2 to 3 in terms of minimum operating voltage (0.45 V) and an improvement of 1 to 2 orders of magnitude in terms of area occupation (750 μm²). In spite of the extremely reduced silicon area, the fabricated chips exhibit low‐process sensitivity (2.7%). A digital trimming solution to significantly reduce the process sensitivity is also presented and validated by simulations.     

Time‐domain sensitivity analysis of planar structures using first‐order one‐way wave‐equation boundaries

An efficient adjoint variable method technique is developed for time‐domain sensitivity analysis of planar structures with transmission‐line modeling complemented by a first‐order one‐way wave‐equation absorbing boundaries. A backward‐running adjoint simulation is derived and solved. The validity of the technique is illustrated through three microstrip circuits. The examples demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the technique in comparison with the classical finite‐difference approaches to the estimation of the response sensitivities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new generalized high‐frequency voltage injection method and mirror‐phase estimation method for sensorless drive of salient‐pole PMSMSs

This paper proposes a new generalized high‐frequency voltage injection method for sensorless drive of salient‐pole permanent‐magnet synchronous motors. The injected high‐frequency voltage has a unique spatially‐rotating elliptical shape, with the amplitudes of both the major and minor axes varying with the motor speed, and can be designed by selecting a design parameter. The high‐frequency current caused by the injected voltage, which has information on the rotor phase to be estimated, is speed‐independent, that is, is not affected by the motor speed at all. Consequently, the rotor phase can be estimated in a wide speed range from zero to the rated speed. By selection of the design parameter, the properties of the high‐frequency current can be adjusted appropriately to the associated motor‐drive system consisting of a motor and an inverter. As a versatile phase estimation method for estimating rotor phase using the high‐frequency current, the “mirror‐phase estimation method” is reconstructed and reproposed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 168(3): 67–82, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20803     

Exact sampled‐data analysis of quasi‐resonant converters with finite filter inductance and capacitance

Previous models of quasi‐resonant converters generally use averaging and assume infinite filter inductance and capacitance to reduce circuit complexity, but at the expense of accuracy. In this paper, exact sampled‐data modelling is used. A general block diagram model applicable to various topologies of quasi‐resonant converters is proposed. Large‐signal analysis, steady‐state analysis and small‐signal analysis are all studied. They agree closely with the experimental results in the literature. Compared with the averaging approach, the sampled‐data approach is more systematic and accurate. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electric double‐layer capacitor module with series‐parallel reconfigurable cell voltage equalizers

When electric double‐layer capacitors (EDLCs) are connected in series, a cell voltage imbalance occurs due to nonuniform cell properties. Cell voltage imbalance should be minimized to prolong cycle lives and maximize the available energy of cells. In this study, we propose a series‐parallel reconfigurable cell voltage equalizer that is considered suitable for energy storage systems using EDLCs instead of traditional secondary batteries as the main energy storage sources. The proposed equalizer requires only EDLCs and switches as its main circuit elements, and it utilizes EDLCs not only for energy storage but also for equalization. An equivalent circuit model using equivalent resistors that can be regarded as an index of equalization speed is developed. Current distribution and cell voltage imbalancing during operation are quantitatively generalized. Experimental charge–discharge tests were performed on the EDLC modules to demonstrate the performance of the cell voltage equalizer. All the cells in the modules could be charged/discharged uniformly even when a degradation‐mimicking cell was intentionally included in the module. The resultant cell voltage imbalances and current distributions were in good agreement with those predicted by mathematical analyses. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 181(4): 38–50, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21287     

Survey of integrated‐circuit‐oscillator phase‐noise analysis

This tutorial distills the salient phase‐noise analysis concepts and key equations developed over the last 75 years relevant to integrated circuit oscillators. Oscillator phase and amplitude fluctuations have been studied since at least 1938 when Berstein solved the Fokker–Planck equations for the phase/amplitude distributions of a resonant oscillator. The principal contribution of this work is the organized, unified presentation of eclectic phase‐noise analysis techniques, facilitating their application to integrated circuit oscillator design. Furthermore, we demonstrate that all these methods boil down to obtaining three things: (1) noise modulation function; (2) noise transfer function; and (3) current‐controlled oscillator gain. For each method, this paper provides a short background explanation of the technique, a step‐by‐step procedure of how to apply the method to hand calculation/computer simulation, and a worked example to demonstrate how to analyze a practical oscillator circuit with that method. This survey article chiefly deals with phase‐noise analysis methods, so to restrict its scope, we limit our discussion to the following: (1) analyzing integrated circuit metal–oxide–semiconductor/bipolar junction transistor‐based LC, delay, and ring oscillator topologies; (2) considering a few oscillator harmonics in our analysis; (3) analyzing thermal/flicker intrinsic device‐noise sources rather than environmental/parametric noise/wander; (4) providing mainly qualitative amplitude‐noise discussions; and (5) omitting measurement methods/phase‐noise reduction techniques. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermally stimulated current and thermally stimulated charge distribution in electron‐beam‐irradiated PMMA

The relationship between the external current J_ter(t), the conduction current J_c(x, t), and the displacement current ϵ∂E(x, T)/∂t of an electron‐beam‐irradiated PMMA is discussed in terms of measurements of the thermally stimulated current (TSC) and the thermally stimulated space charge distribution (TS‐SCD). ϵ∂E(x, T)/∂t is calculated from TS‐SCD measurements obtained with an improved pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) system. By virtue of the conservation of charge, J_c(x, t) is easily calculated from the measured J_ter(t) and the calculated ϵ∂E(x, T)/∂t. In this report, an approach to the conduction current analysis using the theory of conservation of charge is described and an analysis of the conduction current in an electron‐beam‐irradiated PMMA is introduced as a typical example. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 128(2): 1–6, 1999     

Development of 3‐D equivalent‐circuit modelling with decoupled L‐ILU factorization in semiconductor‐device simulation

In this paper, we develop a three‐dimensional (3‐D) device simulator, which combines a simplified, decoupled Gummel‐like method equivalent‐circuit model (DM) with levelized incomplete LU (L‐ILU) factorization. These complementary techniques are successfully combined to yield an efficient and robust method for semiconductor‐device simulation. The memory requirements are reduced significantly compared to the conventionally used Newton‐like method. Furthermore, the complex voltage‐controlled current source (VCCS) is simplified as a nonlinear resistor. Hence, the programming and debugging for the nonlinear resistor model is much easier than that for the VCCS model. Further, we create a connection‐table to arrange the scattered non‐zero fill‐ins in sparse matrix to increase the efficiency of L‐ILU factorization. Low memory requirements may pave the way for the widespread application in 3‐D semiconductor‐device simulation. We use the body‐tied silicon‐on‐insulator MOSFET structure to illustrate the capability and the efficiency of the 3‐D DM equivalent‐circuit model with L‐ILU factorization. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On models of fractal networks

A couple of iterative models for the theoretical study of fractal networks whose topologies are generated via iterated function systems is presented: a lumped‐parameter impedor‐oriented one and a two‐port‐network‐oriented one. With the former, the voltage and current patterns give a detailed understanding of the electromagnetic fields' self‐similar distribution throughout the network; on the other hand, model complexity exponentially increases with the prefractal iteration order. The latter ‘black‐box’ model only controls port‐oriented global parameters that are the ones commonly used in the integration of different electronic systems, and its complexity is independent of prefractal order. Sierpinski gasket and carpet topologies are reported as examples. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Operation analysis of quasi‐resonant,high‐frequency transformer link dc–ac converters applied to phase‐shift PWM control on the secondary side

In recent years, the soft‐switching techniques have attracted attention for their peculiar advantages such as low switching loss, high power density, EMI/RFI noise reduction, and so on. The authors have previously reported on a quasi‐resonant dc–dc converter using new phase‐shift PWM control scheme. By using the proposed control scheme, circulating current is eliminated and ZVS (Zero Voltage Switching) is achieved with small commutating current. As a result, the conduction losses caused by their currents are substantially reduced. In this paper, the authors apply a proposed control scheme to a quasi‐resonant high‐frequency transformer link dc–ac converter. As a result, all switching devises in this dc–ac converter can achieve soft switching with small commutating current irrespective of inverter mode and rectifier mode. Its operating principle and unique features are described as compared with the symmetrical control scheme of dc–ac converter. Operating performance of this dc–ac converter in the steady state is illustrated by means of simulation results. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 130(2): 88–98, 2000     

Symbolic analysis of (MO)(I)CCI(II)(III)‐based analog circuits

New nullor‐based models are introduced to describe the behavior of the first generation current conveyor (CCI), second generation current conveyor (CCII), third generation current conveyor (CCIII), their inverting equivalents (ICCI(II)(III)), and/or their multiple output topologies (MO(I)CCI(II)(III)). These nullor equivalents include only grounded resistors to improve the formulation of equations in symbolic nodal analysis. In this manner, it is highlighted the usefulness of the proposed models to calculate analytical expressions in MO(I)CCI(II)(III)‐based analog circuits. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance analysis of self‐excited pulsed MHD power systems

Performance characteristics of self‐excited pulsed MHD power systems are investigated with one‐dimensional time‐dependent calculations using a gas–liquid two‐fluid model. First, the Russian pulsed MHD power system “Pamir‐3U” is analyzed. The result of numerical simulations of hot‐fire tests shows good agreement with the experimental data, confirming the validity of the mathematical model. Performance analysis of Pamir‐3U reveals that the power output is approximately constant with the variation of load resistance, while the ballast resistor consumes a large amount of electric power. It is also shown that the system has been optimally designed to supply a large load current. Next, a new system yielding larger power output is proposed and analyzed. The obtained characteristics show that the new system can provide the maximum power output of 25 MW, which is 10 MW larger than that of Pamir‐3U. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 132(3): 30–37, 2000     

Simplified analysis and evaluation of drive characteristics of fully‐pitched winding reluctance motors

Compared to the conventional SRM, fully‐pitched winding reluctance motors have a higher salient ratio for given motor dimensions. In addition, since the generated torque of the motor is determined as the product of the rate of change of mutual inductance with respect to a rotor position and winding current amplitude of the corresponding two phases, the motor is suitable for the bipolar current drives. Accordingly, the conventional general‐purpose inverter drive of the fully‐pitched winding reluctance motor is possible. In this case, the optimum lead angles of voltage play an important role in obtaining the maximum torque and maximum torque/current ratio operations. In this paper, a scheme for determining the optimum angles of voltage without any measurement, and a method for evaluating the drive characteristics in the design stage are proposed by a combination of simple magnetic and electrical analysis. The effectiveness of the proposed analytical scheme is verified by an experiment using a 400‐W prototype fully‐pitched winding reluctance motor. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn 134(1): 45–52, 2001     

A Five‐Element Multiplex Resonant Full‐Bridge DC‐DC Converter with a Variable Inductive Reactance

A five‐element multiplex resonant (LLCLC) full‐bridge DC‐DC converter controlled by pulse frequency modulation (PFM) is proposed in this paper. The high frequency (HF)‐link resonant DC‐DC converter proposed herein can perform wide‐range output power and voltage regulation with a narrow frequency range due to an antiresonant tank that works effectively as a wide‐range variable inductor. The advantageous characteristics of the antiresonant tank provide overcurrent protection in the case of the short‐circuited load condition as well as in the startup interval. Thus, the technical challenges of a conventional LLC DC‐DC converter can be overcome, and the reliability of the relevant switch‐mode power supplies can be improved. The operating principle of the LLCLC DC‐DC converter is described, after which its performance is evaluated in an experimental setup based on the 2.5 kW prototype. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed DC‐DC converter is discussed from a practical point of view.     

Three‐dimensional finite element eddy current analysis by using high‐order vector elements

Sets of high‐order basis functions of a tetrahedral element are systematically constructed and applied to finite element analysis of eddy current problems. A polynomial space is divided into a lot of subspaces assigned on the edges, faces, and a volume of the tetrahedral element. Lagrange‐type vector basis functions of the subspaces are presented. The effect of the high‐order vector elements is investigated by a cubic conductor model located in AC steady‐state magnetic fields. In the calculations using the fundamental and second‐order elements, no convergent value of the eddy current power loss can be obtained in spite of fine meshes because the eddy current shifts to the surface of the conductor. The higher‐order vector elements give the convergent solutions in the coarse meshes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 147(4): 60–67, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10306