NXP and VEPCO have joined forces to deliver the EV Traction Inverter Control Reference Design Gen 3 to fast-track electric vehicle (EV) development.
This collaboration blends NXP’s advanced automotive semiconductors with
VEPCO’s full-cycle engineering and manufacturing expertise, offering customers
a platform that reduces development time, cost and complexity.
The innovative partnership between
NXP Semiconductors
and VEPCO Technologies Inc , utilizes
NXP's semiconductor technology and VEPCO's engineering expertise to build a
traction inverter reference design for customers who want to start, assess or build upon their current motor control strategies—reducing development time.
EV Traction Inverter Gen 3 complete module.
The Genesis of the NXP-VEPCO Partnership
NXP’s
EV Traction Inverter Reference Design Gen 3
is a testament to our commitment to advance electrification solutions.
VEPCO—known for its engineering services and electrification expertise—has
been working with NXP since the inception of this reference design.
The partnership began in 2019 with a shared vision to design a
high-performance, scalable solution that meets the motor control demands of
modern EV applications. This relationship has created the perfect blend,
combining NXP’s automotive portfolio—like our S32 processing devices and associated
safety system basis chips (SBC) FS2x, GD316x gate drivers and communication peripherals—with
VEPCO’s development-cycle expertise. While NXP creates the control boards
and demonstration application software for our reference design kits, VEPCO
manufactures the metal enclosure, performs the yields test, prepares system feedback and
assembles the reference design.
For example, in our first-generation reference design for insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), NXP’s main purpose was developing system expertise. In 2020, the second
reference design was released featuring more capabilities: 400 V DC-link
charge, support of IGBT and Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based power modules, using NXP’s GD3160 gate driver and
demonstration application software. Now with the third generation, VEPCO’s continued partnership propelled our system knowledge so that we can supply our customers with a reference design aiming to accelerate, de-risk and simplify design. The resulting collaterals include optimized hardware, a complete software offering and extensive documentation like system-wide application notes.
EV Traction Inverter Control Reference Design Gen 3
EV Traction Inverter Control Reference Design Gen 3 targets 800V SiC-based inverter applications, which are known for their efficiency and
performance. The design leverages the latest generation of NXP's
high-performance
electrification devices, offering a fast path to prototype electronic control unit (ECU) development.
Offering key features such as:
EV Traction Inverter Gen 3 full view.
-
Advanced Control Board: The NXP S32K396 microcontroller control board includes devices such as the S32K39 Microcontroller for Electrification Applications, FS26 Safety System Basis Chip, TJA1103 Automotive Ethernet PHY and TJA146X CAN PHYs, ensuring robust control and communication capabilities
-
Efficient Gate Driver Control: NXP’S GD3162 gate driver control board
features 6x GD3162 Advanced High Voltage Isolated Gate Drivers, enhancing the inverter’s efficiency and reliability with dynamically controlled gate drive strength
-
Customized Housing: VEPCO Technologies designed the dedicated mechanical
housing with the built-in cooling structure and HV connectors which allows
the efficient high-power operation of the system
- Engineering Services: Depending on the workflow and target use case, VEPCO's engineering team is ready to provide automotive—grade software services in functional safety, calibration, and model-based design with Automotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR) support
NXP and VEPCO provide extensive documentation, such as application notes
explaining how to implement the reference design in various applications,
safety documentation including an Automotive Safety Integrity Level ASIL D system safety concept, casing
outlines and power module specifications. This documentation ensures that customers have a complete
understanding of the system components and reference design integration.
Conclusion
By combining strengths, NXP and VEPCO have constructed a reference design that promises to drive innovation, decrease development time and help address customers' pain points. As the automotive market continues to evolve, collaborations like this will be crucial for shaping the future of electric mobility.
Please contact your local NXP sales representative or visit the NXP
EV Traction Inverter Control Reference Design Gen 3
webpage for more information.
