Getting Started with the FRDM-GD3100EVM

2.1 Board Features

• Capability to connect to a Fuji Electric IGBT module for half-bridge gate driver evaluations
• SPI communication, capable of daisy chain or normal standalone operation
• Software configurable power and fail-safe controls
• Easy access power, ground, and signal test points
• Easy to install and use SPIGen GUI for interfacing via SPI through PC. Software includes double pulse and short-circuit testing capability
• DC link bus voltage monitor on low-side driver via AMUXIN and AOUT

2.2 Board Description

The FRDM-GD3100EVM Rev C is a half-bridge evaluation kit populated with two GD3100 single channel IGBT gate drive devices on a half-bridge evaluation board. The kit includes the Freedom KL25Z microcontroller hardware for interfacing a PC installed with SPIGen software for communication to the SPI registers on the GD3100 gate drive devices in either daisy chain or standalone configuration.

The GD3100 translator board is used to translate 3.3 V signals to 5.0 V signals between the MCU and GD3100 gate drivers. The evaluation kit can be connected to a single phase of a Fuji Electric M653 or M661 IGBT module for half-bridge evaluations and applications development.

2.3 Board Components

Overview of the FRDM-GD3100EVM half-bridge evaluation board

Suggested equipment needed for testing:

• Rogowski coil high current probe
• High voltage differential voltage probe
• High sample rate digital oscilloscope with probes
• DC link capacitor
• Fuji Electric M653 or M661 IGBT module
• Windows 10, 8 or 7 compatible PC with an available USB port
• High voltage DC power supply for DC link
• Low voltage DC power supply for VSUP/GD3100PWR
• +12 V DC gate drive board low voltage domain
• Voltmeter for monitoring high voltage DC Link supply
• Load coil for double pulse and short-circuit type 2 testing

To configure the hardware, complete the following procedure:

1. Assemble the FRDM-GD3100EVM Rev C with KL25Z micro board and translator
2. Connect the assembled board to any phase of a Fuji Electric M653 or M661 IGBT module with SBE DC Link capacitor
3. Check jumper configuration on the evaluation board before powering up, and ensure that the configuration meets desired use case
4. Start SPIGEN application software on PC. Connect USB cable from PC to USBKL25Z port on KL25Z micro board. A successful connection results in a connection successful pop-up (reading "SPI dongle is connected") on the PC with SPIGEN application running
   • KL25Z micro shipped with proper firmware is already flashed
5. Next supply 12 V DC power to low voltage domain of evaluation board (12 V DC to VSUP connection point and grounding to GND1 connection point on low voltage domain)
6. Check high-side and low-side driver domain regulated voltage level by checking VCCH and VCCL test points for ~17 V DC with respect to grounding to points GNDH and GNDL in each domain respectively
7. With proper PC interface connection and voltage levels, SPI communication can be conducted with GD3100 devices over SPIGen
8. Apply PWM signals to each gate drive. Gate drive output can be observed on high- side and low-side driver devices with test points (GH, GL), or 50 Ω port (MMCX GATE H/L)
9. For double pulse and short-circuit testing with an IGBT and inductive load, use the "Pulse test" view as part of the SPIGen GUI. Set parameterized pulse widths commanded by the KL25Z

Software for FRDM-GD3100EVM Rev C is distributed with the SPIGen GUI tool (available on NXP.com). By default, the FRDM-KL25Z with this kit is preprogrammed with the current and most up-to-date firmware.

4.1 Graphical User Interface Operating Environment

1. Reinstall or update the firmware and MCU code.
   • Hold down the reset button on the KL25Z board and connect a mini USB B cable from the PC to the Programming interface SDA USB port. Release the reset button. The PC shows a drive called E:/BOOTLOADER or something similar. Copy the SDA file (MSD-DEBUG-FRDM-KL25Z_Pemicro_v118.SDA) to the E:/ BOOTLOADER drive.
   • Unplug and replug the USB cable to the same location to restart and activate the new firmware (do not hold the reset button this time). The drive name changes to E:/FRDM-KL25Z or something similar. Copy the file UsbSpiDongleKL25Z_GD3100_544.srec to the E:/FRDM-KL25Z drive. Unplug USB cable.
2. Run latest SPIGen installer from NXP.com on PC.
3. Run SPIGEN with KL25Z board connected.
   • Connect the PC to the mini USB B cable into the “USBKL25Z” USB port on the KL25Z board.
   • Open the SPIGen software on the PC. At the bottom of the page, you should see SPI dongle Firmware Ver. 5.4.7 or later

4.2 SPIGEN GUI

The SPIGen graphical user interface is available from NXP.com as an evaluation tool demonstrating GD3100-specific functionality, configuration, and fault reporting. SPIGen also includes basic capacity for the FRDM-GD3100EVM Rev C to control an IGBT, enabling double-pulse or short-circuit testing.

4.3 Ready to use

Start embedded application development.

Board Information

• FRDM-GD3100EVM, Half-bridge evaluation board - User Guide 

Additional Resources

Tool Summary Page

The page provides overview information, technical and functional specifications, ordering information, documentation, and software. The Get Started provides quick- reference information applicable to using the FRDM-GD3100EVM board, including the downloadable assets.

References

In addition to our GD3100: Advanced single-channel gate driver for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) page, you may also want to visit:

Gate Driver Pages

• GD3000

Application Pages

• Hybrid and electric vehicle powertrain
• Motor Drives

Freedom Pages

• FRDM-KL25Z

Hardware Pages

• Analog Toolbox

Software Pages

• Analog Expert Software and Tools