Global top 5 inverter control board brands

A photovoltaic inverter control board is an integrated circuit chip used to control the operation and power conversion of photovoltaic inverters. A photovoltaic inverter is a device that converts direct current generated by photovoltaic panels into alternating current that can be used by the grid. The inverter control board realizes the conversion from DC to AC by controlling the switching device of the inverter and ensures the stable operation of the inverter. ​

This article will introduce you to the global top 5 inverter control board brands, namely Infineon Technologies, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, ON Semiconductor, Maxim Integrated.

1. Functions of photovoltaic inverter control board

Photovoltaic inverter control board usually has the following functions:

• PWM generation: The inverter control board can generate pulse width modulation (PWM) signals, which are used to control the switching devices of the inverter to achieve DC to AC conversion.
• Current and voltage control: The inverter control board can monitor and control the output current and voltage of the inverter to ensure that the output current and voltage meet the requirements and maintain the stable operation of the inverter.
• Protection functions: An inverter control board usually have a variety of inverter protection functions, such as over-current protection, over-voltage protection, over-temperature protection, etc., to protect the inverter and other equipment from damage.
• Communication interface: Some control boards also have communication interfaces, such as UART, SPI, etc., which can communicate with other system components to achieve data transmission and remote monitoring. 

2. Global top 5 inverter control board brands in 2024

Here are the global top 5 inverter control board brands in 2024. Rank in no particular order.

① Infineon Technologies

Infineon Technologies is a global leading semiconductor technology company, committed to providing comprehensive semiconductor solutions and achieving efficient energy management. Infineon's business spans the world, with a total of 56 R&D institutions and 20 production plants around the world. In the 2023 fiscal year (ending 30 September), Infineon reported revenue of more than €16 billion with a workforce of some 58,600 people worldwide.

Infineon comprises a broad selection of components to build inverters ranging from just a few watts and kilowatts for residential use to several megawatts for the commercial and utility-scale markets. It includes best-in-class discrete IGBTs, MOSFETs, CoolGaN™, CoolSiC™ MOSFETs, and CoolSiCTM Schottky diodes in various package options, be it best-in-class TO247 discrete switches or highly integrated Easy modules, functionally integrated EiceDRIVER™ gate driver ICs, XENSIVTM current sensors, XMC™, PSoCTM controllers and AIROCTM and OPTIGATM for secured connectivity. 

The Infineon microcontroller portfolio provides a comprehensive product range that includes state-of-the-art 32-bit microcontrollers that provide strong performance and future proven security solutions, along with traditional 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers.

The Infineon 32-bit MCU product portfolio includes XMC™, TRAVEO™ T2G, PSoC™, Auto PSoC™, FM™ and MOTIX™ Embedded Power (System-on-Chip) which are based on Arm® Cortex®-M technology, as well as AURIX™ which uses TriCore™ technology. Infineon’s broad portfolio of microcontrollers provides scalable and high-performance solutions for a range of applications for automotive, industrial and consumer markets.

② Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments, referred to as TI, is a semiconductor multinational company in Texas, USA. It is a famous company for the development, manufacturing, and sales of semiconductor and computer technologies, also one of the global top 5 inverter control brands.

It is mainly engaged in the research, manufacturing, and sales of innovative digital signal processing and analog circuits. In addition to the semiconductor business, it also provides sensing and control, educational products and digital light source processing solutions. Texas Instruments has manufacturing, design or sales facilities in more than 25 countries.

Texas Instruments designs, manufactures, tests and sells analog and embedded semiconductor chips, helping users around the world create differentiated applications in markets including industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment and enterprise systems.

The products are applied on more than 80,000 devices, enabling efficient management of power, accurate detection and transmission of data, and provides core control or processing in electronic systems.

Texas Instruments provides a comprehensive product line of high-performance AC/DC, isolated DC/DC controllers, converters and modules with a wide range of power topology options. Texas Instruments provides a variety of inverter control chips, such as UC3842, UC3843, UC3844, etc.

These chips have high-precision control functions, wide operating voltage range and low power consumption, adjustable switching frequency, current limiting, dead time control, error amplifier, multi-topology, and are suitable for various photovoltaic inverter applications.

③ STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies and also one of the global top 5 inverter control brands, with 50,000+ employees worldwide. The group was established in 1987 through the merger of Italy's SGS Microelectronics and France's Thomson Semiconductor. The company's full-year net revenue in 2019 was US$9.56 billion; gross profit margin was 38.7%; operating profit margin was 12.6%; net profit was US$1.032 billion.

STMicroelectronics provides a variety of inverter control chips, such as L6385, L6387, etc. The L6387E is a simple and compact high voltage gate driver, manufactured with the BCD™ “offline” technology, and able to drive a half-bridge of power MOSFET or IGBT devices. The high-side (floating) section is enabled to work with voltage rail up to 600V. Both device outputs can independently sink and source 650 mA and 400 mA respectively and cannot be simultaneously driven high thanks to an integrated interlocking function.

④ ON Semiconductor

ON Semiconductor is a high-performance silicon solution provider whose products are mostly used in energy-efficient electronic products. The company's product lines include power and signal management, logic, discrete and custom devices to help customers solve their solutions in automotive, communications, computers, consumer electronics, industrial, LED lighting, medical, military/aerospace and home solar power system. The company has manufacturing plants, sales offices and design centers in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

ON Semiconductor’s intelligent power technologies enable energy efficient solutions across all applications by providing improved power factor, with intelligent power technologies allowing customers to exceed range targets with lower weight and reduce system cost through efficiency.

ON Semiconductor provides a variety of inverter control chips, such as NCP1200, NCP1230, etc. These chips feature high efficiency, high reliability and low power consumption, making them suitable for photovoltaic inverters like 2000w inverter or 3000w inverter, and other power applications.

With an internal structure that operates at a fixed frequency of 40 kHz, 60 kHz or 100 kHz, the controller can drive low gate charge switching devices such as IGBTs or MOSFETs, thus requiring very little operating power. Thanks to current mode control, the NCP1200 greatly simplifies the design of reliable off grid batteries system converters with excellent audio sensitivity and inherent pulse-by-pulse control. ​

⑤ Maxim Integrated

Maxim Integrated was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The company has more than 9,300 employees and is one of the global leaders in the design, development and production of analog and mixed-signal integrated products. Maxim is not only a global leader in the design, R&D, and manufacturing of analog, mixed-signal, high-frequency, and digital circuits, but also one of the global top 5 inverter control brands, with approximately 35,000 customers worldwide.

Maxim Integrated's products are widely used in industry, automotive electronics, consumer electronics, communication equipment, military industry, aerospace and other fields. Maxim Integrated provides a variety of inverter control chips, such as MAX14920, MAX14921, etc. These chips feature high-precision control functions, low power consumption and high integration, making them suitable for photovoltaic inverters and other industrial applications.

Maxim Integrated's MOSFET driver ICs generally use a bridge configuration to drive external MOSFETs and are widely used in power supply and motor drive applications. The MOSFET driver meets the timing requirements of the bridge and ensures that only one MOSFET is on at the same time.

Compared with Schottky diodes, MOSFETs have extremely low on-resistance, so they consume less power and are smaller in size, eliminating the need for a heat sink in high-power applications. MOSFET drivers are used in a wide range of applications from motor drivers and load switches to switching power supplies.

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