Development of a FPGA-Based Control System for Modular Multilevel Converter Applications

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) are convenient solutions for a variety of mid/high power energy conversion systems found in renewable energy plants, DC transmission networks and others. Nevertheless, such convenience, as the number of power modules grows, brings along an increased complexity in the hardware and control strategies used. The utilization of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), offering higher Input/Output availability, complex circuitry synthetization and parallel processing capabilities becomes a suitable alternative to Digital Signal Processor (DSP) based control circuits. This article explores the implementation of a system that integrates DSPs and FPGAs benefiting from their properties to come up with a flexible and scalable solution to control an MMC used for academic research purposes.