Industrial power tester simulates lifetime performance

According to the supplier, the device is the only commercially available such product that combines both power cycling and thermal transient measurements with structure function analysis whilst providing data for real time failure cause diagnostics. "Our MicReD Power Tester 1500A serves the growing demand for power electronics components that need to perform under extreme conditions with high reliability," said Roland Feldhinkel, general manager of Mentor Graphics' mechanical analysis division. "We're leveraging our expertise in thermal characterisation and testing to deliver a product for industrial applications, where we see great potential – from electric vehicles and railway systems to renewable energy products." The MicReD Industrial Power Tester 1500A can perform power cycling tests of MOSFETs, IGBTs and power diodes. It features a touchscreen interface and can record a broad range of information, such as current, voltage and die temperature sensing. Meanwhile, detailed structure function analysis records changes in the package's thermal structure. The tester can potentially subject power modules to millions of cycles whilst providing real time failure in progress data. Mentor claims this will reduce test and lab diagnosis time and eliminate the need for post-mortem or destructive failure analysis.