Application of the NIOS II processor-FPGA on the digital control of a single-phase PFC rectifier

The employment of FPGA in the control of power electronics converters has brought new characteristics to the digital control of such converters. The FPGAs have always facilitated the implementation of complex modulation strategies. Now, through the implementation of digital processor inside the FPGA, it is also possible to execute numeric calculations in an easy manner. Thus, an FPGA can realize the efforts of a microcontroller and add the advantages of fast combinatorial computations. In this context, this work discusses core issues in the implementation of a current self-control strategy for a voltage-doubler boost-type PWM rectifier in an FPGA employing the NIOS II embedded processor. The modeling/control of the converter and two output voltage control strategies are discussed and experimentally verified. Emphasis is placed on the study and application of the NIOS II Processor application in power factor correction.