Arduino based power semiconductors tester for urban traction systems

Most manufacturers of electronics components focus on dedicated market, their core of competence, on macro- or microelectronics. Therefore, the specific applications are the sometimes the responsibility of the users. Starting from this idea, the authors describe the relevant electrical phenomena occurring in the public transportation systems (PTS). These represent the foundation of a technical specification, taken as a reference for tester development. In this context, the proposed module combines power circuits (semiconductors and protections) with control circuits (sensors and controller) in one test bench for electronic switches of urban traction systems, at a reasonable price-performance ratio [1],[2]. One important characteristic of this device is the high scalability. It is suited for many switching frequencies and gate amplitudes, control algorithms and drive powers.