A DSP laboratory platform for teaching power electronics and drives

Digital signal processors (DSP) have recently been incorporated in the experiments for the professional elective subjects in power electronics and electrical drives at UNSW. These experiments are supported with virtual instrument panels for quantities such as voltage, current, speed, position, torque, % voltage boost, fft and so on. Numerical values of some useful quantities such various controller parameters, limits, etc are also displayed in the panel. These DSPs also produce the control and switching signals which are used in implementing certain types of power electronic converter or drive systems. These facilities have been added progressively over the last five years and their effectiveness in teaching the subjects have been watched closely. This paper describes these facilities at the UNSW and their usefulness.