A Versatile Arbitrary Waveform Generator for Large-Signal Induction Heating Load Characterization

Arbitrary waveform generation is currently required in a multitude of applications, ranging from industrial to biomedical. Currently, the devices on the market have certain limitations in voltage, current and in the bandwidth of the generated waveforms due, mainly, to limitations of the power devices. Recent advances in semiconductor and digital control technologies, as well as topological improvements have enabled the design of high-performance versatile waveform generators with improved operational ranges.In this context, a prototype capable of generating waveforms up to 1 kVpp, 10 Arms and a bandwidth from dc to 1 MHz has been developed. The proposed generator is based on a multi-level structure allowing to reduce the maximum ratings of the devices and enabling high bandwidth and versatile waveform generation. The proposed generator has also been implemented and experimentally tested, proving its feasibility for induction heating load characterization.