An education tool for laboratory exercises with SMPS

This paper describes briefly the design and use of an education tool for laboratory exercises with switched mode power converters (SMPC). The equipment consists of different modules, designed by students during their individualized studies. After the design of the first two modules, the education tool was used extensively in laboratory works, which were part of the courses in Power Electronics and Embedded Microprocessor Systems. The feedback from students confirms that they consider the laboratory and microcontroller programming exercises to be very important parts of the courses.

I. Introduction

The education in the field of Power Electronics at the Helsinki University of Technology combines different teaching methodologies. Besides teacher-centered methods, there are also interactive, experiential, and individualized teaching methods in use. For instance, the basic course in Power Electronics consists of lectures, problem solving exercises, and compulsory laboratory works. During the latter students carry out practical measurements on different switched-mode power converter (SMPC) topologies and write reports.