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National Semiconductor's SolarMagic Chipset makes solar panels 'Smarter'
By siliconindia
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Tuesday, 01 June 2010, 19:26 IST
Santa Clara: National Semiconductor one of the designers and manufacturers of high-performance analog semiconductors, presented the solar industry's first in-panel SolarMagic chipset, which marked the arrival of a new category of solar systems called "smart panels." The SM3320 SolarMagic smart panel chipset the most recent addition to national award winning SolarMagic product line offers junction box and module manufacturers with the "smarts" to guarantee the highest efficiency reports Gayle Bullock.
Mike Polacek, Senior Vice President of National's Key Market Segments Group said , "By introducing the first in-panel smart electronics to the solar market, we are keeping with a five decades long tradition of developing the category-defining products that shape an industry."
"National Semiconductor has been embedded in the solar industry since its inception. Already, our power management electronics are used in nearly two-thirds of the inverter and junction box market and we currently have more than 100 MW of solar systems under SolarMagic monitoring and management. The development of smart panels builds on what National does best smart power management electronics to enable higher efficiency, more robust solar systems."
National semiconductor's SM3320 becomes the first analog-intensive power management chipset in a new category of in-panel electronics that ameliorates power output, reliability and cost-effectiveness of solar systems.
The SM3320 provides reliable digital control along with analog sensing and communication.
Proprietary algorithms applied to local maximum power point tracking (MPPT), extracts the maximum energy available by translating the input voltage and current to the best output voltage.
The SM3320 is inclusive of a highly integrated, 99.5 percent efficient, 350 Watt tri-mode power converter. In order to achieve maximum energy harvest, the SM3320 can either boost, pass-through or lower the voltage of each panel.
The board-level system, which measures 5 inches by 3.5 inches by 0.5 inches and weighs approximately 6.4 ounces, fits into a solar panel junction box.
