PLECS

The Standard Simulation Software for Power Electronics

  • #1 simulation tool for power electronics, trusted by engineers worldwide

  • Comprehensive component library for multiple physical domains

  • Fast and accurate simulation

PLECS Logo

PLECS® is the go-to software for modeling and simulating complex power electronic systems. With its intuitive top-down approach, engineers can:

  • Verify circuit concepts using ideal semiconductor switches
  • Gradually refine designs by including thermal losses and parasitic effects
  • Effortlessly create circuit models and run fast, accurate simulations

Whether you're developing converters, motor drives, or control algorithms, PLECS provides everything you need in a single, integrated platform.

Model Complete Power Electronic Systems

PLECS comes with a comprehensive library with components typically required to model power electronic systems and electrical drives. The library spans multiple modeling domains:

Efficient Algorithms for Switched Systems

Traditional circuit simulators struggle with the extreme non-linearities introduced by switching operations. PLECS makes simulating switched systems robust and efficient by reducing power semiconductors to ideal switches being either fully on or off. Simulating a switching event requires just two steps: before and after the transition.

Thermal Simulation

Ideal switch models can be combined with lookup tables to accurately simulate the thermal behavior of the power semiconductors and obtain:

  • Switching and conduction losses
  • Junction temperature

The switching losses are computed based on the current and voltage conditions before and after switching. Ready-to-use loss models are available from leading semiconductor manufacturers for various IGBTs, MOSFETs and diodes. This simplifies gauging:

  • Efficiency of your converter design
  • Thermal stress on the components

Digital and Analog Controls

Control systems are integral to power electronics, and PLECS support modeling sophicated controls with library blocks for:

  • Continuous and discrete functions
  • Mathematical and logical operations
  • PWM generators
  • State machines
  • Custom C code

The PLECS Coder, available as an optional add-on, allows you to convert a block diagram into real-time C code for embedded microcontrollers or rapid control prototyping platforms.

Advanced Analysis

PLECS goes far beyond efficient time-domain simulation. It offers powerful analysis options and can be interfaced with external software:

  • PLECS Scope: Inspired by real-world measurement equipment, the PLECS Scope displays waveforms of interest during and after the simulation.
  • Analysis Tools: Quickly obtain a steady-state operating point or calculate the open-loop and closed-loop frequency response of your system.
  • Simulation scripts: Automate simulations, perform parameter sweeps and post-process results in Octave, Python or MATLAB.
  • Simulink integration: The PLECS Blockset lets you embed PLECS models in the Simulink environment to combine the strengths of both programs.

Why Choose PLECS?

  • Intuitive and efficient: Tailored to the needs of power electronics engineers
  • All-in-one solution: Comprehensive software package with all libraries included
  • Transparent pricing: Perpetual software license or annual lease

Background

PLECS Spice results from a project (PowerizeD, HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-1-IA) which has been accepted for funding within the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking (KDT JU), a public-private partnership in collaboration with the HORIZON Framework Programm and the national Authorities of Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Greece, Latvia, Finland, Hungary, Romania and Switzerland, under grant agreement number 101096387. Co-funded by European Union.

This work has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and is co-funded by the Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Agency.