Texas Instruments Released Solid-State Transformer Design
The new 50kW reference design utilizes silicon carbide technology to improve power conversion efficiency and reduce physical size.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Semiconductors
Live Poll
Do you believe new energy conversion technologies will improve power efficiency in your community?
Texas Instruments has introduced a new modular solid-state transformer reference design capable of handling 50kW of power. The design employs advanced silicon carbide power devices to manage high-voltage loads more efficiently than traditional transformer systems.
Why it matters
By utilizing a cascaded H-bridge topology, this architecture allows engineers to use readily available silicon carbide components for high-voltage applications. The high-frequency switching stages also significantly reduce the physical weight and footprint of the transformer equipment.
The reference design features a 2.2kV medium-voltage DC link and a 1.5kV low-voltage DC link. The system manages power conversion through a 10kHz DC-to-AC stage and a 100kHz dual active bridge isolation stage.
The players
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments is a global semiconductor design and manufacturing company that develops analog chips and embedded processors.
The details
The system utilizes a three-phase architecture where fibre-optic links facilitate communication between converter submodules. Each submodule incorporates an H-bridge converter paired with a dual active bridge to achieve efficient DC-to-DC conversion.
Timeline
Texas Instruments released the reference design on October 12, 2026.
The Tech Race
This development represents a shift toward more compact and efficient solid-state power management in the semiconductor industry. It replaces legacy line-frequency transformer systems with high-frequency designs that better suit the needs of modern power grids.
For power systems engineers, this design offers a blueprint for creating smaller, lighter, and more efficient grid infrastructure components. This could eventually lead to lower equipment costs and improved reliability for modern energy distribution networks.
The takeaway
The move toward silicon carbide devices is enabling power equipment to become significantly more efficient. Engineers should look to high-frequency switching topologies as a primary method for reducing the size of future power conversion hardware.
Further reading
For more on industry advancements, see the latest updates on Semiconductors.
More information
View the complete reference design details on the project portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Electronics For You - Official Site ElectronicsForU.com.
Live Poll
Do you believe new energy conversion technologies will improve power efficiency in your community?
