Diploma in Digital Control, Losses and Thermal HF
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in digital control, losses and high-frequency thermal design. 8 modules covering digital control of converters, implementation on microcontrollers and FPGAs, loop identification and tuning, high-frequency loss calculation, thermal management and thermally aware control, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this programme. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Design digital compensators from averaged models.
Implement control loops on microcontrollers and FPGAs.
Measure and adjust the stability of digital loops.
Calculate the loss breakdown of a high-frequency converter.
Design thermal solutions for high power density.
Integrate thermal estimation and power limiting into the control.
Verify a digital converter through co-simulation and testing.
Who it's for
- Digital power control engineers moving into high-frequency converter design.
- Converter firmware developers who need a solid grounding in control loops and losses.
- Thermal engineers working on high-density power electronics.
- Power electronics engineers looking to master digital control and thermal design.
- Validation engineers who test converters and power stages.
- Embedded systems engineers expanding into digital power.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the data-centre sector.
What you'll work with
- PMBus 1.4 (power management bus protocol)
- JEDEC JESD51-14 (transient dual interface test method for junction-to-case thermal resistance)
- JEDEC JESD51-1 (integrated circuit thermal measurement method)
- IEC 62368-1 (safety of audio/video, information and communication technology equipment)
- IEC 60747-9 (semiconductor devices — IGBTs)
- IEC 61204-3 (low-voltage power supplies — electromagnetic compatibility)
- AEC-Q101 (stress test qualification for automotive discrete semiconductors)
- MATLAB/Simulink with Simscape Electrical
- PLECS
- Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio
- Ansys Icepak
- OMICRON Lab Bode 100
8 modules
1.1Sampling and delays in digital loops1.2Tustin discretisation and zero-order hold1.3State-space averaged modelling1.4Transfer functions of the buck and boost converters1.5PWM resolution and limit cycles1.6ADC resolution and quantisation1.7Digital PID controllers1.8Peak and average current-mode control1.9One-step predictive control1.10Practical exercise: discretisation of a type III compensator
2.1Microcontrollers for digital power2.2High-resolution PWM (HRPWM)2.3Synchronising the ADC with the PWM2.4Control co-processors (CLA)2.5Control implementation on FPGAs2.6Fixed-point arithmetic and saturation2.7Interrupt and real-time architectures2.8Bootloaders and field updates2.9Communication over PMBus2.10Lab: digital voltage loop on a C2000
3.1Frequency response with disturbance injection3.2Loop analysers and the Middlebrook method3.3Online digital identification3.4Phase and gain margins3.5Controller auto-tuning3.6Adaptive control under load variation3.7Robustness to component tolerances3.8Load step response3.9Stability criteria in multiphase systems3.10Workshop: loop measurement with a frequency response analyser
4.1Conduction losses in MOSFETs and diodes4.2Switching losses from energy curves4.3Coss output charge losses4.4Driver and gate losses4.5High-frequency losses in magnetics4.6ESR losses in capacitors4.7Losses in tracks and connections4.8Dead-time losses4.9Calorimetric loss measurement4.10Practical exercise: loss breakdown of a 1 MHz buck converter
5.1Power density and hot spots5.2Top-side cooled packages5.3IMS and DBC substrates5.4Heat dissipation through the PCB and vias5.5Interface materials and thermal pads5.6Transient thermal modelling5.7Thermal impedance Zth and pulses5.8Temperature sensing in the converter5.9Dynamic temperature derating5.10Lab: Zth measurement of a MOSFET
6.1Online junction temperature estimation6.2Embedded thermal models6.3Temperature-based power limiting6.4Adjusting switching frequency to load6.5Thermal sharing between phases6.6Fan control6.7Over-temperature protection6.8Lifetime based on thermal cycling6.9Mission profile logging6.10Case study: thermal limiting in a multiphase converter
7.1Electrical, thermal and control co-simulation7.2Frequency versus size optimisation7.3Control firmware verification7.4HIL testing of converters7.5Combined efficiency and thermal measurements7.6Transient thermography7.7Robustness testing at extreme temperatures7.8Design documentation7.9Cross-disciplinary design review7.10Workshop: verification plan for a digital converter
8.1Electrical and thermal specifications8.2Plant modelling8.3Digital control design8.4Loss estimation8.5Thermal design and cooling8.6Implementation on a microcontroller8.7Testing and correlation with models8.8Conclusions and improvements8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MATLAB/Simulink with Simscape Electrical, PLECS, Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio, Ansys Icepak and OMICRON Lab Bode 100, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for frequency response measurement of digital loops, calorimetric loss measurements and thermography of high-frequency converters. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: PMBus 1.4, JEDEC JESD51-14, JEDEC JESD51-1, IEC 62368-1, IEC 60747-9, IEC 61204-3, AEC-Q101.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with MATLAB/Simulink with Simscape Electrical, PLECS, Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio, Ansys Icepak and OMICRON Lab Bode 100, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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