The Application of PSIM & Matlab/ Simulink in Teaching of Power Electronics Courses

Abstract

This paper presents a comparison analysis between two engineering software platforms, Matlab/Simulink & PSIM, which are used as major educational tools in teaching of power electronics and electrical drive courses, in additional to conducted research in these fields. The comparison analysis is based on studying the design simplicity of the module, time consumed in building of the module, accuracy, functionality, simulation time, and the acceptability of obtained results. Various power electronic simulation circuits are illustrated and the results are processed and displayed. The simulation results states that Matlab/Simulink is a suitable platform for control and regulation of simulation processes, in additional to its dominant role in conducting research tasks. Conversely, PSIM is dedicated to power electronic circuits and machine simulation tasks with fast and robust algorithms and suitable for educational purposes. It is recommended that both packages can be used in teaching power electronics courses.