Feature Request - Allow setting core gap for the magnetics designer

Posted by: A. Lehmann on 06/06/2024

Hello,

I have another feature request for PI Expert. Since the company I work for only uses pre-gapped cores, it would be very useful if I could enter the desired core gap, and the remaining values were calculated with that in mind, instead of the core gap being calculated based on the other values of the inductor or transformator. Would this be possible to implement? Looking forward to hearing from you and thanks in advance.

Comments

Hi,

Can you give me more information? What is the objective? Are you trying to use an off-the-shelf transformer or inductor?

Thank you.

Hello!

We are winding our own inductors and transformers, however we use exclusively pre-gapped cores, with 0,1 and 0,5mm ground off the middle prong by the manufacturer. So my possible core gaps would be 0,2mm, 0,6mm or 1mm. I wish the core gap could be set in the designer, and the necessary windings calculated based off of that, instead of the gap being calculated based on the windings.

Hi,

What Power Integrations device are you using? In case you are using a PI Expert tool, you can try to use the "Goal Seek" feature. In PI Expert, go to Design Results > Tools > Goal Seek. Proceed in selecting Parameter Name To Set to LG, enter the Parameter Target Value in mm (in your case, select 0.2mm, 0.6mm, or 1mm), and then select By Parameter Name. This parameter will be changed according to the target gap length. Just in case you are using any of the InnoSwitch devices, you can enter the switching frequency (FS) for this parameter as an example.

Thanks.

Hello,

thanks for that tip, that already helps me quite a bit. I'm using the LYT5228D, and this seems to work. I just have to remember to do this goal seek last, because changing certain other parameters will re-calculate the gap length again.