The IPC D160 is RAE Corporation's three-phase SCR power controller featuring an all-digital isolated firing design immune to AC line distortion, RF, and noise. It delivers variable-voltage phase-angle control across the full 0–220° conduction range with a fast 16 ms response time, making it suitable for precision industrial heating and motor control applications.

How does the closed-loop regulation work?

The D160 accepts a 0–±10 VDC reference input (or optional 4–20 mA) and compares it against a 0–10 VDC feedback signal from the load, maintaining ±0.5% regulation accuracy with drift below 0.1%. An adjustable current limit (50–200%) protects against overloads, while the overcurrent trip triggers at 500% of rated current. The soft-start feature ramps output gradually to prevent inrush current spikes.

What protection features are included?

Each output channel is protected by DV/DT snubber networks and voltage transient suppression. Loss-of-phase detection monitors all three input phases and disables firing if a phase is lost, preventing motor damage from single-phasing. Six isolated gate outputs deliver 1A peak pulses with 150 mA back-porch drive, ensuring hard SCR firing even into difficult loads. The 2500 Vrms isolation barrier separates output-to-output, output-to-control, and control-to-line circuits.