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National Semiconductor Corp.  introduced the solar industry’s first in-panel SolarMagic™ chipset, marking the advent of a new category of solar systems: “smart panels.”

Whereas solar panels today are prone to underperform due to conditions such as age, mismatch and shade, smart panels incorporate advanced electronics to harvest the maximum energy from a solar system. National and its partners will demonstrate SolarMagic smart panels at Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany, June 9-11, 2010. Visit National Semiconductor in Hall B5, Booth #429.

The SM3320 SolarMagic smart panel chipset is the most recent addition to National’s SolarMagic product line and provides junction box and module manufacturers with the “smarts” to ensure the highest efficiency and return on investment for solar system owners. By coupling more energy production with a lower balance of systems cost, the SM3320 provides solar system owners a high-performance solution at the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour.

Technical Features of National’s SM3320 SolarMagic Smart Panel Chipset

National’s SM3320 is the first analog-intensive power management chipset in a new category of in-panel electronics that improves power output, reliability and cost-effectiveness of solar systems.

SolarMagic provides an innovative solution to long standing problems with solar arrays and their design. Real-world problems lead to mismatch in solar systems, significantly reducing the power output of an array. SolarMagic can recoup up to 71 percent of power lost to mismatch – regardless of cell technology – giving installation owners more predictable power output and increased return on investment.

For the first time, National reveals the “magic” inside SolarMagic. Launched into the market in May 2009, National’s original SolarMagic power optimizer was a standalone system, which can be attached to existing or new solar installations. Now, National is also embedding SolarMagic power optimizer benefits as a chipset directly into junction boxes, which already reside on all solar panels. Packaged as a complete board-level system or available as a chipset, National’s SM3320 incorporates ten proprietary analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, providing highly reliable digital-control combined with analog sensing and communication. Proprietary algorithms apply localized maximum power point tracking (MPPT), extracting the maximum energy available by translating the input voltage and current to the best output voltage and current pair to maximize energy flow. The SM3320 is cognitive: the system senses input voltage and current throughout the array and adjusts to achieve optimum string levels.

The SM3320 includes a highly integrated, 99.5 percent efficient, 350 Watt tri-mode power converter. To achieve maximum energy harvest, the SM3320 can either boost, pass-through or lower the voltage of each panel. Options include fire safety panel shut-off and a set of sophisticated safety mechanisms. The SM3320 is released to market with UL and CE component-level certification and is in volume production.

The board-level system, measuring 5 inches by 3.5 inches by 0.5 inches and weighing approximately 6.4 ounces, easily fits into a solar panel junction box. It is currently being integrated into junction box and module-level partners with their product releases starting at Intersolar Europe and continuing through the rest of the year.

www.national.com