Teardown of Enphase IQ7+ Microinverter
Introduction
As environmental pollution becomes more and more serious, solar energy, a clean energy source, is becoming the next energy solution, and a microinverter is an essential part of the residential solar system. To better understand it, we will take apart the IQ7+ microinverter from Enphase today to see its components inside.
For those who may not be familiar, Enphase Energy is a globally renowned manufacturer of microinverters. The company was established in 2006 and is best known for its IQ series of microinverters. In addition to microinverters, they have also introduced battery storage systems with built-in inverters. These systems offer 220V AC output, catering to household power needs. Moreover, they support an app-based monitoring system that tracks the generation, storage, and utilization of solar energy in residential systems, effectively providing an all-in-one solution.
Product Appearance
The Enphase IQ7+ microinverter adopts a matte plastic shell, with mounting holes and input/output ports on both sides.
All the specs info are printed on this large sticker. The power factor range is +/-0.8. The maximum continuous DC input is 720W, and the maximum continuous AC output power is 290VA. And the operating temperature is -40℃ (-40℉) to 65℃ (149℉) with IP67 ingress protection. It also has passed CE certification.
There are many irregular protrusions and depressions on the back, corresponding to the internal components.
In addition to the three ports on one side, there is also an indicator light.
The DC input port is on the left side, and the AC output port is on the left. An indicator light is in the middle.
Take a closer look at the indicator light.
The length of this microinverter is about 21cm (8.27 inches).
The width is about 12cm (4.72 inches).
And the height is about 3cm (1.18 inches).
And the weight is about 938g (33.09 oz).
Teardown
Let's open the case and analyze the internal components and structure.
It's covered with massive silicone adhesives.
I mean just look at it!
Next, cleaning it up to reveal the PCB.
This is the pins for DC positive and negative input.
Next, these are the pins for AC output.
Disconnect the pins from the PCB and extract the PCBA module from the casing.
The aluminum heat sinks are on the back of the module to dissipate heat from the boost MOSFET and output modulation MOSFET.
Remove the heat sinks and apply blue thermal silicone adhesives to enhance heat dissipation at the locations corresponding to the boost MOSFET and output modulation MOSFET.
They are four capacitors on the right, and the inverter transformer is at the bottom. The low-voltage MOSFET for boosting and the corresponding driver are on the top.
The backside only contains some solder joints, without any components.
The DC input from solar batteries can be filtered by four electrolytic capacitors. Those capacitors are from Chemi-Con, which are connected in parallel. 63V 3300μF.
And this inductor is also used for input filtering.
This 3mΩ resistor is used to detect the input current.
The master controller marked with 480-00031-01 is from Enphase themselves, which controls the boost and output modulation. It can drive low-voltage side directly and high-voltage side through the isolated driver.
This is the external clock crystal oscillator for the master controller.
And the external memory of the controller is from GigaDevice.
Those two buck chips that power the master controller are from TI.
A buck chip marked with 158D is in here.
This is the indicator light.
Here is another chip customized by Enphase.
Those four MOSFETs are from ON Semiconductor and can form an H-bridge for input converting. 60V 2.4mΩ for each one. Model is NTMFS5C628NL.
This is a 100V half-bridge driver from MPS. It integrates bootstrap diode, which can independently control the upper and lower MOSFETs. Model is MP1921A.
Here is the other one.
Those MLCCs are used for input filtering.
Then this is another set of MLCCs.
The circular inverter transformer is from EPCOS. It integrates the secondary current transformer.
Those four output-modulating MOSFETs marked with IPT60R102G7 are from Infineon and adopt TOLL package. 650V 102mΩ.
And two dual-channel isolated drivers marked with 2S7165B are on two sides of the modulating MOSFETs. They're from Infineon and are used to drive modulating MOSFETs. The real model is 2EDS7165H.
Here is the other one.
These are multiple resistors used for voltage sampling.
The output current transformer is used to detect the output current.
The blue Y capacitor can suppress the interference.
This is a safety X2 capacitor for output filtering.
And the red varistor marked with P175P10C is from Littelfuse.
The common mode choke is composed of two small parts in red and copper color, and they are insulated by yellow tapes
Here is another same common mode choke.
This is a safety X2 capacitor.
The output fuse is from Littelfuse. 3.15A 300V.
This is a discharge transistor that prevents overvoltage.
Another same Littelfuse varistor marked with P175P10C.
Well, that's all components of this Enphase IQ7+ microinverter.
Summary of ChargerLAB
Solar power generation has seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. Modern solar panels now offer output power of several hundred watts, and their foldable, portable designs make them incredibly convenient for usage. They even support charging portable power stations, perfectly aligning with the needs of the average consumer. Enphase's microinverter, in particular, goes a step further by enabling solar cell power input. This input is then inverted into a 220Vac output and connected to the grid, effectively channeling solar energy back into the power grid and thereby alleviating its load.
After taking it apart, we found it adopts many customized components, including master controller, drivers, and MOSFETs. They're from top-tier brands like MPS, ON Semiconductor, Infineon, etc, so it can deal with the harsh outdoor environment easily.
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