Designing induction cooktops can be hard. This reference design can make it easier for you as it can handle power and have smart features. Read on!
Designing modern induction cooktops presents multiple challenges for engineers. Consumers expect devices that are not only fast and energy-efficient but also sleek, easy to clean, and compatible with smart home systems. Meeting these expectations requires balancing high power output, precise user control, connectivity, and thermal management, all within a compact and affordable design. Ensuring safety while allowing flexible operation adds another layer of complexity. Engineers must consider factors like overcurrent protection, thermal limits of power components, pan detection, and the integration of user interfaces and connectivity options, which can make prototyping and testing time-consuming and costly.
The REF-SHA3K3IHWR5SYS starter kit from Infineon addresses these challenges by providing a modular reference design that separates the main functions of an induction cooktop across three boards. This modular approach allows engineers to focus on each function independently while maintaining full system integration. One board manages the dual induction hobs with resonant switching and integrates a microcontroller with high-performance IGBTs and gate drivers. By combining EMI filtering with inverter control, it simplifies the typical two-board power-stage architecture, reducing design complexity and lowering overall costs. Another board enables engineers to implement intuitive touch controls, timers, displays, and safety functions quickly. The third board adds IoT capabilities, allowing mobile monitoring, remote control, and voice interaction.
The kit supports high-performance cooking with two induction hob configurations. The large hob can deliver up to 2200 W and up to 3000 W in boost mode, while the small hob delivers up to 1400 W and 2000 W in boost mode, allowing both to operate simultaneously within a 3600 W total power limit. Boost mode increases the current through the IGBTs, raising thermal dissipation. Thanks to the IGBT’s thermal performance and integrated active cooling, the system can safely manage short bursts of high-power operation, with the large hob supporting boost for up to two minutes and the small hob for up to three minutes.
Safety is a key feature of the reference design. Pan detection automatically shuts down the hob if no pan is detected, or if the pan is misaligned or made of unsuitable material. The system uses phase-shift measurements between the coil current and voltage to determine pan presence accurately. Additional protections include auto-shutdown after prolonged use, and hardware and software safeguards against overcurrent, overvoltage, and overheating. User-friendly functions such as independent timers, pause and resume, child lock, and full power control via sliders, buttons, or a mobile app enhance usability while maintaining safety.
For engineers, the design provides a complete platform to develop smart, connected induction cooktops efficiently. It enables testing of power control, interface, and connectivity in a modular format, reduces design complexity, and offers ready-to-use safety and performance features. Firmware support for pan detection, boost mode, and thermal management further simplifies development, making it easier for engineers to bring energy-efficient, safe, and feature-rich induction cooktops to market.
Infineon has tested this reference design. It comes with a bill of materials (BOM), schematics, assembly drawing, printed circuit board (PCB) layout, and more. The company’s website has additional data about the reference design. To read more about this reference design, click here.
