Description

The ABB 800PP846A is a high-performance central processing unit (CPU) module within ABB’s AC 800PEC (Power Electronics Controller) platform—a real-time control system engineered for the most demanding power electronics applications, including HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current), STATCOM, wind turbine converters, medium-voltage drives, and modular multilevel converters (MMC).

Combining dual PowerPC processors with a powerful Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA, the 800PP846A delivers deterministic control at sub-microsecond cycle times, enabling precise switching of thousands of IGBTs while maintaining grid stability, fault ride-through, and harmonic compensation. It is a cornerstone of ABB’s flexible, scalable architecture for next-generation energy conversion systems.

Application Scenarios

At a North Sea offshore wind farm, 900 MW of turbines feed into an HVDC Light® transmission link using ABB’s MMC technology. Each converter station relies on dual-redundant ABB 800PP846A controllers to manage over 2.000 submodules per phase. During a severe grid fault on the mainland, the 800PP846A executed advanced fault current limiting algorithms within 800 nanoseconds, preventing DC voltage collapse and keeping all turbines online—avoiding an estimated €12 million in lost revenue. The system’s ability to reconfigure submodule balancing in real time—handled entirely by the FPGA—is credited with achieving 99.98% availability over five years of operation.

Technical Principles and Innovative Values

Innovation Point 1: Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Ready Architecture – The 800PP846A’s FPGA can emulate power circuits or accept real plant feedback at nanosecond resolution, making it ideal for both deployment and pre-commissioning validation using OPAL-RT or dSPACE systems.

Innovation Point 2: Partitioned Control Strategy – High-level grid compliance (e.g., reactive power dispatch) runs on the PowerPC, while ultra-fast PWM generation, submodule capacitor balancing, and overcurrent protection execute in the FPGA—maximizing efficiency and safety.

Innovation Point 3: Native IEC 61850 & IEEE 1588 Support – Enables seamless integration into smart substations with time-synchronized event reporting (<1 µs accuracy), critical for wide-area monitoring and protection.

Innovation Point 4: Model-Based Design Workflow – Engineers develop control algorithms in MATLAB/Simulink, auto-generate C and HDL code, and deploy directly to the 800PP846A—cutting development time by up to 60%.

Application Cases and Industry Value

In a Brazilian aluminum smelter, ABB deployed 800PP846A-based STATCOM systems to stabilize voltage during potline startups, which previously caused 300+ MW load swings. The controller’s 10 kVAr/µs response rate eliminated flicker complaints from neighboring communities and prevented $4M/year in utility penalties for poor power quality.

Similarly, in a Japanese railway electrification project, the 800PP846A controls regenerative braking inverters that feed braking energy back into the 1.5 kV DC catenary. Its ability to switch between motoring and generating modes in <2 ms has reduced net energy consumption by 18% across the line.

Related Product Combination Solutions

ABB AC 800PEC Chassis: Host platform for 800PP846A and I/O modules.

ABB 800IO Series: High-speed analog/digital I/O modules (e.g., 800IO810 for ±10V input).

ABB PCM600: Engineering tool for configuration, commissioning, and diagnostics.

ABB Ability™ System 800xA: For SCADA integration—monitors 800PP846A health and performance.

Xilinx ISE Design Suite: Legacy FPGA development environment for custom logic.

MATLAB/Simulink + Embedded Coder: Primary algorithm development and auto-code generation path.

ABB HVDC Light® Converter Valves: Controlled by 800PP846A in offshore wind and interconnector projects.

ABB PCS6000: Static VAR compensator system—uses 800PP846A for dynamic reactive control.

Installation, Maintenance, and Full-Cycle Support

Installation requires mounting the 800PP846A in an ABB-approved AC 800PEC rack with proper grounding, 24VDC power, and fiber-optic I/O connections. Configuration is performed via PCM600 or remote SSH, with firmware and application logic loaded over Ethernet.

Maintenance includes periodic firmware updates, FPGA bitstream verification, and redundancy switchover testing. The module features built-in self-tests (BIST), watchdog timers, and error-correcting code (ECC) memory—ensuring decades of reliable operation in harsh electrical environments.

We supply every ABB 800PP846A as factory-new or ABB-certified refurbished stock, fully tested for boot, network, FPGA configuration, and redundancy handover. Each unit includes a functional test report and is backed by a 24-month warranty. Our engineering team provides Simulink template libraries, IEC 61850 CID file support, and migration assistance from legacy PM500 or AC 800M platforms.