Many typical engineering problems are quite complex, show dynamic behavior and a large number of different operating states. It is difficult for a lecturer to describe complex interrelationships and parameter dependencies solely via verbal description and static pictures. In power electronics, current conduction paths depend on diode and switch conduction states, and PWM control adds another level of complexity. The student often finds it difficult to understand how a system works if he is only passively following a lecture in the classroom.
To address this issue, the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at ETH Zurich introduced the online education platform iPES in 2001 [1]-[4]. An example of a typical iPES Java applet is shown in Fig. 1 [5]. Later on, the circuit simulator GeckoCIRCUITS was developed and used as an extension to the iPES platform [6]. Since 2013, GeckoCIRCUITS is available as open-source software published under the free GNU Public License [7]. Hence the software can now be used for free. All exercises in the basic and advanced power electronics courses at ETH Zurich include a GeckoCIRCUITS simulation model [8]. Additionally, specific simulation exercises motivate the students to use a modern simulation tool to understand complex lecture contents.