Multi-phase power converters are especially used in applications such as mobile equipments, VRM or automotive power supplies. This is due to their advantages, like increased output current capability, better thermal management, improved dynamic response, reduced EMI and harmonics, and smaller input and output filters. As a consequence, the design space can be re-explored using multi-phase converters. In this work, digital controllers are proposed for multi-phase converters. They provide advantages that are especially important for these converters and overcome problems difficult to solve with analog controllers. Some of the digital control advantages are capability for managing a large number of driving signals, accurate duty cycle generation, and easy phase-shifting of the driving signals. The proposed controller is based on custom hardware, like Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), for taking advantage of its concurrent operation in order to generate all the driving signals. The experimental results show the feasibility of the method, opening interesting possibilities in the control of state of the art power converters.
| Filename: | EPE Journal 13-2 - 2 - Paper De Castro |
| Filesize: | 318.8 KB |
