COURSE OUTLINE

Power supply systems for mobile devices, computers, consumer electronics, and numerous other applications are going through significant transformations. The changes are driven by numerous factors and, often, conflicting requirements. Those include requests for processing increasing amounts of power and operation with higher voltage conversion ratios while, at the same time, providing high power processing efficiency and improving power density. Also, compared to conventional solutions, emerging power management systems are expected to have improved functionality, increasing interactions with the loads and allowing for implementation of advanced power savings techniques.

To accommodate new requirements, novel solutions on multiple levels are being developed. Those include redefined system level architectures, novel digital and mixed-signal control methods, and replacement of conventional buck and boost converters with more advanced topologies. Also new components and packaging solutions are being developed.

This course will give a brief review of standard power management architectures in several applications and fundamental principles of the operation of their main functional blocks, i.e. switch-mode power supplies (SMPS). Also, the main design trade-offs involving size, power processing efficiency, and the cost of implementation will be reviewed. Then, the practical implementation challenges related to the changing requirements will be described and new solutions introduced.

A special focus will be given to three topics. First is the practical implementation of high-frequency digital and mixed-signal controllers replacing conventional analog counterparts. Challenges and solutions related to on-chip implementation of the main functional blocks of digital controllers will be presented. Also, digital control solutions for improving transient performance, efficiency, and functionality of the SMPS will be presented.

The second topic is related to emerging reduced voltage swing converter topologies (including multi-level converters) replacing conventional buck and boost-based solutions. Basic principles of operation that allow for simultaneous size reduction and power processing efficiency improvements will be presented. Then, specific design and control challenges will be addressed and solutions presented.

The third topic will review latest system-level architectures relying on digital control and utilization of the new topological solutions.

The course will also include hands-on simulation work, sometimes during the lectures and other times as homework assignments, where mathematical modeling methods/tools covered in the lectures will be applied to design and simulate, i.e. verify designs of several switch-mode power supplies (SMPS). The modeling methods/tools will be used for both steady-state analysis and the design of controllers. The simulations will be based on Typhoon – Xyce combination (temporary licenses will be provided), where Xyce is a SPICE-compatible high-performance simulator, and quite useful for power stage simulation and high frequency effects. Typhoon is a supporting graphical user, and model integration, interface. For more information, please see here.

This course is intended primarily for analog designers with some experience in traditional power management architectures who may or may not have experience with digital and mixed-signal controllers. We will assume no familiarity with these advanced power management topologies and introduce them as part of the course. The course will also be of great interest to power electronics engineers, system designers, as well as those with background in control and digital design. Some basic knowledge of circuit theory will be required.