English
How to build a better DC/DC regulator using FPGAs
Adam P. Taylor, EADS Astrium
EETimes (11/2/2011 3:07 PM EDT)
Designers traditionally build switch-mode DC/DC converters using analog components (bespoke ICs, operational amplifiers, resistors, capacitors and the like) to control the feedback loop and to generate the pulse-width modulation required for switching. When using analog components like these, you must consider a number of factors, taking tolerances, electrical stresses, aging drift, and temperature drift into account to ensure the stability of the design. Now, the availability of affordable low-powered FPGAs coupled with analog-to-digital converters allows the FPGA to replace the traditional analog approach.
DC/DC converters are designed in one of four main topologies: buck (step-down), boost (step-up), inverting (converting a positive input to a negative output), and SEPIC (single-ended primary inductor converter). SEPIC devices maintain a constant output voltage, stepping the input voltage up or down depending upon the circumstances. For this reason, they are a popular choice for battery-based applications.
|
E-mail This Article | 
|
|
Printer-Friendly Page |
Related Articles
- How embedded FPGAs fit AI applications
- How FPGAs are breathing new life into the analog video format
- How FPGAs, multicore CPUs, and graphical programming are changing embedded design
- What! How big did you say that FPGA is? (Team-design for FPGAs)
- How to detect solder joint faults in operating FPGAs in real time
New Articles
Most Popular
- System Verilog Assertions Simplified
- System Verilog Macro: A Powerful Feature for Design Verification Projects
- Enhancing VLSI Design Efficiency: Tackling Congestion and Shorts with Practical Approaches and PnR Tool (ICC2)
- Synthesis Methodology & Netlist Qualification
- Streamlining SoC Design with IDS-Integrate™