Explore the Lesser-Known Benefits of Digital Power
by Marty Pandola, Product Manager, Zilker Labs Inc., Austin, Texas , Power Electronics Technology, Nov 01 2006
Focus:
A good overview of both the well-known and lesser-known benefits of digital power control. Advantages discussed include reduced component count through integration of power management functions such as voltage and current monitoring, sequencing, tracking, fault detection, and fault management; and design flexibility that includes the ease of adding another supply rail to a power system or increasing the current level on a given supply rail. Other benefits include the ability to change load-line impedance or output voltage droop for various purposes including modestly improved transient response; easy reprogramming of parameters such as supply voltage, ramp up or ramp down rates, and order of sequencing for supply rails; monitoring of voltage, currents, and temperatures in complex power systems; compensation of current measurements for temperature; and thermal mapping of the system. Still other advantages are possible that relate to improving system reliability: tracking of converter efficiency to predict supply rail failures; adjustment of fault and warning thresholds over the life of a product; and storage of fault data to allow later debugging. Other benefits allow for lower cost of ownership. A sidebar in the article discusses how digital control can achieve zero deadtime for improved efficiency.
What you’ll learn:
- How to understand the many possible benefits of using digital power control in complex power systems
Notes:
Article appeared in PET's November 2006 supplement on Digital Control.
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