Experiment 8

DC-DC Converters
Objectives
Understanding the operation and function of different DC to DC converters. You are
supposed to design the required inductance and capacitance in different configurations of
converters and validate the design by patching the circuits at bread board.
Pre-Lab Reading
Chapter 5, Power Electronics Circuits, Devices and Applications by M.H Rashid, 3rd
Edition
Lecture Notes for buck, boost, buck-boost and Cuk converter
Equipement
DC supply, oscilloscope, MOSFET, High frequency diode, TLP494, Multi-turn variable resistances, connecting wires and breadboard and STM Board.
DC supply and oscilloscope will be available in the lab remaining components should be brought
by the students as the part of component box. Please bring required resistances and capacitor
as per your design.

8.1

Buck Converter

Suppose we have the DC input of 12 V and require a 5 V output, the circuit diagram for this
buck operation is given in the next section. Implement the circuit with appropriate values of
inductor and capacitor. Suggested value of voltage and current ripple is 5%

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EXPERIMENT 8. DC-DC CONVERTERS

Circuit diagram
Figure 8.1 shows the circuit diagram for buck converter. Implement and observe voltage waveforms on all the nodes. You can use TLP494 or STM to trigger the MOSFET at desired duty
cycle at selected frequency. Suggested range of inductance is between 200 uH and 400 uH.

Figure 8.1: Buck Converter

Task
Adjust the switching frequency equal to 150 kHz, preferably generated by STM board.
Set the duty cycle equal to 40%.
Connect one channel of oscilloscope to gate of Q1 and the other across the load. Also
connect the digital multimeter, configured as a dc voltmeter across the load.
Turn the power supply on, set it to 12Vdc . Carefully monitor the current. Be sure it does
not exceed 300 mA.
Verify that the voltage across the load is 5 Vdc . Alter duty cycle to set the output.
Record waveforms across all the nodes.

8.1. BUCK CONVERTER

Plot wavefroms at all the nodes

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EXPERIMENT 8. DC-DC CONVERTERS

8.1.1

Load Regulation

Procedure
Alter the load resistance to set the load current to 200mA, then the duty cycle as necessary
to keep the load voltage to 5Vdc .
Record the duty cycle.
Change the oscilloscope input channel to ac coupling and the volts/div to allow you to
view triangular ripple across the load.
Record the triangular peak-peak ripple.
Repeat steps for different load currents.
Plot wavefrom for 200 mA current

Plot wavefrom for 300 mA current

8.1. BUCK CONVERTER

Plot wavefrom for 400 mA current

Plot wavefrom for 500 mA current

8.1.2

Line Voltage Regulation

Procedure
Set input voltage to 14 Vdc .
Set duty cycle to keep load 5Vdc .
Assure load current to 500 mA.
Record duty cycle.
Calculate the input and output power.
Calculate circuits efficiency.

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EXPERIMENT 8. DC-DC CONVERTERS

Observation Set
Vdc
Input

Duty cycle
Measured

Calculated

Percentage
Error

Power
Input

Efficiency

Output

14 V
12 V
10 V
8V

8.1.3

Load Voltage Adjustment

Procedure
Return Input to 12Vdc and load current to 500mA.
Adjust duty cycle to produce 4 Vdc output at Iload = 500mA.
Record theoretical and actual duty cycle and the error.
Record input and output power
Calculate efficiency of the circuit
Repeat the steps for several values
Observation Set
Load
Vdc
4V
5V
6V
7V
8V
9V

Duty cycle
Measured

Calculated

Percentage
Error

Power
Input

Output

Efficiency

8.1. BUCK CONVERTER

81

Comments

Assignment
Simulate the designed circuit in MultiSim/Orcad and bring your report in nextlab to show the
results.

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EXPERIMENT 8. DC-DC CONVERTERS

8.2

Boost Converter

Objective
The purpose of this experiment is analyze the operation of a boost converter.

Circuit diagram
Figure 8.2 shows the circuit diagram for the boost converter. Set Rload = 80 .

Figure 8.2: Boost converter

8.2.1

Operation of boost converter

Procedure
Adjust switching frequency equal to 100 kHz (0 Vdc to 5Vdc ). There should be the variable
duty cycle rectangular pulse. Set the duty cycle equal to 50%.
Connect one channel of oscilloscope to gate of Q1 and the other across the load. Also
connect the digital multimeter, configured as a dc voltmeter across the load.
Turn the power supply on, set it to 6 Vdc . Carefully monitor the current. Be sure it does
not exceed 300 mA.
Enable the gate pulse. Verify that the voltage across the load is 12Vdc . Alter duty cycle
to set the output.

8.2. BOOST CONVERTER

83

Capture the waveform of the voltage at the transistors drain, and the voltage across
the load. Use ac coupling for the voltage across the load. Adjust the settings until the
transients are well centered and fill a significant part of the screen.
Plot voltage at all the nodes

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EXPERIMENT 8. DC-DC CONVERTERS

8.2.2

Load Regulation

Procedure
Alter the load resistance to set the load current to 50 mA, then the duty cycle as necessary
to keep the load voltage to 12 Vdc .
Record the duty cycle, theoretical duty cycle and current from input supply.
Calculate the input and output power.
Calculate circuits efficiency.
Repeat steps for given load currents.
Observation set
Iload
mA

Duty cycle
Measured

Percentage

Calculated

50
100
150
200
250

8.2.3

Line Voltage Regulation

Procedure
Set input voltage to 3 Vdc .
Set duty cycle to keep load 12 Vdc .
Assure load current to 150 mA.
Record duty cycle.
Calculate the input and output power.
Calculate circuits efficiency.

Error

Power
Input

Output

Efficiency

8.2. BOOST CONVERTER

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Observation set
Vdc
Input

Duty cycle
Measured

Calculated

Percentage
Error

Power
Input

Efficiency

Output

3
4
5
6
7

8.2.4

Load Voltage Adjustment

Procedure
Return Input to 6 Vdc and load current to 150mA.
Adjust duty cycle to produce 10 Vdc output at Iload = 150 mA.
Record theoretical and actual duty cycle and the error.
Record input, output power and calculate circuits efficiency
Observation set
Load
Vdc

Duty cycle
Measured

Calculated

Percentage
Error

Power
Input

Efficiency

Output

10
12
15
18
20
Comments

Assignment
Simulate the designed circuit in MultiSim/Orcad and bring your reports in nextlab to show the
results.