How to Construct a DC-DC Buck Converter for Regulation

Kilian Davis
ECE 480 Design Team 1 November 16, 2012

Abstract
A DC-DC buck converter can be used to safely power electronics that are rated for lower voltage supplies from higher rated DC batteries. The output of buck converter can be regulated at ease to any lower voltage by tailoring the hardware components of the circuit to produce that lower desired voltage. This useful component of common necessity when a particular design comprises of lower rated components that use high rated DC batteries.

Table of Contents
1 | Key Terms .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 2 | Objectives .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 3 | Buck Converter Design ...................................................................................................................................... 2 3.1 | Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 2 3.2 | Circuit Schematic ........................................................................................................................................ 2 3.3 | A Brief Design Explanation ......................................................................................................................... 2 3.4 | Influence of Inductor and Capacitor .......................................................................................................... 3 4 | Hardware Components ..................................................................................................................................... 4 4.1 | Picking Components ................................................................................................................................... 4 4.2 | A Table of Components .............................................................................................................................. 4 4.3 | Understanding the Importance of Power .................................................................................................. 5 5 | Designing the Switch ......................................................................................................................................... 5 5.1 | Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 5 5.2 | Necessary Components.............................................................................................................................. 5 5.2.1 | 555 Timer ............................................................................................................................................ 5 5.2.2 | Voltage Regulator................................................................................................................................ 6 5.2.3 | BJT ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 5.2.4 | MOSFET ............................................................................................................................................... 7 6 | Applications ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 7 | Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 8 | References ......................................................................................................................................................... 9

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1 | Key Terms
Please refer to the following key terms regarding this application note. Each key term is accompanied with its respective definition. DC (Direct Current): Indicates a voltage signal that is not oscillating with time and maintains a constant value. BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor): A three terminal device that acts as a switch when biased between the active and cutoff regions. MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor): A three terminal device that acts as a switch when biased between the saturation and cutoff regions. Duty Cycle: The percentage of time that a switch is closed and connecting the load to the battery.

2 | Objectives
This application note will describe the functionality of a DC to DC buck converter as well go over the key concepts components to understand the design. This application note is designed to first, briefly introduce and educate the reader on the theory behind the buck converter and its basic components, then introduce hardware component restrictions and the process of designing a switch.

3 | Buck Converter Design

3.1 | Overview
In this section a review on the theory and concepts behind the buck converter, as well as the contribution of some major components will be covered.

3.2 | Circuit Schematic

Figure 1: Buck Converter Schematic

3.3 | A Brief Design Explanation

Above is a simplified schematic of the DC-DC buck converter. A large DC battery, , supplies a lower voltage to a load, R. The most important component of a DC-DC buck converter is the switching component and its duty cycle. The duty cycle is the most important value when determining the resulting voltage at the output, Vo. 2|Page

The alternating switch produces a square wave with a pulse amplitude value of and zero voltage when the switch opens. Depending on the duty cycle, the output voltage will be the average of the pulse signal i.e. if a 50 percent duty cycle is used for a 24V supply, Vo = 0.5*24V = 12V. This concept is depicted below in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Buck Converter Output Voltage

3.4 | Influence of Inductor and Capacitor

When the switch is closed, the battery supplies the load as a complete circuit biasing the diode in a non-active state. As current passes through the inductor, L, to the load, the inductor absorbs energy and creates a voltage drop. Once the switch opens the inductor acts as a power supply and the diode is biased into its active state. This allows the inductor to discharge stored energy where the load absorbs it. This schematic is depicted in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Dissipating Inductor

An important thing to note is that the output voltage will not be a perfectly smooth DC signal; a small ripple slightly distorts the output voltage. As the switch consistently alternates states, there is a very small delay time between the alternating supplies to the load. This results in the creation of harmonics of the clock frequency in the switch. These delay times and harmonics can greatly distort the output from a smooth signal if not corrected properly. The best way to counteract a ripple and harmonics is to place a capacitor in parallel with the load. The addition of the capacitor will accomplish the following: Create an LC circuit which will act as a filter to block frequency harmonics generated from the clock. Smooth the ripple generated at load. When the switch alternates, there will be a delay before the diode becomes active. In that time period the capacitor can discharge its stored energy into the load much like the inductor.

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4 | Hardware Components
4.1 | Picking Components
All components are rated at given voltage and current range. When designing a buck converter, or any circuit for that matter, it is important to understand the limitations of the individual components in the design. If these limitations are not taken into consideration, the circuit will not function correctly and the devices themselves can be damaged. This section will discuss the common components found in a buck converter design and what quantities need to be taken into consideration when picking hardware. The table below, Table 1, lists some of these common components, as well as specific information for each common component listed.

4.2 | A Table of Components

Hardware Component
555 Timer

Part ID
LM555

Description
Generates a square wave signal in KHz range Takes voltage input and regulates to either 5, 8, 12, or 15 V Functions as switch Functions as switch

Voltage Restriction

Current Restriction

Voltage Regulator

LM78xx Series

BJT MOSFET

Rated for many inputs NTP18N06L

----

---Continuous Peak

Gate Driver Diode

TPS2819 MUR302WT

Inductor

----

Capacitor

----

Amplifies input into MOSFET gate Two state device allowing current only one direction Frequency dependent impedance; acts as battery when discharged Frequency dependent impedance; acts as battery when discharged

Input Dependent

Input Dependent

Input Dependent

Input Dependent

Table 1: Component ID and Restrictions

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4.3 | Understanding the Importance of Power

The components listed above in Table 1 are component examples that could be used in the construction of a real world buck convertor. These components are rated for much higher conditions than most transistors or diode rectifiers. When picking components it is crucial to know how much power must be delivered to the load. A component, for example, may satisfy the voltage level required for a load but may not satisfy the current requirement. Power is a quantity comprised of both voltage and current, so when a load pulls a high current and torque from a buck converter that cannot handle these conditions, the supply will not succeed and the circuit could potentially endure some damage. Proper research, planning and designing around these constraints is crucial to construct a buck convertor that works properly and as desired.

5 | Designing the Switch

5.1 | Overview
At this point, this application note has covered: The role of a switch and its duty cycle when determining the output voltage. The behavior of the inductor and capacitor as batteries when the switch is opened. The contribution of an LC combination when filtering out harmonics produced by the clock frequency. The importance of the diodes contribution to the buck converter design when the switch is opened.

An understanding at this point should be achieved in regards to the switchs behavior and the role it plays in deciding an output of the buck converter. This section will describe the process of designing the switch when building a buck converter, and describe the listed components in Table 1 in greater detail.

5.2 | Necessary Components

5.2.1 | 555 Timer The 555 Timer is a clock generating device that produces square waves in the KHz frequency range. This component is particularly important when designing the switch because it produces the oscillating square wave that determines the frequency of the switch. Using the 555 Timer achieves the capability of biasing a BJT or MOSFET in the active or cutoff region, which will be described in detail later. Most importantly, the 555 Timer is the component that determines the duty cycle of the switch. Figure 4 depicts a created 50 percent duty cycle.

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Figure 4: 50% Duty Cycle Oscillator

By adjusting the resistance values found in the circuit schematic above, higher or lower duty cycles can be achieved. The capability to control the duty cycle of the switch achieves the ability to choose output voltage, a very beneficial element of control. However, if a voltage regulator is being used, the output amplitude of the 555 Timer will be the value of Vcc not Vd. 5.2.2 | Voltage Regulator Depending on the voltage source that is being used, a voltage regulator may need to be used in order to maintain the voltage range in Table 1 for the 555 Timer. If the supply voltage exceeds 16 Volts, the timer can possibly be damaged or even destroyed. The LM78XX voltage regulator prevents the supply voltage from reaching harmful levels. 5.2.3 | BJT A BJT acts as the switching mechanism connecting the DC power supply to the load. The basic model for the BJT is displayed in Figure 5 below.

Figure 5: Basic BJT Model

If the battery is connected to the collector of the BJT and the 555 Timer output is connected to the base, the transistor can be biased alternately into the active and cutoff regions creating a switch. To bias a transistor into the active region, the base current must be greater than zero. When the 555 Timer produces a square wave pulse, a voltage is supplied to the base of the transistor, producing a base current 6|Page

source. The transistor is biased in the active region and takes on the equivalent model depicted below in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Active Region for BJT

When the clock signal generated alternates back to zero, the supply current to the BJT is cutoff. The state of the transistor responds by going into its cutoff state. When no current is supplied to the base of the transistor, it cuts off, and prevents any current flow as depicted below in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Cutoff Region for BJT

The constant transition between the active and cutoff region of the transistor produces a switch with the same duty cycle as the 555 Timer. However, the exception is that the switch created by the BJT produces a square wave with amplitude equal to the DC voltage supply. 5.2.4 | MOSFET The MOSFET serves the exact same function as the BJT and almost functions exactly the same. The difference between the two is that they are biased completely differently. Below in Figure 8, a simple representation of an n-channel MOSFET is depicted.

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Figure 8: n-channel MOSFET

To control the state of a MOSFET the voltages from gate to source and gate to drain need to be controlled. To bias a MOSFET into the saturation region, the gate to source voltage must be greater than the threshold voltage and the drain source must be lower than the threshold voltage. To accomplish this, a device called a gate driver, which the last component of the switch, can be used to amplify the pulse amplitude that will be received at the gate of the MOSFET. By creating this amplification the conditions for saturation region can be achieved and the connection from drain to source can be achieved as depicted below in Figure 9.

Figure 9: MOSFET in Saturation

With the DC battery supply connected to the drain of the MOSFET, every time the clock generates an amplitude the battery supplies to the load.

6 | Applications
DC to DC conversion is common in all large manufactured products. Two prime examples are computers and motor vehicles. Using a buck converter offers a much cheaper solution to supplying large systems comprised of smaller components. Rather than buying several power supplies to charge lower rated components, buck converters can be used to step down the voltage to safely supply all components demanding a power supply. Here are some common examples of where a buck converter is implemented: Trucks generally run off a 24 V DC battery. Car radios are rated at 12 V, so a buck converter is used to step down the voltage to supply the radio. Supply outlets in motor vehicles for personal electronics, generally rated at 5V or 9V 8|Page

Computers, buck converters are used to step down the voltage to supply components such as the processor. Regulating voltage in computers for CPU chips.

DC to DC conversion for electronic manufactured products is always in demand. It saves manufactures money and eliminates many design constraints, by allowing lower rated components to be used in larger systems.

7 | Conclusion
After reading this article you should have a firm understanding of how a buck converter functions and be able to recognize the key theories and concepts associated with its design. You should also understand the role each hardware component plays in the design of a buck converter as well as the importance of voltage and current restrictions when selecting and wiring components. The reader should also understand the importance voltage regulation plays in many products such as computers, motor vehicles, and many electronics.

8 | References
Figure 1: http://images.wikia.com/elsoc/images/f/f3/Picture_15.png Figure 2: Fig. 10.1Topology of the buck chopper, EC_notes, Eli Strangas, pg. 118 Figure 3: Fig. 10.2b Operation of the Buck Chopper, EC_notes, Eli Strangas, pg. 118 Figure 4: http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm555.pdf Figure 5: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=BJT+transistor&view=detail&id=AB6F50A1078D3CF8E2DFB55A2EE81 2A548276883&first=1 Figures 6, 7, 9: All self-drawn Figure 8: http://macao.communications.museum/images/exhibits/2_10_4_3_eng.png Table 1: http://html.alldatasheet.com/html-pdf/82833/FAIRCHILD/LM7805/815/2/LM7805.html http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps2819.pdf http://html.alldatasheet.com/html-pdf/116426/ONSEMI/NTP18N06L/218/1/NTP18N06L.html 9|Page

http://html.alldatasheet.com/html-pdf/197143/IRF/MUR3020WT/56/1/MUR3020WT.html http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm555.pdf

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