DC-DC Converter Design Basics (Part 1): Buck Converters (Download)

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DC-DC converters are widely used to efficiently produce a regulated voltage from a source that may or may not be well-controlled to a load that may or may not be constant. This article shows how DC-DC converters can be built using the Renesas SLG47105 GreenPAK programmable mixed-signal matrix.

DC-DC converters are high-frequency power-conversion circuits that use high-frequency switching and inductors, transformers, and capacitors to smooth out switching noise into regulated DC voltages. Closed feedback loops maintain constant voltage output even when changing input voltages and output currents. At 90% efficiency, they’re generally much more efficient and smaller than linear regulators. Their disadvantages are noise and complexity.