Switched mode power supply output filter configuration
First Claim
1. A method of determining a configuration of capacitors in an output filter of a switched mode power supply, SMPS, the method comprising:
- generating candidate configurations of capacitors defining respective arrangements of capacitors of different kinds in the output filter, each candidate configuration being associated with a respective value of a cost function that is calculated based on a number of capacitors of each kind in the candidate configuration and a cost assigned to each kind of capacitor, the candidate configurations being ordered in order of increasing or decreasing values of the cost function;
performing a binary search on the ordered candidate configurations of capacitors to determine a capacitor configuration associated with a lowest value of the cost function from among candidate configurations of capacitors that are determined during the binary search to allow a load transient response requirement of the SMPS to be fulfilled,wherein whether a candidate configuration allows the load transient response requirement of the SMPS to be fulfilled is determined using a model of a SMPS having the candidate configuration of the output filter to simulate a deviation of an output voltage of the SMPS in response to a change in a load current of the SMPS, and determining whether the load transient response requirement is fulfilled based on the simulated deviation of the output voltage, andwherein performing the binary search comprises determining values of control law parameters for turning a feedback loop that is arranged to regulate the output voltage of the SMPS, in accordance with a control law defined by the control law parameters, the control law parameter values being determined by;
determining a respective estimate of a natural frequency of each of two zeros in a transfer function that corresponds to a model of the feedback loop by;
determining, for each of a plurality of points in a search space, wherein the coordinates of each of the points correspond to candidate values of the natural frequencies of the zeros, a deviation of the output voltage of the SMPS that occurs in response to a variation in the load current of the SMPS,evaluating a goal function using the determined deviation of the output voltage of the SMPS at each of the plurality of points to obtain a measure of at least one of a size and a recovery time of the respective output voltage deviation,estimating a location of a minimum of the goal function in the search space based on the evaluated values of the goal function, the location of the minimum of the goal function corresponding to the natural frequencies of the zeros, andcalculating, based on the determined estimates of the natural frequencies of the zeros, the control law parameter values for tuning the feedback loop; and
assembling the SMPS having the output filter with the capacitor configuration that is determined to be associated with the lowest value of the cost function from among the candidate configurations of capacitors.
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Abstract
Method determines a configuration of capacitors in an output filter of a switched mode power supply (SMPS). Candidate configurations are generated, each associated with a respective cost function value calculated based on number of capacitors of each kind in the candidate configuration and cost assigned to each kind of capacitor. The candidate configurations are ordered based on their cost function values. A binary search through the ordered candidate configurations determines a capacitor configuration associated with a lowest cost function value to allow a defined load transient response requirement of the SMPS. Whether a candidate configuration allows the defined load transient response requirement of the SMPS is determined using a model of a SMPS having the candidate configuration of the output filter simulating deviation of output voltage of the SMPS in response to change in load current of the SMPS and determining whether the defined load transient response requirement is allowed.
48 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of determining a configuration of capacitors in an output filter of a switched mode power supply, SMPS, the method comprising:
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generating candidate configurations of capacitors defining respective arrangements of capacitors of different kinds in the output filter, each candidate configuration being associated with a respective value of a cost function that is calculated based on a number of capacitors of each kind in the candidate configuration and a cost assigned to each kind of capacitor, the candidate configurations being ordered in order of increasing or decreasing values of the cost function; performing a binary search on the ordered candidate configurations of capacitors to determine a capacitor configuration associated with a lowest value of the cost function from among candidate configurations of capacitors that are determined during the binary search to allow a load transient response requirement of the SMPS to be fulfilled, wherein whether a candidate configuration allows the load transient response requirement of the SMPS to be fulfilled is determined using a model of a SMPS having the candidate configuration of the output filter to simulate a deviation of an output voltage of the SMPS in response to a change in a load current of the SMPS, and determining whether the load transient response requirement is fulfilled based on the simulated deviation of the output voltage, and wherein performing the binary search comprises determining values of control law parameters for turning a feedback loop that is arranged to regulate the output voltage of the SMPS, in accordance with a control law defined by the control law parameters, the control law parameter values being determined by; determining a respective estimate of a natural frequency of each of two zeros in a transfer function that corresponds to a model of the feedback loop by; determining, for each of a plurality of points in a search space, wherein the coordinates of each of the points correspond to candidate values of the natural frequencies of the zeros, a deviation of the output voltage of the SMPS that occurs in response to a variation in the load current of the SMPS, evaluating a goal function using the determined deviation of the output voltage of the SMPS at each of the plurality of points to obtain a measure of at least one of a size and a recovery time of the respective output voltage deviation, estimating a location of a minimum of the goal function in the search space based on the evaluated values of the goal function, the location of the minimum of the goal function corresponding to the natural frequencies of the zeros, and calculating, based on the determined estimates of the natural frequencies of the zeros, the control law parameter values for tuning the feedback loop; and assembling the SMPS having the output filter with the capacitor configuration that is determined to be associated with the lowest value of the cost function from among the candidate configurations of capacitors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for determining a configuration of capacitors in an output filter of a switched mode power supply, SMPS, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing program code executed by the processor, the program code comprising; a candidate configuration generator module arranged to generate candidate configurations of capacitors defining respective arrangements of capacitors of different kinds in the output filter, the candidate configuration generator module comprising; a cost calculation module arranged to evaluate, for each candidate configuration, a cost function based on a number of capacitors of each kind in the candidate configuration and a cost assigned to each kind of capacitor; and an association module arranged to associate each candidate configuration with a respective value of the cost function calculated by the cost calculation module, wherein the candidate configuration generator module is arranged to order the candidate configurations in order of increasing or decreasing values of the cost function; and a search module arranged to perform a binary search on the ordered candidate configurations of capacitors to determine a capacitor configuration associated with a lowest value of the cost function from among candidate configurations of capacitors that are determined during the binary search to allow a load transient response requirement of the SMPS to be fulfilled, the search module comprising; an output voltage deviation determining module arranged to simulate a deviation of an output voltage of the SMPS in response to a change in a load current of the SMPS, using a model of a SMPS having a candidate configuration of the output filter; and an evaluation module arranged to determine whether the candidate configuration of capacitors allows the load transient response requirement to be fulfilled based on the simulated deviation of the output voltage, wherein the search module is further arranged to determine values of control law parameters for tuning feedback loop that is arranged to regulate the output voltage of the SMPS, in accordance with a control law defined by the control law parameters, the search module further comprising; a natural frequency estimator arranged to determine a respective estimate of a natural frequency of each of two zeros in a transfer function that corresponds to a model of the feedback loop, the natural frequency estimator comprising the output voltage deviation determining module and the evaluation module, wherein; the output voltage deviation determining module is arranged to simulate, for each of a plurality of points in a search space, wherein the coordinates of each of the points correspond to candidate values of the natural frequencies of the zeros, a deviation of the output voltage of the SMPS that occurs in response to a variation in the load current of the SMPS, using the model of the SMPS and the model of the feedback loop; the evaluation module is arranged to evaluate a goal function using the simulated deviation of the output voltage of the SMPS at each of the plurality of points to obtain a measure of at least one of a size and a recovery time of the respective output voltage deviation; and the natural frequency estimator is arranged to estimate a location of a minimum of the goal function in the search space based on the evaluated values of the goal function, the location of the minimum of the goal function corresponding to the natural frequencies of the zeros; and a control law parameter calculator arranged to calculate, based on the determined estimates of the natural frequencies of the zeros, the control law parameter values for tuning the feedback loop; and a module that stores in the memory a configuration for the SMPS having the output filter with the capacitor configuration that is determined to be associated with the lowest value of the cost function from among the candidate configurations of capacitors. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification