DC/DC Converters

Page General information E 6,3 ER 11 RM 4 LP Planar power transformers Planar power chokes 42 46 48 51 53 55

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DC/DC Converters General Information

S+M Components offers a number of inductive components (types E 6,3, ER 11, RM 4 LP, RM 7 and RM 10) for use in DC/DC converters, components presenting an optimum solution for the different requirements. Here too there is a miniaturization trend, so on the following pages you will mainly find components in surface-mount technology. PTH components are also available for your specific needs. Types E 6,3, ER 11 and RM 4 LP Because of the small winding space and the small cross section of the ferrite core, this kind of transformer is intended for low-power DC/DC converter. But the general-purpose design also allows use in other applications, e.g. for driving power semiconductors (thyristor firing pulse) or signal transmission. Planar transformers and inductors Planar transformers and inductors are a new generation of inductive components in power supplies. A multilayer board with printed windings is used instead of the conventional coil former with its wire winding. This board is enclosed by an ultraflat RM 7 or RM 10 core and fitted with leads. The new technology combines a number of features that are ideal for the typical demands in modern DC/DC converters. The major advantages are
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high power density, especially flat form, high output currents at low output voltages, high efficiency, good EMC characteristics, low stray inductance, low coupling capacitance.

As a result of the multilayer winding, S+M planar transformers and inductors exhibit hardly any losses through skin effect, proximity effect and eddy currents. The low stray inductances and coupling capacitances with only slight spread are a special advantage for use in resonant and quasi-resonant converters. The following pages show the most common basic configurations for DC/DC converters.

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DC/DC Converters General Information

Step-down converter (Fig. 1)

Figure 1

A simple inductive component is all that is required for the circuit of a step-down converter. The major advantages are the high efficiency and good EMC characteristics. This is counterbalanced by the fact that there is no electrical isolation between the input and output and only one output voltage can be generated. Common applications are regulated stepping down of voltage and regulated current sources (without or with very small capacitance C, Fig. 1). 2 Flyback converter

Flyback converter without electrical isolation (Fig. 2) Flyback converter with electrical isolation (Fig. 3)

Figure 2

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DC/DC Converters General Information

Figure 3

For a flyback converter too, only one inductive component is needed. So the circuit is relatively simple, but still allows isolation from the line and several outputs of any polarity (see Fig. 3). If no electrical isolation is necessary, the circuit shown in Fig. 2 is a possible solution. Although the voltage is reversed, the magnitude of the output voltage can be varied to greater and smaller than that of the input voltage. Many other circuit variants can be found in specialist literature. The disadvantages of the flyback converter are the losses through eddy currents in the region of the air gap. This kind of circuit also calls for a relatively large inductive component, whose ferrite core must be provided with an air gap. Major applications are low-cost DC/DC converters for less than 200 W. Typical operating frequencies are below 150 kHz. 3 3.1 Forward converter Single-ended forward converter (Fig. 4)

Figure 4

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DC/DC Converters General Information

In contrast to the circuitry principles described above, the forward converter is configured with two inductive components. Besides the transformer, a relatively large choke is needed to function as a current store. But the more sophisticated circuit allows high efficiency and a wide power range. Typical applications are in the power range up to 500 W with operating frequencies reaching 1 MHz. 3.2 Push-pull forward converter (Fig. 5)

Figure 5

Similar to the single-ended converter, the push-pull forward converter is characterized by an especially wide power range, high efficiency plus good EMC features. Its advantage compared to the single-ended forward converter is the much smaller choke. Special forms of regulation are usually necessary to avoid DC currents in the primary windings. This kind of circuit can be used to implement DC/DC converters for power up into the kW region with typical operating frequencies of less than 500 kHz.

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