AC-DC|Basic
Discrete Configuration vs. Power Supply IC
2015.12.06
Points of this article
・Absent extensive knowledge of power supply design, a better approach would be the use of a power supply IC.
・In most cases IC manufacturers provide support for the design process.
Although nowadays there may be less need to weigh between a discrete configuration and the use of a power supply IC, in this section we discuss the topic mainly from the point of view of designing an on-board power supply unit. While some cases may be made for the adoption of a discrete configuration, the advantages of using a power supply IC are as discussed a lot in the preceding sections. In these times we believe that the best approach is to fully utilize the capabilities of a power supply IC. Power supply ICs are provided with most of the circuits and functions required for optimal controls. The designer can achieve a virtually perfect power supply unit by adjusting those functions and optimizing them to suit his/her own design.

Figure 35
In days past, power supply units represented the sum total of the expertise that power supply manufacturers had nurtured, and the discrete configuration held an upper hand in terms of the ease of tuning, functionality, and cost. Now, the power supply IC has evolved to the point where it incorporates features that fulfill many needs so that high-performance power supply units can be built with great ease and in flexibility. The best of all, the number of components required in a power supply unit has been reduced, providing advantages in size and reliability. In device design for which rapid Time-to-Market is a paramount requirement, we believe that it is critical to improve the efficiency of the power supply design process which is prone to delay.
【Download Documents】 Basics of AC-DC Converter and Design Procedures
A hand book for beginners to AC-DC converter design, covering the basics of AC-DC conversion and various conversion methods, as well as the procedures and issues involved in designing an AC-DC converter.
AC-DC
Basic
- AC-DC Basics
- DC-DC Conversion (Regulated) System after Smoothing
- Design Procedure for AC-DC Conversion Circuits (Overview)
- Issues and considerations in AC-DC Conversion Circuit Design
- Summary
- Extra Plus Basic Knowledge
Design
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Overview of Design Method of PWM AC-DC Flyback Converters
- Isolated Flyback Converter Basics: Flyback Converter Operation and Snubber
- Isolated Flyback Converter Basics: What are Discontinuous Mode and Continuous Mode?
- Want are Isolated Flyhback Convertors?
- Design Procedure
- Isolated Flyback Converter Basics: What is Switching AC-DC Conversion?
- Determining Power Supply Specifications
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits
- Isolated Flyback Converter Basics: What are Characteristics of Flyback Converter?
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Transformer Design (Calculating numerical values)
- Choosing an IC for Design
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Transformer Design (Structural Design) – 1
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Transformer Design (Structural Design) – 2
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Selecting Critical Components ? MOSFET related – 1
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Selecting Critical Components ? MOSFET related – 2
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Selecting Critical Components ? CIN and Snubber
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Selecting Critical Components ? Output Rectifier and Cout
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Selecting Critical Components ? VCC of IC
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Selecting Critical Components – IC Settings Etc.
- Designing Isolated Flyback Converter Circuits: Addressing EMI and Output Noise
- Example Board Layout
- Summary
-
Overview of Design Examples of AC-DC Non-isolated Buck Converters
- What are Buck Converters? – Basic Operation and Discontinuous Mode vs. Continuous Mode
- Selection of Power Supply ICs and Design Examples
- Selecting Critical Components: Input Capacitor C1 and VCC Capacitor C2
- Selecting Critical Components: Inductor L1
- Selecting Critical Components: Current Sense Resistor R1
- Selecting Critical Components: Output Capacitor C5
- Selecting Critical Components: Output Rectifying Diode D4
- EMI Countermeasures
- Board Layout and Summary
-
Introduction
- Design Procedure
- IC Used in Design
- Power Supply Specifications and Replacement Circuit
- Synchronous Rectifying Circuit Section: Selection of Synchronous Rectifying MOSFET
- Synchronous Rectification Circuit Section: Power Supply IC Selection
- Troubleshooting ①: Case When Secondary-Side MOSFET Suddenly Turns OFF
- Synchronous Rectification Circuit Section: Selection of Peripheral Circuit Components-C1, R3 at MAX_TON Pin, and VCC Pin
- Troubleshooting ②: Case When Secondary-Side MOSFET Turns On Due to Resonance Under Light Loading
- Troubleshooting ③: Case When, Due to Surge, VDS2 Rises to Above Secondary-Side MOSFET VDS Voltage
- Comparison of Efficiency of Diode Rectification and Synchronous Rectification
- Points to Note Relating to PCB Layout
- Summary
- Synchronous Rectification Circuit Section: Selection of Peripheral Circuit Components-D1, R1, R2 at DRAIN Pin
- Shunt Regulator Circuit Section: Selection of Peripheral Circuit Components
-
Introduction
- Power Supply ICs Used in Design: Optimized for SiC MOSFETs
- Design Example Circuit
- Transformer T1 Design – 1
- Transformer T1 Design – 2
- Selecting Critical Components: MOSFET Q1
- Selecting Critical Components: Input Capacitor and Balancing Resistor
- Selecting Critical Components: Switch Setting Resistors for Overload Protection Points
- Selecting Critical Components: VCC-Related Components of Power Supply ICs
- Selecting Critical Components: Components Related to Power Supply IC BO (Brownout) Pins
- Selecting Critical Components: Components Related to Snubber Circuits
- Selecting Critical Components: MOSFET Gate Drive Adjustment Circuit
- Selecting Critical Components: Output Rectifying Diode
- Selecting Critical Components: Output Capacitors, Output Setting and Control Components
- Selecting Critical Components: Current Sense Resistors and Components Related to Detection Pins
- Selecting Critical Components: Components for Dealing with EMI and Output Noise
- PCB Layout Example
- Example Circuit and Component List
- Evaluation Results: Efficiency and Switching Waveform
- Summary
Evaluation
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What are Isolated Flyback Converters Performance Evaluation and Checkpoints?
- Overview and important features of a power supply IC used in example performance evaluation
- Design goals and circuits in performance evaluation
- Performance evaluation using an evaluation board: Measurement method and results
- Critical checkpoint: Output transient response and rising output voltage waveform
- Critical checkpoint: Measuring temperature and loss
- Critical checkpoint: Aluminum electrolytic capacitors
- Summary
- Critical checkpoint: Transformer saturation
- Critical checkpoint: MOSFET VDS and IDS, and rated voltage of output rectifier diode
- Critical checkpoint: Vcc voltage
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